Awake iron! facts for kids
Awake iron! (in Catalan: Desperta Ferro!) was a famous battle cry used by the Almogavars in the Middle Ages. They were brave soldiers from the old Crown of Aragon.
The Almogavars shouted this cry when they went into battle. It was meant to scare their enemies. They also used it to show their strength and readiness for a fight. As they shouted, they would hit their weapons, like lances and darts, against stones. This made sparks fly, creating a dramatic sight.
Other battle cries of the Almogavars included Aragó, Aragó!, Via Sus! Via Sus!, and Sant Jordi! Sant Jordi!. But Desperta Ferro! was special because only the Almogavars used it.
Today, the Spanish Army's 6th Paratroopers Brigade "Almogávares" still uses "Desperta Ferro!" as their motto.
Contents
The First Time It Was Recorded
The battle cry "Desperta Ferro!" became known in Military history thanks to Ramon Muntaner. He was a writer who included it in his book, the Crònica.
The first time this cry was recorded was in the year 1300. This was during the War of Sicily. The Almogavar troops, led by King Frederic II of Sicily, fought against French forces.
Battle of Gagliano (1300)
At dawn, in the dim light, French knights began to move towards the Almogavar position. The Almogavars were near Gagliano Castle.
When the Almogavars saw the French coming, they knew a battle was about to start. They began to shout loudly: Desperta Ferres!! Desperta!!
As they yelled, they hit the metal tips of their lances and darts against stones. This created hundreds of sparks and a bright light. The French were terrified by the sight of these wild soldiers. They saw sparks flying everywhere in the morning light, along with the loud war cries. One French commander even said, "We have met devils!"
The Batalla de Gagliano ended with a big defeat for the French troops. Almost all of them were overcome by the Almogavars.
Battle of Tràpena (1300)
Crònica de Ramon Muntaner
(Codex 1342)
Later in the same year, another battle took place at Tràpena. King Frederic II of Sicily was there with his army. This included about 700 knights and 3,000 Almogavars.
As the armies got ready to fight, the Almogavars shouted: Desperta Ferres! Again, they hit their lances on the ground. This made many sparks, like a huge light show. The enemy army was very scared when they saw this.
The battle was fierce, but the Almogavars fought bravely. They helped King Frederic's army win a great victory.
Battle of Kibistra (1304)
The War of Sicily ended in 1302 with a peace treaty. This treaty meant that King Frederic II had to send his army home. Because of this, the Almogavar soldiers were out of work.
Another soldier, Roger de Flor, decided to form a new group of mercenaries. He called it the Catalan Company. They offered their services to the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantines needed help fighting the Turks in Anatolia.
The Catalan Company sailed in August 1303 and arrived in Constantinople in September 1303. Their first fight against the Turks was just a few days later. They won a big victory at the Battle of Cízic.
In 1304, the Company continued its fights. They won many quick battles against the Turkish armies. The Turks started to retreat further into Anatolia.
In August 1304, the Catalan Company went deep into Anatolia to find the Turks. They met a large Turkish army of about 10,000 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers.
At dawn on August 15, the two armies faced each other. The Almogavars were very excited. They shouted: Desperta Ferres! Desperta!
The battle was very tough. But in the end, the Catalan Company shouted "Aragó! Aragó!" and won a great victory. They defeated many Turkish soldiers. This battle showed the power of the Almogavars and their famous cry.
Images for kids
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Armes siclia.gif
Flag with the arms of Frederic II of Sicily
See also
In Spanish: Desperta Ferro para niños
