Castle Quest - Reply to Topic

Forum:	Sieges, Arms & Armour
Topic:	Animal Weapons?!

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T O P I C R E V I E W
toughguy12 I'd like to know if an enemy army camped around a castle to starve the inhabitants inside, would the defenders ever throw out dead animals to spread disease among the enemy and hope to kill them that way?
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toughguy12
Peter Esser Hello toughguy. Its the other way round.
This "technique" was used by the aggressors. All you needed was a catapult "trebuchet"or slingshot (from 13th cent. on) which was used to throw stones onto the offended castle or town.
This was to spread diseases among the defenders.
(Perhaps your question has been influenced by "Monty Python and The Holy Grail"?)
toughguy12 Nah. I was just wondering. Thanks anyway.
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toughguy12
toughguy12 Hey!!!!!! Wait a minute!!! If the attackers threw the animals INSIDE the castle, then they couldn't get in either, because their own troops would succumb under the disease!!!!!
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toughguy12
Gordon Only if they drank the polluted water or ate affected food. The folks inside didn't have a choice since no fresh stuff was coming in, it's not necessarily infectious disease we're talking about here, but dysentry and food poisoning etc.
toughguy12 Hmmmmmmmmm...............
Peter There is a certified story of the opposite.
A long siege, and castle nearing the end of its supplies.
They stuffed a cow with grain and hurled onto those without, killing several men.
The ruse worked, as the siege was lifted and the castle saved.
Merlin Umberto Eco (author of 'The Name of the Rose') tells a similar story in his new roman 'Baudolino' about a siege of Alessandria by Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa in the 12th century. But I think he took the plot from events that took place somewhere else. Do you know the historical source, Peter?
Peter Phew !
It's a bit like the question to Erik, about the silk shirts.
Over the years you read so many snippets of information. That where you came across them just blurs.
This will set me worring for days until I find out where !