Incendiary quarrels/arrows/crossbow bolts

Matchlock · 14th March 2014, 12:26 PM

As their principle is basically the same as with incendiary arrows, I'd like to introduce two extremely rare 16th-17th c. tar lances (German: Pechlanzen) in the Emden Armory.
The incendiary tar mass was set afire and the lance was hurled by some sort of a catapult onto the shingled roofs of a besieged town where the delicate iron arrowheads got stuck, and the blazing tar would splatter around. Additionally, the short barrels are barbed for better contact with the roof shingles.
The saucer-like wooden plate at the bottom was meant to direct the splashing fire right onto the roof.

The measurements are:
overall length 2.25 m
width of the tar saucer 21 cm
weight 3.2 kg

I took these photos in 1987.

m

Marcus den toom · 14th March 2014, 06:12 PM

Hi Michael,

Amazing that these things survived

Did the barrels shoot some sort of bullets or incendiary mass/arrows? (sort of mortar arrow ?)

Matchlock · 14th March 2014, 06:30 PM

Hi Marcus,

Sadly we have no records on the load of these short barrels. They are called Mordschläge (murder blasts) in German but could most probably contain literally any sort of load as their primary use was to abhor the defendors of the besieged town from trying to remove the lance from the roof of a house.

Best,
Michael

Marcus den toom · 14th March 2014, 06:47 PM

Aaa, yes.. those overprotective basterds and their precious roofs, i wouldn't mind if they threw on of those things on my roof (if possible not yet ignited for best preservation of course).

The linstock (?) next to the arrows, was this used to ignite the mass or is this just a exhibition director (from the museum) his interpretation to put it next to the arrows?

Thanks so much

Best,
Marcus

Matchlock · 18th March 2014, 01:42 PM

This is a follower to post #31-32 and #62, showing more on digging up those grenades from a historic site in May 1983.

Best,
Michael

Matchlock · 18th March 2014, 01:48 PM

A few more, and a local neswpaper article of May 11, 1983.

m

Matchlock · 18th March 2014, 02:21 PM

Some 16th c. sources of period artwork on grenades, from top:

- Vannoccio Biringuccio (+1537), De la Pirotechnica, 1534-5, printed posthumously

- Romeyn de Hooghe (+1708), Austrian grenadiers at the Turkish Siege of Vienna, 1683: the Austrian grenadiers are depicted throwing their grenades high above the heads of the defenders against the Turks, thus taking into account losses on their own side

- as before

and some clay and glass grenades from the vast supplies preserved at Schloss Forchtenstein, Austria.

All scanned from:
Franz Felberbauer, "Die Handgranaten der Grenadiere der Fürsten Esterházy aus Gusseisen und Ton im Zeughaus der Burg Forchtenstein" (the cast-iron and clay hand grenades for the grenadiers of the Princes Esterházy, at the Armory of Forchtenstein Castle), in: Waffen und Kostümkunde, 2012, vol. 2, pp. 181-220, and 2014, vol. 1, pp. 1-52.

m

Eric Slyter · 15th April 2014, 11:58 AM

Hi Matchlock

I wanted to run this article by you, regarding those twisted socket arrowheads:

http://www.tameshigiri.ca/2014/03/14...isted-sockets/

I've come across these examples of twisted arrowheads. My organization is considering getting one of these for our traveling display of medieval antiquities, which is why I've been so curious about them.

102 mm long:

75mm long:

80mm long:

88mm long:

14th March 2014, 12:26 PM	#1
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	As their principle is basically the same as with incendiary arrows, I'd like to introduce two extremely rare 16th-17th c. tar lances (German: Pechlanzen) in the Emden Armory. The incendiary tar mass was set afire and the lance was hurled by some sort of a catapult onto the shingled roofs of a besieged town where the delicate iron arrowheads got stuck, and the blazing tar would splatter around. Additionally, the short barrels are barbed for better contact with the roof shingles. The saucer-like wooden plate at the bottom was meant to direct the splashing fire right onto the roof. The measurements are: overall length 2.25 m width of the tar saucer 21 cm weight 3.2 kg I took these photos in 1987. m Attached Images Last edited by Matchlock; 14th March 2014 at 05:45 PM.

14th March 2014, 06:47 PM	#4
Marcus den toom Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Netherlands Posts: 535	Aaa, yes.. those overprotective basterds and their precious roofs, i wouldn't mind if they threw on of those things on my roof (if possible not yet ignited for best preservation of course). The linstock (?) next to the arrows, was this used to ignite the mass or is this just a exhibition director (from the museum) his interpretation to put it next to the arrows? Thanks so much Best, Marcus Last edited by Marcus den toom; 14th March 2014 at 09:00 PM.

18th March 2014, 01:42 PM	#5
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	The Bavarian/Ingolstadt Clay Grenades Revisited This is a follower to post #31-32 and #62, showing more on digging up those grenades from a historic site in May 1983. Best, Michael Attached Images

18th March 2014, 02:21 PM	#7
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Some 16th c. sources of period artwork on grenades, from top: - Vannoccio Biringuccio (+1537), De la Pirotechnica, 1534-5, printed posthumously - Romeyn de Hooghe (+1708), Austrian grenadiers at the Turkish Siege of Vienna, 1683: the Austrian grenadiers are depicted throwing their grenades high above the heads of the defenders against the Turks, thus taking into account losses on their own side - as before and some clay and glass grenades from the vast supplies preserved at Schloss Forchtenstein, Austria. All scanned from: Franz Felberbauer, "Die Handgranaten der Grenadiere der Fürsten Esterházy aus Gusseisen und Ton im Zeughaus der Burg Forchtenstein" (the cast-iron and clay hand grenades for the grenadiers of the Princes Esterházy, at the Armory of Forchtenstein Castle), in: Waffen und Kostümkunde, 2012, vol. 2, pp. 181-220, and 2014, vol. 1, pp. 1-52. m Attached Images Last edited by Matchlock; 18th March 2014 at 02:35 PM.

14th March 2014, 06:12 PM	#2
Marcus den toom Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Netherlands Posts: 535	Hi Michael, Amazing that these things survived Did the barrels shoot some sort of bullets or incendiary mass/arrows? (sort of mortar arrow ?)

14th March 2014, 06:30 PM	#3
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Hi Marcus, Sadly we have no records on the load of these short barrels. They are called Mordschläge (murder blasts) in German but could most probably contain literally any sort of load as their primary use was to abhor the defendors of the besieged town from trying to remove the lance from the roof of a house. Best, Michael

18th March 2014, 01:48 PM	#6
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	A few more, and a local neswpaper article of May 11, 1983. m Attached Images

15th April 2014, 11:58 AM	#8
Eric Slyter Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 8	Hi Matchlock I wanted to run this article by you, regarding those twisted socket arrowheads: http://www.tameshigiri.ca/2014/03/14...isted-sockets/ I've come across these examples of twisted arrowheads. My organization is considering getting one of these for our traveling display of medieval antiquities, which is why I've been so curious about them. 102 mm long: 75mm long: 80mm long: 88mm long: