So today I dug into those famous medieval battle stories everyone talks about. Started simple - just wanted to know why so many soldiers died like flies in famous fights like Agincourt or Hattin. Figured it was all about bravery and hero stuff, right? Man I was wrong.
My messy beginning
Piled all my history books on the kitchen table. Brewed terrible coffee - way too strong - and sat down around midnight. First shocker? Those big knight charges you see in movies? Total bullcrap. Found this one diary from a foot soldier who wrote: "Lords in shiny armor yelled 'charge!' then hung back while we poor sods got chopped". Class warfare in the mud. Wild.
Getting dirty with numbers
Tried counting actual battle deaths. Nearly threw my notebook. Examples:
- Battle of Towton (1461): Frozen York river turned red. Old records show guys drowned in blood puddles trying to run
- Siege of Jerusalem (1099): Chroniclers wrote about crusaders wading ankle-deep in civilian blood - including kids
My hands got all shaky marking these numbers. Realized medieval lords treated soldiers like cheap firewood. Just throw more bodies at the problem.
Equipment disaster
Checked knight armor prices vs peasant gear. Nearly choked. That fancy armor cost like buying a house today. But average joes? Got maybe a leather vest and a pointy stick. Lords kept telling them "God protects the righteous!" while sending them against armored killers. Basically murder by paycheck.
Worst lightbulb moment
Around 3AM it hit me hardest: nobles treated war like a chess game with living pieces. Found this nasty letter from some French duke bragging about "spending 5,000 English pigs to take a hill". They called battles "honorable" while peasants bled out screaming for mothers miles from home.
Went to bed feeling sick. Those glamorous battle paintings? Total lies. Real medieval warfare was rich men sacrificing poor men for bragging rights. Still can't shake that image of some farmer-soldier choking on mud beside a fancy noble's golden banner. History's brutal.
