| Sean Flynt wrote: |
| You've seen the late Roman javelins (not the plumbata,) which I'm guessing are pretty close to what the Irish would have used, in terms of size, shape.
The Osprey book "The Irish Wars" is a valuable reference for 15th-16th c. Irish military organization, tactics and equipment. Be VERY skeptical of the modern illustrations though. The text includes contemporary descriptions of the darts. Study Derrick's illustrations: http://www.lib.ed.ac.uk/about/bgallery/Galler...eland.html The best reference for this particular weapon is probably the full-color version of the O'Neil portrait Mac recently posted in another thread. |
I'll have to see if I can find that book.
Meanwhile, I got a full color version of the painting and blew it up.
As to the construction of the darts, if I only have the painting, the most distictive feature of these darts is that the rear end seems to be of greater diameter then the front end..... That may be something of a stumbling block, but we'll see. Should have interisting effects reguardless.. Anyone have any interisting ideas? It would produce interisting drag, but would also create an interisting center of gravity issue. If not launched well, it would be inclinded to tumble wouldn't it? At any rate, it tapers like a short pike.
Does anyone think that would cause the sound? I thought it was the fletching, but as yet I don't see anything indicating fletching on any of these as I reread the thread.. Did anyone find anything referncing fletching?
Oh, if you have any good resources on the 'Late' Roman Javelins, I would be much obliged. Most of what I find on Roman Javelins is just 'pilum-pilum-pilum'
EDIT: These woodcuts are interisting, but I don't see much in the way of a javelin. There are spears, but none thrown, and no one seems to have more then one, which one would expect with a light javelin.... The 'messenger' has an interisting weapon... Sort of like a cane, but ending in what looks like a spearhead.
http://www.lib.ed.ac.uk/about/bgallery/Galler...59_jpg.htm