On this day 955 years ago, Battle of Hastings.
According to legend, Harold Godwinson was killed by an arrow in his eye. The legend of Harold being hit in the eye comes from the Bayeux Tapestry, which shows Harold's death.
It is not certain how Harold died. The Bayeux Tapestry shows a soldier with an arrow near his eye but the soldier does not appear to be wounded as he is standing up. If he had been killed it would have shown him falling to the ground. This is the reason why some people now think that Harold is the man on the right with the battle axe. He has been struck down by a blow from the Norman knight on horseback. It seems more likely that Harold was killed by a blow from a sword.
Above the picture are the latin words HIC HAROLD REX INTERFECTUS EST, which means HERE KING HAROLD HAS BEEN KILLED.
Richard I - Lionheart or Coeur De Lion?
On this day in history, 3rd September 1189 Richard I was crowned King of England. He later garnered the name Lionheart due to his prowess as a fighter and military leader, particularly during the Third Crusade. His coronation was one of the first English ceremonies to be well documented by chroniclers. It is described as one would imagine a medieval coronation, a procession, "triumphal chanting" and a crowd of nobles and clergymen. Apparently some "evil omens" were also recorded, a bat fluttered around Richard's head during the service and a "mysterious peal of bells" was heard. Perhaps this was a sign of the odious persecution of the Jewish people that would follow his coronation, and be present in England during his reign. |
| What's interesting about his life is that despite being King of England, he barely spent any of his adult life actually inside the country. After his accession, he mostly resided in his acquired southwestern French duchy of Aquitaine. He was said to have barely spent six months actually in England for the entirety of |
Com Rather remarkably Richard I died suppressing a revolt in France in 1199. Shot by a boy with a crossbow, the wound became gangrenous and eventually led to his death, later to be referred to as "the Lion by the Ant was slain". His body was interred in a tomb with his father, but his so called "Lion's Heart" was buried in Rouen, to commemorate his love of Normandy. |
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Happy Knife Day!
Knife Day is a day to appreciate the knives that we use on a daily basis. Our kitchen knives, our eating knives, our hunting knives, our fighting knives and our beautiful knives.
The evolution of knives has been a remarkable feat – from knives made of bone, stone and flint, to modern creations using titanium, bronze, iron and steel. Nobody can deny the knife is one of man’s most useful tools – for cooking, eating, hunting, and not to forget the oh so handy Swiss Army knife.Make the most of Knife Day and buy that knife - you know you want to.
World Calligraphy Day
I should have posted this yesterday as World Calligraphy day is celebrated on the second Wednesday of August every year.
Better late than never!!
From the moment the first quill hit the first piece of parchment, humans have been looking for the most beautiful and decorative way to present their writing.
From holy texts to royal decrees, Chaucer to Shakespeare and Greek to Latin, all writing and style was passed down from generation to generation.
It is thought that the Romans were the first to really bring calligraphy to the masses – you only have to take a look at many of the statues throughout Italy or Roman remains in the UK to see the strikingly beautiful lettering that they painstakingly carved.
World Calligraphy day endeavours to promote history and encourage new interest.
Free Facemasks from MFC
OK...maybe it is too early for jokes but not too early for us to help keep you safe.
For a limited time (until stock runs out) we are giving away a Fight Club face mask with every order of $50 or over. You don't need to do anything - the mask will automatically be added to your cart.
Show your support for your favourite arms dealer and wear our protection with pride.
Fight Club facemasks - an essential weapon in our fight against COVID!
Quarantine - it's not a new concept!
| First Quarantine Legislation was introduced almost 644 years ago to the day __ July 27, 1377
The Black Death was the most fatal pandemic in recorded human history, resulting in the deaths of between 75 and 200 million people.
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The Adriatic port city of Ragusa (now Dubronvnik) passed the first legislation requiring the mandatory quarantine of all incoming ships and caravans. It required that all those coming from plague-infested areas had to spend 30 days in isolation on the islet of Mrkan or in the town of Cavtat, for the purpose of disinfection. This was during the time of the bubonic plague, or Black Death, which devastated Europe and Asia in the mid-1300s.Covid Update August 2021
As you know the Sydney lock down is ongoing & the MFC showroom/warehouse is just inside the Greater Sydney lock down area. During the coming weeks it will be staffed by minimal staff only. They will be working furiously processing and shipping all your orders as usual. Please be a little patient as they work tirelessly to fulfill your requests.
Local pick-up is still available - although there will be no chatting in the showroom when you do!
We wish to assure you that we’re strictly adhering to and complying with all the government restrictions during this time for the safety and well-being of our team and of course our customers across the country.
Stay safe!