tossi
Der kleine Prinz
Of Berenhard, Hero of the Alemanni
The story Berenhard is well known by every Alemanni. He lived in a small village at the bank of the Rhine where he helped his father working at the fields. His family was one of the many poor peasant familys who farmed the fertile lands along the Rhine. Berenhard would probably have become a famer too but an sudden event changed his live forever.
At the age of 16 Berenhard was sent in the forest to hack some lumber. He traveled deep into the forest to find the best lumber. A fresh pine was found and after some strong hacks the tree fell. Berenhard started to chop the tree and two hours later he was done with his work. The work had been very strenous and Berenhard was exhausted. He deceided to rest a minute to gather new strenght and lay down on the soft moss-covered ground. Deafened by the chirping of the birds, he fell asleep.
Two hours later he was aroused by a terrible racket. Voices and the cracking of wood destroyed the silence of the forest. Berenhard guessed what was going on. A hostile germanic tribe had entered the lands of the Alemanni and they were going to wreak havoc among the unsuspecting villages. Someone had to warn them! Berenhard would have to bypass the invaders to reach his village. He hid behind the fallen pine and watched the attackers.
He counted 40 soldiers armed with maces, spears and axes passing his hideout. Accounting to their dialect they were Vandal warriors who wanted to pillage some of the small villages along the Rhine. Their leader was called Godescalc by his minions and he was the son of a chieftain. After the whole band had passed him Berenhard came out of his hideout. He carefully followed them which wasn´t difficult at all, since they were as loud as cattle herd. The warband advanced to his home village and Berenhard became frightened. He needed a plan...
#####
Berenhard was the best slingshoter in his village. Countless hours he had "wasted" his time aiming at sparrows, rabbits and the guard dog of farmer Odovacar to train his aiming. His father had taken his sling several times, but Berenhard had always built a new one. Now he would prove that his talent WAS uselfull! He took an angular stone from the gound and aimed at the neck of the last raider. "Autsch!!!" The angry Vandal turned around and looked for the source of the stone, when the second one hit him right on his nose. "There is something in the woods!", roared the angry men. The others turned around, wondering what was going on. Godescalc gripped the hit men and shouted at him:" How many times did I tell you NOT to drink any beer before a raid you stupid fat cow!?" Then a well-aimed stone hit his left eye.
About 15 minutes later they had penetrated deep into the forest. Berenhard had no problem staying out of range of the angry Vandals, since these had to wear their heavy armors and weapons, which slowed them down. If they held for a pause, Berenhard harrassed them with his slingshot, until they continued their pursit. But now they had reached the deeper parts of the forest. The forest was that thick that they sometimes had to crawl shot distances and the raiders used thier weapons to cut a way through the brushwood. Now the second phase of Berenhards plan had come. He shot some more well-aimed shots at his purusers, sprinted a shot distences and then suddenly he hit the ground and hid behind a fallen pine. Soon his followers jumped above him, without noticing that they had been fooled and continued their wild dash.
After the last Vandal had past hideaway Berenhard jumped over the tree and run back to his village. It would take some time until the Vandals would realize their mistake and he would have enough time to warn the village. After a long run he left the forest and reached his small village. Instead of yelling "Run! Run! The Vandals come!", Berenhard went to his father first, to tell him what he had seen. He didn´t want the whole village to run away in panic and leave the village behind. At first his father wanted to do that, but Berenhard managed to retune him. Immediatly all members of the village were called to the old oak a bit outside the village. Slowly Berenhard and his father told the villager about the danger that was comming to them, to avoid a panic and they told them their plan.
Instead of running away, the people would arm themselves with everything they had and they would fortify the village. Meanwhile a runner was sent to Cieftain Chondomarius to send his soldiers and other runners informed the other villages about the situation and they asked them to send soldiers to aid them. About a 1/2 later the whole village was a small fortress and almost 200 armed peasents were watching the forest. The Vandals had run deep into the woods until they had realized their mistake. But since they were so exhausted from the long run, they deceided to rest a bit. Almost two full hours later they had finaly reached their target. Suspiciously they watched the village and realized that the farmers had blocked the entrances with lumber, wagons and straw bales. But they weren´t cowed. With big noice they stormed towards the village, only to be hit by a murderous hail of stones, arrows and all sorts of projectiles. Two Vandals were hit deadly and they fell to the ground. Several others were wounded and the whole advance was almost halted. But their leader Godescalc wasn´t cowed. "Show these peasents that we are Vandals!" Another volley hit the attackers before they reached the barricades. Now the a wall of spears, pikes and dung forks halted their advance.
The melee was fierce and bloddy. Several times the Vandals managed to enter the village, but Berenhard pushed them back every time. He was like a general and when a barricade was going to breach he ran there and encouraged the peasents to fight harder then before. In the battle about twenty farmers died by the swords of the attackers, but almost ten vandals left their lifes too. But then Godescalc realized that they were not going to win this battle without heavy casulties. "Back to the forest!" But the villagers pused them, being lead by Berenhard. The pursuers killed several Vandals, but most of them would have still reached to forest if something unexpected wouldn´t have happened. Suddenly Chieftain Chondomarius and his hunter companions appeared right out of the forest. They had hunted deer when the messager came to them and they immediatly rushed towards the village. Now the the Vandals were between hammer and anvil. Only few survied the onslaught and those survivors told horrible stories about the brave Alemmani in their hometowns. For several years Alemmania was save from further raids.
Berenhard was distinguished by Chieftain Chondomarius and he was made commander of a small warrior band to push back raiders along the Alemanni border. Later he became a excelent general, who commanded Alemmani armies on their campaigns agaist enemy tribes.
The story Berenhard is well known by every Alemanni. He lived in a small village at the bank of the Rhine where he helped his father working at the fields. His family was one of the many poor peasant familys who farmed the fertile lands along the Rhine. Berenhard would probably have become a famer too but an sudden event changed his live forever.
At the age of 16 Berenhard was sent in the forest to hack some lumber. He traveled deep into the forest to find the best lumber. A fresh pine was found and after some strong hacks the tree fell. Berenhard started to chop the tree and two hours later he was done with his work. The work had been very strenous and Berenhard was exhausted. He deceided to rest a minute to gather new strenght and lay down on the soft moss-covered ground. Deafened by the chirping of the birds, he fell asleep.
Two hours later he was aroused by a terrible racket. Voices and the cracking of wood destroyed the silence of the forest. Berenhard guessed what was going on. A hostile germanic tribe had entered the lands of the Alemanni and they were going to wreak havoc among the unsuspecting villages. Someone had to warn them! Berenhard would have to bypass the invaders to reach his village. He hid behind the fallen pine and watched the attackers.
He counted 40 soldiers armed with maces, spears and axes passing his hideout. Accounting to their dialect they were Vandal warriors who wanted to pillage some of the small villages along the Rhine. Their leader was called Godescalc by his minions and he was the son of a chieftain. After the whole band had passed him Berenhard came out of his hideout. He carefully followed them which wasn´t difficult at all, since they were as loud as cattle herd. The warband advanced to his home village and Berenhard became frightened. He needed a plan...
#####
Berenhard was the best slingshoter in his village. Countless hours he had "wasted" his time aiming at sparrows, rabbits and the guard dog of farmer Odovacar to train his aiming. His father had taken his sling several times, but Berenhard had always built a new one. Now he would prove that his talent WAS uselfull! He took an angular stone from the gound and aimed at the neck of the last raider. "Autsch!!!" The angry Vandal turned around and looked for the source of the stone, when the second one hit him right on his nose. "There is something in the woods!", roared the angry men. The others turned around, wondering what was going on. Godescalc gripped the hit men and shouted at him:" How many times did I tell you NOT to drink any beer before a raid you stupid fat cow!?" Then a well-aimed stone hit his left eye.
About 15 minutes later they had penetrated deep into the forest. Berenhard had no problem staying out of range of the angry Vandals, since these had to wear their heavy armors and weapons, which slowed them down. If they held for a pause, Berenhard harrassed them with his slingshot, until they continued their pursit. But now they had reached the deeper parts of the forest. The forest was that thick that they sometimes had to crawl shot distances and the raiders used thier weapons to cut a way through the brushwood. Now the second phase of Berenhards plan had come. He shot some more well-aimed shots at his purusers, sprinted a shot distences and then suddenly he hit the ground and hid behind a fallen pine. Soon his followers jumped above him, without noticing that they had been fooled and continued their wild dash.
After the last Vandal had past hideaway Berenhard jumped over the tree and run back to his village. It would take some time until the Vandals would realize their mistake and he would have enough time to warn the village. After a long run he left the forest and reached his small village. Instead of yelling "Run! Run! The Vandals come!", Berenhard went to his father first, to tell him what he had seen. He didn´t want the whole village to run away in panic and leave the village behind. At first his father wanted to do that, but Berenhard managed to retune him. Immediatly all members of the village were called to the old oak a bit outside the village. Slowly Berenhard and his father told the villager about the danger that was comming to them, to avoid a panic and they told them their plan.
Instead of running away, the people would arm themselves with everything they had and they would fortify the village. Meanwhile a runner was sent to Cieftain Chondomarius to send his soldiers and other runners informed the other villages about the situation and they asked them to send soldiers to aid them. About a 1/2 later the whole village was a small fortress and almost 200 armed peasents were watching the forest. The Vandals had run deep into the woods until they had realized their mistake. But since they were so exhausted from the long run, they deceided to rest a bit. Almost two full hours later they had finaly reached their target. Suspiciously they watched the village and realized that the farmers had blocked the entrances with lumber, wagons and straw bales. But they weren´t cowed. With big noice they stormed towards the village, only to be hit by a murderous hail of stones, arrows and all sorts of projectiles. Two Vandals were hit deadly and they fell to the ground. Several others were wounded and the whole advance was almost halted. But their leader Godescalc wasn´t cowed. "Show these peasents that we are Vandals!" Another volley hit the attackers before they reached the barricades. Now the a wall of spears, pikes and dung forks halted their advance.
The melee was fierce and bloddy. Several times the Vandals managed to enter the village, but Berenhard pushed them back every time. He was like a general and when a barricade was going to breach he ran there and encouraged the peasents to fight harder then before. In the battle about twenty farmers died by the swords of the attackers, but almost ten vandals left their lifes too. But then Godescalc realized that they were not going to win this battle without heavy casulties. "Back to the forest!" But the villagers pused them, being lead by Berenhard. The pursuers killed several Vandals, but most of them would have still reached to forest if something unexpected wouldn´t have happened. Suddenly Chieftain Chondomarius and his hunter companions appeared right out of the forest. They had hunted deer when the messager came to them and they immediatly rushed towards the village. Now the the Vandals were between hammer and anvil. Only few survied the onslaught and those survivors told horrible stories about the brave Alemmani in their hometowns. For several years Alemmania was save from further raids.
Berenhard was distinguished by Chieftain Chondomarius and he was made commander of a small warrior band to push back raiders along the Alemanni border. Later he became a excelent general, who commanded Alemmani armies on their campaigns agaist enemy tribes.
