The Stolen Bucket Modena Has Kept for 700 Years
In 1325 Modena routed Bologna at Zappolino and carried off a wooden bucket from a city well as a trophy. Seven centuries on, Modena still has it.
Battle
Battles, raids and single combats, especially before modern warfare.
The Town That Fought the Romans With Bears and Bees
When Roman soldiers tunnelled under the walls of Themiskyra on the Black Sea, the defenders broke in and sent down bears, wild beasts and swarms of bees.
The Knight Who Built a City on His Own Battlefield
In 1565 Jean de Valette, ageing Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, held Malta against the Ottomans for four months, then built a city on the battlefield.
The Butcher: The One-Eyed Constable of France
Olivier de Clisson saw France behead his father, fought against it, then became its Constable. His cruelty earned him the name 'the Butcher'.
The Viking Earl Killed by a Dead Man's Tooth
Sigurd the Mighty, Norse earl of Orkney, tied his beheaded rival's head to his saddle. Its buck tooth grazed his leg, and the infection killed him.