Medieval Siege Weaponry: Castle Walls Beware

Medieval siege weaponry was required in any self-respecting war leader's arsenal in a time when castles with thick defense walls were common and cities surrounded by large, fortified walls were not out of place.

With warfare commonplace, it's little wonder the variety of medieval siege weaponry is great. After all, what was an attacking band of raiders to do when presented with an "impenetrable" castle wall? Break it down, of course, using one of the many designs of medieval siege weaponry available.

One of the earliest examples of medieval siege weaponry appeared around the 300s AD when the ballista was created. The ballista wasn't the most accurate in the line of medieval siege weaponry, but it could launch a wave of spears further than human arms could muster. Created using two wooden arms, tightly wound ropes and a cord to assist in the hurling of deadly projectiles, this example of medieval siege weaponry used torsion force to launch objects.

The Romans added their own model to the list of medieval siege weaponry when they created the mangonel. This model called for only one wooden arm. The mangonel, however, had somewhat of a design flaw in that in called for a wooden barrier to be constructed.

A ferocious example of medieval siege weaponry came online in the 12th century with the deploying of the trebuchet.

The trebuchet used a long wooden arm rested on a pivot point, which acted as a large lever. A projectile was placed on one end and warriors in this earlier version of the trebuchet pulled on ropes attached to the other end to essentially swing the arm around and hurl the stone.

As far as examples of commonly used medieval siege weaponry are concerned, however, catapults and their sister designs do not hold the only billing. Other tools were readily available to would-be conquerors.

The battering ram, for example, has been used through the ages and still is employed by modern law enforcement.

This version of medieval siege weaponry involved the creation of a very heavy weight placed on wheels used to help batter fortifications. It was usually made of a large tree trunk, and sometimes rather than wheels, a group of warriors or a sling frame helped provide the force necessary to crack fortifications using this simple, yet effective, example of medieval siege weaponry.

Other items in the medieval siege weaponry arsenal included ladders and not-so-simple siege towers. Ladders were employed simply to scale castle walls. If the defenses stopped this measure, siege towers might be built to allow archers clear lines of attack to enemies standing on castle walls.

As far as medieval siege weaponry is concerned, siege towers were somewhat difficult due to their cumbersome nature. Towers were rectangular and often constructed on four wheels. They were as tall as the castle walls or taller and were designed to protect archers, warriors and ladders as an army advanced. The downfall of siege towers in the long line of medieval siege weaponry, however, was their size and the propensity of the defending army to hurl projectiles at them.

The examples of medieval siege weaponry vary greatly, but whatever their design they all had one purpose ? to deliver an army to victory.

For more medieval siege weapons information, including how to build a catapult, visit http://www.med ieval-castle-siege-weapons.com/medieval-siege-weapons-index.html

Garben Catapult updates the information for http://www.medieval-castle-siege-weapons.com , a site filled with over 100 pages of interesting information covering many aspects of medieval castles and medieval weapons.

---

A Maiden Trip

I belong to a hamlet called 'Konthai' which is in South Tamil Nadu, India. Twenty years back I was there as an unemployed graduate hunting for a job. Among the competitive examination the... Read More

Some Villain Thoughts About a Container Village

Preview: "Shipping containers" have yet nothing to do with "housing" in Romania. Is there any chance that they will soon? Belonging to Eastern European block, released in 1989 from communist oppression, Romania has... Read More

Chinese Tattoos - Meaning of Chinese Dragon Tattoos

Chinese Tattoos have always been hugely popular. At one stage they were the realm of criminals and the mafia. Now it seems even Hollywood celebrities seem to have caught on to the mystery... Read More

Mars, the Mighty and Marvelous

Martius, the month of March, is named after him. So is the fourth planet from the sun and a bar of chocolate, but we know him mainly as the god of war.If you... Read More

Tarot Cards Demystified: The Suit of Cups

There are many ways to interpret the symbolism found in Tarot Cards. There are varying points of view that exist about what each card means or represents. This is just one way of... Read More

Feng Shui Horoscopes

A great tool to help you find out more about yourself.Chinese feng shui horoscope is based on twelve animals which represent you depending on the year you were born. Feng shui horoscope is... Read More

A Look At The Years of Celebrities Wearing Jewelry

As far back as one can remember famous celebrities have been wearing the jewelry made by famous jewelry designers. Through out many eras and many styles the celebrities and jewelry designers have held... Read More

Archaeology and Spirit Guides

One of the northern derivatives of Hopewell of interest to a few scholars is the anomalous Effigy Mound culture of Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa. The remains attract attention because of the range of... Read More

Those Dirty Mexicans--Oh, Really?

When my wife and I announced that we were moving to Mexico, one of my wife's relatives asked us,"Why do you want to live with those dirty Mexicans?"Besides wanting to slap some sense... Read More

Marcus Garvey: A Symbol for Black Nationalism

My first kid's father named my son Marcus after legendary Marcus Garvey. Which made me curious to know more about who Marcus Garvey actually was?"Up You Mighty Race, Accomplish What You Will..." (Marcus... Read More

A Look at the Heart of American Beauty

Sam Mendes' darkly comic portrayal of suburbia in his first movie, American Beauty (1999) takes a hard look at what happens when you've accomplished the American Dream only to realize that it isn't... Read More

What About Those Pyramids?

'Mr. Rhodes aspired to be the creator of one of those vast semi-religious, quasi-political associations which, like the Jesuits have played so large a part in the history of the world. To be... Read More

The New Age Movement

New Age - A Paradigm Shift to Divine Consciousness & a Universal PhilosophyThe New Age Movement (NAM) is a revival of spiritual and divine values and can be called as a Divine Regeneration... Read More

Sterling Silver Jewelry - The Rest Of The Story

Silver is widely diffused but is rarely found in the native state.Silver is originally as widespread as gold, occurring in nearly all of the volcanic rocks. Whereas gold remains unaltered by the action... Read More

The American Melting Pot Myth

Most myths have some element of truth in them. The 'melting pot' that media of all sorts (which includes our propaganda in law and education) tell us became America, is another of the... Read More

Babel vs. the PC

Imagine a time when mankind was young. Migration led many to the land of Shinar. It was during that time, that man came together and decided to build not only a city but... Read More

The Life of Nikola Tesla - Intro

It is not my purpose to claim to know all the wonders of the life of this great man who is acknowledged as one of the great inventors of all time. Those who... Read More

African Masks

The following is a general over view of African Masks.There are still places in Africa where genuine old masks can be bought, generally through dealers. Also watch out for fakes as they do... Read More

Brazil--Comments by a Gilliam Fan a Little Too Late

Either I am one of the darkest people ever or this was not one of the darkest movies ever made as its own packaging claims. I have vowed to myself not to use... Read More

History of the Royal Barges - a Timeless Tradition

The history of the royal barges dates back to the Sukhothai era in the 13th century when the first royal barges were reportedly seen. The barges were originally troop carriers at a time... Read More

Export/Import of Inuit Eskimo Art Sculpture Containing Whalebone or Ivory

The export of certain Inuit sculpture from Canada to other parts of the world including the United States does have some restrictions. In order to reduce harvesting of marine animals such as whales... Read More

Flows of Civilization; Views from a Think Tank

Over the past few years we have been discussing many topics. Most of what is discussed here has to do with observations of the world we live in. We discuss how we might... Read More

Medieval Siege Weaponry: Castle Walls Beware

Medieval siege weaponry was required in any self-respecting war leader's arsenal in a time when castles with thick defense walls were common and cities surrounded by large, fortified walls were not out of... Read More

Mexican Living: Myth Busting

Myth One: Mexicans are lazy, good-for-nothings.I mention this one first because it is one of the vilest myths and an excellent example of Americans' xenophobic stereotyping. The idea that Mexicans spend their lives... Read More

Shakespeare and Human Nature

Isn't it peculiar how human nature evolves through environmental and socialogical conditions? It is evident that we, as Human beings, tend to characterize our capabilities, strengths and emotional intelligence through bonds of society.... Read More

Books on Horsemanship - Xenophon Had it Right

Xenophon was a 4th Century BC Greek cavalry officer and military hero, student of Socrates, historian, author, and expert on horsemanship - a man of many talents. His horsemanship writings addressed the proper... Read More

How to Make Your Civil War Uniform Shirt

Your own shirt designed and made by you for your own Civil War Uniform Impression is easy and economical. Follow these simple directions, and your Civil War uniform shirt will be exactly how... Read More

Man and His Machines

A woman creates life from her womb, and man tries to create life through his machines.I have always had a close relationship to machines, any kind of machine. While I was growing up... Read More

The Trickster of Folklore

Folklore includes a traditional trickster figure, the subject of many stories in a cycle. Trickster tales are in the animal tales genre, with the trickster himself -- he seems always to be male... Read More