Why Do 16th-Century Manuscripts Show Cats With Flaming Backpacks?

National Geographic ^ | 3-10-2014 | Brad Scriber

[Renfield]

A series of 16th-century manuscripts that have been making waves on the Internet look like a Monty Python version of the Renaissance: They show cats outfitted with flaming backpacks, attacking castles and villages.

But the illustrations are legit. They're intended to show how cats and birds could in theory be used to set fire to a besieged city, according to a University of Pennsylvania scholar.

Mitch Fraas, scholar in residence at the University of Pennsylvania—the university digitized the manuscripts last year—says that the drawings are from artillery manuals and are accompanied by notes explaining how to use animals as incendiary devices....

[PGR88]

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

Then again, they could have been using part of the technology given to them by “aliens” a millennium ago.

What else could it be? Except, maybe, Bigfoot.

[DManA]

No sharks with friken laser beams?

[libertarian27]

Interesting
I had to read some more about it...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-tank_dog

[KoRn]

LOL! That guy was exactly what I had in mind!

I wonder where in the hell they found those people for that show? I actually watched one episode of it, and that was quite enough. Sure they raise some interesting questions regarding ancient people and technology, but they get crazy with their theories.

[dr_lew]

[JOKE- Not a true story]

WHAT ?!? I don't believe you. Nobody could make that up!

[Slings and Arrows]

If this had ever been tried, I suspect that the perpetrators would have done far more damage to themselves than the enemy. (And it would have served them right.)

[Daffynition]

I pretty sure there was this famous guy named Leonardo da Bond from back then. He's was always inventin' crazy stuff like this.

[Twotone]

What does the fox say?!

http://www.wimp.com/truckradio/

[jocon307]

I heard this discussed as part of a quiz show on NPR yesterday (pick the true news story, and the guy picked right but I’m not sure if he knew or guessed) and that was what the host said.

[Slings and Arrows]

Like I said, served them right.

[Rodamala]

The orange light bar coming on was a nice touch... I was laugh as hard as the guys filming that.

[MarkL]

[JOKE- Not a true story]

WHAT ?!? I don't believe you. Nobody could make that up!

This actually made it to Mythbusters a while back. Those guys just LOVE explosions!

Mark

[SunkenCiv]

Santa Fe Shelter Offers ‘Barn Cats’ For Adoption
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/3133032/posts

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Renfield. Viking kitties!

[Salamander]

Why this was a bad idea:

http://www.examiner.com/article/snake-burns-down-house-after-woman-lights-it-on-fire-video

And in honor of the clever little snake, I bought a domain name

http://www.flamingsnakes.com

:)

[Salamander]

[Lee'sGhost]

Snagged!

LMAO!

[Salamander]

I snagged it from Shibumi.

He knows I love that ludicrous show.

:)

[gleeaikin]

Definitely candidates for the Darwin award, except they managed not to get killed.