Darts????.....

[Vermin]

From a Spanish shipping manifest, dated 1560...

"Item- 18 dozen worked darts with their large blades he had purchased from the aforesaid as 16 reales per dozen, which amounted to 9,792 maravedis"

Darts with large blades?
In the manifest they mention buying javelins in larger quantities (and, by MY reasoning, you'd buy FAR more bolts than javelins, right?), so I'm pretty sure they're not talking about crossbow bolts....

Anyone got any ideas about what these things look like?

Thanks,

VvS

[Vermin]

Bump....

[InsaneIrish]

:twisted:

<img src="http://darts-cat.ioffer.com/img/1105430400/_i/5125832/1.jpg">

[Cap'n Atli]

I believeI've seen this term in reference to smaller javelins. I'll try to check some of my sources on the Spanish in the New World tonight.

[audax]

According to Vegetius, in the later Roman Imperial period there things called plumbatae (singular plumbata) which were darts made of iron, a pointed head at one end and kind of a ball at the other. Soldiers could carry five inside their sheild and throw them at the beginning of battle to harass and demoralize the enemy. Certain units were famous for their effectiveness with them. There were weighted javelins (also according to Vegetius) called mattiobarbuli.

In the Middle Ages, hurlbats were popular for the same purpose. These looked more like a throwing axe made entirely of steel, sharpened at all edges.

Edited to add that atlatl proejectiles are called darts.

A light javelin could also be called a dart. I theorize dart is a generic name for small hand thrown weapons of various sorts.

Hope this helps.

audax

p.s. I think throwing maces would be cool.

[Destichado]

They're probably referring to fletched javelins.

[Alcyoneus]

Which are depicted fairly often in 15/16th C manuscripts.

[Cap'n Atli]

I didn't get a chance to check my sources last night; I'll try again tonight. (I was doing a Viking gig for the geneological society.)

[Cap'n Atli]

Nothing panned out as of yet, and I've checked several of my sources, but there's still one book I haven't found at home. I may also check at the Departmental library in the next couple of days if I get over there. Petersen may have some mention of them in his book on Colonial arms and armor.

I did post to Frank Turley, co-author of Southwestern Colonial Ironwork, over at AnvilFire to see if he had any sources.

[RoaK]

Don't know about darts but this year at Pennsic I seen throwing maces... this was the first time I noticed them.

The Tuchuks had them for sure, I think others did as well. I talked with Animal and he said he killed bunches of people with them... Looked like they hit pretty hard.

I think they are made from three or four tennis balls taped around a 12 inch shaft with another tennis ball on other end. They looked like those WW2 German anti-tank grenades (for those of you who know what I'm talking about).

[Uneg]

They look pretty cool and I'd imagine hit pretty well.

Here's a howto:

http://argentlupus.com/ThrowingMace.html

[iaenmor]

They do. Not sure if they have been approved in Ansteorra or not. I have seen them around some and they are fun to play with. Need to check with Sieur Jean Paul or Master Pug to see if they have.

[Cap'n Atli]

The dictionary definition is: "A light spear of javelin."

I found my missing source last night, but it was devoted to the presidio period of the 18th and 19th centuries, so no further information there. I’ll try to get to the Departmental library today or tomorrow to check some of Harold L. Peterson’s books on the period. I’m curious regarding the types that were used, and where, and when. A picture or two might be worth the hunt.

[Vermin]

I have Peterson's "Arms and Armor in Colonial America", but there's no mention of them in there...


VvS

[Cap'n Atli]

here's an illustration from a creaky old copy of Ashdown's European Arms & Armour that I got from my parents back in High School.

It certainly seems to meet the description.