The Dance of Zalong and other stories of mass self -sacrifice in times of war

The battle of 1803 between the Souliots and the Ottoman-Albanian army holds a special place in Greek history and folklore.

When it appeared that the defeat was inevitable, the Souliots began to evacuate Souli. However, a small group of Souliotis and their children were found trapped in the mountain of Zalong.

In practice later known as the « Dance of Zalong », it is said that the women first threw their children from the cliff, and shortly thereafter followed themselves.

The legend wants these women to jump off the cliff, singing and dancing, as an act of absolute resistance.

Although the authenticity of this story has been challenged by the passage of time, there are other similar narratives that express the spirit of the legendary slogan « Freedom or Death ».

The castle of Pillenai

On February 25, 1336, the Castle of Pilani (today in today’s Lithuania) was besieged by the Knights.

The castle army, led by Duke Margiris, fought bravely, but with about 4,000 troops left to defend the walls, the Duke acknowledged that he could not win the war.

Knowing that his subjects would turn into slaves, he called on his soldiers to set fire to the castle, destroy all their possessions, and then commit suicide.

Saipan’s citizens

Fearing that the US troops would torment them and murdered by the Saipan citizens in Japan, they walked into the sea or jumped out of the rocks and drowned.

First the older children pushed the younger than the edge, then the mothers pushed older children, and finally the fathers pushed their wives before jumping from the edge.

It is estimated that 22,000 civilians died in this way.

The fortress of Tsitorgirgi

Jawhar is an old Indian act of mass self -reliance.

The act was executed by women and children within the walls of besieged castles or cities when the outcome was in favor of the enemy.

On the other hand, men in an act known as a « jacket », joined and fought for the last time to die honestly.

The most famous act of jawchat in Indian history occurred in 1303 in Tsitorg.

But when Alawin Haldz besieged the fortress, he eventually rejected the resistance. His goal was to take with him the beautiful queen of Rajput, Rani Pantmini. But as soon as her people lost, the queen committed suicide with all the other women of Tsitorg.

Baden

On September 20, 1906, the Dutch army attacked Bali and met little resistance.

When they arrived in the city of Badung, they found that the residents there had taken their fate in their hands.

The royal family of Bali had predicted the arrival of the Dutch and, knowing that they were significantly less and their resistance would be in vain, their kings, their families and hundreds of followers all ended their lives.

The Teutonic Women

The Teutons were a German race that was on the European continent about 200 years before the birth of Christ.

Around 100 BC, the Teutons decided to migrate south and west, hoping to find better land for cultivation. What they did not expect, however, was to fall on the rapidly expanding Roman Empire.

When the Teutons arrived at the border of the Roman colonies, Roman General Gaius Marios was there to meet them.

Despite the fierce battle, nearly 90,000 Terons were killed and their king totovond was captured.

As a condition of the tradition of Teutons, Marios ordered the king to hand over 300 married women, who intended to give his Roman men.

When the Romans went to wake up their wives the next morning, they found all dead.

The citizens of Numanthia

Numanthia was a small town in northern Spain.

The city existed in the second century BC. and entered the folklore after an eight -month resistance against a Roman army. The city eventually fell in 133 BC. by General Scipio Emilianos.

As a proud people instead of surrendering, they committed suicide.

Numanthia’s memory was preserved by Miguel de Cervantes, the playwright who wrote in the 1580s by the El Cerco de Numancia (« The Numante’s Destruction »).

Masada’s Jews

In the year 73 AD, the Jewish community living in Masada, a mountainous fortress overlooking the Dead Sea, was surrounded by a Roman army.

In what became known as a stunning act of disobedience, the commander of the Massana Elazar Ben-Jiri soldiers ordered every man to kill his wife and children before turning their swords against each other.

Masanda has such a place in Jewish folklore that until recently they were used as a part of the swearing -in of young soldiers for the Israeli army.

The 47 Ronin

The story of 47 Ronin is about revenge 47 samurai for the unfair death of their master, Asano Naganori.

Asano was sentenced to a ritual suicide (Sepuku) in 1701, after being attacked by his superior, Kira Yosichisma, who had offended him.

The 47 Ronin, which means Samurai without a master, designed their revenge and attacked the Kira Mansion in 1703.

Although the people and the authorities agreed by their act, the values ​​of the time condemned revenge, resulting in Ronin being sentenced to death and committing Sepuku.