I found some interesting innundo....

[Caelan Arendor]

The name "Hend the striker" is mentioned just once in the wheel of time series, namely in "A Memory of Light" Vol XIV.

Throughout my search for a real person with this name on the internet, I came across a certain John Henry, whom, due to my European heritage, I unfortunately never heard of before. As it turned out, John Henry was an African American laborer who manually drilled holes in rock in order to place dynamite into them. He is said to have won a competition against a steam-powered drilling machine but paid for this triumph with his life due to total exhaustion. Did you know about this connection with the Age of Legends?

 

[HeavyHalfMoonBlade]

I have never heard of him, the poor bloke. 

[DojoToad]

20 hours ago, Caelan Arendor said:

The name "Hend the striker" is mentioned just once in the wheel of time series, namely in "A Memory of Light" Vol XIV.

Throughout my search for a real person with this name on the internet, I came across a certain John Henry, whom, due to my European heritage, I unfortunately never heard of before. As it turned out, John Henry was an African American laborer who manually drilled holes in rock in order to place dynamite into them. He is said to have won a competition against a steam-powered drilling machine but paid for this triumph with his life due to total exhaustion. Did you know about this connection with the Age of Legends?

'Manually drilled holes' makes me think of a hand-held manual drill with a hand crank.  But John Henry made holes in the rock by by hitting a steel spike/drill with a large hammer, maybe a sledge.  This picture shows what I had always imagined.  He look ready to crush some trolloc skulls...

 

[Caelan Arendor]

Thanks a lot for showing me this picture, this guy must realy be well known in your country! I am deeply moved that a Black African is being honored with a statue.

 

Greetings and best 73 from

Caelan  --.../...--

[Figs and Mice]

When John Henry was a little baby,
Sitting on his pappy’s knee,
He grabbed a hammer and a little piece of steel,
Said, “This hammer’ll be the death of me, Lord, Lord.
This hammer’ll be the death of me.”

Now, the captain said to John Henry,
I’m gonna bring that steam drill around.
I’m gonna take that steam drill out on the job,
I’m gonna whop that steel on down, Lord, Lord.
Gonna whop that steel on down.”

John Henry told his captain,
“A man ain’t nothing but a man,
But before I let that steam drill beat me down,
I’ll die with my hammer in my hand, Lord, Lord.
I’ll die with my hammer in my hand.”

John Henry said to his shaker,
“Now, shaker, why don’t you sing?
’Cause I’m throwing twelve pounds from my hips on down.
Just listen to that cold steel ring, Lord, Lord.
Just listen to that cold steel ring.”

The man that invented the steam drill,
He thought he was mighty fine.
But John Henry, he made fourteen feet
While the steam drill only made nine, Lord, Lord.
The steam drill only made nine.

John Henry hammered on the mountain
Till his hammer was striking fire.
He drove so hard he broke his poor heart.
Then, he laid down his hammer and he died, Lord, Lord.
He laid down his hammer and he died.

They took John Henry to the graveyard,
And they buried him in the sand.
And every locomotive comes rolling by
Says, “Here lies a steel-driving man, Lord, Lord.
Here lies a steel-driving man.”

Now, some say he was born in Texas,
And some say he was born in Maine.
But I don’t give a damn where that poor boy was born.
He was a steel-driving man, Lord, Lord.
He was a steel-driving man.

---

 

[Figs and Mice]

Just thought I would share the famous ballad about this chap...  can't supply the musical notes I'm afraid  🙂

Edited Tuesday at 01:18 AM by Figs and Mice