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Hailfax
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« Reply #3045 on: January 26, 2011, 06:06:39 pm » |
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Hey, you know that whole 'pouring boiling oil on the attackers' thing that people apparently did when castles were under siege? Bullcrap. Oil was damn expensive. What was more common (And nastier) was to heat sand up and pour that onto the attackers. It'd burn into their skin. Then you'd pour raw sewage on them. This would cool the sand down, basically leaving them with lumps of glass in their flesh, loads of open wounds and covered in infectious waste.
God I love random trivia. C: |
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It's been a hard day's night
Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans- JL
3DS friend code: 4613-6707-8466
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Stan
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« Reply #3047 on: January 26, 2011, 10:17:42 pm » |
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If you're gonna do that shit, do it about one of those ontario elections that always end in the cops chasing a rapist around a tim hortons or some shit.
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BrainBlow
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« Reply #3048 on: January 27, 2011, 06:43:52 am » |
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Hey, you know that whole 'pouring boiling oil on the attackers' thing that people apparently did when castles were under siege? Bullcrap. Oil was damn expensive. What was more common (And nastier) was to heat sand up and pour that onto the attackers. It'd burn into their skin. Then you'd pour raw sewage on them. This would cool the sand down, basically leaving them with lumps of glass in their flesh, loads of open wounds and covered in infectious waste.
sources? I'm a history geek! I need to read moar!! I feel I need to look up where the oil stories come from. |
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Ive gained an all-new respect for BB this day. LET IT BE KNOWN!  [c |
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Dodom
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« Reply #3049 on: January 27, 2011, 07:35:23 am » |
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I had a teacher say that it came from the hot oil thing actually happening, but in rare if not unique instances, when they were desperate. It would then endure in popular imagination because who haven't been burned with hot oil in their life?
But he didn't mention any source, it could a well have been a personal theory.
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BrainBlow
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« Reply #3050 on: January 27, 2011, 08:11:37 am » |
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Well, boiling oil has a very intimidating effect, which may have been the point. Seeing someone literally melt and then have to walk over their corpses would be quite terrifying, especially for recruits. So There may be something to it some places.
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Ive gained an all-new respect for BB this day. LET IT BE KNOWN! [c |
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Dodom
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« Reply #3051 on: January 27, 2011, 08:19:26 am » |
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You're right... and for a psychological effect, a fairly small amount would be enough.
And how valuable oil was depended on the region. Where you have to extract it from plants and animal fat, you don't want to waste it, but regions that are full of petroleum already were centuries ago. It wouldn't be the first time a story from medieval Arabia was transplanted to medieval Europe in people's imagination.
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BrainBlow
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« Reply #3052 on: January 27, 2011, 08:57:35 am » |
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At the same time, the Byzantine empire had Greek fire as a pretty standard shock weapon.
Though all we really know about Greek fire is that it was a highly combustible oil. The ingredients were closely guarded and died with the Byzantines. Well, it died with one of the emperors (the ingredients were passed down from Emperor to Emperor) since they were constantly killing each other all the time long before the Ottomans defeated them. Kinda like with Roman concrete, ya know.
Though Cheez is definitely right about how it is BS with the oil being used so much in the defenses. In movies, cartoons, books, etc they have loads of oil almost everywhere on the wall defenses.
Defenders usually used boiling water on the non-gate defenses.
Man, I love history.
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Ive gained an all-new respect for BB this day. LET IT BE KNOWN! [c |
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Jetraymongoose
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« Reply #3053 on: January 27, 2011, 10:50:32 am » |
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Also they used to through jars of vipers at enemy ships....
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All of time and space, anywhere and everywhere, any star that ever was. Where do you want to start?
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BrainBlow
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« Reply #3054 on: January 27, 2011, 11:20:13 am » |
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I believe that was Hannibal, the kicker of Roman butts.
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Ive gained an all-new respect for BB this day. LET IT BE KNOWN! [c |
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--Pappa Cricco--
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« Reply #3055 on: January 27, 2011, 12:55:25 pm » |
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Hannibal with his damn elephants!
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Stan
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« Reply #3056 on: January 27, 2011, 01:49:53 pm » |
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DAMN YOU HANNIBAAAALLL!
ALl I can picture is Cricco dropping to his knees screaming that to the rainy skies as his monocle pops out.
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If you're gonna do that shit, do it about one of those ontario elections that always end in the cops chasing a rapist around a tim hortons or some shit.
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--Pappa Cricco--
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« Reply #3057 on: January 27, 2011, 03:21:24 pm » |
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>.> <.< That never happened...  |
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BrainBlow
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« Reply #3058 on: January 27, 2011, 04:13:47 pm » |
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It seems that the public unrest in Egypt has spread to Yemen.
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Ive gained an all-new respect for BB this day. LET IT BE KNOWN! [c |
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Stan
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« Reply #3059 on: January 27, 2011, 04:16:55 pm » |
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And whats the UN doing about it?
(Fuckall, pretty much all they can do)
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If you're gonna do that shit, do it about one of those ontario elections that always end in the cops chasing a rapist around a tim hortons or some shit.
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