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A battle cry or war cry is a yell or chant taken up in
battle A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
, usually by members of the same combatant group. Battle cries are not necessarily articulate (e.g. "Eulaliaaaa!", "Alala"..), although they often aim to invoke patriotic or religious sentiment. Their purpose is a combination of arousing aggression and esprit de corps on one's own side and causing intimidation on the hostile side. Battle cries are a universal form of
display behaviour Display behaviour is a set of ritualized behaviours that enable an animal to communicate to other animals (typically of the same species) about specific stimuli. These ritualized behaviours can be visual however many animals depend on a mixture ...
(i.e.,
threat display Deimatic behaviour or startle display means any pattern of bluffing behaviour in an animal that lacks strong defences, such as suddenly displaying conspicuous eyespots, to scare off or momentarily distract a predator, thus giving the prey anima ...
) aiming at
competitive advantage In business, a competitive advantage is an attribute that allows an organization to outperform its competitors. A competitive advantage may include access to natural resources, such as high-grade ores or a low-cost power source, highly skilled ...
, ideally by overstating one's own aggressive potential to a point where the enemy prefers to avoid confrontation altogether and opts to flee. In order to overstate one's potential for aggression, battle cries need to be as loud as possible, and have historically often been amplified by acoustic devices such as
horns Horns or The Horns may refer to: * Plural of Horn (instrument), a group of musical instruments all with a horn-shaped bells * The Horns (Colorado), a summit on Cheyenne Mountain * ''Horns'' (novel), a dark fantasy novel written in 2010 by Joe Hill ...
, drums, conches,
carnyx The ancient carnyx was a wind instrument of the Iron Age Celts, used between c. 200 BC and c. AD 200. It was a type of bronze trumpet with an elongated S shape, held so that the long straight central portion was vertical and the short mouthpiec ...
es,
bagpipe Bagpipes are a woodwind instrument using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. The Great Highland bagpipes are well known, but people have played bagpipes for centuries throughout large parts of Europe, ...
s,
bugle The bugle is one of the simplest brass instruments, normally having no valves or other pitch-altering devices. All pitch control is done by varying the player's embouchure. History The bugle developed from early musical or communication ...
s, etc. (see also
martial music Martial music or military music is a specific genre of music intended for use in military settings performed by professional soldiers called field musicians. Much of the military music has been composed to announce military events as with b ...
). Battle cries are closely related to other behavioral patterns of
human aggression Aggression is overt or covert, often harmful, social interaction with the intention of inflicting damage or other harm upon another individual; although it can be channeled into creative and practical outlets for some. It may occur either reacti ...
, such as
war dance A war dance is a dance involving mock combat, usually in reference to tribal warrior societies where such dances were performed as a ritual connected with endemic warfare. Martial arts in various cultures can be performed in dance-like settin ...
s and taunting, performed during the "warming up" phase preceding the escalation of physical violence. From the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
, many cries appeared on standards and were adopted as
motto A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. Mot ...
es, an example being the motto "
Dieu et mon droit (, fro, Deu et mon droit), which means "God and my right", is the motto of the monarch of the United Kingdom. It appears on a scroll beneath the shield of the version of the coat of arms of the United Kingdom. The motto is said to have first ...
" ("God and my right") of the English kings. It is said that this was
Edward III Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring r ...
's rallying cry during the
Battle of Crécy The Battle of Crécy took place on 26 August 1346 in northern France between a French army commanded by King PhilipVI and an English army led by King EdwardIII. The French attacked the English while they were traversing northern France du ...
. The word "
slogan A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a clan, political slogan, political, Advertising slogan, commercial, religious, and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose, with the goal of persuading members of the publi ...
" originally derives from ''sluagh-gairm'' or ''sluagh-ghairm'' (''sluagh'' = "people", "army", and ''gairm'' = "call", "proclamation"), the
Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...
word for "gathering-cry" and in times of war for "battle-cry". The Gaelic word was borrowed into English as ''slughorn'', ''sluggorne'', "slogum", and ''slogan''.


History


Antiquity

* The war cry is an aspect of epic battle in
Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...
: in the ''
Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Odysse ...
'', Diomedes is conventionally called "Diomedes of the loud war cry."
Hellenes The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and, to a lesser extent, other ...
and
Akkadians The Akkadian Empire () was the first ancient empire of Mesopotamia after the long-lived civilization of Sumer. It was centered in the city of Akkad () and its surrounding region. The empire united Akkadian and Sumerian speakers under one rul ...
alike uttered the onomatopoeic cry ''"
alala Alala ( Ancient Greek: (alalá); "battle-cry" or "war-cry") was the personification of the war cry in Greek mythology. Her name derives from the onomatopoeic Greek word (alalḗ), hence the verb (alalázō), "to raise the war-cry". Greek s ...
"'' in battle. * The troops of ancient
Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
, during the Medic Wars and the
Peloponnesian War The Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC) was an ancient Greek war fought between Athens and Sparta and their respective allies for the hegemony of the Greek world. The war remained undecided for a long time until the decisive intervention of th ...
were noted for going into battle shouting "''Alala or Alale!''", which was supposed to emulate the cry of the owl, the bird of their patron goddess
Athena Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of ...
. * The
Western Huns The Huns were a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe between the 4th and 6th century AD. According to European tradition, they were first reported living east of the Volga River, in an area that was part ...
attacked with terrifying battle cries. * One of the common
Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
war cries was "Har Har Mahadev" meaning, "''Hail to Mahadev !"'' * A common war cry used in ancient
Tamilakam Tamiḻakam (Tamil: தமிழகம்; Malayalam: തമിഴകം), refers to the geographical region inhabited by the ancient Tamil people, covering the southernmost region of the Indian subcontinent. Tamilakam covered today's Tamil Nad ...
was "Vetrivel, Veeravel," meaning, "Victorious Vel, Courageous Vel."
Vel Vel ( ta, வேல், lit=Vēl) is a divine javelin or spear associated with Murugan, the Hindu god of war. Significance According to Shaiva tradition, the goddess Parvati presented the Vel to her son Murugan, as an embodiment of her shakti, ...
is the holy spear of
Murugan Kartikeya ( sa, कार्त्तिकेय, Kārttikeya), also known as Skanda, Subrahmanya, Shanmukha (), and Murugan ( ta, முருகன்), is the Hindu god of war. He is the son of Parvati and Shiva, the brother of Ganesha ...
,the Hindu war deity, At present The Battle cry "Vetrivel, Veeravel" is being used in 191 Field Regiment of
Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...
based in
Madukkarai Madukkarai is a suburb of Coimbatore city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the gateway to Coimbatore city from Kerala State and is located around 12 km from the Kerala border. The Coimbatore International Airport is about 27&nbs ...
,
Coimbatore Coimbatore, also spelt as Koyamputhur (), sometimes shortened as Kovai (), is one of the major metropolitan cities in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyyal River and surrounded by the Western Ghats. Coimbato ...
.


Middle Ages

* During the Scottish wars of independence, Scottish soldiers used Alba gu bràth as a battle-cry, a phrase that means 'Scotland for ever' (literally, 'Scotland until judgement'.) This was depicted in the film ' Braveheart' during which Mel Gibson, playing William Wallace, shouts the phrase to rally his soldiers just before a battle commenced. * Each Turkic tribe and tribal union had its distinct
tamga A tamga or tamgha (from otk, 𐱃𐰢𐰍𐰀, tamga, lit=stamp, seal; tr, damga; mn, tamga; ; ); an abstract seal or stamp used by Eurasian nomads and by cultures influenced by them. The tamga was normally the emblem of a particular tribe, ...
(seal), totemic '' ongon'' bird, and distinct ''uran'' (battle cry) (hence the Slavic ''urah'' "battle cry"). While tamgas and ''ongons'' could be distinct down to individuals, the hue of horses and ''uran'' battle cries belonged to each tribe, were passed down from generation to generation, and some modern battle cries were recorded in antiquity. On split of the tribe, their unique distinction passed to a new political entity, endowing different modern states with the same ''uran'' battle cries of the split tribes, for example Kipchak battle cry among
Kazakhs The Kazakhs (also spelled Qazaqs; Kazakh: , , , , , ; the English name is transliterated from Russian; russian: казахи) are a Turkic-speaking ethnic group native to northern parts of Central Asia, chiefly Kazakhstan, but also parts o ...
, Kirgizes,
Turkmens Turkmens ( tk, , , , ; historically "the Turkmen"), sometimes referred to as Turkmen Turks ( tk, , ), are a Turkic ethnic group native to Central Asia, living mainly in Turkmenistan, northern and northeastern regions of Iran and north-weste ...
, and
Uzbeks The Uzbeks ( uz, , , , ) are a Turkic ethnic group native to the wider Central Asian region, being among the largest Turkic ethnic group in the area. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, next to Kazakh and Karakalpak mino ...
. Some larger tribes' ''uran'' battle cries: ** Kipchak – "ay-bas" ("''lunar head''"). ** Kangly (Kangars) – "bai-terek" ("''sacred tree''"). ** Oguzes – "teke" ("''mount''") * Desperta ferro! ("Awake iron!" in Catalan) was the most characteristic cry of the Almogavar warriors, during the
Reconquista The ' (Spanish, Portuguese and Galician for "reconquest") is a historiographical construction describing the 781-year period in the history of the Iberian Peninsula between the Umayyad conquest of Hispania in 711 and the fall of the Nasrid ...
. *
Deus vult ''Deus vult'' (Ecclesiastical Latin: 'God wills it') is a Christian motto relating to Divine providence. It was first chanted by Catholics during the First Crusade in 1096 as a rallying cry, most likely under the form ''Deus le veult'' or ''Deus l ...
! ("God wills it!" in Latin) was the battle cry of the Crusaders. *
Montjoie Saint Denis! ''Montjoie Saint Denis!'' () was the battle-cry and motto of the Kingdom of France. It allegedly refers to Charlemagne's legendary banner, the Oriflamme, which was also known as the "Montjoie" and was kept at the Abbey of Saint Denis, though alte ...
: battle cry of the Kings of France since the 12th century. * Santiago y cierra, España! was a war cry of Spanish troops during the
Reconquista The ' (Spanish, Portuguese and Galician for "reconquest") is a historiographical construction describing the 781-year period in the history of the Iberian Peninsula between the Umayyad conquest of Hispania in 711 and the fall of the Nasrid ...
, and of the
Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its prede ...
. * On 14 August 1431, the whole
Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...
army (of the 4th anti-Hussite crusade) was defeated by the
Hussites The Hussites ( cs, Husité or ''Kališníci''; "Chalice People") were a Czech proto-Protestant Christian movement that followed the teachings of reformer Jan Hus, who became the best known representative of the Bohemian Reformation. The Huss ...
in the
Battle of Domažlice The Battle of Domažlice ( cs, Bitva u Domažlic) or Battle of Taus (german: Schlacht bei Taus) or Battle of Tausch was fought on 14 August 1431 as the part of the 5th crusade against Hussites. The crusade was sent to Bohemia after negotiations, ...
. Attacking imperial units started to retreat after hearing
Ktož jsú boží bojovníci "Ye Who Are Warriors of God", the English translation of "Ktož jsú Boží bojovníci" from Old Czech, is a 15th-century Hussite war song. Alternate modern Czech spellings of the title are: "Kdož jsou Boží bojovníci" and "Kdo jsou Boží bojo ...
("''Ye Who Are Warriors of God''") choral and were annihilated shortly after. * ''
Allāhu akbar The Takbir ( ar, تَكْبِير, , "magnification
f God F, or f, is the sixth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ef'' (pronounced ), and the plural is ''efs''. His ...
) is the name for the Arabic language, Arabic phrase ' (, ), meaning "God is the greatest". It is a common Arabic expression, used in various contexts by Muslims and Arabs around the wo ...
'' (الله أكبر, "
God In monotheism, monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator deity, creator, and principal object of Faith#Religious views, faith.Richard Swinburne, Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Ted Honderich, Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Ox ...
is hegreatest") and ''Allāhu allāh'' (الله الله,"God! God!") were used by Muslim armies throughout history. ''Al-naṣr aw al-shahāda'' (النصر أو الشهادة, "Victory or martyrdom") was also a common battle cry; the At-Tawbah 9:52 says that God has promised to the righteous Muslim warrior one of these two glorious ideals. * ''Óðinn á yðr alla'' (''Odin owns you all'') – A reference to Odin's self sacrifice at Yggdrasil. Attributed to
Eric the Victorious Eric the Victorious (Old Norse: ''Eiríkr inn sigrsæli'', Modern Swedish: ''Erik Segersäll''; c. 945 – c. 995) was a Swedish monarch as of around 970. Although there were earlier Swedish kings, he is the first Swedish king in a consecutive reg ...
.


Pre-modern

* When putting out peasants' rebellions in Germany and Scandinavia around 1500, such as in the
Battle of Hemmingstedt The Battle of Hemmingstedt took place on 17 February 1500 south of the village of Hemmingstedt, near the present village of Epenwöhrden, in the western part of present-day Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It was an attempt by King John of Denma ...
, the Dutch mercenaries of the
Black Guard The Black Guard or ''‘Abid al-Bukhari'' ( ar, عبيد البخاري, lit=Slaves of al-Būkhārī; also known as ''‘Abīd al-Dīwān'' "slaves of the diwan", ''Jaysh al-‘Abīd'' "the slave army", and ''‘Abid al-Sultan'' "the sultan’s ...
yelled ''Wahr di buer, die garde kumt'' ("Beware, peasants, the guards are coming"). When the peasants counterattacked, they responded with ''Wahr di, Garr, de Buer de kumt'' ("Beware, Guard, of the farmer,
ho is Ho (or the transliterations He or Heo) may refer to: People Language and ethnicity * Ho people, an ethnic group of India ** Ho language, a tribal language in India * Hani people, or Ho people, an ethnic group in China, Laos and Vietnam * Hiri Mo ...
coming"). * The Spanish cried ''Santiago'' ("Saint James") both when reconquering Spain from the
Moors The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a distinct or ...
and during conquest in early colonial America. * Polish "
Winged Hussars The Polish hussars (; pl, husaria ), alternatively known as the winged hussars, were a heavy cavalry formation active in Poland and in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1503 to 1702. Their epithet is derived from large rear wings, which ...
" used to shout ''Jezus Maria'' ("Jesus, Mary") or ''Matka Boska'' ("Mother of God") during their charges. * King
Henry IV of France Henry IV (french: Henri IV; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry or Henry the Great, was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 1610. He was the first monarc ...
(13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), a pleasure-loving and cynical military leader, famed for wearing a striking white plume in his helmet and for his
war cry A battle cry or war cry is a yell or chant taken up in battle, usually by members of the same combatant group. Battle cries are not necessarily articulate (e.g. "Eulaliaaaa!", "Alala"..), although they often aim to invoke patriotic or religious ...
: ''Ralliez-vous à mon panache blanc!'' ("Follow my white plume!"). * Burmese soldiers of the Konbaung Dynasty under
Alaungpaya Alaungpaya ( my, အလောင်းဘုရား, ; also spelled Alaunghpaya or Alaung-Phra; 11 May 1760) was the founder of the Konbaung Dynasty of Burma (Myanmar). By the time of his death from illness during his campaign in Siam, this f ...
were recorded to shout ''Shwebo-Thar'' (Sons of Shwebo) during the Konbaung-Hanthawady War. * Most of the Jaikaras were popularized by
Guru Gobind Singh Guru Gobind Singh (; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708), born Gobind Das or Gobind Rai the tenth Sikh Guru, a spiritual master, warrior, poet and philosopher. When his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, was executed by Aurangzeb, Guru Gobind Sing ...
. The
Sikh Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...
s have a number of battle cries or jaikara the most popular ones being as follows: ** ''Bolna ji'' (utter) – ''Waheguru'' (wondrous enlightener) ** '' Deg Teg Fateh'' (the kettle and the sword are un-conquerable) – ''Panth ki jit'' (the entire Sikh society is victorious) ** ''
Bole So Nihal ''Bole So Nihal'' ( pa, ਬੋਲੇ ਸੋ ਨਿਹਾਲ, meaning "Whoever utters, shall be fulfilled.") is a '' Jaikara'' or war cry or Clarion call'' of Sikhs given by the Tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh. Use ''Bole So Nihal...Sat Sri Ak ...
...
Sat Sri Akaal Sat Sri Akaal (Gurumukhi ਸਤਿ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ, ) is a '' Jaikara'' (lit. ''Call of Victory'') now used, often, as a greeting by Punjabi Sikhs. It is the second half of the ''Sikh Clarion call'', given by the Tenth guru, Guru Gobind ...
'' ("Shout Aloud in Ecstasy... True is the Great Timeless One"), ** ''Nanak naam charhdi kalaa'' (Nanaak may Thy name be exalted) – ''Tere'' ''bhaanae sarbatt daa bhalaa'' (and all people prosper by Thy grace) ** '' Waheguru ji ka Khalsa'' (the brotherhood of pure ones belongs to the wondrous enlightener) – ''Waheguru ji ki Fateh'' (victory belongs to the wondrous enlightener) ** '' Raj Karega Khalsa'' – (The Khalsa rules) Aaki Koye Na Hoye (And no one else) ** ''Gaj ke jaikara gajaave fateh paave nihaal ho jaavae, Sat Sri Akaal gurbaar akaal hee akaal'', , (excerpt from ardas of ''Buddha Dal'' prayerbook gutka praising the blessing of uttering jaikara proclaiming supreme truth). * The
Pashtun Pashtuns (, , ; ps, پښتانه, ), also known as Pakhtuns or Pathans, are an Iranian ethnic group who are native to the geographic region of Pashtunistan in the present-day countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were historically re ...
soldiers' war cry against the
Mughals The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...
was ''Hu, Hu''. * The
Gurkha The Gurkhas or Gorkhas (), with endonym Gorkhali ), are soldiers native to the Indian subcontinent, Indian Subcontinent, chiefly residing within Nepal and some parts of Northeast India. The Gurkha units are composed of Nepalis and Indian Go ...
(Gorkha) soldiers' battle cry was, and still is, ''Jai Mahakali, Ayo Gorkhali!'' ("Victory to Goddess Mahakali, the Gurkhas are coming!") * The
rebel yell The rebel yell was a battle cry used by Confederate soldiers during the American Civil War. Confederate soldiers used the yell when charging to intimidate the enemy and boost their own morale, although the yell had many other uses. No audio ...
was a battle cry used by Confederate soldiers during the American Civil War. * Finnish light cavalry troops in the Swedish army in the 17th and 18th centuries, would use the battle cry ''Hakkaa päälle!'' ("Cut them down!" in Finnish), lending them the name
Hackapell Hakkapeliitta (Finnish pl. ''hakkapeliitat'') is a historiographical term used for a Finnish light cavalryman in the service of King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden during the Thirty Years' War (1618 to 1648). Hakkapeliitta is a 19th-century Finn ...
. * Irish Regiments of various Armies used and continue to use Gaelic war cries, ''
Faugh a Ballagh ''Faugh a Ballagh'' ( ; also written ''Faugh an Beallach'') is a battle cry of Irish origin, meaning "clear the way". The spelling is an 18th-century anglicization of the Irish language phrase ''Fág an Bealach'' , also written ''Fág a' Beal ...
'' ("Clear the way!") or Erin go Bragh (Ireland Forever) * The
Swedish army The Swedish Army ( sv, svenska armén) is the land force of the Swedish Armed Forces. History Svea Life Guards dates back to the year 1521, when the men of Dalarna chose 16 young able men as body guards for the insurgent nobleman Gustav Vas ...
in the 18th and 19th century would be issued with the command to attack with "För Fäderneslandet, gå på, Hurra!" (For the Fatherland, onwards, Hurrah!) * Argentine general
José de San Martín José Francisco de San Martín y Matorras (25 February 177817 August 1850), known simply as José de San Martín () or '' the Liberator of Argentina, Chile and Peru'', was an Argentine general and the primary leader of the southern and cent ...
is known in
South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...
for his
war cry A battle cry or war cry is a yell or chant taken up in battle, usually by members of the same combatant group. Battle cries are not necessarily articulate (e.g. "Eulaliaaaa!", "Alala"..), although they often aim to invoke patriotic or religious ...
: ''Seamos libres, que lo demás no importa nada!'' (Let's be free, nothing else matters!). * In the Texas Revolution, following the
Battle of Goliad The Battle of Goliad was the second skirmish of the Texas Revolution. In the early-morning hours of October 9, 1835, Texas settlers attacked the Mexican Army soldiers garrisoned at Presidio La Bahía, a fort near the Mexican Texas settlem ...
and the
Battle of the Alamo The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna reclaimed the Alamo Mission near San Anto ...
, Texan soldiers would use the battle cry "Remember Goliad! Remember the Alamo!" * In the Battle of Dybbøl in 1864, both Danish and German forces used "Hurrah" as a war cry. * During
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
in the Italian Front of 1915. Before battle, Italian Soldiers would yell "Savoia" or "Avanti Savoia", which is "Come on
Savoy Savoy (; frp, Savouè ; french: Savoie ) is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south. Savo ...
!" or "Onwards Savoy!" in Italian (compare "For the king!" among British soldiers of the same era).


Modern

* During
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, ''Tennōheika Banzai'' (天皇陛下万歳, ''May the Emperor live for
ten thousand years In various East Asian languages such as Chinese, Japanese, and Korean as well as Vietnamese, the phrase "Wànsuì", "Banzai", "Manse", and "Vạn tuế", literally meaning "ten thousand years" is used to wish long life, and is typically translate ...
'') served as a battle cry of sorts for Japanese soldiers, particularly in a "
banzai charge Banzai charge is the term that was used by the Allied forces of World War II to refer to Japanese human wave attacks and swarming staged by infantry units. This term came from the Japanese battle cry , and was shortened to banzai, specificall ...
". The most popular battle cry is "Ei ei oh" (エイエイオー), which is usually used at the start of battle. * "Avanti Savoia!" (English: Go
Savoy Savoy (; frp, Savouè ; french: Savoie ) is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south. Savo ...
!) was the patriotic battle cry of the
Italian Royal Army The Royal Italian Army ( it, Regio Esercito, , Royal Army) was the land force of the Kingdom of Italy, established with the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy. During the 19th century Italy started to unify into one country, and in 1861 Manfre ...
during
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and to a lesser extent, World War II. Infantrymen would scream this motto when launching an offensive attack, namely against the
Austro-Hungarians Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1 ...
. * During the
Greco-Italian war The Greco-Italian War (Greek: Ελληνοϊταλικός Πόλεμος, ''Ellinoïtalikós Pólemos''), also called the Italo-Greek War, Italian Campaign in Greece, and the War of '40 in Greece, took place between the kingdoms of Italy and G ...
(in WWII) the Greeks would shout "Αέρα!" (wind) as their battle cry. * During the
Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
, the
Korean People's Army The Korean People's Army (KPA; ) is the military force of North Korea and the armed wing of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). Under the ''Songun'' policy, it is the central institution of North Korean society. Currently, WPK General Sec ...
used the phrase "김일성 수령님 만세" (transliterated ''gim-ilseong sulyeongnim manse'', translated as "Long live the Great Leader
Kim Il-sung Kim Il-sung (; , ; born Kim Song-ju, ; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he ruled from the country's establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of ...
"). *
Hooah Hooah is a battle cry used by members of the United States Army, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Space Force. Originally spelled "Hough", the battle cry was first used by members of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment during the Second Seminole War in 1841, after ...
is the war cry of the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
, the
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
, and the
United States Space Force The United States Space Force (USSF) is the space service branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and the world's only independent space force. Along with its sister branch, the U.S. Air Force, the Space ...
.
Oorah ''Oorah'' is a battle cry common in the United States Marine Corps since the mid-20th century. It is comparable to Hooah in the United States Army, the United States Air Force, and the United States Space Force, or Hooyah in the United States ...
is the war cry used by
United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
. Hooyah is the war cry of the United States Navy and the United States Coast Guard. The Slavic version, "Ura!" has been used by the Imperial Russian Army, the Red Army, and the Russian Ground Forces, alongside many more Eastern European armed forces. It was also used by Yugoslav Partisans as Juriš/Јуриш. * "Merdeka atau mati!" (English: Freedom or death!) Used by Indonesian national army and freedom fighters (Indonesian: Pedjoeang/pejuang) during Indonesian war of independence. * In Afghanistan, Norwegian troops of the Telemark Battalion would sometimes use the battle cry "Til Valhall!" (To Valhalla!) followed by
Oorah ''Oorah'' is a battle cry common in the United States Marine Corps since the mid-20th century. It is comparable to Hooah in the United States Army, the United States Air Force, and the United States Space Force, or Hooyah in the United States ...
. * Muslim Mujahideen and soldiers in the Middle East and North Africa shout 'Takbir, Allahu Akbar' (God is the greatest). * During the Bangladesh Liberation War the Mukti Bahini would shout Joy Bangla (Victory to Bengal / Long live Bengal) during their battles against the Pakistani military. * During the Indochina War in Vietnam, the Viet Minh soldiers usually used "Xung phong" (English: Charge) whenever attacking the enemy. The same battle cry would be used later by People's Army of Vietnam, PAVN and Viet Cong, NLF forces during the Vietnam War. * Each individual regiment of the
Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...
has a unique war cry. These chants are sonorous with the beliefs of individual clans from which the troops belong to. * Leeroy Jenkins, Leeroy [sic] Jenkins is an internet meme, which has often served the purpose of an ironic or fatalistic parody of a battle cry, originating from a famous video of a World of Warcraft clan creating an intricate battle plan, before being party-wiped as a result of Leeroy Jenkins, who had been Away from keyboard, AFK at the time, charging in head-first. This gave rise to the phrase in First-person shooter, First Person Shooter Games, where players will shout "LEEROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOY JEEEEEENKIIIIIIIIIINS!" as they charge at the enemy. The phrase has gained notoriety, making appearances in various non-World of Warcraft media. * During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, "Slava Ukraini" (Slava Ukraini, Слава Україні! English: Glory to Ukraine!), often accompanied by a reply of "Heroiam Slava" (Героям слава! English: Glory to the heroes!), became an internationally-known battle cry not only among domestic forces, but also among Western world, western, mostly NATO, NATO allies.


See also


References

* Guilhem Pepin, ‘Les cris de guerre " Guyenne ! " et " Saint George ! ". L’expression d’une identité politique du duché d’Aquitaine anglo-gascon’, ''Le Moyen Age'', cxii (2006) pp 263–81


External links

* Philip Rance
'War Cry' in ''The Encyclopedia of the Roman Army''
– Roman battle cries * Ross Cowan
The Clashing of Weapons and Silent Advances in Roman Battles
– battle cries and the drumming of weapons in Roman warfare {{DEFAULTSORT:Battle Cry Battle cries, Military terminology