Battle cries

[Incongruous]

I have heard that during the American Revolutionary War, that the Colonials Used Huzzah! While the British had moved on to the more modern Hurrah!

Anyone know if it is so? At any rate I know the Americans did use Huzzah!

Really? I'd never heard of the Yankees using Huzzah, it was still in use by us Brits back then, I would be offended by any mention of the rather camp Hurrah.

[Fisherking]

Huzzah does seem to retain its British association into the 19th century.
I found that its origin came from a Mongol war cry of similar sound.

Yeeha only seems to be associated with cowboys or the Rebel Yell, which it most certainly is not, despite what Hollywood may want you to believe.

In researching war cries I did come across the following:



The French soldiers (XVII-XVIIIth cent., when Montjoie Saint-Denis was no more used) were using during battle "Pour le Roy et pour la France !" (For the King and for France).
The French soldiers under the rule of Napoleon, particularly the cavalry men, used during their charges "Vive l'Empereur !" (Long live to the Emperor).
In Sweden, during the Great Nordic War, the Swedish Caroleans, would chant "Med Guds hjälp vilja vi strida" (With Gods help, we want to fight) before going into battle.
During the Great Nordic War, Finnish cavalrymen in Swedish service, Hakkapeliittas, shouted "Hakkaa päälle!" (Have at them!) when making their charge.
The Ottoman Turkish armies used to cry out "Allah! Allah! Allah!" when charging foes, which gives the same sound as Alala cry of ancient Greeks.

Another of importance; screams traditionally made by Scottish Highlanders when making a Highland charge during battle. At the Battle of Killiecrankie "Dundee and the Chiefs chose to employ perhaps the most effective pre-battle weapon in the traditional (highland) arsenal - the eerie and disconcerting howl," also "The terror was heightened by their wild plaided appearance and the distinctive war-cry of the Gael - a high, savage whooping sound...." Also earlier documentation during the Roman conquests of Britain suggest the use of a particular yell uttered by the northern Celtic tribes of the region, in conjunction with wearing blue woad body paint and no clothing

The various Gaelic-speaking peoples have a long tradition of employing battle cries. One used by the Irish people is "Faugh a Ballaugh!" (correctly Fág an Bealach!)), Irish for "Clear the way!" The O'Neill family motto is the Irish "An Lámh Dhearg Abú", in English "The Red Hand" — the heraldic symbol of O'Neill and Ulster — followed by "Abú," which is phonetic and can only be translated at high volume. "Tiocfaidh ár lá" is another cry used, primarily by the Irish Republican Army, which translates into "our day will come" in reference to that organisation's desire for Northern Ireland to secede from the United Kingdom and join with the Republic of Ireland as a 32-county socialist republic. It has become the unofficial slogan of the Irish Republican movement and is sometimes shouted as "Beidh ár lá linn", or "We shall have our day!"
some Scottish clans have war cries in addition to their motto, slogan, or rallying cry:-
Clan Mackintosh: "Loch Moigh"
Clan Urquhart: "Trust and go forward"
Clan Munro: "Caisteal Folais'n a Theine" ("Castle Foulis in flames")
Clan Forbes: "Lonach" (a mountain in Strathdon)



I hope you feel a little more informed than bored.