Nova Medieval Siege VHS Video
"If you've ever had a hankering to build a full-sized trebuchet, but have yet to get that project together, this video will either satisfy that urge or make you crazy . . . An absolutely fascinating look at what was the equivalent of field artillery in the 13th and 15th centuries, this episode from NOVA is highly recommended."
-� Video Librarian
Watch a team of timberframers construct
two full-scale trebuchets!
In 1304 the Scots must have felt safe inside the massive stone fortress that was Stirling Castle, and well prepared for a long battle with the army of England's King Edward the First. But then 50 of the King's carpenters showed up to create the medieval equivalent of the atomic bomb- a massive trebuchet they called "Warwolf".
In this video you will see a team of timberframers, using medieval tools and techniques, re-create two competing versions of the Warwolf on the banks of Loch Ness, and use them to hurl 250 lb stones into a castle wall!
About the video-
Two competing theories about trebuchet design, the fixed counterweight vs. the hanging counterweight, are tested as the English land owner Hew Kennedy oversees the fixed counterweight machine, and Renaud Beffeyte, the French medieval expert and master carpenter oversees the hinged counterweight machine.
Each design has its advantages and potential problems. The fixed counterweight machine requires wheels in order to prevent it from becoming unstable. This makes the frame more complicated, but surprisingly the wheels increase the machine's performance!
The hinged counterweight machine is bigger in order to accommodate the large hanging basket of sand, but it is more stable and can be set firmly on the ground, making a simpler frame. And it's able to be constructed in much less time.
Both are impressive machines, and amazingly accurate considering the weight of the missiles and and the distance they are thrown. Also included is a demonstration of a traction trebuchet, not powered by counterweights, but by teams of men pulling on ropes. And a longbow archer tries his hand at picking off a soldier at 200 yards! This is a fabulous video!
