Richard the Lion Heart, Cannibal

[Malthus]

I came across an extremely bizzare reference to Richard the First of England the other day, I thought I'd share it with you history mavens.

This was in a passage in the romance Richard Coeur de Lion where the author has Richard as a - cannibal. 

That's right - he eats man-flesh. What's more, so does his whole army!

First, he comes down with a fever and gets an irresistable urge to eat pork. Being in the middle east, pork was scarce, so his servants substitute - human. First, without his knowledge, but when he finds out, rather than being horrified, he is delighted. Now, he'll never go short of meat!

"Shall we never die for default
When we may, in any assault
Slee Saracens, the flesh may take
And seethen, rosten, and do then bake,
And gnawen them flesh to the bones!
Now that I have proved it ones
For hunger erre I be woe
I and my folk shall eat moe." 

The rest of his army, seeing the king smacking his lips over human meat, decides they will eat man-flesh, too - after all, if the king does it, it can't be wrong.

When Acre surrenders, he has a whole town of people as a larder to choose from - once Saladin refuses to pay the ransom for the prisoners. He invites Saladin's ambassadors to a friendly feast - of their friends. He adds labels to the dishes, a sort of who's who menu.


What's more, he then threatens to eat every Saracen in his path ...

King Richard I, honorary Orc.   

You can read the gruesome details here ... http://books.google.ca/books?id=TIM9AAAAcAAJ&pg=PA356&lpg=PA356&dq=Richard+Coeur+de+Lion+cannibalism&source=bl&ots=z10ocUMNCc&sig=zYX9VE5Erlg0wtzYQpHN3CPZSkY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=7EblUrXeJonNsQT90YLAAg&ved=0CF0Q6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=Richard%20Coeur%20de%20Lion%20cannibalism&f=false

[The Brain]

Better than vegetarian.

[grumbler]

I am sure there is fanfic worse than that; I shudder to think of what you'd find if you googled "Richard the Lionheart' and "Wesley Crusher!" 

[Viking]

It is well known that Richard the Lion Heart too great pleasure in the placing of man flesh in his mouth. The mastication bit, though, seems to be fictional.

[Malthus]

It is well known that Richard the Lion Heart too great pleasure in the placing of man flesh in his mouth. The mastication bit, though, seems to be fictional.

I assume that would be the gist of googling fan-fic featuring him and Wesley Crusher ... 

But yeah, I'm just amused that some romance-writer thought of casting his hero as a cannibal. 

[Valmy]

It is well known that Richard the Lion Heart too great pleasure in the placing of man flesh in his mouth.

Not really.

[Malthus]

There are, allegedly, accounts of cannibalism actually taking place during the first Crusade - mostly among the starving survivors of Peter the Hermit's gang. That it took place during the Third Crusade, and on the part of the king, though, is pretty clearly fictional. 

[Viking]

It is well known that Richard the Lion Heart too great pleasure in the placing of man flesh in his mouth.

Not really.

Is it not common knowledge among the informed historical wargaming set that Richard-coer-lion was the most homofaggity homofaggit of the late middle ages?

[Valmy]

It is well known that Richard the Lion Heart too great pleasure in the placing of man flesh in his mouth.

Not really.

Is it not common knowledge among the informed historical wargaming set that Richard-coer-lion was the most homofaggity homofaggit of the late middle ages?

Maybe but I just do not think he was.

[Malthus]

It is well known that Richard the Lion Heart too great pleasure in the placing of man flesh in his mouth.

Not really.

Is it not common knowledge among the informed historical wargaming set that Richard-coer-lion was the most homofaggity homofaggit of the late middle ages?

He wasn't exactly a straight homofaggit - they don't usually have illegitimate children.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_of_Cognac

Accounts of his sex habits are conflicting - I assume he swung both ways.

[Eddie Teach]

The film "The Lion in Winter" implied he was, though the Robin Hood films don't. 

[Darth Wagtaros]

Better than vegetarian.

Or Vegan-Paleo.

[Valmy]

Accounts of his sex habits are conflicting - I assume he swung both ways.

I think he just did his duty for France when Prince Philippe came calling.  His reputation was very much 'lock up your daughters here comes Richard' generally.  Or at least so far as I can tell.

But Edward II had illegitimate kids as well so...let's just say things were more fluid back then.

[Darth Wagtaros]

A queen for every king and a king for every queen, maid, and nun?

[Razgovory]

There are, allegedly, accounts of cannibalism actually taking place during the first Crusade - mostly among the starving survivors of Peter the Hermit's gang. That it took place during the Third Crusade, and on the part of the king, though, is pretty clearly fictional. 

Yeah, the cannibalism angle is real big in Arab accounts.  I don't know think it was widespread through, and accounts like that are often second hand.