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Archive for the ‘Catherine Wheel Firework’ Category

The Catherine wheel is a type of firework which is generally made of a spiralling tube filled with pyrotechnic composition, or an angled rocket mounted with a pin through its centre. When ignited, it rotates quickly, producing a display of sparks and coloured flame and looks great at the bottom of the garden.

So, now we know what a Catherine Wheel is, where did it get its unusual name from?

It’s a lot more gruesome than you may think, the family favourite firework is named after the instrument of torture, the breaking wheel, on which, legend has it St. Catherine was martyred. Although some legends say that as soon as she touched the wheel it broke (that must have put the willies up the pagans – not a euphemism)

The Catherine Wheel was a product of the Middle Ages, especially popular in Germany (no comments on this please, remember we’re all friends now, one Europe and all that). The victim’s limbs were brutally smashed with large blunt objects. His (or her) still-living remains were subjected to… the wheel. This meant the mangled arms and legs were threaded through the spokes. The wheel was then hoisted into the air using a long pole. Hungry vultures and crows picked at the body. Death came slowly, (like watching an Al Murray – Pub Landlord comedy routine).

A seventeenth-century chronicler wrote the victim looked like, “A sort of huge screaming puppet writhing in rivulets of blood, a puppet with four tentacles, like a sea monster, of raw, slimy and shapeless flesh mixed up with splinters of smashed bones.” Sleep soundly kids.

This was one of the most popular spectacles of the time. This, and similar methods of torture, took place in the squares of Europe from 1450-1750. The masses, both common people and nobles, watched in twisted fascination, cheering at a good wheeling (what made it good is unclear but we guess the messier the better). A woman (or a number of women in a row) brought even greater enthusiasm, similar to women in pro-wrestling nowadays, although for quite different reasons we assume.

The wheel was named after Saint Catherine of Alexandria from the early 4th century. She was believed to have been killed in this fashion during the rule of the Roman Emperor Maximinus (presumably Maximinus was upset about people commenting that his name was somewhat similar to that of a sanitary towel – citation needed).

Catherine was born and raised a pagan, but miraculously converted to Christianity in her late teens (typical rebellious teenager). It is said that she visited her contemporary, the Roman Emperor Maximinus, and attempted to convince him of the error of his ways in persecuting Christians. She succeeded in converting his wife, the Empress, and many pagan philosophers whom the Emperor sent to dispute with her, all of whom were subsequently martyred. Upon the failure of the Emperor to win Catherine over, he ordered her to be put in prison; and when the people who visited her converted this must have really annoyed big Maximinus because she was condemned to death on the breaking wheel (the name at that time for the Catherine Wheel). According to legend, the wheel itself broke when she touched it, so she was beheaded.

You can just imagine the scene…

Sound effects: Splintering wood and crashing

Catherine: “Whoops, clumsy me, sorry bout that lads.”

First torturer: “oh, look, oh no, she has the power of God, her hand has broken the wheel, cower in fear, cower and plead for your life!”

Second torturer: “No probs, I’ll just lob ‘er ‘ead off.”

Sound effects: Swish, Splat, Thud, General Medieval style cheering.

(Dramatisation, may not have happened)

Catherine was remembered thereafter as a symbol of martyrdom, purity and knackering up the wheel she was named after. The Breaking Wheel, now known as a Catherine Wheel continued to be used for executions and all round nastiness for centuries to come and was still used right up till the 1700’s. When, thankfully, far more nasty ways of messing people up were evolved, which we will not go into here.

Please remember this is supposed to be taken lightly and in good humour, noone was tortured during the writing of this article so please don’t write in. For all your Catherine Wheel needs, visit www.epicfireworks.com for the largest range of fireworks in the UK.

When it comes to Catherine Wheels with a difference the Maltese really know what they are doing.

Known as irdieden, Malta likes to take wheels to the next level and turn the whole affair into a 3d experience. This video is a great example of the innovative and intricate design that is a regular feature in Maltese Wheels.

A ten foot tall rocket-propelled Catherine wheel designed by the British Military during World War II in preparation for the D-Day landings, “The Panjandrum” or more formally “The Great Panjandrum” was one of the more experimental machines of war to be built by the Directorate of Miscellaneous Weapons Development (DMWD).

I know you are now thinking “that’s a made up name for a made up invention by a made up military department.” But it’s true. Some things are just too bizarre to be made up.

Invented by the ingenious Sub Lieutenant Nevil Shute, The Panjandrum was basic in design, two enormous wooden wheels, ten feet in diameter with steel treads a foot wide and joined by a central drum fitted with the explosive payload. Simple. Rockets would be attached all around each wheel and when lit. The 1800 kg “bomb on wheels” would reach speeds up to 97km/h. This speed coupled with the massive weight of the device would allow it to power through any obstacle that stood in its path.

The idea was that the Panjandrum could be used to smash through the Germans coastal defences on the Atlantic Wall. The plan was to use landing craft to get as close as possible before some brave soldier lit the fuse and watched the mammoth Catherine wheel roll towards the German wall with over a tonne of explosives on board. Hopefully this would breach the wall and the allied soldiers could do the rest.

The interesting name “Great Panjandrum” was chosen by Shute as a reference to Samuel Foote’s poem of the same name, in particular the closing line “till the gunpowder ran out at the heels of their boots”.

The day of the test was described in detail by Brian Johnson, for the BBC documentary Secret War:
“At first all went well. Panjandrum rolled into the sea and began to head for the shore, the Brass Hats watching through binoculars from the top of a pebble ridge [...] Then a clamp gave: first one, then two more rockets broke free: Panjandrum began to lurch ominously. It hit a line of small craters in the sand and began to turn to starboard, careering towards Klemantaski, who, viewing events through a telescopic lens, misjudged the distance and continued filming. Hearing the approaching roar he looked up from his viewfinder to see Panjandrum, shedding live rockets in all directions, heading straight for him. As he ran for his life, he glimpsed the assembled admirals and generals diving for cover behind the pebble ridge into barbed-wire entanglements. Panjandrum was now heading back to the sea but crashed on to the sand where it disintegrated in violent explosions, rockets tearing across the beach at great speed.”

This was one of the more successful tests that the Panjandrum was put through. Needless to say this “fiery wheel of random doom” was never used in combat. It just could not be guaranteed whose side would be hurt the most. It seems on the surface that this was just a really terrible – and amusing – idea that didn’t quite take off. There may, however, be more to this than meets the eye.

It has been suggested by some that whole thing was staged by the British Army as part of Operation Fortitude – A top secret government project whose duty was misinformation, supplying the Germans with false intelligence. The ruse was to make the Nazi’s believe that the attack would come at the heavily fortified defences around the Pas-de-Calais instead of the real target, the beaches of Normandy. In particular, the total lack of security surrounding the tests themselves is cited as proof that the Allies wished German spies to know about the project.

Whether a genuine invention, or a crazy plan to throw the Germans off course, The Great Panjandrum is undoubtedly one of the biggest and funniest Catherine wheels ever made.

Epic Fireworks – Krazy Klock Fountain By Brothers Pyrotechnics
Originally uploaded by EpicFireworks

Is it a fountain? Is it a Catherine Wheel?
2 very good questions,
It’s actually both.
The Krazy Klock Fountain/Wheel is an innovative and excellent idea by Brothers Pyrotechnics.
This is a unique display fountain lasting 96 seconds and with 9 different effects.
It was finally launched to the market after 641 failed tests. And has been a huge hit and now being sold in 46 countries around the world. When it comes to crazy looking fireworks, this 1 wins every time.
The Krazy Klock by Brothers Pyrotechnics has hands that spin too fast to tell the time on. And massive jets of colours that change and whistle.
This is one of our favourite fountain/catherine wheel combo’s, in fact it is about the only 1 we can think of.

Check the Video

http://brothersfireworks.co.uk/

Catherine Wheel – everyone knows them as a traditional firework, but the origins are much more gruesome than that. The original Catherine Wheel was the torture instrument on which St Catherine was martyred in the middle ages.

St Catherine is a Christian saint and martyr who is claimed to have been a noted scholar in the early 4th century. In the beginning of the fifteenth century, it was rumored that she had spoken to Saint Joan of Arc. The Orthodox Churches venerate her as a “great martyr”

It is said that she visited her contemporary the Roman Emperor Maxentius in an effort to to convince him of the error of his ways in persecuting Christians. She succeeded in converting his wife, the Empress, and many pagan wise men whom the Emperor sent to dispute with her, all of whom were subsequently martyred. Upon the failure of the Emperor to win Catherine over, he ordered her to be put in prison; and when the people who visited her converted, she was condemned to death on the breaking wheel (an instrument of torture). According to legend, the wheel itself broke when she touched it, so she was beheaded instead.

Ever since Catherine has been associated with spinning wheels and eventually Catherine Wheel Fireworks – which is how she is best remembered now, immortalised in a beautiful spinning display of colour and light.

From Epic Fireworks – Product Range

A fiery circle of bright blue colour, silver sparks and beautiful gold colours with golden sparks.

An excellent duration makes this wheel great value for money. This exceptional Fiery Eye catherine wheel firework from Brothers Fireworks is the best we have ever seen. A beautiful blue eye effect, try 2 for a spectacular show.

Available to buy from Epic Fireworks – The UKs Home of Fireworks

RRP – £9.99

EPIC PRICE – £4.95 (£4.30 + VAT)