Cannons? Gun Powder? Rockets?

[Sangahyando]

Hmmm... That gives me an idea. What if... well we all know how Saruman had substantial stocks of ale and pipe-weed at Orthanc for his useful servants... he set the strongest ale on fire! A.K.A, flaming alcohol, or maybe even pure alcohol distilled from the ale itself... fresh poison...

 

[Illuin]

No Firearms?

Here’s a silly one (and I‘m sure it‘s been mentioned before). Considering that fireworks (very impressive fireworks I might add) were around in ME, I would have expected to see some serious firearms on the battlefield. You know; cannons and rifles and bombs, oh my; rather than axes and arrows and swords, oh sigh.

 

[Mike]

Re: No Firearms?

Well, we have to remember that it was Gandalf who set off those fireworks; it seems gunpowder was the sole possession of wizards. Saruman used a bomb at Helm's Deep, and the Witch-King blasted the outer wall around the Pelennor Fields with what i could only assumed was gunpowder.

Even if gunpowder was widespread, I assume it was fairly poor quality. Fireworks existed in ancient China, but soldiers still used more traditional weapons (swords, pikes etc.). Even when gunpowder came into use in medieval Europe, cannons were the only viable option due to poor gunpowder quality and lack of technology. thus, in th 1400s we still had swords/axes/arrows. Up until the 1600s armies were still using archers (at least in eastern Europe) because bows were more accurate and were simply faster. The only advantage of guns even in the pike-and-shot era (where they still used swords and axes, mind you) was that it didn't take nearly as much time to train someone to use a gun as it did to train them as professional archers. It wasn't until the invention of rifling that guns coud match the accuracy of a bow in Robin Hood's hands.

Otherwise, I don't find anything odd in the lack of firearms in Middle Earth--though i suppose cannons could be expected. They just hadn't got that far yet with gunpowder technology.

 

[HLGStrider]

Re: No Firearms?

http://thetolkien.forum/showthread.php?t=5279&highlight=Gun+powder

I hate it when someone just posts a link in reply to a conversation, but I thought I'd point out this thread where I brought up the same question and basically got the same answer . .. almost six years ago . . .gosh, I've been around here too long. This was back in my coffee kitten/single girl stage when I didn't have anything better to do but post two hundred times a day . . .

Anyway, if you don't mind, I'd like to merge the threads just because interesting points have been made in both.
Thanks,
Elgee

 

[HLGStrider]

Gives a new meaning to Molotov Cocktail, I guess.

 

[Illuin]

Re: No Firearms?

Yes; I knew this subject must have come up before. I just wanted to talk, so you can join the threads or whatever you think best.