War engineering in 1466: From Roberto Valturio's DE RE MILITARI

Matchlock · 23rd September 2008, 10:52 PM

Hi Jim,

Good question, as I had expected.

The fact just jumped to my mind that in late Gothic and Renaissance times, weapons, especially cannon, were given animal names, such as the huge main piece (Hauptstück) of the Maximilian artillery, der Leu (lion), but they were also called dragons and named after reptiles (Eidechse, Schlänglein = little serpent) and birds: Taube (dove), Blaumeise etc. They often even came in pairs: Löw' und Löwin, Hirsch und Hindin.

Again, as you say: Nobody knows whether the Trojan horse actually existed or is a mere outcome of Ancient Greek poetry, and nobody can tell whether Valturio's futuristic machines (and Leonardo's fantastic drafts) ever existed in reality either.

Michael

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23rd September 2008, 10:52 PM	#3
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Hi Jim, Good question, as I had expected. The fact just jumped to my mind that in late Gothic and Renaissance times, weapons, especially cannon, were given animal names, such as the huge main piece (Hauptstück) of the Maximilian artillery, der Leu (lion), but they were also called dragons and named after reptiles (Eidechse, Schlänglein = little serpent) and birds: Taube (dove), Blaumeise etc. They often even came in pairs: Löw' und Löwin, Hirsch und Hindin. Again, as you say: Nobody knows whether the Trojan horse actually existed or is a mere outcome of Ancient Greek poetry, and nobody can tell whether Valturio's futuristic machines (and Leonardo's fantastic drafts) ever existed in reality either. Michael