News
Trebuchet, nucelar bomb of the Middle
Ages
By Elizabeth Prata
New Gloucester--Remember the gag in Monty Python and
the Holy Grail when the army used a seige-throwing
device to fling the cow over the castle wall? It was
funny to see in a comedy movie, but in medieval times
the army laying seige to the castle really would fling
dead horses and cows because it was an effective way
to spread disease and lower morale.
Jeff Raymond of Pownal brought his trebuchet to New
Gloucester Community Day, and its unusual and stately
appearance at the back of the field attracted quite
a crowd. A Trebuchet, pronounced treb-u-shay, is a
medieval seige device or a 'projectile thorwing engine.'
They could be constructed easily. And quickly. They
allowed the army to fling a 300 or 400 stone (or dead
cow or rejected negotiator) with enough force to damage
the thick castle wall and remain out of range from
the castle archers.
In England the trebuchet was called an Ingenium, and
the technician who worked on the weapon were Ingeniators
(Engineers). They were popular from about 850 to 1350,
well past the time of gunpower's introduction in the
early 1200s.
Photo 2, the sling and counterweight 
The projectile is placed in a sling. You can see the
sling laying in the trough along the bottom of Jeff
Raymond's machine. It was then attached to one end
of a pivoted beam. That's what the guys were doing
in photo two. On the other end, a large counterweight
is attached. One end of the sling is attached to the
beam, while the other is attached by hooking it over
a pin on the beam. As the sling whips around, this
end slips off the pin and releases the load. By adjusting
the length of the sling and the angle of the pin,
the range can be varied. Very easily, more easily
than a catapult.
Photo 3, choosing the size of your shot.
Andrew Thibault of New Gloucester chose a small pumpkin.
A heavier projectile tends to pull the loop off the
prong earlier than a lighter projectile does. The
heavier the projectile the earlier the release means
a higher trajectory. A light projectile means a later
release and a flatter trajectory.
You can go to www.trebuchet.com for more information.
The Monument: Prata photos
Launch!!
Andrew's pumpkin in the air. The other thing is a
unidentified flying object.
