The Chateau Haut Koeningsboürg

The Coeur de Lion

In the year of our lord 1462
The Alsatian countryside is verdant with growth
The trees put out their buds
And fruit will soon appear
It is the time of new life, new growth
And it is the time when kings go out to war
The chateau Haut-Koenigsbourg sits upon a mount
Dominating the passes of Sainte-Marie and Urbeis
And controls the land from the Vosges
But, there an army!
The Coeur de Lion knows it is no ordinary army
Women! Children! To the keep!
Knights to the walls!
Cannonieers prepare the guns!

“Papa, can I stay in the high garden?” young Wilhelm asked
He has see armies before
They came and they went
For they could not dislodge his father from Estufen
And he did not fear this army

“To the keep, Boy!”
For the Lion knew this was no ordinary army
It was an army of God
Mustered from the troops
Of the Bishop of Strasbourg
The Bishop of Basel,
The Abbot of Murhach
The Duke of Austria
And the Elector of Palatine
And yet the Coeur de Lion would not give up his Chateau

Two hundred horsed knights with colors showing
A thousand foot soldiers
A myriad of serfs with climbing ladders and siege machines
All this for his ignoring the priory of Liepvre and creating a dependency
The army of God has a long memory
Cannons roared hurling 14 pound balls into the trees
Taking limbs and men, horses and siege machines down the mount
Some lay still and did not move
Others stubbornly arose on wobbly legs again ascending the mount.
Ladders pushed back from the wall
Falling over the precipice with its men
Caldrons of boiling oil emptied on hapless men below
Burning, scarring sending men screaming down the mount
Small bore cannons flung metal shards and shrapnel into the masses
Bodies bloodied tumbled into the brush
And some arose again and some did not

By nightfall the army had drawn back and set for siege
None in―none out
They would starve the Lion out

Late in the night the moon rose full upon the Chateau
The Coeur de Lion walked to the highest parapet
And there on the wooden floor he removed his heavy gloves
Dropping them into his helmet he set them down
Kneeling in the circle of the moon he lifted his hands
And as he had done many times
Prepared to beseech almighty God to defeat this army―
God’s own army
For he had the heart of the lion and he would never give up

And when this army was vanquished
Mayhap others would not be so bold
As dare assault the lair of the Coeur de Lion
So he could live in peace and profitability for a few seasons
Then―perhaps not
But such is the life of the Coeur de Lion

France – 31-December 2007