Left handers

[Oaty]

Just kind of curious if any army (pre gun era) and used a formation let the left handers wield there weapon in there left-hand. Basically they could be put on the left flank of a unit while the rest wield with there right. Or 1 whole unit of left handers while the rest of the units were right handers. Of course the barbarians wielding clubs would'nt matter too much as it was more of charging the enemy and trying to loosen up there formation than using a formation on there own, Basically kill them and I do'nt care how you do it

This also makes me wonder if the left handed gene was weeded out through milennias of war and this is why the left hand gene is rare and maybe 4000 years ago was'nt such a rare gene.

[Suppiluliumas]

It depends how much stock you put in the Bible as a historical source. The tribe of Benjamin is noted for using left handed slingers, and a certain Benjamite hero, Ehud, was left handed as well. Many other cultures viewed lefties as unnatural though; ie. the word 'sinister' is latin for left.

[Mount Suribachi]

The spiral staircases in Lincoln Catherdral spirals the "wrong" way ie they are designed to be defended by left handed soldiers, who would then fight at an advantage against any right handed attackers. The Cathedral actually employed a Scottish clan whose men were predominantly left handed to form the Cathedral guard. To this day that clan is still mainly left handed (some of its men visited the Cathedral a few years back)

[Mouzafphaerre]

-
A class of Ottoman royal guard were called "Azeb", which consisted of left handed warriors always fighting on the left flank.

One of the remaining gates in the walls of Galata (ex-Genoese colony right across Konstantinopolis) has been called "Azeb Kapusu" (The Azeb Gate). Can't supply the reference handy.

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif
_

[Colovion]

One interesting story about a left handed 'soldier' is the story of Ehud the Biblical Judge of the Israelites. He was left handed. People in those days looked down on people who were left handed. He went and visited an enemy king. He had his sword strapped to his right thigh as he was left handed. The gaurds checked his left side but not the right. He went into the kings chambers, the doors closes and he drew his sword and stabbed the king all the way up to the hilt. THe king was so fat that the fat enclosed over the sword hilt. Ehud was able to sneak out the window and escape before the gaurds got the courage to enter the king's chambers uninvted - to find their king dead. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-2thumbsup.gif

[Oaty]

Thanks for all the info guys. Well I guess the left-handed gene has always been the rare gene, maybe warfare still did make this gene rarer but probably less than 1 percent if any signifigance at all.

MOUNT SURIBACHI
As far as the staircase being defended by lefthanders to fight right-handers. I see it as sword against sword, were they tought this way so when they fought a right hander he'd be thrown off as he was used to fighting sword against shield. I'm just interested of how they used this to a straregical advantage you would'nt happen to have more info on this would you

[Colovion]

maybe it's similar to left handed pitchers in the Major Leagues being tough to hit against as a right handed Batter.

[octavian]

also, the vikings would train with both hands equally, so in the middle of a fight they had the option of changing hands, giving them an advantedge.