Footprints and cat urine stains on a medieval scribe’s manuscript were probably not at all unusual in the 15th centuryth century. However, a cat was tied to a mini-powder magazine and was about to burn down the city – something quite rare these days.
The incendiary felines featured above (and elsewhere on this page) are: Early 16 digitized versionth century military manual written Written by Franz Helm. A master gunner, Helm wrote an extensive and imaginative series of disruptive ideas for siege warfare. Although my German is somewhat rusty, he was very fond of exploding bags, barrels and various other containers, and in the end decided to unconsciously combine these ideas with an animal delivery system. According to Helm’s guide, these animals allow commanders to “set fire to otherwise unattackable castles and cities.”
The text was originally Digitized by University of Pennsylvaniaand a UPenn historian named Mitch Fraas. I decided to take a closer look In this weird explosive cat business. According to Fraas, the accompanying text reads:
“If you want to go to a town or castle, you make a little bag like a fire arrow and try to catch the cat from that place. Then you tie the bag to the cat’s back, light it so it glows, and then release the cat. Then the cat runs to the nearest castle or town. Then, when the cat settles on the hay or straw in the barn, it tries to hide for fear of catching fire.”
That is military strategy. Sounds like a great idea, except for the fact that cats are notoriously unpredictable. In any case, to wrap up this week’s work, here are some more illustrations of cats with weapons.
Note: An earlier version of this post appeared on our site in 2014.
Related content:
Cats in medieval manuscripts and paintings
Names people gave their cats in the Middle Ages: Gibb, Mite, Meone, Pangle-Ban, etc.
Cats migrated to Europe 7,000 years earlier than once thought
Cats in Japanese Woodblock Prints: How Japan’s Favorite Animal Became the Star of Popular Art
Source: Open Culture – www.openculture.com
