War equipment that was exclusively inherited by male heirs under medieval German law. Though the concept apparently exists since at least Carolingian times, Heergewäte was first mentioned in the 12th century, then disappeared relatively early from towns and cities but persisted in rural areas until the 17th century.
(HAIR ge vey teh.)
Small autonomous groups of rebels fighting the Assads’ military machine in Syria. According to ZDF heute journal reporting on 11 August 2012, these small units or brigades fight on local territory, defending their neighborhoods. Each katiba has a logistics officer, and they organize their own money, food, weapons and medicine. It is not entirely clear where their money is coming from, but the local neighborhood defense means that foreign fighters are few, ZDF says, and when foreign fighters have joined the rebellion against the Assads it tends to be in border regions.
The BBC posted this map yesterday showing who may have recently been holding which territory [thanks, BoingBoing.net]. Nearly all the territories marked on this map appear to be in border regions.
(Kah TEE bah.)
The Batrachomyomachia, the “Battle of Frogs and Mice,” is a humorous parody of the Iliad that was probably written two thousand years ago.
(Froh sh MOY zeh kreeg.)
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