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Why Do 16th-Century Manuscripts Show Cats With Flaming Backpacks?
National Geographic ^
| 3-10-2014
| Brad Scriber
Posted on 03/16/2014 6:29:43 AM PDT by 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 Pennsylvaniathe university digitized the manuscripts last yearsays that the drawings are from artillery manuals and are accompanied by notes explaining how to use animals as incendiary devices....
(Excerpt) Read more at news.nationalgeographic.com ...
TOPICS: History; Pets/Animals
KEYWORDS: germany; godsgravesglyphs; history; middleages; militaryhistory; renaissance; vikingkitties; weapons; workingdogs
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To: Focault's Pendulum
21
posted on
03/16/2014 7:54:38 AM PDT
by
PGR88
To: KoRn
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.
22
posted on
03/16/2014 7:56:28 AM PDT
by
St_Thomas_Aquinas
( Isaiah 22:22, Matthew 16:19, Revelation 3:7)
To: Renfield
No sharks with friken laser beams?
23
posted on
03/16/2014 8:07:02 AM PDT
by
DManA
To: Apparatchik
24
posted on
03/16/2014 9:04:22 AM PDT
by
libertarian27
(FreeRepublic Cookbooks 2011 & 2012 - Click Profile)
To: St_Thomas_Aquinas
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.
25
posted on
03/16/2014 9:39:36 AM PDT
by
KoRn
(Department of Homeland Security, Certified - "Right Wing Extremist")
To: BwanaNdege
[JOKE- Not a true story]WHAT ?!? I don't believe you. Nobody could make that up!
26
posted on
03/16/2014 9:57:34 AM PDT
by
dr_lew
To: Focault's Pendulum; Slings and Arrows; Glenn; republicangel; Beaker; BADROTOFINGER; etabeta; ...
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.)
27
posted on
03/16/2014 11:16:38 AM PDT
by
Slings and Arrows
(Richard Warman censors free speech.)
To: Slings and Arrows
I pretty sure there was this famous guy named Leonardo da Bond from back then. He's was always inventin' crazy stuff like this.
28
posted on
03/16/2014 12:09:56 PM PDT
by
Daffynition
("If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." ~ Henry Ford)
To: Rodamala
29
posted on
03/16/2014 12:40:38 PM PDT
by
Twotone
(Marte Et Clypeo)
To: Slings and Arrows
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.
30
posted on
03/16/2014 3:24:54 PM PDT
by
jocon307
To: jocon307
Like I said, served them right.
31
posted on
03/16/2014 3:35:26 PM PDT
by
Slings and Arrows
(Richard Warman censors free speech.)
To: Twotone
The orange light bar coming on was a nice touch... I was laugh as hard as the guys filming that.
32
posted on
03/16/2014 3:42:02 PM PDT
by
Rodamala
To: dr_lew; BwanaNdege
[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
33
posted on
03/16/2014 10:23:58 PM PDT
by
MarkL
(Do I really look like a guy with a plan?)
To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...
34
posted on
03/17/2014 8:01:51 AM PDT
by
SunkenCiv
(https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
To: Renfield; StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; decimon; 1010RD; 21twelve; 24Karet; ...
Thanks Renfield. Viking kitties!
35
posted on
03/17/2014 8:03:11 AM PDT
by
SunkenCiv
(https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
To: momtothree
36
posted on
03/17/2014 8:45:20 AM PDT
by
Salamander
(Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?)
To: KoRn; shibumi
37
posted on
03/17/2014 8:47:49 AM PDT
by
Salamander
(Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?)
To: Salamander
38
posted on
03/17/2014 11:27:54 AM PDT
by
Lee'sGhost
(Johnny Rico picked the wrong girl!)
To: Lee'sGhost; shibumi
I snagged it from Shibumi.
He knows I love that ludicrous show.
:)
39
posted on
03/17/2014 5:06:58 PM PDT
by
Salamander
(Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?)
To: BwanaNdege; All
Definitely candidates for the Darwin award, except they managed not to get killed.
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