Dragoneers

[wolfinthewood]

For work reasons I am reading a lot of English Civil War newsbooks at the moment. I came across this passage, and had one of those eerie alternative history moments:

The Houses receiving information of the vile carriage of the Cavalliers of Oxford, in pillaging and spoyling all such as seeme wel-affected, and that ... they begin to raise some workes to fortifie the Towne against the Parliament. Whereupon it was ordered that there should be two thousand Dragoneers forthwith sent downe thither to suppresse and drive away the Cavalliers from thence ...

from A perfect diurnall of the passages in Parliament (5–12 September 1642)

My brain understands perfectly well that ‘dragoneer’ is just another term for ‘dragoon’, a mounted trooper armed with a carbine. But my mind’s eye sees sinuous batwinged monsters wheeling around Magdalen Tower...

tags: 17th century | dragons

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Comments

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Hee. I grew up in Oxford, back when Tolkien still inhabited rooms in Merton; I even went to school at Magdalen. I think I've always seen batwinged monsters wheeling around the tower...

[wolfinthewood.livejournal.com]

Speaking of Merton, I love that amazing medieval carving over the gateway: the one with the unicorn, the trees, and the rabbits, and John the Baptist looking like an Arthurian hermit.

Were you a choir boy, by any chance?

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Alack, no: I never could sing. Scholarship brat, me.

And yes, the Merton gate is a fabulous thing.