Awesome Things Learned

[AZRedhawk44]

I've been a huge Lord of the Rings dork my whole life, and I'm always a sucker for a Youtube video on the topic.  I clicked on one yesterday and was rewarded with some awesome Swedish metal from a band called Sabaton.

I was thoroughly impressed by how well the lyrics described the seige of Gondor through the first stanza, but then was confused by how badly they didn't match in the second... so I started to research this further.  I also had no idea what a "Winged Hussar" was.  Then I found this video instead.  Same song, different video.

And thus I learned of the 1683 Siege of Vienna, and Prussian king Jans Sobieski leading his hussars across Poland and over a mountain to save Vienna after a 60 day siege by the Ottoman Empire.  How Vienna was the "Golden Apple" of Christendom that the Ottomans intended to pluck.  And how the Hussars arrived on September 11th to route the Ottomans in defeat.

Now I wonder if the September 11th defeat of the Muslim expansion into Europe is a sore date for them, their failed plucking of a ripe apple, and the motivation for the September 11th attacks on New York, the new Big Apple of the West.

Anyways. just learned about the Winged Hussars last night and thought I'd share.  Spartan heroes out of myth and legend, never heard of 'em before.  And a cool Norse metal song.

[WLJ]

I've had "Then The Winged Hussars Arrive" get stuck in my head once in awhile for years now after first hearing that.
Remember reading somewhere Tolkien had the arrival of the Polish Winged Hussars at Vienna in mind when he wrote the charge of the Rohirrim in the book

[WLJ]

And thus I learned of the 1683 Siege of Vienna, and Prussian king Jans Sobieski leading his hussars across Poland and over a mountain to save Vienna after a 60 day siege by the Ottoman Empire. 

King of Poland not Prussia

[AZRedhawk44]

King of Poland not Prussia

Interesting.  You're right, but other references I've seen call them Prussian.

Cool.  Still learning more.   

[dogmush]

Did you not know of Saboton?  I thought for sure we had mentioned them around here before.

They do amazing True Military History Metal.  And their produced videos are pretty solid.

Attack of the Dead Men, Bismark, Night Witches, 82nd All the Way, and Uprising

There is also a Saboton History podcast youtube channel. https://www.youtube.com/@SabatonHistory
Winged Hussars info video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_L5acJht3g

While we're on the subject, A good cover of 82nd All the Way: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhepwtKR5lg