THE TREBUCHET THROUGHOUT THE AGES by

mattie_goodwin — 2013-12-09 19:30:42 UTC

One of the Medieval siege weapons used during the Middle Ages was the Trebuchet. The Trebuchet was an invaluable Medieval siege attack weapon, similar to a catapult, which was used for hurling heavy stones to smash castle or city walls.

The word 'Trebuchet' is derived from the Old French word 'Trebucher' meaning to throw over.

mattie_goodwin — 2013-12-09 19:34:18 UTC

The traction trebuchet is believed to be an ancient war engine which was invented in China in 300BC.

mattie_goodwin — 2013-12-09 19:42:18 UTC

mattie_goodwin — 2013-12-09 19:44:09 UTC

The trebuchet reached Europe during the early Middle Ages, or Dark Ages, in 500 AD and was used extensively by the French. At this time the design of the trebuchet was revised so that the troop of men used to pull down the ropes were replaced with a large fixed, or pivoting, counterbalance weight. The Traction Trebuchet used people as a power source.

mattie_goodwin — 2013-12-09 19:49:23 UTC

The Trebuchet was a highly accurate siege engine requiring expert building and design skills.

Missiles and Ammunition

mattie_goodwin — 2013-12-09 19:59:17 UTC

Sharp wooden poles and darts
Stones
Fire
Casks of Burning Tar
Burning Sand ( this became trapped inside armor )
Pots of Greek Fire
Dung
Dead, sometime mutilated, bodies
Disease ridden bodies
Body parts
Dead animals
Any rotting matter
Quicklime

mattie_goodwin — 2013-12-09 20:33:51 UTC

Trebuchets were first used in Italy at the end of the 12th Century, and were introduced to England in 1216 during the Siege of Dover. During the Siege of Stirling Castle in 1304, Edward Longshanks the First, ordered his engineers to make a terrible giant trebuchet war machine for the British army, named "Warwolf." This trebuchet was used to hurl enormous stones and 250lb lead balls at the castle walls 200 yards away out of range of the archers at more than 120 miles per hour.

For four months Stirling Castle was bombarded by lead balls (stripped from nearby church roofs), Greek fire, stone balls, and even some sort of gunpowder mixture. Impatient with lack of progress, Edward ordered his chief engineer, Master craftman James of St. George, to begin work on a new monstrous more massive trebuchet engine called The Warwolf a 56 foot high awesome frightening weapon to see.

mattie_goodwin — 2013-12-09 20:37:16 UTC