Trebuchet of the day

You've seen them in Peter Jackson's filming of The Lord of the Rings, but long before the movie fantasy they were grim instruments of medieval warfare. The Trebuchet was a catapult/slingshot affair used to breech fortifications. (Strategy and Tactics in Medieval Warfare gives a nice overview of its uses, and NOVA has a fine web site on the machine.)

For a more recent demonstration of how these machines can hurl very large objects never meant to be hurled, check out the Oxford Stunt Factory's Trebuchet page. You can view the sensible mode, the slightly thoughtless mode, or the totally irresponsible and not in good taste mode.

Whichever one you choose, you'll get an enlightening demonstration of the raw power of these machines.