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Castles had never known the devastation they would experience
under the onslaught of such a weapon as the catapult. The catapult was
capable of causing fortress walls to crumble and no longer be impenetrable.
The security of the castle was no more and it's ability to protect its subjects
no longer guaranteed. Students are recommended to do historical research.
 Left:
we see all the laser cut parts that make up the Dare Design Medieval
Catapult Kit. In addition, the included dowel axels are shown.
The pieces are shown in their approximate position for assembly. With
all the holes and notches also being laser cut, assembly is fast and easy.
The completed catapult can be seen in the upper right hand
corner of the picture and, with the rubber bands already installed, it's
ready to launch. A mangonel was a type of medieval catapult or
siege engine used in the medieval period to throw projectiles at a castle's
walls. While not particularly accurate, mangonels were capable of firing
projectiles up to 400 meters, or 1,300 feet, substantially farther than a
trebuchet (which was introduced later, shortly before the discovery and
widespread usage of gunpowder). The mangonel threw projectiles on a lower
trajectory than the trebuchet.
The mangonel as described here is a medieval version of an Ancient
Roman catapult nicknamed the onager. This was a single-arm torsion catapult that
held the projectile in a sling. A similar and perhaps older device was nicknamed
the scorpion because of its resemblance to a scorpion's tail and sting.
The onager's power is derived from twisted sinew ropes, similar to those in a
ballista, but an onager has only one arm while the ballista has two. The Romans
greatly improved the onager's maneuverability by adding wheels to its base. The
wheels and the onager's light weight made it easy to move.
The word mangonel is derived from the Greek word magganon which means "an engine
of war", but was first used in medieval accounts of sieges. The exact type of
engine described by the name mangonel is still a matter of doubt.
Mangonels fired heavy projectiles from a bowl-shaped bucket at the end of the
firing arm. In combat, mangonels hurled rocks, burning objects (or vessels
filled with flammable materials which created a fireball on impact), or anything
else readily available to the attacking force. One of the more unusual types of
projectile was that of dead, and often partially decomposed, carcasses of
animals or people. These were used to intimidate the defending force, lower
their morale, and often to spread disease amongst the besieged. This tactic
often proved effective as the short supply of food, which was often of low
quality or rotting, combined with the cramped living space of the defenders,
poor hygiene, and infestations of vermin (which made convenient vectors for
disease) made the ideal scenario for the spread of disease.
In addition to laying waste to enemy castles during sieges, the mangonel was
also eventually adapted to provide cover for troops on the battlefield. This
tactic was first devised and employed by Alexander the Great.
Despite its lack of accuracy, the versatility and maneuverability of the
mangonel ensured that it was the most popular siege catapult used during the
medieval period. |
