[OT} What weapon is that?

[Mistwell]

I was going through a Medieval Russia - Military and Warfare web page (located at http://medievalrussia.freeservers.com/military.html ) and I came across an odd picture. The picture is this one:

The translation of the title is something like: Fight on the river Vorskle between the incorporated Russko-Lithuanian armies (Prince Vitovt) and the Mongolian armies (?), 1399.

Now look in the lower right quadrant of the picture. There are two guys at the bottom, and then a guy just above them, who might be on a horse. He is holding some big pole, resting on his shield, and appears to be aiming down a crude scope on top of it. What is that weapon? Is that some sort of medieval musket or something? Were those used on horseback with full armor and a shield like that? The shield even looks like it was modified to accomodate that weapon.

I mean, I see how this contraption works:

But that is already 1673.

Any ideas what that thing is?

 

[Eternalknight]

Looks like a rocket launcher.... but as that can't be right, maybe a broken lance? They guy to the top right has a lance and a shield, and the shield looks like that on your guy.... but to be honest I'm not sure.

 

[Blood Jester]

Looks like a medieval hand cannon. Basically a very primative form of hand gun which was a scaled down version fo a full-sized cannon.

Check this link Hand Gonnes & Matchlocks

Scroll down about 1/4 of the page.

[edit - location on page]

 

[Dragongirl]

It is indeed an early form of gun, commonly called a hand gunne or hand cannon. As for it's use on horseback I am not sure. Here is a good link on early guns :

http://members.sia.net.au/dispater/handgonnes.htm

Hope that helps.

Edit: Bloody 'ell, I took too long looking through all my favorite places and someone posted the same link.....lol.

 

[Blood Jester]

YES!!! I finally actually posted something useful before someone else could beat me to it!!!

Dragongirl, please forgive me, but...

 

[Dragongirl]

Lol, nothing to forgive. Just a lessen to me and my 1000s of unorganized links. hehe

 

[Bagpuss]

Doesn't look like the man using the cannon is on horse back in the picture.

 

[sword-dancer]

The weapon in the great picture is a handgonne, and it my Funcken shows a picture of a variant used by horse.

The small piccture shows a matchlock musket or arqubuse(spelling?), but i think it`s an muskete

 

[argo]

Look closely and you'll see that that "crude scope" is not a scope but the actual barrel of the gun. The rest of the pole serving to hold the contraption together against the force of its own recoil. A primitive stock.

Blood Jester and Dragongirl are very right about it being a hand cannon. Very dangerous, prone to blowing up. I am interested to see the sheild modified to hold the gun. Cool pic, I like it.

 

[Blood Jester]

The weapon in the great picture is a handgonne, and it my Funcken shows a picture of a variant used by horse.

The small piccture shows a matchlock musket or arqubuse(spelling?), but i think it`s an muskete

Qu'est-ce que c'est?