▁Europe . ▁ ▁Et ym ology ▁and ▁termin ology ▁ ▁Mang onel ▁is ▁probably ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁ ▁Greek ▁má gg anon ▁or ▁mang on on , ▁meaning ▁" engine ▁of ▁war ". ▁It ▁could ▁also ▁be ▁derived ▁from ▁mang on , ▁a ▁French ▁hard ▁stone ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁south ▁of ▁France . ▁In ▁Latin ▁it ▁is ▁called ▁a ▁mang an um , ▁in ▁French ▁a ▁mang ane au , ▁and ▁in ▁English ▁a ▁mang onel . ▁▁▁ ▁The ▁mang onel ▁is ▁called ▁al - man jan ī q ▁in ▁Arab ic . ▁In ▁China ▁the ▁tra ction ▁tre buch et ▁was ▁called ▁the ▁p à o ▁( <0xE7> <0xA0> <0xB2> ). ▁ ▁T ors ion ▁mang onel ▁myth ▁A ▁common ▁myth ▁surrounding ▁the ▁mang onel ▁is ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁t ors ion ▁sie ge ▁engine ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁ball ista , ▁cat ap ult , ▁or ▁on ager , ▁art illery ▁weapons ▁that ▁were ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁West ▁until ▁the ▁ 6 - 8 th ▁centuries . ▁This ▁myth ▁or ▁mis con ception ▁has ▁been ▁propag ated ▁as ▁recently ▁as ▁ 2 0 0 4 . ▁However ▁with ▁the ▁exception ▁of ▁the ▁spring ald ▁which ▁saw ▁action ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁to ▁ 1 4 th ▁centuries , ▁t ors ion ▁machines ▁had ▁largely ▁disappeared ▁by ▁the ▁ 6 th ▁century ▁and ▁were ▁replaced ▁by ▁the ▁tra ction ▁tre buch et . ▁By ▁the ▁ 9 th ▁century , ▁when ▁the ▁first ▁Western ▁European ▁reference ▁to ▁a ▁mang ana