Britons and Celts

Stubbornness of a Virgin King

“Constrained rather than overcome by the entreaties of his mother, that he might not distress her, he yielded a seeming compliance. Joyously attending on her son when he had retired to bed, she placed by his unresisting side a beautiful and noble virgin.” […]

Humor

Brave as a Lion… or Not

“The Cid leaned on his elbow and rose to his feet, and leaving his cloak over his shoulder he walked towards the lion. When the lion saw him, it was so taken aback that it hung its head and nosed the ground. Don Rodrigo took it by the neck, let it along with his right hand and put it in the net.” […]

Britons and Celts

The Regicide Monster

“When he had used all his weapons against her without effect, she rushed at him with her jaws wide open and swallowed him up as though he had been a tiny fish.” […]

Human Affairs

Forbidden Love and Swan Abuse

“Milun and his beloved maintained this way of life for twenty years. The swan acted as messenger. They had no other intermediary and they starved it before releasing it. Whoever received the swan fed it, of course. They came together on a number of occasions.” […]

Humor

Medieval Friendly Fire

“On being struck so, Roland studies him, then asked him in a soft and gentle voice: “My lord companion, did you mean to do that? It’s Roland, who has been your friend for so long. You gave no sign that you had challenged me.”” […]

Viking

Crazy Beats Good

“He rowed up to the enemy fleet at night, bored the bottoms of their ships with an auger, and to prevent a sudden in-rush of the sea plugged the gaping holes with the pins he had provided, temporarily repairing the damage.” […]

Britons and Celts

Reign of the Pirate Priest

“He then made a descent on the provinces of Scotland, wasting all before him with rapine and slaughter; but whenever the royal army was dispatched against him, he eluded the whole warlike preparation, either by retreating to distant forests, or taking to the sea; and when the troops had retired, he again issued from his hiding-places to ravage the provinces.” […]