View Full Version : Qoutes
If I can be so presumptious; during load times, you'll want some appropriate qoutes. Just a couple of Gaelic qoutes;
"What is the nature of this king of Saxons? What power he holds; what strength he has. He is no king, but a tyrant!" - Aedhar the Bold, on foreign kings; Irish had elected, limited power kings
"We are the best; no name has ever escaped. Let us know your enemy, give us your silver, and we will bring you his head." - Bodhri, leader of the Curuarci mercenary assassins of Ireland and Scotland
"The body is broken, but the Gael's spirit is steel. The great warrior raises again; defeat is a choice we will not make." - St. Finbar of Connaght, after a defeat; his army subsequently defeated viking invaders outside of Aechnell
"And so, Cinead laid his enemy to the ground, and took their heads as trophies. His skill at arms, his faith, his ability, delivered the rastriagh his final victory and vengeance over the pagan enemy." - Prophecy of St. Oidh, of the Christian Rastriagh berserkers
"Do not weep, not all suffering is forever. Not all darkness can persist before the light of day. One day, we will return, and be all the stronger for weight and hardship. Our people do not pass into darkness without complaint, but shout into the din of the abyss with great triumph and defiance." - Morgan the Poet, after a series of defeats to the viking invaders
The Stranger
06-14-2005, 09:04
what about byzantine quotes. if it's oke i'll search for some
Rodion Romanovich
06-14-2005, 09:43
Nice! I also have some quotes, although they're mostly viking quotes. Here are some:
- Each must do as his destiny decides
from Njal's saga
- Cattle die, friends die, even you die : but I know one that never die, the judgement over dead men
from Havamal, the High song of Odin
- The limp man can ride, the deaf can fight, but a corpse is no use to anyone
from Havamal, the High song of Odin
- 793. In this year terrible signs displayed over Northumbria - there was fire in the sky and firedragons flew through the air
Anglo-Saxon chronicle
- Never have I heard more terrible singing than from the Slesians - like snarling from the throat, like barking dogs, only more terrible
Ibrahim ibn Yakub
Some random dark age and Medieval-related quotes:
=======================================
- The purpose of all war is ultimately peace
Saint Augustine
- Miracles are not contrary to nature, only contrary to what we know about nature
Saint Augustine
- If soldiers were to begin to think, not one of them would remain in the army
Frederick the great
don't know about the last one though, it might be from a too late period. I don't know which Frederick earned the title "the great", so I can't check up from which date the quote could be, but it's probably from a too late period (but it's a good quote).
Unfortunately I couldn't find any more good quotes than these, but I'll keep looking.
ScionTheWorm
06-14-2005, 11:16
Never walk
away from home
ahead of your axe and sword.
You can't feel a battle
in your bones
or foresee a fight.
- The Havamal
I drink to your safe return in English ale. I wish that it were English blood.
- Don't know
'Doue zo en Nenv, ha Tiern e Breizh'
There is God in Heaven, and a lord in Brittany.
-> After the victory of Eripoé on the Franks of Charles le Chauve at Messac.
skeletor
06-14-2005, 12:00
Some good Vikingquotes on beer..... :-)
Taken from "haavamaal"
Gumnar margir
erusk gagnhollir
en at virði vrekask;
aldar róg
þat mun æ vera,
órir gestr við gest.
Friends are many
and well thougt off,
until they meet as guests in a feast.
That's how it is
forever and allways:
Guest quarrel with guest
----------------
Ölr ek varð,
varð ofrölvi
at ins fróða Fjalars;
því er ölðr bazt,
at aftr um heimtir
hverr sitt geð gumi.
Drunk i got,
dead drunk,
at the full-bodied Fjalar's gaard.
The best thing with drinkingfeasts
Is that the sence allways returns.
I have translated it myself, so it might be some stupid word-choices.
-Skel-
Rodion Romanovich
06-14-2005, 17:07
what about byzantine quotes. if it's oke i'll search for some
Yeah, if you can find any more quotes from the period that would be great!
The Stranger
06-14-2005, 18:47
ok.
"...Where long forgotten heroes
sang of victory
And drank ales
to old memories."
Excerpt from the Book of Heroes, Song to the Lady of the Fair Hair.
Two cents for now.
Narayanese
06-15-2005, 20:42
ne biþ þæt gedefe deaþ, þonne hit gedyrned weorþeð
It is no seemly death when it is kept secret.
Læran sceal mon geongne monnan,
trymman ond tyhtan þæt he teala cunne,
oþþæt hine mon atemedne hæbbe,
sylle him wist ond wædo, oþþæt hine mon on gewitte alæde.
One shall teach a young man,
encourage and prompt him to know things well,
until you have made him manageable;
give him food and clothes, until he is led to be sensible.
Þrym sceal mid wlenco, þriste mid cenum, sceolun bu recene beadwe fremman.
Power goes with pride, bold men with brave ones; both must be quick to make war.
Eorl sceal on eos boge, eorod sceal getrume ridan, fæste feþa stondan.
A nobleman goes on the arched back of a war-horse, a troop of cavalry must ride in a body, the foot-soldier must stand fast.
All above are from Maxims I
"A wretched thing you are, to think nothing has the value worth fighting, killing, and dying for; how will our church persist if you do not fight those who would destroy it?" - St. Finbar, to the Daergwolla; a Gaelic pacifistic cult
"Death should be lauded. How beautiful it is to kill and die, and know that it all has value." - Unknown; attributed to an unnamed Dal Riadan chief
"Pray that the devil finds you before I do, lest I cause you pains unknown even to the damned!" - Unknown Welsh general to a Saxon general; shouted across a field
"Do not be disheartened by limitation. Do what you can, until all strength is spent, and you have done heroic things. A man can only do so much. If he could do more, he'd be God." - Attributed to St. Columba
"He wears many wounds - He has eyes with much blood - He has no breath - He cannot speak - He cannot hear - He can only weep - He can only walk" - Unknown author; poem about a Cornish soldier's ghost
"Fósce sna caearróg ach marbhfo tillpeagen!" "Whiskey in a jar and dead men about!" - Irish islander victory cry
"Riadarudda ar sibhae!" "The warriors of the Riadans are upon you!" - Dal Riadan battle cry
"Ay-dillay-dolay-didlay-ay-dillay-dollay-didlay" - Gaelic marching chant; originated approximately 560 AD (appears in Brollahie), used as late as the 1920s (in traditional and contemporary songs)
Krusader
06-18-2005, 12:36
Byzantine quotes:
"Cut down the governors who become overproud.
Let no general on campaign have too many resources.
Exhaust them with unjust exactions, to keep them busy in their own affairs.
Admit no women to the imperial councils. Be accessible to no one.
Share with few your most intimate plans."
- Bardas Skleros, to Basil II, Bithynia, 989AD
----------------
Other quotes:
"Why...ask me to compose a song...to praise...that gluttonous barbarian who spreads rancid butter on his face"
- Letter of Sidonius Apollinaris
You can't say that civilization don't advance, however, for in every war they kill you in a new way.
- Will Rogers (1879 - 1935), New York Times, Dec. 23, 1929
"Under a good general there are no bad soldiers."
-Chinese proverb
"A good run is better than a bad stand"
Irish saying/proverb
"When you are the anvil, be patient. When you are the hammer, strike."
-Arabian Proverb
"The enemy is but weeds to be moved"
- Aztec Proverb
skeletor
06-20-2005, 11:22
"In Khazaria, sheep, honey, and Jews exist in large qantities."
- Muqaddasi, Descripto Imperii Moselemici.(tenth century.)
"The nature of our law; our laws are few but strong. The nature of law is that it exists to uphold the society, not repress it, that it aide the people, not control them, that it protect the people, not do them harm. No one is above the law, because proper law is a divine thing, and one who claims equivalency with God shall be found wanting for mercy from him." - Aedhar the Bold, on foreign kings
"God in Heaven, man on His earth, and the Saxon king in Hell." - Maldon Gwallaich, Welsh soldier and poet, after identifying the body of a Saxon king
"Do not fear death. Fear dying without having strived to the utmost." - Dark Age Scottish proverb
"Every struggle, every scar, every wound, will make you stronger to face the enemy. One must take up the reins of suffering, that those they love will not suffer so greatly." - St. Darius
"A futile war does not exist. All war will shape events that we cannot foresee, for good or bad. Futility does not enter into it. Even a losing war can inspire and spur on a winning one. Every war echoes into eternity." - St. Iola
Not a period quote, but it's dear to my heart nonetheless.
"He who stands on the tallest pyramid of skulls sees farthest."
-Satanic proverb
If there is need of more Irish stuff (there probably won't be, if Ranika continues to bombard us with his citations ~;p), then Waylander lyrics can be sampled in abundance.
Krusader
06-21-2005, 15:08
Norman quote:
"They are a people accustomed to war, so they can scarcely live without it; they charge the enemy fiercely, but whenever force itself is not enough, they are just as prepared to use some stratagem or to corrupt with bribes"
- William of Malmesbury, Ecclesiastical History describing Normans
Random quotes:
Vladimir on Islam's prohibition of drink:
"Drinking is the joy of the Russes. We cannot exist without that pleasure."
Incongruous
06-29-2005, 05:06
Not since Atilla has such destruction been wreaped.
Papacy on the Magyars.
Value your life high, but value your enemies higher.
Magyar saying.
The Grass shall not grow where I have passed.
Attila the Hun.
The Romans thought the scourge gone, but it was only drawing breath.
Hunno-Magyar saying.
The wood is rotting, the beam is braking, the house shall crumble.
Arpad before his attack on western Europe.
I'll try to find some more. :book:
"Blessed are the strong, for they shall possess the earth - Cursed are the weak, for they shall inherit the yoke."
"Blessed are the victorious, for victory is the basis of right - Cursed are the vanquished for they shall be vassals forever."
"Give him blow for blow, scorn for scorn, doom for doom;"
Some of my favourite passages from Might is Right, by Ragnar Redbeard.
"Do you not see what I see?
Do you not hear
death approaching?"
"Sing O Muse,
Sing to us of the glorious gods,
who ruled the land and sea."
"Behold,
The Land of the Mighty
is in bloody strife and turmoil."
Excerpts from the Book of Heroes.
I hope these are of some use. If you're looking for something more violent or melodramatic, just say so and I'll see what I can scrounge up.
Incongruous
07-04-2005, 07:53
How many lands I have burnt, How many nations I have destroyed, how many thousands I have slain. Yet the gods ask for more, for their thirst is undying. As is my wrath.
Some random Hun said this, it could of been Attila, I think it was actually.
I have given you riches. I have given you power. I have given you pride. I have given you land. Now... Give me victory.
Arpad.
Think not of your enemy. Think only of his death.
Arpad.For every man killed, athousand shall die. For every battle lost, a war shall we win.
Arpad.
Live not for yourself, but for glory.
Magyar general.
skeletor
07-04-2005, 08:57
Islamic quotes, most of them taken from translations of the Koran..
Slay them wherever you find them. Drive them out of the places from which they drove you. Idolatry is worse than carnage.
Prophet, make war on the unbelievers and the hypocrites and deal rigorously with them. Hell shall be their home: an evil fate.
We arrange unhappy events among mankind so that God may test the true believers and select some of you to become martyrs. He does not love the evil doers. He will test the faithful and will annihilate the infidels
Did you really believe that you would enter paradise before God tested your commitment to fight for him and to endure suffering with fortitude? God loves the steadfast.
"Be content with what Allaah has given you, and you will be the richest of people."
Slay the Idolaters wherever you find them. Seize them, surround them and everywhere lie in ambush for them. But if they repent from their wrong beliefs and establish regular prayers and pay Zakah, then spare their lives. God is Oft-Forgiving and Ever Merciful.
"If you should die or be slain in the cause of God, His forgiveness and His mercy would surely be better than all the riches..."
"Muhammad is God's apostle. Those who follow him are ruthless to the unbelievers but merciful to one another."
I like these best:
Have no fear of man. Fear me.
"Make war on them until idolatry shall cease and God's religion shall reign supreme."
"Fighting is obligatory for you, much as you dislike it."
"Fight for the cause of God with the devotion due to Him...He has given you the name of Muslims..."
God creates you weak. After weakness he gives you strength.
Fight for the sake of God those that fight against you, but do not attack them first. God does not love the aggressors.
"Where is God in this dark place? He's with me, and any other man with hope in him." - Máel Sechnaill Ui Néill (son of Domnall; the Ui Néill clan had a ton of Máel Sechnaill's)
"It is the nature of every good man to take up arms to defend his people." - Oengus ua Canannáin
"Lord, I bless you! You are my Rock! You prepared my hands for war. You taught my fingers to fight." - Psalm 144 (Psalm of David)
skeletor
07-04-2005, 13:05
Some Christian quotes..
"I have seen, at different times, the smoke of a thousand villages - villages whose people are without Christ, without God, and without hope in the world."
"Obedience to the call of Christ nearly always costs everything to two people- the one who is called, and the one who loves that one."
"God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supplies."
"If Christianity is untrue, then no honest man will want to believe it, however helpful it might be: if it is true, every honest man will want to believe it, even if it gives him no help at all."
"Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God."
"If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him."
Many promising reconciliations have broken down because, while both parties came prepared to forgive, neither party came prepared to be forgiven.
Incongruous
07-10-2005, 04:16
The banners of the king advance, the mystery of the cross shines bright; where his life went through with death, and from death brought forth life.
- Venantius Fortunatus, Vexilla Regis, (Analecta Hymnica, 50, No. 67, p. 74.)
Sing, my tongue, of the battle in the glorious struggle.
- Venantius Fortunatus, Pange lingua gloriosi, (Passiontide hymn, see J. P. Migne, Patrologica Latina, 88).
With him Eadric would help his lord, his chief in the fray. He advanced to war with spear in hand; as long as he might grasp his shield and broad sword, he kept his purpose firm. He made good his vow, now that the time had come for him to fight before his lord.
- Prose translation of an Old English saga describing the Battle of Maldon
Justice is the constant and perpetual wish to render to every one his due.
- Emperor Justinian, Institutes, (I.i.1)
Evil_Maniac From Mars
07-10-2005, 04:31
- If soldiers were to begin to think, not one of them would remain in the army
Frederick the great
don't know about the last one though, it might be from a too late period. I don't know which Frederick earned the title "the great", so I can't check up from which date the quote could be, but it's probably from a too late period (but it's a good quote).
Unfortunately I couldn't find any more good quotes than these, but I'll keep looking.
Way too late. As in 1700s-1800s too late. The Frederick who earned the title "The Great" was Frederick of Prussia. I think he was the 3rd German or Prussian ruler of the name.
"Fly to Armagh, and communicate my will to the successor of Patrick. As for me, I came here to conquer or die." - Acreditted to Brian Bóruma macCennétig at Clontarf
"Amudha moc Dal Cais! Arsle!" "Rise, sons of the Dal Cais! Slaughter!" - Battlecry of the Dal Cais tribe of Ireland
The Wizard
07-13-2005, 00:56
As I said in the other thread (map), quotes by the great warrior, poet, orator and fourth Caliph of Islam might fit well.
You might also like to include some quotes by Ali ibn Abi Talib, fourth Caliph of Islam.
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ali_ibn_Abi_Talib
Watch out for those from Peak of Eloquence though; that book was released long after his death by shiites and is known to contain propaganda, totally unbefitting of such an enlightened man as Ali. You'd best go with those at the top, those might be under 'Attributed', but they are his (the heading is incorrect) and not fabricated after his death, when he became a tool for political games.
~Wiz
skeletor
07-13-2005, 08:22
Thnx Wiz.
I thought of leaving hes words out due to political reasons (shia/sunni) but when i think of it i guess the sunni's allso respect him as the fourth Caliph of Islam.. (All my friends who are muslims ar shias, so i haven't really heard what the sunni's think of him.)
But Ali speaks of very mutch wiz-dom (morninghumor :ears: ) and the quotes in the link is great...
-Skel-
The Wizard
07-13-2005, 21:06
Sunnis think very highly of him as well, at least as a man, a clergyman and a Caliph. But they don't think of him as Muhammad's first legitimate successor; that is the only real difference of thought between shia and sunni.
~Wiz
"If a man does not even know his grandfather's name, how can he be trusted to know the history of his people, and the reason they exist at all? Why would he care for their existence if he does not know them? How can he love people he cannot understand?" - Part of 'Riordan's Questions', posed to potential Irish judges in the 7th to 15th centuries
"What is death but the culmination of life? It is nothing to fear." - Unknown Welsh poet
"The noble fighting spirit is the spirit at the most pure. When a man shed's his greed and fear for himself, and fights for fear of what would happen to those he cares about, as long as he has breath, he will fight until victory is had." - Attributed to a monk known solely as 'Cormac'
Meneldil
08-26-2005, 10:25
Here we go, we're still looking for quotes. I wouldn't mind some from Anna Comnema's (sp) Alexiade (sp again).
Rodion Romanovich
08-26-2005, 11:37
Hm, as for norse quotes, I found a link to a full version of Heimskringla and possible some other works, which could be great sources of quotes. But it's a lot to skim through in order to find interesting phrases, so you might not be interested.
Edit: The full version of Heimskringla was impossible for me to find again, but here's some stuff that might be of interest:
- Some parts of Ynglingasaga from Heimskringla: http://wikisource.org/wiki/Ynglinga_Saga
- Links to more from Heimskringla:
http://wikisource.org/wiki/Ynglinga_Saga
- Beowulf in old English: http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/9701
- and in modern English: http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext97/bwulf11h.htm
- Kalevala full version in English: http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/kveng/
Some quotes (more to come):
- from Beowulf:
On kin of Cain was the killing avenged
by sovran God for slaughtered Abel.
Ill fared his feud, and far was he driven,
for the slaughter’s sake, from sight of men.
Or in old English:
In Caines cynne þone cwealm gewræc,
†ēce drihten, þæs þe hē Ābel slōg;
ne gefeah hē þǣre fǣhðe, ac hē hine feor forwræc,
110metod for þȳ māne man-cynne fram.
- from Beowulf:
Then shone the boars
over the cheek-guard; chased with gold,
keen and gleaming, guard it kept
o’er the man of war, as marched along
heroes in haste
- from Beowulf:
’Tis time that I fare from you. Father Almighty
in grace and mercy guard you well,
safe in your seekings. Seaward I go,
’gainst hostile warriors hold my watch
- from Beowulf:
Corselets glistened
hand-forged, hard; on their harness bright
the steel ring sang, as they strode along
in mail of battle, and marched to the hall
- from Beowulf:
“Whence, now, bear ye burnished shields,
harness gray and helmets grim,
spears in multitude? Messenger, I,
Hrothgar’s herald! Heroes so many
ne’er met I as strangers of mood so strong.
- from Beowulf:
with gripe alone
must I front the fiend and fight for life,
foe against foe. Then faith be his
in the doom of the Lord whom death shall take.
- from Beowulf:
in the play of war
such daring deed has done at all
with bloody brand, -- I boast not of it! --
though thou wast the bane {9a} of thy brethren dear,
thy closest kin, whence curse of hell
awaits thee, well as thy wit may serve!
- from Beowulf:
For I say in sooth, thou son of Ecglaf,
never had Grendel these grim deeds wrought,
monster dire, on thy master dear,
in Heorot such havoc, if heart of thine
were as battle-bold as thy boast is loud!
- from Beowulf:
remember thy glory; thy might declare;
watch for the foe! No wish shall fail thee
if thou bidest the battle with bold-won life.”
- from Beowulf:
Of force in fight no feebler I count me,
in grim war-deeds, than Grendel deems him.
Not with the sword, then, to sleep of death
his life will I give, though it lie in my power.
- from Beowulf:
Let wisest God,
sacred Lord, on which side soever
doom decree as he deemeth right.
- from Beowulf:
Bloody the billows were boiling there,
turbid the tide of tumbling waves
horribly seething, with sword-blood hot,
by that doomed one dyed, who in den of the moor
laid forlorn his life adown,
his heathen soul, and hell received it.
- from Beowulf:
This work of war most willingly
we have fought, this fight, and fearlessly dared
force of the foe. Fain, too, were I
hadst thou but seen himself, what time
the fiend in his trappings tottered to fall!
- from Beowulf:
Should Frisian, moreover, with foeman’s taunt,
that murderous hatred to mind recall,
then edge of the sword must seal his doom.
- from Beowulf:
These are quotes from chapter 1-17. I will continue adding more. As there are plenty of possible quotes, only choose those you think are very, very good, and skip many of them. It seems there won't be that hard to find more, if we want.
- from Song of Roland:
Charles the King, our Lord and Sovereign,
Full seven years hath sojourned in Spain,
Conquered the land, and won the western main,
Now no fortress against him doth remain,
No city walls are left for him to gain,
Save Sarraguce, that sits on high mountain.
Marsile its King, who feareth not God's name,
Mahumet's man, he invokes Apollin's aid,
Nor wards off ills that shall to him attain.
- from Song of Roland:
I have no host in battle him to prove,
Nor have I strength his forces to undo.
Counsel me then, ye that are wise and true;
Can ye ward off this present death and dule?
- from Song of Roland:
Better by far they go, though doomed to die,
Than that we lose honour and dignity,
And be ourselves brought down to beggary
This is from part 1 to 10. More can be added.
I looked up the same thing last night, but grew frustrated after I couldn't find the passage where it says Grendel was refusing to pay the "death price". At least, that's what it was when I read the story.
I don't know if you're still looking for quotes, but I'll suggest one (since this is a Viking mod):
A furore Normanorum libera nos, O Domine!
From the fury of the norsemen deliver us, O Lord!
- Medieval Prayer
Apoc
"Hear you what this people say, pirate? A tribute they will pay you,
of file hardened spears and ancestral blades that you will reap no profit from!"
"Tell your people this spiteful message, that here stands undaunted an Earl with his band of men who will defend our homeland, Aethelred's country, the lord of my people and land. Fall shall you
heathen in battle! To us it would be shameful that you with our coin to your ships should get away without a fight, now you thus far into our homeland have come."
Nacheras
11-03-2005, 12:23
"without other support than his policy and his perseverance, he humbled his proud enemies, killed the rebels, secured the borders against christian attacks, raised a great empire and unite under his sway a large country that seemed divided between multiple heads"
Abbasid calipha Al-Mansur about his enemy the omeyid Abd Ar Rahman, first indepent amir of Al Andalus
"They said 'Pelayo has only thirty starved hillmen. What minds thirty men?' Great mistake, that was later cause of great harm for Islam"
Historist Ben Hayyan about history of Al Andalus.
"The treads that he left on earth will show you his history. For Allah the fate will never bring us another one similar to him, and no one like him will never defend our borders"
epitaph on the burial of Ibn Abu Amir Al-Mansur Billah, "the victorious", called Almanzor by christians, dictator of Al Andalus.
"At year of our Lord 1002 died Almanzor. Was buried at hell"
Chronicon burguensis
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