Mangonel

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A mangonel was a type of catapult or siege machine used in the medieval period to throw projectiles at a castle's walls. The mangonel did not have the accuracy or range of a trebuchet (which was introduced later, shortly before the discovery and widespread usage of gunpowder). The mangonel threw projectiles on a lower trajectory than the trebuchet.

1 Origins
2 Use in battle
3 External links
4 References

[edit] Origins

The mangonel as described here is a medieval version of an Ancient Roman catapult nicknamed the onager, because of the way it kicked like a mule when discharged. This was a single-arm torsion catapult that held the projectile in a sling. A similar and perhaps older device was nicknamed the scorpion because of its resemblance to a scorpion's tail and sting.

The onager's power is derived from twisted sinew ropes, similar to those in a ballista, but an onager has only one arm while the ballista has two. The Romans greatly improved the onager's maneuverability by adding wheels to its base. The wheels and the onager's light weight made it easy to move.

The word mangonel is derived from the Greek word 'magganon' which means "an engine of war", but was first used in medieval accounts of sieges. The exact type of engine described by the name mangonel is still a matter of doubt.

[edit] Use in battle

Mangonels shot heavy projectiles from a bowl-shaped bucket or suspended sling at the end of the arm. The bucket was rarely used as the ancient people knew that a sling was far more effective. In combat, mangonels hurled rocks, burning objects (or vessels filled with flammable materials which created a fireball on impact; fire pots), or anything else readily available to the attacking and defending forces. One of the more unusual types of projectile was that of dead, and often partially decomposed, carcasses of animals or people. These were used to intimidate the defending force, lower their morale, and often to spread disease amongst the besieged. This tactic often proved effective as the short supply of food, which was often of low quality or rotting, combined with the cramped living space of the defenders, poor hygiene, and infestations of vermin (which made convenient vectors for disease) made the ideal scenario for the spread of disease. Burning sand also could have been thrown at enemies. This has the effect of sand sticking in armor holes, which leads to a most painful burning or death.

In addition to laying enemy castles to waste during sieges, the mangonel was also eventually adapted to provide cover for troops on the battlefield. This tactic was first devised and employed by Alexander the Great.

Despite its low accuracy, the versatility and maneuverability of the mangonel ensured that it was the most popular siege catapult used during the medieval period.