what in 9 hells does this means?

[Librarian Rannos]

I was looking in my site over at GW and I found an article about a GW hobby day with a headline saying "cry havoc".Well...what is havoc?

[TGSC]

Havoc means chaos or disorganisation, bedlam.

The "cry havoc" is from William Shakespeares play Richard III (I think), it just means to sound an alarm:

"Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war."

[Librarian Rannos]

...

[TGSC]

click the link

havoc

1. Widespread destruction; devastation.
2. Disorder or chaos: a wild party that created havoc in the house.

to "cry havoc" means to shout in alarm or warning. The most famous use of it in Enlish comes from a play by Shakespear, I think its Richard the Third (an English king) where someone says "Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war", meaning "Sound the alarm, and let the mecenaries attack" I think.

[IBBoard]

Considering how "Dogs of War" is a mercenary army in Warhammer, and how mercenaries would generally be look down upon as 'scoundrels' and 'ruffians' by real soldiers, yeah, I'd say the interpretation is correct, along with the implied metaphore of letting the attack dogs off their leashes.

[Librarian Rannos]

...understood.

[Simguinus]

'Havoc' from Old French havot meaing 'pillage'. Cry havoc was old military command to give no quarter to the enemy - take no prisoners. During the reign of Richard II it was illegal on pain of death.

The line 'Cry "Havoc!" and let slip the dogs of war.' comes from Julius Caesar, Act III scene 1.

There was an old board game called Cry Havoc, set in medeival Europe, it was a counters and dice wargame. It had an expansion pack called Outremer, and was illustrated by Gary Chalk, of Lone Wolf fame.

Dogs of war originally referred to the horrors of war, fire, sword and famine. It came to be used to refer to Mercenary soldiers, who tended to follow and depend on conflicts for their daily bread, as the dogs of war followed in their wake.

Oh and Dog soldiers was used to refer to mercenary companies retained by a prince or king and garrisoned in large and generally unpleasant quarters or 'kennels'

Phew!

[IBBoard]

Far too much background there - wasn't expecting any of that Interesting to see the etymological origin of the word Havoc.

Although what was illegal - taking prisoners?

[Simguinus]

Although what was illegal - taking prisoners?

Apologies, unclear sentence construction there...use of 'Cry Havoc' as an order was illegal, because the nobility hated it - normally kinghts and nobels on the battlefield could expect special status, as they were worth more in ransom money alive than they were as carrion on the field. But, when the cry of 'havoc' went up, the peasant foot soldiers took sadistic glee in butchering helpless knights, a kind of lese majeste they couldn't normally get away with.

It helps that I still have my very battered and aging copy of Cry Havoc, and I've lost one counter over 15 years:shock:, which gives you a potted history of the game's title. And that I've a copy of Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable within arms reach of the PC....

[IBBoard]

I bought my fiancee an Etymological Dictionary for her birthday about a year ago. She's a Harry Potter FanFiction author (seemingly one of the better known ones) and it's quite interesting to look for the origins of words. The only problem with the etymological dictionary is when it goes through the origin and you have to keep flicking backwards and forwards to check what the abbreviations mean

Doesn't suprise me about the peasants taking sadistic glee, though. What better way to enjoy the battle than torture your betters?