History Trivia Thread Reducks

[Drakken]

How about this, an easy one - the intricately carved Lewis Chessmen are one of the most famous treasures from the early medieval period ever discovered. The "warders" (their version of castles) display what prominent and unmistakable feature that vividly demonstrates the particularly Scandinavian heritage of the carvers?

They had carved Drakkars instead of Rooks?

[Viking]

I'm giving it to you  - the warders are shown chewing on their shields (the sign of a berserker).

Berserkers would chew on their shields to use up some of that nervous energy they built up controlling their drug addled minds after eating the fly-shrooms.

[Drakken]

I'm giving it to you  - the warders are shown chewing on their shields (the sign of a berserker).

Berserkers would chew on their shields to use up some of that nervous energy they built up controlling their drug addled minds after eating the fly-shrooms.

Interesting. Kinda like Crystal Meth users who can't stop clentching or grinding their teeth so much that they end up screwing with their dentition? Odds are surviving berserkers had bad dentition, then.

[Malthus]

I'm giving it to you  - the warders are shown chewing on their shields (the sign of a berserker).

Berserkers would chew on their shields to use up some of that nervous energy they built up controlling their drug addled minds after eating the fly-shrooms.

I dunno if it is yet known what motivated berserkers. The point of shield-chewing I would have thought was to demonstrate an intimidating level of violent insanity ...

[Malthus]

I'm giving it to you  - the warders are shown chewing on their shields (the sign of a berserker).

Berserkers would chew on their shields to use up some of that nervous energy they built up controlling their drug addled minds after eating the fly-shrooms.

Interesting. Kinda like Crystal Meth users who can't stop clentching or grinding their teeth so much that they end up screwing with their dentition? Odds are surviving berserkers had bad dentition, then.

I dunno if berserkers worried about dentition. Or surviving, for that matter. 

[Malthus]

Anyway, here's a pic of said berserkers:

http://blog.britishmuseum.org/2011/11/15/going-berserk-the-lewis-chessmen-in-new-york/

[Viking]

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

This is the mushroom they used, the sagas give the impresison that chewing on his shield was the only thing a berserker was good for (apart from killing lots of people in a suicidal charge) after eating the mushroom..


Anyways... the question is...

What event cause the invention of the socket musket?

[Viking]

I'm giving it to you  - the warders are shown chewing on their shields (the sign of a berserker).

Berserkers would chew on their shields to use up some of that nervous energy they built up controlling their drug addled minds after eating the fly-shrooms.

Interesting. Kinda like Crystal Meth users who can't stop clentching or grinding their teeth so much that they end up screwing with their dentition? Odds are surviving berserkers had bad dentition, then.

I dunno if berserkers worried about dentition. Or surviving, for that matter. 

Berserkur - literally means bear skin. Thought to be a magically induced skin shift into a bear leaving the berserker inveulnerable to enemy weapons. They didn't worry about surviving mainly because they thought they did and if they didn't they were pretty much assured of a fast track to Valhöll.

[Malthus]

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

This is the mushroom they used, the sagas give the impresison that chewing on his shield was the only thing a berserker was good for (apart from killing lots of people in a suicidal charge) after eating the mushroom..

Your source is far from definite on that ...

A single source for the notion that Vikings used A. muscaria to produce their berserker rages was first suggested by the Swedish professor Samuel Ödman in 1784.[102] Ödman based his theories on reports about the use of fly agaric among Siberian shamans. The notion has become widespread since the 19th century, but no contemporary sources mention this use or anything similar in their description of berserkers. Today, it is generally considered an urban legend or at best speculation that cannot be proven. Muscimol is generally a mild relaxant, but could create a range of reactions within a range of people.[103] It is possible that it could make a person incredibly angry, as well as make them "very jolly or sad, jump about, dance, sing or give way to great fright".[103]

Anyways... the question is...

What event cause the invention of the socket musket?

A clarification - you mean some single event, rather than "I can't fire my damn musket with a knife-hilt shoved down the barrel"?

[Viking]

A clarification - you mean some single event, rather than "I can't fire my damn musket with a knife-hilt shoved down the barrel"?

I'm talking about a specific case of mass "it took me longer to put in the plug than it took for the other guy to run to within stabbing distance".

[Malthus]

A clarification - you mean some single event, rather than "I can't fire my damn musket with a knife-hilt shoved down the barrel"?

I'm talking about a specific case of mass "it took me longer to put in the plug than it took for the other guy to run to within stabbing distance".

Ah, fair enough - that would indeed be awkward (well, briefly awkward) 

I dunno without looking it up.

[Viking]

A clarification - you mean some single event, rather than "I can't fire my damn musket with a knife-hilt shoved down the barrel"?

I'm talking about a specific case of mass "it took me longer to put in the plug than it took for the other guy to run to within stabbing distance".

I'd accept the campaign as a good enough answer.
Ah, fair enough - that would indeed be awkward (well, briefly awkward) 

I dunno without looking it up.

I'd accept the campaign as a good enough answer.

[Razgovory]

I am going to say "breasts".

Unsurprisingly, not. 

I was thinking they might be Valkyries.

[Eddie Teach]

I was thinking they might be Valkyries.

Amazons had breasts too, ya know.

[Malthus]

I was thinking they might be Valkyries.

Amazons had breasts too, ya know.

Well, one each, anyway. They had the other removed so they could shoot the bow more easily.