Pitch wreath

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Pitch wreath (rope wreath) from the 16./17. Century ( Veste Coburg )
Burning pitch wreath (experimental replica) at a museum event, Emden 2016

A pitch wreath was an incendiary device that was used in medieval and modern warfare . During sieges , these cheap and effective weapons were used to set roofs, storerooms, powder chambers and other highly inflammable objects on fire.

construction

Storm wreath with tied strikes and two wooden ignition tubes on a historical illustration

Larger pitch wreaths usually consisted of a wooden core around which several layers of string soaked with pitch or strips of fabric previously boiled in saltpeter were wrapped. Originals are also preserved, the core of which consists of twisted willow branches or straw that is tied together. The diameter of preserved objects varies between 40 and 50 centimeters. The average weight was around 2.5 kilograms. Smaller incendiary devices consisted only of intertwined cords and weighed around 500 grams.

Original copies are rare in armories and arsenals maintain Europe, and will be treated only rarely in the literature. The art collections of Veste Coburg have several original pieces from the 16th and 17th centuries. Century from the former Coburg armory and and from the holdings of the city of Rothenburg ob der Tauber . The use of pitch wreaths by the defenders of the Franconian-Thuringian castle is recorded for the years 1634 and 1635, when the fortress was besieged by imperial troops.

  • Reconstructed pitch wreaths with a core of willow branches

  • Reconstructed pitch wreath with a core made of split hazelnut rod and double winding made of 25 mm thick hemp rope

Intended use

In addition to their actual function as incendiary devices, pitch wreaths were also used to create confusion in the ranks of the enemy. Wreaths of pitch thrown into the interior of a besieged castle or fortress forced the enemy to extinguish the fire and could cause panic among those trapped. Wreaths of pitch could easily be thrown into the openings of defensive towers and bastions . The heavy smoke forced the defenders to give up quickly. However, the attacked also used such incendiary devices for defense. One could put siege engines out of action or blow up the ranks of the attackers. Furthermore, they could also be used as lighting when thrown into a fire bowl.

Storm wreaths

Reconstructions of three storm wreaths of different designs

Another weapon, related in its form to the pitch wreath, was the so-called storm wreath. This also had the characteristic ring shape of the pitch ring, but differed completely both in its internal structure and in the mode of action / burning behavior. Due to the very violent and aggressive burning of the storm wreath compared to the pitch wreath, not only objects should be set on fire, but the opponent should also be effectively forced into cover or even to retreat.

The storm wreath essentially consisted of an incendiary sack (mostly a linen sack sewn in the form of a hose) into which a quickly and very aggressively burning mixture of different materials (mostly based on saltpeter) was filled, strongly compressed, bent into a ring and then sewn in this form . This incendiary bag was then braided with thin cords or ropes for better stability. Depending on the origin in different knotting techniques (similar to the fire or fire balls). Stabilization by means of a rim-like iron ring has also been handed down. Such storm wreaths could also be equipped with small self-shot elements (so-called "murder blows") that were loaded with powder and bullets to ensure that they could not be restarted and to make any attempts to extinguish the fire more difficult. Depending on availability, these were hammered into the finished storm rim in varying numbers and triggered completely unpredictably when it burned down. In this way, advances by the enemy were effectively prevented. In addition, toe-tails (so-called "crow's feet") could also be worked into the wreaths in such a way that their spines protruded outwards and thus prevented slipping on inclined surfaces or even made it possible to stick to vertical surfaces.

reception

According to the Vita St. Magni, St. Magnus von Füssen , the apostle of Allgäu , is said to have defeated the dragon of Roßhaupten in the 8th century by throwing a wreath of pitch into the monster's throat, whereupon it burst.

literature

  • Alfred Geibig: pitch and storm wreaths . In: The power of fire - serious fireworks of the 15th - 17th centuries in the mirror of its neuter tradition . Art collections of the Veste Coburg, Coburg 2012, ISBN 978-3-87472-089-2 , p. 47-72 .
  • Alfred Geibig: Dangerous and beautiful - a selection of historical weapons from the holdings of the art collections of the Veste Coburg. Art collections of the Veste Coburg, Coburg 1996, ISBN 3-87472-073-10

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Alfred Geibig: pitch and storm wreaths . In: The power of fire - serious fireworks of the 15th - 17th centuries in the mirror of its neuter tradition . Art collections of the Veste Coburg, Coburg 2012, ISBN 978-3-87472-089-2 , p. 47-72 .
  2. ↑ Alexander Schöppner: Share book the Bavarian country I . Rieger, Munich 1852, p. 38 .

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