Riddle of Ages: Travelling Through History

[KaiserElectric]

I don't think it's Midway, considering Japan would have been sailing to the East.

 

[W|M]

I think that the ships that retreated would have gone to the West towards Japan.

 

[Milarqui]

I'd say that, the way the riddle is made, the warriors sailing towards the west precedes the burning and drowning in iron.

 

[NedimNapoleon]

I think the vikings are our best op.

 

[W|M]

I'd say that, the way the riddle is made, the warriors sailing towards the west precedes the burning and drowning in iron.

In that case, the warriors might represent American sailors instead of Japanese sailors which are sailing West.

 

[Gem Hound]

The French and Spanish at Trafalgar maybe?

 

[Tee Kay]

No one's got it yet.

Hint: "iron" is an allusion to two of the most recognised characteristics of the most famous type of ship related to this event.

 

[Gem Hound]

The Carthaginians?

Phoenicians sailed west and built Carthage
When Carthage was an empire, they fought Rome twice and lost both times.

 

[KaiserElectric]

Iron...ironclad...

Could it be the battle between the Monitor and the Merrimack?

 

[Lighthearter]

The Battle of the Chesapeake, between the French and British fleets during the Yorktown Campaign in the American Revolutionary War?

Wooden Ships and Iron Men.

Dreams of Empire must twice be abandoned - I think this is the British Empire, referring to the loss of America . . . twice still has me a bit confused though . . . just a gut feeling.

Electric - we can no longer be friends CSS Virginia, dammit, not the Merrimack!
-L

 

[KaiserElectric]

But Merrimack rolls off the tongue so much easier.

 

[Tee Kay]

Hmm, no...

Another hint: the word "burned" is not to be taken literally; it just happens to fit with the sun/brightness theme, which is kinda important.

 

[Lighthearter]

Syracuse. More specifically, the myth that a giant mirror was used in the battle there.

Right?

-L

 

[Tee Kay]

I said "burned" is not to be taken literally...

Don't take "brightness" literally, either.

 

[Lighthearter]

Bah. I need more sugar to crack this one . . . .

-L

 

[Gem Hound]

Something with the Yamato Empire then? They sailed west and failed at colonizing Korea.

 

[Lighthearter]

Dammit that's brilliant!

Towards the setting Sun sailed her warriors,
Japan's invasion force sailed west towards Korea - or, towards China, Land Of The Setting Sun.
But burned by brightness and drowned by iron,
China intervened and assisted Korea against Japan - and Korea invented the Turtle Ships, the world's first ironclads!
Dreams of empire must twice be abandoned.
Japan launched two separate invasions during that time period, and both were crushed!

GEM HOUND, YOU'RE A GENIUS!

(queue all this being wrong xD)

-L

 

[Tee Kay]

That's it!

The Japanese Emperor was believed to be a descendent of the Sun goddess, hence "her warriors".

China was ruled by the Ming Dynasty, Ming being the Chinese word for "Brightness".

Korean turtle ships were protected by iron spikes (iron-plated according to some) and heavily-armed with cannons.

 

[Gem Hound]

Awesome!

Posting a riddle soon.

 

[Gem Hound]

I think this one is easy:

Over hills, through sands,
through forest and over waves.
Many approached a lost land.
When the many reached this land,
they massacred the locals,
and took the lost land as their own.