Veuglaire

A 14th-century Veuglaire, formed of a powder chamber and a tube.

The Veuglaire (derived from the German Vogler and Vogelfänger, and the Flemish Vogheler, after a gun manufacturer named Vögler. English: Fowler)^[1] was a wrought iron cannon,^[2] and part of the artillery of France in the Middle Ages. There, guns were initially called acquéraux, sarres or spiroles.

Powder chamber of a Veuglaire, caliber 130 mm, length 1.07 m, wrought iron, early 15th century, La Fère. Musée de l'Armée, Paris.

The Veuglaire was up to 2 meters (8 feet) long, and weighing from 150 kg to several tonnes, and compares to the Crapaudins or Crapaudaux, which were shorter (4 to 8 feet) and lighter than the Veuglaires.^[3] The Veuglaires were usually breech-loading, and therefore used a separate "powder chamber" (boîte à poudre) in which powder and ball were located upon loading,^[4][5] and the main body of the cannon was formed of a tube opened at both ends.

Veuglaires, together with Crapaudins, were considered medium-sized weapons and tended to have smaller chambers than bombards.^[6] They belonged to a category of weapons developed from the late 14th century, which had smaller bore and flatter trajectory. The category includes the culverin, curtall, serpentines, falcon and arquebus.^[7]

Notes

1. Science and civilisation in China Joseph Needham p. 366
2. An Illustrated History of Arms and Armour Auguste Demmin, CC Black p. 497
3. John A. Wagner, Encyclopedia of the Hundred Years War p. 34
4. A History of Firearms W. Y. Carman p. 76
5. The artillery of the Dukes of Burgundy, 1363-1477 Robert Douglas Smith, Kelly DeVries p. 234
6. Gunpowder, explosives and the state Brenda J. Buchanan, p. 256
7. The Coming of the Ages of Steel p. 66

See also

• Artillery of France in the Middle Ages