It is generally accepted that in ancient times only simple and effective weapons were recognized, and complex systems did not take root. For the most part, this was the case, since the main task of the weapon is to send the enemy to the next world as quickly as possible. But exotic examples still existed and often coped with their task no worse than the usual ones.
Some non-standard murder weapons were created for specific, narrowly targeted purposes, others - as an original "innovation". India, China and Japan have distinguished themselves especially in the field of inventions of such objects. Here are ten of the most unusual exotic weapons of ancient times.
Haladi is a sword or dagger with two blades, which was used by Indian kshatriyas from the Rajput clan. The weapon was intended for both stabbing and cutting strikes. In some species of khaladi, the handle was a stylized spiked knuckle duster.
Cho-ko-nu is one of the most famous exotic weapons, a Chinese multi-shot crossbow, the principle of which is inherited by modern machine guns. The “magazine” was charged from 10 wooden bolts, which were fired in turn in 15 seconds. The cho-ko-well had no accuracy and range, but this was more than offset by the rate of fire and the number of shells.
Urumi is another exotic native to India, a whip sword, or belt sword. Made of incredibly flexible metal, it gave the wearer a huge advantage in combat, allowing it to bend around shields and traditional swords. However, in order to properly master the urumi, years of diligent training were required, otherwise the weapon turned against its master.
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Al-Rammah is a medieval prototype of a torpedo, developed by the Syrian scientist Hassan al-Rammah in the 13th century. It was a closed metal vessel filled with gunpowder and saltpeter and directed by a primitive missile at enemy ships. It is not known how effective such a torpedo was in action, but the principle is impressive.
The bee swarm is another weapon of mass destruction from the dark Chinese genius. The oblong case was filled with three dozen arrows with small rockets near the tip. They were set on fire and launched simultaneously - with zero precision, the main thing is in the direction of the enemy. This is the case when the "arrows that obscured the sun" are not just a metaphor.
Atlatl, also known as a kompiemetalka, is one of the oldest murder weapons in the world, operating on the principle of a sling. Small darts were loaded into the atlatl made of flexible wood and, thanks to the principle of a lever, they darted much farther than thrown by hand. They have been used since the late Paleolithic era, about 15 thousand years BC.
Kakute is a Japanese spiked ring, a kind of ninja brass knuckles. Kakute easily disguised themselves as ordinary rings, turning their spikes upward before the fight. The thorns were often smeared with poison.
The flying crow is another variation of the Chinese artillery with missiles, sometimes disguised as a crow to deceive the enemy. It was described in the treatise The Fire Dragon's Guide, written by the Chinese strategist Liu Tzu. The raven missiles were packed with gunpowder so tightly that the explosion could be seen and heard from a great distance.
Sodegarami is a Japanese battle hook used by samurai and guards. The weapon is non-lethal, although covered with spikes. The main purpose of the sodegars was to bring the lawbreaker to the ground and hold him back for the necessary time.
Greek fire was created in the Byzantine Empire for sea battles. This ancient prototype of napalm was a monstrous mixture of oil, sulfur and quicklime, although the exact recipe has been lost. Greek fire gave the Byzantines a huge advantage at sea, greedily devouring enemy ships and continuing to burn even on the surface of the water.