Napoleon - Emperor of France and interesting stories surrounding his life

Napoleon Bonaparte is one of the most famous and influential figures in history, but he was also a man with his own habits and flaws. Not only was he a brilliant military leader and a visionary reformer, but he was also a passionate lover, a bad singer, and the victim of some hilarious mishaps. In this article, we will explore some humorous stories that reveal the lighter side of Napoleon's life. You may be surprised by what you know about the man behind the legend.

Rabbit hunt

After successfully invading Russia, Napoleon decided to celebrate by organizing a large rabbit hunt. Hundreds of rabbits were locked in cages before the hunt, but when released, they turned to attack the hunting party instead of running away. Napoleon and his men were forced to retreat while being relentlessly bitten by the furry creatures. Some historians believe that rabbits were domesticated and mistook hunters for their owners, who would feed them. Others claim that the rabbits are hungry and hungry for food. Either way, it was a humiliating experience for Napoleon, who had to face many fiercer enemies on the battlefield1.

Chess game

Napoleon liked to play chess but he was not a good player. He often gets lost while playing with his officers or friends. Once, he played chess with his friend, mathematician Pierre-Simon Laplace. In one move, Napoleon broke the rules of chess by moving his pawn two steps away from the second row. Laplace immediately pointed out Napoleon's mistake and asked him to move again. But Napoleon refused and said: "I am the emperor, I have the right to do that." Laplace did not want to argue with Napoleon, so he just smiled and said: “That's right, Your Majesty. But if your pawn can move two steps from the second row, then my pawn can also move three steps from the second row.” Napoleon heard this and immediately became angry and smashed the chessboard.

Cat worship ceremony

Napoleon hated mice and he always carried a cat with him to ward them off. Once, while in Egypt, he discovered his cat was missing. He immediately ordered his army to search for the cat at all costs. After searching everywhere, they found the cat in an ancient temple. It turned out that the cat was captured by the locals and worshiped it as the reincarnation of the goddess Bastet3. Napoleon was very angry and asked them to return the cat to him. The Egyptians refused and said that the cat was their sacred animal and they would not give it up. Napoleon threatened to destroy their temple if they did not comply. The Egyptians still refused and said they would rather die than lose the cat. Napoleon realized that he could not win this war and decided to leave them alone. He had to find another cat to replace his lost one.

The Emperor sings

Napoleon is a bad singer. The emperor sang so badly that those close to him considered him a nuisance, even though they could not say so. He would go into a 15-minute off-beat song and repeat it over and over again4. He doesn't care if anyone listens or not, he just likes to sing for himself. He especially likes to sing while riding a horse or taking a bath. His favorite songs were patriotic songs or love songs dedicated to his wife or mistress. His singing was so bad that it made his horse nervous and his servants cower.

Name of the game

Napoleon had a strange habit of naming things after himself or his family members. He named many streets, bridges, buildings, monuments and even trees after himself or his relatives5. He also named some of his military campaigns and battles after himself or family members. For example, he named the Battle of Austerlitz after his son Austerlitz Bonaparte, who was born on the same day as the battle. He also named the Battle of Marengo after his horse Marengo, who carried him during the battle. He even named a type of chicken dish after the battle, which was called Chicken Marengo. Some say that Napoleon was very narcissistic and egotistical, while others say that he was very sentimental and loyal.

These are just some funny stories about the life of Napoleon Bonaparte that show us a different side of him than what we usually see in history books. He was not only a great leader and conqueror but also a man with his own personality and humor. He makes mistakes, he has feelings, he has hobbies, he has fears, he has dreams, he has passions, he has quirks , he has flaws. He is a human being, just like us. And that's what makes him so compelling and relatable.