Incendiary quarrels/arrows/crossbow bolts

[Matchlock]

Originally Posted by Marcus den toom

Hi Michl,

Originally Posted by Marcus den toom

My goal for the past year has been to find even older sources than the Milemete manuscript.. evidence for guns in the late 13th and eealy 14th century (we know they should exist from written sources, but illustrations begin at 1326). I know it is a long shot but alonf the way i find many other very interesting things.

You've been readin' my mind, Marcus,

That's exactly what our troublesome search is all about - and I am absolutely convinced we will detect a source of illustration earlier than the two 1326-27 de Milemete mss., and in all probability even before 1300!

Powder and gun arrows must have been known, and employed, in Old Europe as well. Not only the Ancient Greek and Roman Empires used incendiary/fire arrows thousands of years ago - they were widely spread in Arabia as well. In China and Japan, people had been experimenting with incendiary and exploding stuff at least since the 13th c., and today we realize that the Vikings had landed on the North American east coast hundreds of years before Columbus and Amerigo Vespucci did.
After all, the Vikings doubtlessly were the most skilled and fearless sailors of the Middle Ages; they built the best ships and had a depth of knowledge of how to navigate just guided by the stars which the rest of 13th c. Central Europeans never even dreamed of at the time.

Best,
Michl