---
title: "2 Bards Quotes By Bernard Cornwell"
description: "2 Bards quotes by Bernard Cornwell. Plus more from Bernard Cornwell and more Bards sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03e/bernard-cornwell-1849_age_only-a-fool-wants-war-but-once-a-war-sta_2032098.jpg"
---

> [Only a fool wants war, but once a war starts then it cannot be fought half-heartedly. It cannot even be fought with regret, but must be waged with a savage joy in defeating the enemy, and it is that savage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-cornwell/only-a-fool-wants-war-but-once-a-war-starts-then-it-cannot-be-fought/)

[Bernard Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-cornwell/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03e/bernard-cornwell-1849_age_only-a-fool-wants-war-but-once-a-war-sta_2032098.jpg)

> [The bards sing of love, they celebrate slaughter, they extol kings and flatter queens, but were I a poet I would write in praise of friendship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-cornwell/the-bards-sing-of-love-they-celebrate-slaughter-they-extol-kings-and/)

[Bernard Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-cornwell/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4af/bernard-cornwell-1849_bards_the-bards-sing-of-love-they-celebrate-sl_2784079.jpg)

## Other authors on Bards

- [Ralph Waldo Emerson 9 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bards/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

## More by Bernard Cornwell

> [“They laughed, but I was melancholy. The remnants of Rome always make me sad, simply because they are proof that we slide inexorably towards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-cornwell/they-laughed-but-i-was-melancholy-the-remnants-of-rome-always-make-me/)

[Bernard Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-cornwell/)

> [“Some mothers soften their sons, but Osbert was motherless and I had raised him hard because a man must be hard. The world is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-cornwell/some-mothers-soften-their-sons-but-osbert-was-motherless-and-i-had/)

[Bernard Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-cornwell/)

> [“Enemies come soon enough in a mans life,' he told me, 'you don't need to seek them out”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-cornwell/enemies-come-soon-enough-in-a-mans-life-he-told-me-you-don-t-need-to/)

[Bernard Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-cornwell/)

> [“Wyrd bi ful aræd.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-cornwell/wyrd-bi-ful-ar-d/)

[Bernard Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-cornwell/)

> [“‎"He sang the song of the sword, keening as he fed his blade, and Rollo, standing thigh-deep in the creek, ax swinging in murderous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-cornwell/he-sang-the-song-of-the-sword-keening-as-he-fed-his-blade-and-rollo/)

[Bernard Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-cornwell/)

> [“A battle in the shield wall. It's smelling your enemy's breath while he tries to disembowel you with an axe, it's blood and shit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-cornwell/a-battle-in-the-shield-wall-it-s-smelling-your-enemy-s-breath-while/)

[Bernard Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-cornwell/)

> [I'll happily mentor anyone who wants mentoring, and most of that goes on by internet rather than face to face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-cornwell/i-ll-happily-mentor-anyone-who-wants-mentoring-and-most-of-that-goes/)

[Bernard Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-cornwell/)

> [“Nor did he care about his childhood, for certainly I never heard him speak of it. I once questioned him about his early days…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-cornwell/nor-did-he-care-about-his-childhood-for-certainly-i-never-heard-him/)

[Bernard Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-cornwell/)

> [“Calix meus inebrians.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-cornwell/calix-meus-inebrians/)

[Bernard Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-cornwell/)

> [“And we screamed. We screamed our war cry, our shout of slaughter, our joy of being men in battle who are driven by terror.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-cornwell/and-we-screamed-we-screamed-our-war-cry-our-shout-of-slaughter-our/)

[Bernard Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-cornwell/)

> [It's fun. I sit down every day and tell stories. Some folk would kill to get that chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-cornwell/it-s-fun-i-sit-down-every-day-and-tell-stories-some-folk-would-kill/)

[Bernard Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-cornwell/)

> [“You will tell him that Uhtred of Bebbanburg is in a mood to kill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-cornwell/you-will-tell-him-that-uhtred-of-bebbanburg-is-in-a-mood-to-kill/)

[Bernard Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-cornwell/)

> [“Priests come to my home beside the northern sea where they find an old man, and they tell me I am just a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-cornwell/priests-come-to-my-home-beside-the-northern-sea-where-they-find-an/)

[Bernard Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-cornwell/)

> [“An English man-at-arms had his helmet split open and his skull with it, so that he rode wavering from the fight, blood pouring down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-cornwell/an-english-man-at-arms-had-his-helmet-split-open-and-his-skull-with/)

[Bernard Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-cornwell/)

> [“Instinct is everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-cornwell/instinct-is-everything/)

[Bernard Cornwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-cornwell/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "ItemList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bards/bernard-cornwell/#itemlist",
            "name": "2 Bards Quotes By Bernard Cornwell",
            "numberOfItems": 2,
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "Only a fool wants war, but once a war starts then it cannot be fought half-heartedly. It cannot even be fought with regret, but must be waged with a savage joy in defeating the enemy, and it is that savage joy that inspires our bards to write their greatest songs about love and war.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Bernard Cornwell"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-cornwell/only-a-fool-wants-war-but-once-a-war-starts-then-it-cannot-be-fought/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03e/bernard-cornwell-1849_age_only-a-fool-wants-war-but-once-a-war-sta_2032098.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03e/bernard-cornwell-1849_age_only-a-fool-wants-war-but-once-a-war-sta_2032098.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03e/bernard-cornwell-1849_age_only-a-fool-wants-war-but-once-a-war-sta_2032098.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“Only a fool wants war, but once a war starts then it cannot be fought half-heartedly. It cannot even be…” — Bernard Cornwell",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "The bards sing of love, they celebrate slaughter, they extol kings and flatter queens, but were I a poet I would write in praise of friendship.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Bernard Cornwell"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-cornwell/the-bards-sing-of-love-they-celebrate-slaughter-they-extol-kings-and/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4af/bernard-cornwell-1849_bards_the-bards-sing-of-love-they-celebrate-sl_2784079.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4af/bernard-cornwell-1849_bards_the-bards-sing-of-love-they-celebrate-sl_2784079.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4af/bernard-cornwell-1849_bards_the-bards-sing-of-love-they-celebrate-sl_2784079.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“The bards sing of love, they celebrate slaughter, they extol kings and flatter queens, but were I a poet I…” — Bernard Cornwell",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "CollectionPage",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bards/bernard-cornwell/#webpage",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bards/bernard-cornwell/",
            "name": "Bards Quotes by Bernard Cornwell",
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "mainEntity": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bards/bernard-cornwell/#itemlist"
            },
            "primaryImageOfPage": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03e/bernard-cornwell-1849_age_only-a-fool-wants-war-but-once-a-war-sta_2032098.jpg"
            },
            "description": "2 Bards quotes by Bernard Cornwell. Plus more from Bernard Cornwell and more Bards sayings from other authors.",
            "breadcrumb": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bards/bernard-cornwell/#breadcrumb"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bards/bernard-cornwell/#breadcrumb",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Topics",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Bards",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bards/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 5,
                    "name": "Bernard Cornwell",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bards/bernard-cornwell/"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
