Medieval fire arrows were real! So I followed the old books, made some and tested them in every way I could think of.

We have loads of old manuscripts, pictures, drawings, fire arrow heads and recipes of fire arrows but because some people haven't looked at the old information and can't make them work, lots of people think they were a myth. You see them everywhere in films and computer games so it is easy to dismiss them as a modern popular culture affectation - they were as real as you are.

So this film is an exhaustive description of what they were and how they made them work, woven through with a series of tests and demonstrations and showing the sources.

If you want to know about fire arrows this is the film for you.

00:00 Intro and highlights
00:38 Burn Duration Demonstration
02:05 Safety Warning
02:35 Hollywood loves fire on a stick!
04:12 The evidence and archaeological record
05:39 Construction of fire arrows
07:58 Lighting and shooting process
09:00 Close up burn
09:56 Distance test
10:34 Shooting a target
11:00 Shooting in a field battle?
11:51 Tod Cutler advert. Lots of shiny things for sale
12:20 How do Fire Arrows work? - Slo mo
13:14 The Alchemy of Fire Arrows
14:55 Stirling castle - Trebuchet!
16:09 Medieval manuscript evidence
17:58 Getting hit in the face by a flaming arrow?
18:57 Noxious Smoke!
20:07 Medieval Chemical weapons?
22:07 Scenario - Arrow into window
22:36 Scenario - Thick Oak palisade
23:43 Scenario - Pitched building or ship
24:50 Scenario - Hay store or Thatch
25:51 Don't underestimate the smoke
26:21 Conclusion

For budget medieval weaponry of fantastic accuracy and value https://todcutler.com
For commissions and custom work https://todsworkshop.com
For merch https://todsworkshop.creator-spring.com
For those who enjoyed Arrows vs Armour https://todtodeschini.com
Target posters are here https://todcutler.com/collections/tod...
We have a Patreon page and if you liked this and wish to support the channel please consider having a look at that   / todsworkshop  

Arrow heads by https://www.medievalarrows.co.uk
Longbow by Joe Gibbs   / hillbillybows  
Italian yew bow by the late Chris Boyton

Books referenced
European arrowheads and crossbow bolts C.Rau
Gunpowder technology in the fifteenth century (translation of the book of the firework)
Axel E.W. Muller
The Pirotechnica of Vannoccio Biringuccio (translation)
Cyril Stanley Smith and Martha Teach Gnudi
Weapons of Warre The Mary Rose Trust