PBS program - building siege engine
There was a program on last night, something about 'lost empires'. This was the second one I saw, the first being about some modern engineers trying to build an old Roman bath, using old Roman techniques.
This one was about building a proper siege engine, or trebuchet, that could take down a castle wall from outside an archer's bow range. Anyway, they did manage to build two lovely weapons of medieval mass destruction, but the topical thing was this guy was on the site, playing a hornpipe on a standard brass body/green fipple whistle.
I was VERY relieved that when I finally got it figured out that he was playing a hornpipe I know well, I realized that this guy was NOT playing it tremendously well. What gave me a REALLY BIG CHARGE is that he played it ON CAMERA for a bazillion people, ANYWAY. Folk music is for the folks.... I'm happy as a clam when I see one played by the average Joe/Jane/Cat who isn't self conscious about not being Joanie whatshername or Davey whomeverheis.
This one was about building a proper siege engine, or trebuchet, that could take down a castle wall from outside an archer's bow range. Anyway, they did manage to build two lovely weapons of medieval mass destruction, but the topical thing was this guy was on the site, playing a hornpipe on a standard brass body/green fipple whistle.
I was VERY relieved that when I finally got it figured out that he was playing a hornpipe I know well, I realized that this guy was NOT playing it tremendously well. What gave me a REALLY BIG CHARGE is that he played it ON CAMERA for a bazillion people, ANYWAY. Folk music is for the folks.... I'm happy as a clam when I see one played by the average Joe/Jane/Cat who isn't self conscious about not being Joanie whatshername or Davey whomeverheis.
Remember, you didn't get the tiger so it would do what you wanted. You got the tiger to see what it wanted to do. -- Colin McEnroe
- kevin m.
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Hi,this sounds like a great programme i saw a year or so back(how many programmes have been made about building medieval seige engines anyway?).If it is the same one,there is an absolutely great scene where the trebouchet-like a giant slingshot-is used to propel an old upright piano across a field!!.err...they weren't aiming at the whistle player were they? (!)
- Walden
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I saw a show like that too--where they were hurling a piano with a catapult or something-- sometime back, here in the States.On 2002-07-17 17:52, kevin m. wrote:
Hi,this sounds like a great programme i saw a year or so back(how many programmes have been made about building medieval seige engines anyway?).If it is the same one,there is an absolutely great scene where the trebouchet-like a giant slingshot-is used to propel an old upright piano across a field!!.err...they weren't aiming at the whistle player were they? (!)
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Walden
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I think I might have seen this as well at some point. The piano hurling bit sounds familiar...
...speaking of trebuchets some of the members of my medieval club have built a working one. Is about 6foot high at the pivot and at our last annual gathering it was used to sling grapefruit and cabbages out into the lake. Was not used in combat fortunately! I can imagine some cheesed off roman or norseman waking up after being knocked out by fruity missiles with grapefruit juice starting to rust his armour and sword...the trebuchet operators would be looking for melee weapons to defend themselves right smartly!!!
Cheers
MTB
...speaking of trebuchets some of the members of my medieval club have built a working one. Is about 6foot high at the pivot and at our last annual gathering it was used to sling grapefruit and cabbages out into the lake. Was not used in combat fortunately! I can imagine some cheesed off roman or norseman waking up after being knocked out by fruity missiles with grapefruit juice starting to rust his armour and sword...the trebuchet operators would be looking for melee weapons to defend themselves right smartly!!!
Cheers
MTB
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- Martin Milner
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In the same series, they erect a partial awning over a Roman Circus (to attempt to explain the cover on the Colliseum), lift a boat from the water using Archimedes' hook (Sara, take note! This guy did everything), build a corner of a pyramid, drag a viking boat across a small isthmus (I think), and erect one arch like Stonehenge, but out of concrete. I love that series, they have such brilliant arguments, and I'm a wanna-be civil engineer.
No more whistling that I can remember though. Shame.
No more whistling that I can remember though. Shame.
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that schwing
- Bloomfield
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The hurled cow is one of the defining moments of modern cinematography. See, Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Or wait... was that a wooden rabit?On 2002-07-18 10:19, Underhill wrote:
I believe they hurled a piano with a trebuchet on the old "Northern Exposure" series several years back. Chris had planned on hurling a cow, but ended up with the piano, IIRC.
And welcome, Underhill! Nice to have you. Any relation to Bagshot Row, there?
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/bloomfield
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Bloomfield on 2002-07-18 10:51 ]</font>
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Now, you were partly right. There was the Trojan Rabbit that they built to sneak into the French Castle in, but Sir Bedevere neglected to mention the part needing to be inside the rabbit before the French took it behind their walls. Then, the Trojan Rabbit is flung over and it crushes one of their coconut shell bearing servants.
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