3 ms·

Pretty much everything could kill you back then. I’ve been ill for about a month now, so I’ve been reading a lot. I’m going to add the danger of wolves. There

Pretty much everything could kill you back then. I’ve been ill for about a month now, so I’ve been reading a lot. I’m going to add the danger of wolves. There is a French account of how packs used to raid villages and this one knight in full armor fought a wolf for hours, and they wound up killing each other in combat. I don’t know if that’s true but apparently it was quite commonplace

throwbadubadu 3y ago
Wolves fight in packs too, for hunting prey.. a single wolf sticking and fighting to death, and a knight with a sword in armor not managing to seriously wound it earlier? Tbh doesn't sound realistic at all, given also todays knowledge about the behaviour of wolves. They had also plenty of food and other opportunities back then. Given how fatal any injury can be any predator is taking on any unnecessary fight very carefully.
- vharuck 3y ago
  It might have been a rabid wolf, which would explain the aggression. And the duration was probably exaggerated. If the fight lasted a while, like 10 minutes, then the knight could've died from exhaustion or heat stroke afterwards. If we assume "died in the fight" was also exaggerated, we could include blood loss that went untreated (everyone else was busy fleeing). If he died that night or the next day, then infections are possible killers.
  - ulizzle 3y ago
    That’s very plausible. Maybe he was a shit knight. But also there’s the man eating lions that somehow could dodge bullets. But plate armor has its own weaknesses, like a poor field of vision and all the weight slows you down. Likely died from blood loss like you said. I’m trying to find it, it was a project Gutenberg tome. I don’t know how I got into this rabbit hole but I’m still a little feverish so back at it again
- ulizzle 3y ago
  I don't think so either but I thought it was cool. But wolves were an ever-present danger in Europe, that's why they hunted them to extinction. Especially during plague times, plenty of carrion to scavenge and habituation makes them lose their fear of humans. Let me see if I can find the story, I was feverish yesterday so I didn't, but I can today. The behavior of wolves as we currently think of it has been influenced a lot by politically correct thought forms. "In France, historical records compiled by rural historian Jean-Marc Moriceau indicate that during the period 1362–1918, nearly 7,600 people were killed by wolves, of whom 4,600 were killed by nonrabid wolves."
  - southernplaces7 3y ago
    I also strongly recommend reading up on the Beast of Gévaudan for a uniquely bloody and strange case of a supposed 18th century village terrorized by a wolf, or at least some large beast. I say supposedly because there were also historical rumors that the real butcher of at least some of the victims in the region was the very man who killed the supposed culprit wolf for a reward from the French king, and as a way to cover up his crimes.
Toutouxc 3y ago
> knight in full armor fought a wolf for hours There’s very little a wolf can do to a person in armor. A fight between an armored knight armed with any kind of sword and a single wolf would probably only last a minute and would end very badly for the wolf. Wolves are extremely careful, cowardly and their only fighting move is to approach you and bite you. Source: have spent a lot of time with various wolfdogs, wolf hybrids and actual wolves.

throwbadubadu 3y ago

Wolves fight in packs too, for hunting prey.. a single wolf sticking and fighting to death, and a knight with a sword in armor not managing to seriously wound it earlier? Tbh doesn't sound realistic at all, given also todays knowledge about the behaviour of wolves. They had also plenty of food and other opportunities back then. Given how fatal any injury can be any predator is taking on any unnecessary fight very carefully.

vharuck 3y ago
It might have been a rabid wolf, which would explain the aggression. And the duration was probably exaggerated. If the fight lasted a while, like 10 minutes, then the knight could've died from exhaustion or heat stroke afterwards. If we assume "died in the fight" was also exaggerated, we could include blood loss that went untreated (everyone else was busy fleeing). If he died that night or the next day, then infections are possible killers.
- ulizzle 3y ago
  That’s very plausible. Maybe he was a shit knight. But also there’s the man eating lions that somehow could dodge bullets. But plate armor has its own weaknesses, like a poor field of vision and all the weight slows you down. Likely died from blood loss like you said. I’m trying to find it, it was a project Gutenberg tome. I don’t know how I got into this rabbit hole but I’m still a little feverish so back at it again
ulizzle 3y ago
I don't think so either but I thought it was cool. But wolves were an ever-present danger in Europe, that's why they hunted them to extinction. Especially during plague times, plenty of carrion to scavenge and habituation makes them lose their fear of humans. Let me see if I can find the story, I was feverish yesterday so I didn't, but I can today. The behavior of wolves as we currently think of it has been influenced a lot by politically correct thought forms. "In France, historical records compiled by rural historian Jean-Marc Moriceau indicate that during the period 1362–1918, nearly 7,600 people were killed by wolves, of whom 4,600 were killed by nonrabid wolves."
- southernplaces7 3y ago
  I also strongly recommend reading up on the Beast of Gévaudan for a uniquely bloody and strange case of a supposed 18th century village terrorized by a wolf, or at least some large beast. I say supposedly because there were also historical rumors that the real butcher of at least some of the victims in the region was the very man who killed the supposed culprit wolf for a reward from the French king, and as a way to cover up his crimes.

Toutouxc 3y ago

> knight in full armor fought a wolf for hours There’s very little a wolf can do to a person in armor. A fight between an armored knight armed with any kind of sword and a single wolf would probably only last a minute and would end very badly for the wolf. Wolves are extremely careful, cowardly and their only fighting move is to approach you and bite you. Source: have spent a lot of time with various wolfdogs, wolf hybrids and actual wolves.