Comments on: Fortress of the Assassins http://www.damninteresting.com/fortress-of-the-assassins A collection of Damn Interesting things Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:03:47 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: ThatWhiteKid http://www.damninteresting.com/fortress-of-the-assassins#comment-24658 ThatWhiteKid Wed, 24 Jun 2009 03:41:17 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=896#comment-24658 Wow, this is really cool! This is definitely the base of the game Assassin's Creed, as mentioned before, very interesting. You character's home is at the castle in Masyaf. Saladin and Richard the Lionhearted are mentioned a lot, too. In the beginning, you do a leap of faith off a cliff for your leader into a pile of hey in front of the Crusader army that was attacking the castle :) The makers of Assassin's Creed definitely read this article!!! Wow, this is really cool!

This is definitely the base of the game Assassin’s Creed, as mentioned before, very interesting. You character’s home is at the castle in Masyaf. Saladin and Richard the Lionhearted are mentioned a lot, too. In the beginning, you do a leap of faith off a cliff for your leader into a pile of hey in front of the Crusader army that was attacking the castle :)

The makers of Assassin’s Creed definitely read this article!!!

]]> By: Mirage_GSM http://www.damninteresting.com/fortress-of-the-assassins#comment-24112 Mirage_GSM Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:52:00 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=896#comment-24112 [quote]Perfectwill105 said: "When you said "The author does point out that by completing their mission they assured their place in heaven," it brought to mind an assassin sect of radical Amida Buddhists. They train their entire lives in weapons proficiency, gymnastics and acrobatics, ninjutsu, etc., and all of it over so many years is to hone them into weapons. The Amida Buddhist's life of training is entirely focused toward one goal: to assassinate a mark."[/quote] I have no idea where you got your information from, but while there is actually a buddhist sect with that name, there is no indication that they have anything to do with assasinations of any kind. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amitabha [quote]Perfectwill105 said: “When you said “The author does point out that by completing their mission they assured their place in heaven,” it brought to mind an assassin sect of radical Amida Buddhists. They train their entire lives in weapons proficiency, gymnastics and acrobatics, ninjutsu, etc., and all of it over so many years is to hone them into weapons. The Amida Buddhist’s life of training is entirely focused toward one goal: to assassinate a mark.”[/quote]
I have no idea where you got your information from, but while there is actually a buddhist sect with that name, there is no indication that they have anything to do with assasinations of any kind.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amitabha

]]> By: FeldMarshall http://www.damninteresting.com/fortress-of-the-assassins#comment-22008 FeldMarshall Fri, 04 Jul 2008 07:02:53 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=896#comment-22008 First I should thank you for the excellent article. I want to remind a few points in the article: 1.The nobleman you mentioned in the first paragraph may be Sultan Sanjar,one of Seljuq kings,who wanted to destroy ismai'li fortresses and what the Hashshashin did made him not to do that. 2.Hassan-i-Sabah was born in iran,the city named Rey which is a part of Tehran now.He was Iranian. 3.He went to Neyshabour and studied in Imam Movafagh Neyshabouri's School.There he met Omar-i-Khayam and Hassan-i-Tousi(who became Malik Shah's prime minister and finally killed by one of Hashshashin named Bu Taher Avani).They promised if one if them become an important person help the other ones.When Hassan-i-Tousi became the prime minister invited them to the palace and gave them what they wanted,He gave Khayam a salary of 3000 gold coins per year and gave Hassan-i-Sabah a job in the government.After some years he became a very important person but he obliged to leave the government because of the conspiracy Hassan-i-Tousi(Nezam ol Molk) prepared.he went to Cairo and find it a good city but when he knew about the government and the military commanders who had much power in Egypt he went back to Iran(also he was in jail for a short time).There,in Egypt,he knew about isma'ilia and chose that religion.When he came back to Iran started to spread the religion.After ten year he determined to find a place for his followers and he chose Alamut.One of his followers went into the castle and became a guard and opened the gate for them and they captured the castle(when he captured the castle said:"we don't want to say our prayers in an usurped place,so we want to buy it in the price of leather which is as large as the castle "and the owner agreed.Then he made a narrow strip of leather and turned it around the castle and bought very cheap) 4.They were called Hashshashin because hey made medicines like willow substance(I don't know the exact translation of johar bid,it's similar to aspirin we use now),alcohol and medicines out of borage.Hashish meant medicine those days and the men who made it were called Hashshash(sth like pharmacist) and the word"Hashshashin" is arabic plural form of Hashshash.It's hard to think that who use drugs could performed those perfect assassinations.(each time a man use hashish in a usual amount it kills about 100,000 gray cells in first few minutes) 5.It's hard to consider that those beautiful gardens where built on the top of mountains where he climate is not suitable enough to make those gardens.I think it was the matter of there faith. I've found some photos of the Alamut and Masyaf: Alamut http://gallery.military.ir/albums/userpics/8543144.jpg http://gallery.military.ir/albums/userpics/218787.jpg Masyaf http://gallery.military.ir/albums/userpics/Masyaf6.jpg http://gallery.military.ir/albums/userpics/Masyaf_-_Gesamtansicht.jpg First I should thank you for the excellent article.

I want to remind a few points in the article:

1.The nobleman you mentioned in the first paragraph may be Sultan Sanjar,one of Seljuq kings,who wanted to destroy ismai’li fortresses and what the Hashshashin did made him not to do that.

2.Hassan-i-Sabah was born in iran,the city named Rey which is a part of Tehran now.He was Iranian.

3.He went to Neyshabour and studied in Imam Movafagh Neyshabouri’s School.There he met Omar-i-Khayam and Hassan-i-Tousi(who became Malik Shah’s prime minister and finally killed by one of Hashshashin named Bu Taher Avani).They promised if one if them become an important person help the other ones.When Hassan-i-Tousi became the prime minister invited them to the palace and gave them what they wanted,He gave Khayam a salary of 3000 gold coins per year and gave Hassan-i-Sabah a job in the government.After some years he became a very important person but he obliged to leave the government because of the conspiracy Hassan-i-Tousi(Nezam ol Molk) prepared.he went to Cairo and find it a good city but when he knew about the government and the military commanders who had much power in Egypt he went back to Iran(also he was in jail for a short time).There,in Egypt,he knew about isma’ilia and chose that religion.When he came back to Iran started to spread the religion.After ten year he determined to find a place for his followers and he chose Alamut.One of his followers went into the castle and became a guard and opened the gate for them and they captured the castle(when he captured the castle said:”we don’t want to say our prayers in an usurped place,so we want to buy it in the price of leather which is as large as the castle “and the owner agreed.Then he made a narrow strip of leather and turned it around the castle and bought very cheap)

4.They were called Hashshashin because hey made medicines like willow substance(I don’t know the exact translation of johar bid,it’s similar to aspirin we use now),alcohol and medicines out of borage.Hashish meant medicine those days and the men who made it were called Hashshash(sth like pharmacist) and the word”Hashshashin” is arabic plural form of Hashshash.It’s hard to think that who use drugs could performed those perfect assassinations.(each time a man use hashish in a usual amount it kills about 100,000 gray cells in first few minutes)

5.It’s hard to consider that those beautiful gardens where built on the top of mountains where he climate is not suitable enough to make those gardens.I think it was the matter of there faith.

I’ve found some photos of the Alamut and Masyaf:
Alamut
http://gallery.military.ir/albums/userpics/8543144.jpg
http://gallery.military.ir/albums/userpics/218787.jpg
Masyaf
http://gallery.military.ir/albums/userpics/Masyaf6.jpg
http://gallery.military.ir/albums/userpics/Masyaf_-_Gesamtansicht.jpg

]]> By: Watcher http://www.damninteresting.com/fortress-of-the-assassins#comment-20248 Watcher Fri, 29 Feb 2008 18:35:21 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=896#comment-20248 Very interesting indeed. I was inspired to follow a few links and came across an interesting account of what happened after Hasan. You'll find it here http://www.phinnweb.org/neuro/assassins2.html To the person who asked earlier about the link between the Assassins and the Thuggs, this article at least claims there is. Very interesting indeed. I was inspired to follow a few links and came across an interesting account of what happened after Hasan. You’ll find it here

http://www.phinnweb.org/neuro/assassins2.html

To the person who asked earlier about the link between the Assassins and the Thuggs, this article at least claims there is.

]]> By: altair http://www.damninteresting.com/fortress-of-the-assassins#comment-19995 altair Wed, 13 Feb 2008 21:55:48 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=896#comment-19995 to: Scott Cianciosi tru, I read this History about assasins becouse I play the game and i love it. So i don't know if you now about this game. But is hard to know what is true and what is not. at the beginin of the game show a legend "This game is based on a true History whit a differents cultures" or something like that. so if you don't have played that game joust checkitout and tellme what you think. to: Scott Cianciosi
tru, I read this History about assasins becouse I play the game and i love it. So i don’t know if you now about this game. But is hard to know what is true and what is not. at the beginin of the game show a legend “This game is based on a true History whit a differents cultures” or something like that. so if you don’t have played that game joust checkitout and tellme what you
think.

]]> By: kittykactus http://www.damninteresting.com/fortress-of-the-assassins#comment-19119 kittykactus Sat, 22 Dec 2007 23:19:28 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=896#comment-19119 DI, indeed! What a fantastic story. I love dramatic, historic stories that have a large affect on our cultures. Very nice. DI, indeed!
What a fantastic story. I love dramatic, historic stories that have a large affect on our cultures. Very nice.

]]> By: Perfectwill105 http://www.damninteresting.com/fortress-of-the-assassins#comment-18762 Perfectwill105 Wed, 05 Dec 2007 17:44:17 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=896#comment-18762 [quote]DaGooez said: "you can never trust those damn amish. they're just a horse and buggy away from eating your young. And the buddhists…jeez, kill them and they just come back as someone else! They are un-eradicatable (I think I just made that word up. Upon future use, please send royalties to gooez18@yahoo.com)"[/quote] I like that word. I'll be sure to namedrop you if I ever use it. But Buddhists--most of us--work hard to sharpen our minds and dull our unpleasant emotions (i.e. hate, jealousy, anger) in a lifelong pursuit of enlightenment and compassion. : ) [quote]DaGooez said: “you can never trust those damn amish. they’re just a horse and buggy away from eating your young. And the buddhists…jeez, kill them and they just come back as someone else! They are un-eradicatable (I think I just made that word up. Upon future use, please send royalties to gooez18@yahoo.com)”[/quote]

I like that word. I’ll be sure to namedrop you if I ever use it. But Buddhists–most of us–work hard to sharpen our minds and dull our unpleasant emotions (i.e. hate, jealousy, anger) in a lifelong pursuit of enlightenment and compassion. : )

]]> By: Perfectwill105 http://www.damninteresting.com/fortress-of-the-assassins#comment-18761 Perfectwill105 Wed, 05 Dec 2007 17:40:27 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=896#comment-18761 [quote]orc_jr said: "The impression I got from the article is that the Assassins consisted in the beginning largely of Muslims, and were in fact founded by a Muslim man, but that later many of them converted to Christianity. That's an interesting point you bring up about their willingness to die for their cause. The author does point out that by completing their mission they believed they assured their place in heaven. It sounds very much like what we hear today about securing 72 virgins for the afterlife."[/quote] (first, I just want anyone who sees this to know I don't think I'm perfect, I got the name from Perfect Dark for the Nintendo 64 x-amount of years ago and I don't trust my memory enough to change it) When you said "The author does point out that by completing their mission they assured their place in heaven," it brought to mind an assassin sect of radical Amida Buddhists. They train their entire lives in weapons proficiency, gymnastics and acrobatics, ninjutsu, etc., and all of it over so many years is to hone them into weapons. The Amida Buddhist's life of training is entirely focused toward one goal: to assassinate a mark. The Buddhists' cost a fortune to employ and all proceeds go to the training of more members, and once the Buddhist receives his/her orders to kill, he/she is, upon finishing the job, meant to commit suicide and go to nirvana as a god/goddess, apparently skipping the many lifetimes of birth, death, and reincarnation to develop perfect karma in order to be hurried on to the spirit world. The Assassins remind me of the Amida Buddhists in that they are devoted to a single cause, are highly skilled in their many crafts, and consider their lives as basically forfeit. [quote]orc_jr said: “The impression I got from the article is that the Assassins consisted in the beginning largely of Muslims, and were in fact founded by a Muslim man, but that later many of them converted to Christianity. That’s an interesting point you bring up about their willingness to die for their cause. The author does point out that by completing their mission they believed they assured their place in heaven. It sounds very much like what we hear today about securing 72 virgins for the afterlife.”[/quote]
(first, I just want anyone who sees this to know I don’t think I’m perfect, I got the name from Perfect Dark for the Nintendo 64 x-amount of years ago and I don’t trust my memory enough to change it) When you said “The author does point out that by completing their mission they assured their place in heaven,” it brought to mind an assassin sect of radical Amida Buddhists. They train their entire lives in weapons proficiency, gymnastics and acrobatics, ninjutsu, etc., and all of it over so many years is to hone them into weapons. The Amida Buddhist’s life of training is entirely focused toward one goal: to assassinate a mark. The Buddhists’ cost a fortune to employ and all proceeds go to the training of more members, and once the Buddhist receives his/her orders to kill, he/she is, upon finishing the job, meant to commit suicide and go to nirvana as a god/goddess, apparently skipping the many lifetimes of birth, death, and reincarnation to develop perfect karma in order to be hurried on to the spirit world. The Assassins remind me of the Amida Buddhists in that they are devoted to a single cause, are highly skilled in their many crafts, and consider their lives as basically forfeit.

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