The Trebuchet

The most powerful and perhaps most feared medieval siege engine was the trebuchet. The weapon was used to smash and destroy walls or to throw projectiles such as stone over them. There are two types of trebuchets, the counterweight and traction trebuchet. The traction trebuchet was an earlier weapon and the word is usually associated with the counterweight version.

Made from wood, the trebuchet was invented in China around the 4th century B.C. and made its way to Europe by the 6th century A.D. The trebuchet was used in both the Christian and Muslim world around the Mediterranean in the twelfth century. It was capable of throwing up to three hundred pound projectiles at fortifications such as castles. Many types of projectiles were thrown, including stone and even diseased corpses flung over walls- an early form of biological warfare. The trebuchet was more powerful and accurate than other medieval catapults. The fearsome weapon was used until the 16th century when the use of gunpowder started taking hold.

The trebuchet launched by having a counterweight acting on a lever arm. The fulcrum of the lever is supported by a high frame. The counterweight is suspended from the short arm of the lever, with the sling being attached to the long arm of the lever. One end of the sling is captive, while the other is hooked to the long arm so that it will release when the arm and sling reach the best hurling angles. The device is energized when the long arm is lowered and raised by the weighted short arm. It is then locked into the charged state by a cocked trigger mechanism.