Collected Illustrations of the Three Realms

Devices and Tools: Volume 8

The Fire Grenade

The text describes a compact, hand-thrown weapon designed for maximum portability and chemical effect. Unlike heavy cannons, these "Paper-Thin" grenades allowed individual soldiers to deploy fire and toxins quickly in varied combat environments.

Constructed of thin paper and made to be the size of a fist, the interior is thinly coated with pine resin and filled with toxic fire.
original: "du huo." This refers to an incendiary gunpowder mixture containing poisonous or irritating additives, such as arsenic, to incapacitate enemies through smoke inhalation.

The exterior is finished by being boiled in a mixture of pine resin, trough oil, and yellow wax.
original: "cao you." This likely refers to a heavy, refined vegetable or animal oil used as a waterproofing agent and binder to ensure the grenade remained flammable even in damp conditions.

When ignited and thrown, it erupts into a mass of smoke and flames. It contains thorns original: "li," literally "goosefoot," referring to iron caltrops or sharp wooden spikes packed inside the casing. which serve to cut the feet of the enemy as they scramble from the fire.

This device is highly advantageous for:

• Naval warfare
• Defending a city
• Attacking from an elevated position original: "fu ji," literally "striking downward," often from the top of city walls or the mast of a ship.
• Close-quarters combat