An unprecedented weapon?
I wonder if England had a “pause” movement back then: Trebuchets reached the peak of their development in medieval times, probably the most famous example being Edward I’s massive machine, Warwolf. This terrifying device was over sixty feet (18 meters) high and was capable of throwing a three-hundred-pound (140-kilogram) rock several hundred yards, projecting some […] The post An unprecedented…
Trebuchets reached the pinnacle of their development in medieval times, as evidenced by Edward I's colossal machine, Warwolf. This fearsome contraption towered over 60 feet (18 meters) in height and possessed the ability to hurl a 300-pound (140-kilogram) boulder a considerable distance, releasing an astounding 500 kilojoules of energy - a thousandfold more powerful than Roman ballistas and five thousand times more potent than a single individual.
Edward employed this weapon only once, during his conquests against the Scots in 1304, targeting the last Scottish stronghold at Stirling Castle. The defenders were so unnerved by the prospect of warwolf's attack that they opted for peace before it was even deployed, but Edward insisted on testing the machine first. After a four-day period, warwolf had completely demolished one of the castle's curtain walls.
These intriguing details are presented in the book The Powerful Primate: How Controlling Energy Enabled us to Build Civilization, authored by Roland Ennos. The article "An unprecedented weapon?" initially appeared on Marginal REVOLUTION.
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