Incendiary quarrels/arrows/crossbow bolts

[Andi]

Let me take the opportunity to post some photos of the Fire or Light Balls (in German: Feuerballen, Leuchtballen, Leuchtfässer or Sturmfässer) form the permanent exhibition of Veste Coburg, Bavaria, Germany. Please excuse the reflections on the photos as I had not much time to prevent them.

The large containers (Leucht-/Sturmfässer) on the second and third image and the 3 from the right on the fourth image, are really huge they have diameters between 27-33 cm and height ranging from 26 - 50 cm. The inner construction is a rough wooden barrel covered in a linnen fabric and overknitted with hemp ropes.

The smaller Fire Balls (Image 1 and 5) have dimensions of a coconut. One is with small projectiles (German: Mordschlägen) which are missing on the other model with the visible hole. They were made of a linnen bag filled with a highly flammable mass of blackpowder, sufur, salpeter and others. They are also overknitted with hemp ropes. They are dated probably to 17th Century.

Unfortunately the forums software mixed up the intended order of the images.