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In 1304, as Edward The First's siege of Stirling Castle dragged on, fifty of the King's most skilled carpenters and engineers arrived quietly to change the course of medieval siege warfare. As the besieged Scots watched in awe, a new and colossal weapon rose slowly from the far end of the battlefield. Resembling a “Giant Seesaw”, the engine's beam was heavily weighted on one end, while the other held a massive sling capable of hurling a 250 pound stone projectile the 200 yards to the castle wall. This medieval weapon, which historians believe was a trebuchet, was dubbed Warwolf. While no physical evidence of this medieval weapon exists today, in Medieval Siege , two teams of medieval historians and craftsmen attempt to build and employ trebuchets against a castle wall at Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands . Because the exact configuration of Warwolf is unknown, the teams explore two accepted theories of medieval trebuchet design : the fixed counterweight and pivoted counterweight. With scale models, the designers, medieval historians Renaud Beffeyte and Michael Prestwich along with medieval armor expert and trebuchet builder Hew Kennedy and engineering professor Wayne Neel, first demonstrate the physics, advantages and drawbacks of both designs. Once at Loch Ness, medieval craftsmen, including timber framers, stonemasons, carpenters and blacksmiths, using medieval tools and methods, construct, fire and zero the two massive trebuchets in an attempt to penetrate the castle wall. Interspersed throughout the video are interesting and complimentary scenes and narration on medieval castle design, trades, warfare, science, history and culture. If we could have only one resource for trebuchet
design and construction, Secrets
of the Lost Empires II: Medieval Siege is our choice. Beautifully
done, with Nova's perfect balance of artistry and technical accuracy, Medieval
Siege is not only a great primer for the uninitiated, but also
a practical video manual for anyone considering designing and building
a medieval trebuchet
of any size.
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