Throughout human history, the battle between building defenses and breaching them has been never ending. In modern times, siege warfare has mostly disappeared, with offensive weaponry taking the lead. Many firearms can penetrate body armor, anti-tank weapons can destroy tanks, and missiles are capable of demolishing bunkers.
But this dominance of offense was not always the case, as defenses held the advantage for much of the past. When clubs were the pinnacle of weaponry, what chance did one have against a stone wall? This limitation spurred humans to invent clever ways to break through defenses. Here are some of the more unusual methods, presented in no specific order.
1. Rocket cats
A 16th-century artilleryman named Franz Helm, who lived in what is now Germany, authored a book on munitions, weapons, and artillery. In this book, he detailed a technique of causing havoc in a defensive system or town, with the use of a cat. Helm wrote:
Create a small sack like a fire-arrow. If you would like to get at a town or castle, seek to obtain a cat from that place. And bind the sack to the back of the cat, ignite it, let it glow well and thereafter let the cat go, so it runs to the nearest castle or town, and out of fear it thinks to hide itself where it ends up in barn hay or straw it will be ignited.
It is unknown if this rather optimistic plan was ever used, but if it was, it would have likely resulted in more destruction to your own property than to the enemy’s.
2. Up the toilet
This form of entry was through a part of a castle itself, rather than bringing your own equipment. Château Gaillard, a medieval castle, was completed in 1198 in France by Richard the Lionheart and was considered impenetrable at the time. Within 10 years of its competition, the castle had fallen into the hands of French King Philip II. His forces managed to enter and capture the castle’s outer areas, but couldn’t break through the central keep.
One of his men noticed a channel in the wall leading to one of the castle’s toilets. A man climbed up this filthy channel, through the toilet, and into the castle, where he opened a window to allow his fellow troops to enter too.
3. Flinging corpses
During a siege, forces would typically establish a nearby camp to serve as their base of operations. These camps were populated by unhealthy, unclean troops, and disease was rampant.
In 1346, the Mongols laid siege to the Crimean city of Caffa, initiating a prolonged standoff. As time passed, the Mongol army itself was struck by the Black Death, which tore through their encampment. Rather than retreating as most armies would in such circumstances, the Mongols saw an opportunity and began catapulting disease-ridden corpses over the city walls in an attempt to infect those within.
Some of Caffa’s fleeing residents may have spread the Black Death to Europe, though this remains uncertain.
4. Hot Sand
Those under siege often used this method to fend off attackers. Castles implemented a range of tactics to keep enemies at a distance, such as dropping hot or burning materials from the walls.
In 332 BC, during Alexander the Great’s siege of the city of Tyre, the defenders inside heated fine sand until it glowed red, then poured it onto the attackers below. This approach was highly effective because the tiny sand particles slipped through the gaps in soldiers’ armor. The only escape was to remove the armor, which exposed them to archers.
Other similar tactics included the use of burning hay, hot water, and boiling oil.
5. Bees and beer
When attacking a walled area, the Vikings, who knew the defenders would be firing down onto them, used wooden structures called hurdles for protection while they made their way through the walls.
When they attacked the English town of Chester, the defenders gathered up as much beer as possible and heated it up, then poured it down onto the attackers, literally burning off their skin. Their wooden covers could resist projectiles, but the hot beer was able to seep through the gaps.
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In response, the Vikings sealed their shielding with animal hides, deflecting the hot beer. Again in response, the defenders began throwing beehives at the Vikings, who were then savagely swarmed by angry bees.