I guess that it should be emphasided that the versatility of these things comprehended a vast menu. Just the other day i hear a local seller calling them 'canhões de porta' (door cannons).
This reminded me that long ago i was told by a certain expert that they were indeed used to blast the enemy when trying to brake in the castle gates during sieges.
I haven't yet seen setups similar to those from Castelnaud, although there are similar approaches out there.
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ht=hand+cannon
Mind you, what i know about these things is residual, comparing to some real connoisseurs ... one of them unfortunately unavailable for the time being:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=16416
I would put it that the duality between mortar and cannon is a bit like the hen and the egg, but having to attribute them a time line, which i fear there is no evidentional one, we may assume that the cannon started earlier and the mortar ended later; not being surprised that they were used for religious celebrations up to the XIX century.
But then, and for the fun of it, we must remember that the first projectile cannons that existed, were hardly no more than noise makers and often more lethal for the gunner than for the target.
Although there may be no record of the hand cannon first appearance, there are specialists who pretend that, once heavy field cannons appeared (XIV century), it is 'logic' that portable ones had immediately followed them.
A few
more and less serious links you may not yet know
.
http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~dispater/handgonnes.htm
http://www.handgonne.com/
http://albrechts.se/
Have you spotted this thread in here ?.
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ht=hand+cannon
.