Timbersource offers discount on timber to re-create the Trojan Horse

 

Searches for the Trojan Horse are at a 10 year high, we are on the hunt for a partner to help us create the Trojan Horse in the South West!

Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ sailed to £65 million in the box office on its second weekend and it has driven online searches for the Trojan Horse to a 10-year high. The horse in the film is unlike any other historical depictions and whilst mythical, historical writers reference ‘fir’ as the likely timber.

 

 

What timber was the Trojan Horse made of? 

In Homer's account (referenced in the Odyssey, though the building of the horse itself is described in the Iliad's later tradition and other epic sources), the horse was made of wood, built by the craftsman Epeius under Athena's guidance, and hollow so soldiers could hide inside.

Virgil's Aeneid gives more specific but in places inconsistent detail. In Book 2 he writes that the Greek leaders built the horse and interwove its ribs with planks of fir (sectaque intexunt abiete costas). But elsewhere in the same book he calls it framed of maple beams, built of interlaced oak timbers, and sealed with pine. Scholars generally read this as poetic variation rather than a technical claim; Virgil seems to mean simply "wood" each time, reaching for different specific terms for style rather than settling on one material.

 

Could douglas fir be used for the Trojan Horse? 

 

Douglas Fir is an excellent structural choice for building a Trojan Horse due to its exceptional strength-to-weight ratio, high load-bearing capacity, and natural resistance to warping, which ensure the massive hollow structure can safely conceal soldiers. Its availability in large, long dimensions makes it ideal for heavy framing, though it faces a major historical mismatch since the tree is native to North America rather than ancient Troy. While highly functional for construction, it remains a softwood that splits easily under impact and burns quickly if targeted by enemy torches.

 

H2: How can I enter the challenge and claim the discount? 

We have set a challenge to joiners, hobbyists and brands in the UK; if you are willing to create the Trojan Horse in real life, we are willing to offer a 5% discount on the timber needed. 

Stuart Kemp, Timbersource Managing Director commented; "it's one of the oldest stories in human history so it's great to see it re-told on the big screen. We would love to see the Trojan Horse recreated in the UK, which is why we are offering an exclusive 5% discount on any materials used in the construction of this magnificent monument". 

If you are up for the challenge, get in touch with a member of our team. The size, dimensions and scale of the horse are difficult to replicate so we are after experts of their craft. 

 

The deadline for expression of interest is 13/08/2026.