| Author | Message | ||
| Markobr (Markobr)
New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 216 Registered: 5-2009 |
"Boom! Bang! Boom!", they cried. | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1006 Registered: 11-2008 |
They - H?A?M? Were they imitating shooting sounds? Any actual shooting involved? | ||
| Markobr (Markobr)
New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 218 Registered: 5-2009 |
They - H?A?M? H, otherwise mixed. Were they imitating shooting sounds? Yes. Any actual shooting involved? Yes. | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1007 Registered: 11-2008 |
Real shooting? Or shooting with blanks? Theatre performance? Was someone killed/injured during the shooting? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 1433 Registered: 5-2003 |
Relevant: Era? Location? Length of time for which they made shooting noises? Are they an audience? Do they gain a tangible? intangible? benefit from making these noises? | ||
| Markobr (Markobr)
New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 220 Registered: 5-2009 |
Real shooting? Or shooting with blanks? Not sure whether they had blanks, but something of that effect. Theatre performance? But not this. Was someone killed/injured during the shooting? No. Relevant: Era? Yes. Location? Yes, but only helpful if you already know the story. Length of time for which they made shooting noises? Yes. Are they an audience? Sort of. Do they gain a tangible? intangible? benefit from making these noises? Possibly for all. | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 1437 Registered: 5-2003 |
LTPF list of centuries, please. Length of time - seconds, minutes, hours? How many people - 1, 2, 3, 4, more? Is a performance of any sort involved? | ||
| Markobr (Markobr)
New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 225 Registered: 5-2009 |
LTPF list of centuries, please. 16th century. Length of time - seconds, minutes Probably this, hours? How many people - 1, 2, 3, 4, more? More. Is a performance of any sort involved? Well, kind of. | ||
| Noel (Noel)
New member Username: Noel Post Number: 453 Registered: 7-2009 |
Was there a war going on? A coup? Were they trying to fool someone? Scare someone? Was it some sort of reenactment? | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1010 Registered: 11-2008 |
Was their purpose to fool somebody? Location: Europe? America? Africa? Australia? | ||
| Markobr (Markobr)
New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 227 Registered: 5-2009 |
Was there a war going on? No. A coup? No. Were they trying to fool someone? No. Scare someone? No. Was it some sort of reenactment? Noish. Was their purpose to fool somebody? No. Location: Europe? This. More precisely, the Duchy of Württemberg. I won't give the exact location to prevent a solution by googling. America? Africa? Australia? | ||
| Noel (Noel)
New member Username: Noel Post Number: 477 Registered: 7-2009 |
Were they practicing something? | ||
| Markobr (Markobr)
New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 230 Registered: 5-2009 |
Were they practicing something? No. | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1040 Registered: 11-2008 |
Were they avoiding something? Trying to replace something? E.g. as if they were ordered to shoot a canon, did not have one, and did shooting sounds instead? | ||
| Markobr (Markobr)
New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 232 Registered: 5-2009 |
Were they avoiding something? No. Trying to replace something? Yes. E.g. as if they were ordered to shoot a canon, did not have one, and did shooting sounds instead? Not exactly that, but you're OTRT. They had a canon, however. | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1043 Registered: 11-2008 |
Were they replacing it to comply with a rule? An order? To avoid something? To gain something? | ||
| Markobr (Markobr)
New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 233 Registered: 5-2009 |
Were they replacing it to comply with a rule? Yesish. No formal rule, however (At least I think so, I don't know the entire 16th century law of Württemberg). An order? So, no. To avoid something? No. To gain something? Noish or Yope. | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1044 Registered: 11-2008 |
Was it a single occasion, or a multiple one (as to fire a shot every noon)? | ||
| Markobr (Markobr)
New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 234 Registered: 5-2009 |
Was it a single occasion This., or a multiple one (as to fire a shot every noon)? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 1460 Registered: 5-2003 |
Was a formal occasion involved? A custom? A celebration? Perhaps a gun was fired to commemorate the birth of an heir to the throne? | ||
| Markobr (Markobr)
New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 237 Registered: 5-2009 |
Was a formal occasion involved? Yes. A custom? Yope. A celebration? Yes. Perhaps a gun was fired to commemorate the birth of an heir to the throne? But no. You're OTRT however. | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 1482 Registered: 5-2003 |
A religious celebration, or a secular one? Birth? Death? Marriage? Marriage? War? Peace? Could they not afford a gun? Or were people seeking to join in the celebration by making noise? | ||
| Markobr (Markobr)
New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 244 Registered: 5-2009 |
A religious celebration, or a secular one? Secular. Birth? Death? Marriage? Marriage? War? Peace? Nothing of this. Could they not afford a gun? They could, and they had one (or more). Or were people seeking to join in the celebration by making noise? Yope. | ||
| Noel (Noel)
New member Username: Noel Post Number: 538 Registered: 7-2009 |
Were they out of ammo? Was their ammo wet? | ||
| Markobr (Markobr)
New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 250 Registered: 5-2009 |
Were they out of ammo? Yes. Was their ammo wet? So, no. | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1071 Registered: 11-2008 |
Were they somehow bound to fire from the gun? Would it be a shame if they didn't? | ||
| Markobr (Markobr)
New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 254 Registered: 5-2009 |
Were they somehow bound to fire from the gun? "Bound" might be a bit too strong, although I'm not completely sure about that. Would it be a shame if they didn't? Yes. (...with a little "but..." which might be confusing, however.) | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1074 Registered: 11-2008 |
Did they promise to fire the gun? Is it a tradition? Would there be some negative consequences (other than public derision) if they didn't? | ||
| Markobr (Markobr)
New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 258 Registered: 5-2009 |
Did they promise to fire the gun? No. Is it a tradition? Yes. Would there be some negative consequences (other than public derision) if they didn't? Possibly. | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 1505 Registered: 5-2003 |
Were they commemorating a pregnancy? Is it relevant what specifically they were celebrating, or do we only need to find why they were shouting? Could they have gone and found another gun, or ammo? Were they in a hurry? Were they the gunners? | ||
| Markobr (Markobr)
New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 276 Registered: 5-2009 |
Were they commemorating a pregnancy? No. Is it relevant what specifically they were celebrating, Yes. The kind of celebration is relevant. or do we only need to find why they were shouting? That, too. See below. Could they have gone and found another gun They had a gun (or guns). The gun(s) would have been just fine., or ammo? No, or not fast enough. Were they in a hurry? Yes. Were they the gunners? The gunners probably were among them, quite irrelevant. To clarify what is left to find out: 1. For what kind of celebration did they want to fire gunshots? 2. Why didn't they have any gunpowder? | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1099 Registered: 11-2008 |
Did the celebration relate to a person? More persons? An event? If so, was it some kind of a victory? Were they short of gunpowder because it had been previously used to shoot at an enemy? | ||
| Markobr (Markobr)
New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 279 Registered: 5-2009 |
Did the celebration relate to a person? Yes. More persons? No. An event? Yes. If so, was it some kind of a victory? No. Were they short of gunpowder because it had been previously used to shoot at an enemy? No, but... | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1102 Registered: 11-2008 |
Was the person to whom the celebration related, H?A?M? Was the person a ruler? A king? Did they use their gunpowder for another similar event? Did they use it also for a celebration of some kind? Did they use it against something/somebody? A shot into the dark: Did they shoot against the clouds to avoid a storm? | ||
| Markobr (Markobr)
New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 280 Registered: 5-2009 |
Was the person to whom the celebration related, H?A?M? Yes. Was the person a ruler? Yes, the Duke. A king? So, not a king. Did they use their gunpowder for another similar event? Yope. Did they use it also for a celebration of some kind? Yope. Did they use it against something/somebody? No. A shot into the dark: Did they shoot against the clouds to avoid a storm? No. | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1103 Registered: 11-2008 |
Did they use it on something the Duke had ordered? And therefore did not have enough for his own celebration? | ||
| Markobr (Markobr)
New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 281 Registered: 5-2009 |
Did they use it on something the Duke had ordered? No. And therefore did not have enough for his own celebration? FA. | ||
| Noel (Noel)
New member Username: Noel Post Number: 545 Registered: 7-2009 |
Was there a war going on? So that the gunpowder needed to be saved for battle? | ||
| Markobr (Markobr)
New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 283 Registered: 5-2009 |
Was there a war going on? No or irrelevant. So that the gunpowder needed to be saved for battle? No. | ||
| Markobr (Markobr)
New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 284 Registered: 5-2009 |
Was there a war going on? No or irrelevant. So that the gunpowder needed to be saved for battle? No. | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1117 Registered: 11-2008 |
Were they playing a prank on somebody? If so, on the Duke? Was the Duke the highest-ranked person present? Are there other people involved we have not yet mentioned? Did they run out of the powder due to a peaceful event? | ||
| Markobr (Markobr)
New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 292 Registered: 5-2009 |
Were they playing a prank on somebody? No. If so, on the Duke? Fortunately for the people, the Duke didn't think so. Was the Duke the highest-ranked person present? Yes. And in fact he *was* present. Are there other people involved we have not yet mentioned? No. Did they run out of the powder due to a peaceful event? Yes. | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1118 Registered: 11-2008 |
Could the Duke have a reason to think that they WERE playing a prank? while in fact they weren't? Were they doing the sounds to please the Duke? to amuse him? to avoid his anger? | ||
| Rbruma (Rbruma)
New member Username: Rbruma Post Number: 11 Registered: 9-2009 |
Ceremony they were celebrating: Crowning? Victory? Religion-related? Did they loose gunpowder because of an accident? Intentionally? | ||
| Markobr (Markobr)
New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 307 Registered: 5-2009 |
Could the Duke have a reason to think that they WERE playing a prank? Yes. In fact it *is* quite a funny thing to replace ceremonial gunshots by crying "Boom". They must have known their Duke as a humorous person. while in fact they weren't? If anything they're joking themselves. No affront to the Duke intended. Were they doing the sounds to please the Duke? Yes. to amuse him? Probably. to avoid his anger? Possibly. Ceremony they were celebrating: Crowning? Victory? Religion-related? No. As this seems to be a misleading point I tell you they were simply celebrating the Duke's visit to their town. Did they loose gunpowder because of an accident? Yope. Intentionally? Yope. | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1136 Registered: 11-2008 |
So the inhabitants of the city somehow ran out of gunpowder (for us yet to find out how). The Duke arrived to visit them, and on a normal occasion, they would have fired a cannon to celebrate his visit. Given they were short of powder, they did their best by just shouting, to show that, in spite of the fact they were unable to greet him properly, they liked him and did not lack good will. Is this more or less correct? | ||
| Rbruma (Rbruma)
New member Username: Rbruma Post Number: 12 Registered: 9-2009 |
Did they use the gunpowder for some construction work? Mining? Were they underestimating the power of the explosives and thus lost more gunpowder than needed (say, by blasting away the deposit)? | ||
| Markobr (Markobr)
New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 309 Registered: 5-2009 |
So the inhabitants of the city somehow ran out of gunpowder (for us yet to find out how). The Duke arrived to visit them, and on a normal occasion, they would have fired a cannon to celebrate his visit. Given they were short of powder, they did their best by just shouting, to show that, in spite of the fact they were unable to greet him properly, they liked him and did not lack good will. Is this more or less correct? Yes. As you say, what remains to be found out is mainly the reason why they ran out of gunpowder. There still is one minor point to the rest of the story you might find out but this one is so strongly related to the main question that I might give away too much by even telling you what it is. Did they use the gunpowder for some construction work? Mining? No to both. Were they underestimating the power of the explosives and thus lost more gunpowder than needed (say, by blasting away the deposit)? No. | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1138 Registered: 11-2008 |
Did the Duke know they were out of gunpowder? If so, did he know why? Was it on his order? | ||
| Markobr (Markobr)
New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 310 Registered: 5-2009 |
Did the Duke know they were out of gunpowder? Not initially. Someone will have told him so afterwards, of course. If so, did he know why? see previous answer. Was it on his order? No. | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1139 Registered: 11-2008 |
Did they use the gunpowder for work? Amusement? Did they use it at all? Was it wet? | ||
| Markobr (Markobr)
New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 311 Registered: 5-2009 |
Did they use the gunpowder for work? Noish. Amusement? Yesish or Yope. Did they use it at all? Yes. Was it wet? No. | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1140 Registered: 11-2008 |
Did they use the powder when firing the same gun? If so, did they fire once? several times? relevant how many times? Did they use it in one occasion? If so, was it a sort of holiday? Celebrating the patron saint of the city? Did they hit something? Did they use proper cannonballs? | ||
| Markobr (Markobr)
New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 313 Registered: 5-2009 |
Did they use the powder when firing the same gun? Yes, or guns. If so, did they fire once? several times? This. relevant how many times? Not really. The version of the story I recently read speaks of three times. Did they use it in one occasion? Yesish or Yope. If so, was it a sort of holiday? Yope. Celebrating the patron saint of the city? No. Did they hit something? No. Did they use proper cannonballs? No. | ||
| Rbruma (Rbruma)
New member Username: Rbruma Post Number: 14 Registered: 9-2009 |
Did they rehearse for the upcoming visit of the Duke? | ||
| Markobr (Markobr)
New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 318 Registered: 5-2009 |
Did they rehearse for the upcoming visit of the Duke? No, but very much OTRT. | ||
| Rbruma (Rbruma)
New member Username: Rbruma Post Number: 19 Registered: 9-2009 |
Was a rehearsal of any kind involved (other than for the visit)? Was the loss of gunpowder related to the visit? (though not a rehearsal) Out-of-the blue: did they spend it some time earlier believing the Duke was approaching and after that realized that it was not him / he was about to come later? | ||
| Markobr (Markobr)
New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 322 Registered: 5-2009 |
Was a rehearsal of any kind involved (other than for the visit)? No. Was the loss of gunpowder related to the visit? (though not a rehearsal) Yes. Out-of-the blue: did they spend it some time earlier believing the Duke was approaching and after that realized that it was not him / he was about to come later? Yes. Time for a ******** SPOILER ******** This is the story of the townsmen of Hornberg, a small town in the Black Forest and the visit of their Duke Christoph of Württemberg in 1564. Their plan was to greet the Duke by gun salute as soon as the Duke with his escort could be seen approaching. They put a man on a wall or tower as a lookout and awaited his signal. When the man saw a big cloud of dust approaching he assumed this was the Duke, and the townspeople started the shooting. Unfortunately it turned out that the "Duke" was in fact a cattle herd/salesman transporting merchandise/stagecoach (the usual stories go that the lookout gives false alarm several times for different reasons). When the Duke really arrives they have no gunpowder left, and the only possible salute consists in roaring and shouting towards their puzzled Duke. The story is quite well known in Germany as it explains the German idiom "Es geht aus wie das Hornberger Schießen" ("It ends like the shooting of Hornberg") meaning that some extensive, often loudly announced activity leads to no useful result. There is, however, no historic evidence for the story to be true. | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 1141 Registered: 11-2008 |
This was really a great puzzle, and a nice saying. Thank you, Markobr! |
