Girl using a sling (known locally as a 'gofan') in IndiaHome-made sling made from braided cord with sewn imitation leather.Sling, home-made from braided cord and red insulating tape.
Asling is a projectile weapon typically used to hand-throw a bluntprojectile such as a stone, clay, or lead "sling-bullet". It is also known as theshepherd's sling orslingshot (inBritish English, although elsewhere it meanssomething else).[1] Someone who specializes in using slings is called aslinger.
A sling has a small cradle orpouch in the middle of tworetention cords, where a projectile is placed. There is a loop on the end of one side of the retention cords. Depending on the design of the sling, either themiddle finger or the wrist is placed through a loop on the end of one cord, and a tab at the end of the other cord is placed between the thumb andforefinger. The sling is swung in anarc, and the tab released at a precise moment. This action releases the projectile to flyinertially andballistically towards the target. By itsdouble-pendulum kinetics, the sling enables stones (or spears) to be thrown much further than they could be by hand alone.
Whereas stones and clay objects thought by many archaeologists to be sling-bullets are common finds in the archaeological record,[3] slings themselves are rare. This is both because a sling's materials arebiodegradable and because slings were lower-status weapons, rarely preserved in a wealthy person's grave.
One of the oldest slings in the Near East is the "Manchester Sling" from theTwelfth Dynasty of ancient Egypt, c. 2000-1800 BC, a completely preserved sling constructed entirely of plant fibre.[7] Another sling was found in the tomb of the pharaohTutankhamun, who died c. 1325 BC. A pair of finely plaited slings were found with other weapons. The sling was probably intended for the departedpharaoh to use for huntinggame. Another Egyptian sling was excavated inEl-Lahun inAl FayyumEgypt in 1914 byWilliam Matthew Flinders Petrie, and is now in thePetrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology—Petrie dated it to c. 800 BC. It was found alongside an iron spearhead. The remains are broken into three sections. Although fragile, the construction is clear: it is made ofbast fibre (almost certainlyflax) twine; the cords arebraided in a 10-strand ellipticalsennit and the cradle seems to have been woven from the same lengths of twine used to form the cords.[8]
The oldest representation of a slinger in art may be fromÇatalhöyük, from c. 7000 BC, though it is the only such depiction at the site, despite numerous depictions of archers.[10]
Ancient Greek lead sling bullets with a winged thunderbolt moulded on one side and the inscription "ΔΕΞΑΙ" (Dexai) meaning 'take that' or 'catch' on the other side, 4th century BCE, fromAthens,British Museum.[11]Artistic depiction of a slinger from theBalearic Islands, famous for the skill of its slingers
Livy mentions some of the most famous of ancient sling experts: the people of theBalearic Islands, who often worked asmercenaries. OfBalearic slingers Strabo writes: "And their training in the use of slings used to be such, from childhood up, that they would not so much as give bread to their children unless they first hit it with the sling."[14]
The sling is mentioned as early as in the writings ofHomer,[15] where several characters kill enemies by hurling stones at them.[12]
Balearic slingers were amongst the specialist mercenaries extensively employed byCarthage against the Romans and other enemies. These light troops used three sizes of sling, according to the distance of their opponents. The weapons were made of vegetable fibre and animal sinew, launching either stones or lead missiles with devastating impact.[16]
Xenophon in his history of the retreat of theTen Thousand, 401 BC, relates that the Greeks suffered severely from the slingers in the army ofArtaxerxes II of Persia, while they themselves had neither cavalry nor slingers, and were unable to reach the enemy with their arrows and javelins. This deficiency was rectified when a company of 200Rhodians, who understood the use of leaden sling-bullets, was formed. They were able, saysXenophon, to project their missiles twice as far as thePersian slingers, who used large stones.[17]
Various Greeks enjoyed a reputation for skill with the sling.Thucydides mentions theAcarnanians andLivy refers to the inhabitants of three Greek cities on the northern coast of thePeloponnesus as expert slingers.
Greek armies would also usemounted slingers (ἀκροβολισταί).[18]
Recruits are to be taught the art of throwing stones both with the hand and sling. The inhabitants of the Balearic Islands are said to have been the inventors of slings, and to have managed them with surprising dexterity, owing to the manner of bringing up their children. The children were not allowed to have their food by their mothers till they had first struck it with their sling. Soldiers, notwithstanding their defensive armour, are often more annoyed by the round stones from the sling than by all the arrows of the enemy. Stones kill without mangling the body, and the contusion is mortal without loss of blood. It is universally known the ancients employed slingers in all their engagements. There is the greater reason for instructing all troops, without exception, in this exercise, as the sling cannot be reckoned any encumbrance, and often is of the greatest service, especially when they are obliged to engage in stony places, to defend a mountain or an eminence, or to repulse an enemy at the attack of a castle or city.[20]
The sling is mentioned in theBible, which provides what is believed to be the oldest textual reference to a sling in theBook of Judges, 20:16. This text was thought to have been written c. 6th century BC,[21] but refers to events several centuries earlier.
The Bible provides a famous slinger account, the battle betweenDavid andGoliath from theFirst Book of Samuel 17:34–36, probably written in the 7th or 6th century BC, describing events that might have occurred c. 10th century BC. The sling, easily produced, was the weapon of choice for shepherds fending off animals. Due to this, the sling was a commonly used weapon by the Israelite militia.[22] Goliath was a tall, well equipped and experienced warrior. In this account, the shepherd David persuadesSaul to let him fight Goliath on behalf of the Israelites. Unarmoured and equipped only with a sling, five smooth rocks, and his staff, David defeats the champion Goliath with a well-aimed shot to the head, followed by a decapitation with Goliath's own sword.
Use of the sling is also mentioned in Second Kings 3:25, First Chronicles 12:2, and Second Chronicles 26:14 to further illustrate Israelite use.
Ancient peoples used the sling in combat—armies included both specialist slingers and regular soldiers equipped with slings. As aweapon, the sling had several advantages; a sling bullet lobbed in a high trajectory can achieve ranges in excess of 400 m (1,300 ft).[23] Modern authorities vary widely in their estimates of the effective range of ancient weapons. A bow and arrow could also have been used to produce a long range arcing trajectory, but ancient writers repeatedly stress the sling's advantage of range. The sling was light to carry and cheap to produce; ammunition in the form of stones was readily available and often to be found near the site of battle. The ranges the sling could achieve with moulded leadsling-bullets was surpassed only by the strongcomposite bow.
Caches of sling ammunition have been found at the sites ofIron Agehill forts ofEurope; some 22,000 sling stones were found atMaiden Castle, Dorset.[24] It is proposed that Iron Age hill forts of Europe were designed to maximize the effective defence by slingers.
The hilltop location of the wooden forts would have given the defending slingers the advantage of range over the attackers, and multiple concentricramparts, each higher than the other, would allow a large number of men to create a hailstorm of stone. Consistent with this, it has been noted that defences are generally narrow where the natural slope is steep, and wider where the slope is more gradual.
A classic sling is braided from non-elastic material. The traditional materials areflax,hemp orwool. Slings by Balearic islanders were said to be made from arush. Flax and hemp resist rotting, but wool is softer and more comfortable.Polyester is often used for modern slings, because it does not rot or stretch and is soft and free of splinters.
Braided cords are used in preference to twisted rope, as a braid resists twisting when stretched. This improves accuracy.[25]
The overall length of a sling can vary. A slinger may have slings of different lengths. A longer sling is used when greater range is required. A length of about 61 to 100 cm (2.0 to 3.3 ft) is typical.
At the centre of the sling, a cradle or pouch is constructed. This may be formed by making a wide braid from the same material as the cords or by inserting a piece of a different material such asleather. The cradle is typically diamond shaped (although some take the form of a net), and will fold around the projectile in use. Some cradles have a hole or slit that allows the material to wrap around the projectile slightly, thereby holding it more securely.
At the end of one cord (called the retention cord) a finger-loop is formed. At the end of the other cord (the release cord), it is a common practice to form a knot or a tab. The release cord will be held between finger and thumb to be released at just the right moment, and may have a complex braid to add bulk to the end. This makes the knot easier to hold, and the extra weight allows the loose end of a discharged sling to be recovered with a flick of the wrist.[26]
Braided construction resists stretching, and therefore produces an accurate sling. Modern slings are begun by plaiting the cord for the finger loop in the centre of a double-length set of cords. The cords are then folded to form the finger-loop. The retained cord is then plaited away from the loop as a single cord up to the pocket. The pocket is then plaited, most simply as another pair of cords, or with flat braids or a woven net. The remainder of the sling, the released cord, is plaited as a single cord, and then finished with a knot or plaited tab.
Ancient poets wrote that sling-bullets could penetrate armour, and that lead projectiles, heated by their passage through the air, would melt in flight.[27][28] In the first instance, it seems likely that the authors were indicating that slings could cause injury through armour by a percussive effect (i.e., the energy of a sling-bullet delivered at high velocity causing blunt trauma injury upon impact) rather than by penetration. In the latter case, it has been proposed that they were impressed by the degree of deformation suffered by lead sling-bullet after hitting a hard target.[29]
According to description ofProcopius, the sling had an effective range further than aHun bow and arrow. In his bookWars of Justinian, he recorded the felling of a Hun warrior by a slinger:
Now one of the Huns who was fighting before the others was making more trouble for the Romans than all the rest. And some rustic made a good shot and hit him on the right knee with a sling, and he immediately fell headlong from his horse to the ground, which thing heartened the Romans still more.[30]
The simplest projectile was a stone, preferably well-rounded. Suitable ammunition is frequently from a river or a beach. The size of the projectiles can vary dramatically, from pebbles massing no more than 50 g (1.8 oz) to fist-sized stones massing 500 g (18 oz) or more. The use of such stones as projectiles is well attested in the ethnographic record.[3]
Possible projectiles were also purpose-made fromclay; this allowed a very high consistency of size and shape to aid range and accuracy. Many examples have been found in the archaeological record.
The best ammunition wascast fromlead. Leaden sling-bullets were widely used in the Greek and Roman world. For a given mass, lead, being very dense, offers the minimum size and therefore minimum air resistance. In addition, leaden sling-bullets are small and difficult to see in flight; their concentrated impact is also a better armour-piercer and better able to penetrate a body.
In some cases, the lead would be cast in a simple open mould made by pushing a finger or thumb into sand and pouring molten metal into the hole. However, sling-bullets were more frequently cast in two-part moulds. Such sling-bullets come in a number of shapes including anellipsoidal form closely resembling an acorn; this could be the origin of the Latin word for a leaden sling-bullet:glandes plumbeae (literally 'leaden acorns') or simplyglandes (meaning 'acorns', singularglans).
Other shapes include spherical and (by far the most common) biconical, which resembles the shape of the shell of analmond nut or a flattenedAmerican football.
The ancients do not seem to have taken advantage of the manufacturing process to produce consistent results; leaden sling-bullets vary significantly. The reason why the almond shape was favoured is not clear: it is possible that there is some aerodynamic advantage, but it seems equally likely that there is some more prosaic reason, such as the shape being easy to extract from a mould, or the fact that it will rest in a sling cradle with little danger of rolling out. It is possible as well that the almond, non-circular shape made the bullet spin in flight in a helicopter or disc like effect adding to the flight distance.
Almond-shaped leaden sling-bullets were typically 35 mm (1.4 in) long, 20 mm (0.79 in) wide, and weighed 28 g (0.99 oz). Very often, symbols or writings were moulded into lead sling-bullets. Many examples have been found including a collection of about 80 sling-bullets from thesiege of Perusia inEtruria from 41 BC, to be found in the museum of modernPerugia. Examples of symbols include a stylized lightning bolt, a snake, and a scorpion – reminders of how a sling might strike without warning. Writing might include the name of the owning military unit or commander or might be more imaginative: "Take this", "Ouch", "get pregnant with this"[31] and even "ForPompey's backside" added insult to injury, whereasdexai ('take this' or 'catch!')[11] is merely sarcastic. InYavne, a sling bullet with the Greek inscription "Victory of Heracles and Hauronas" was discovered, the two gods were the patrons of the city during theHellenistic period.[32]
Julius Caesar writes inDe bello Gallico, book 5, about clay shot being heated before slinging, so that it might set fire to thatch.[33]
Some bullets have been found with holes drilled in them. It was thought the holes were to contain poison. John Reid of theTrimontium Trust, finding holed Roman bullets excavated at theBurnswark hillfort, has proposed that the holes would cause the bullets to "whistle" in flight and the sound would intimidate opponents. The holed bullets were generally small and thus not particularly dangerous. Several could fit into a pouch and a single slinger could produce a terrorizing barrage. Experiments with modern copies demonstrate they produce a whooshing sound in flight.[34]
TheBayeux Tapestry of the 1070s portrays the use of slings in a hunting context.Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor employed slingers during theSiege of Tortona in 1155 to suppress the garrison while his own men builtsiege engines.[35] Indeed, slings seem to have been a fairly common weapon in Italy during the 11th and 12th centuries.[36] Slings were also used by theByzantines.[37] On theIberian Peninsula, the Spanish and Portuguese infantry favoured it against light and agile Moorish troops. The staff sling continued to be used in sieges and the sling was used as a part oflarge siege engines.[38]
Several North American Indigenous tribes used slings, particularly for hunting and sometimes in warfare. The Northern Paiute, also known as Paviotso, were known to use slings for hunting and in war, and the Yokuts used them, though primarily by boys. Additionally, some tribes like the O'odham and Ojibwa had slings that were used as toys, though it's unclear if these were the only uses or if they replaced slings in other capacitiesIn ancient Andean civilizations such as theInca Empire, slings were made from llama wool. These slings typically have a cradle that is long and thin and features a relatively long slit. Andean slings were constructed from contrasting colours of wool; complex braids and fine workmanship can result in beautiful patterns. Ceremonial slings were also made; these were large, non-functional and generally lacked a slit. To this day, ceremonial slings are used in parts of the Andes as accessories in dances and in mock battles. They are also used by llama herders; the animals will move away from the sound of a stone landing. The stones are not slung to hit the animals, but to persuade them to move in the desired direction.[40]
The sling was also used in the Americas for hunting and warfare. One notable use was in Incan resistance against theconquistadors. These slings were apparently very powerful; in1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus, authorCharles C. Mann quoted a conquistador as saying that an Incan sling "could break a sword in two pieces" and "kill a horse".[41] Some slings spanned as much as 2.2 meters (86 in) long and weighed an impressive 410 grams (14.4 oz).[42][43]
Slings were used extensively in many parts of Oceania.[44] Several Pacific Islander groups are known to have utilized the sling as a weapon or tool. These include various Polynesian, Micronesian, and Melanesian tribes. Specifically, Polynesian groups like the Maori of New Zealand, the Hawaiians, and the Tongans, alongside Micronesian and Melanesian tribes, are documented as having used slings. The Maori, known for their rich cultural heritage, historically used slings for various purposes, including warfare and hunting. Native Hawaiians Slings were also part of the traditional weaponry of the Native Hawaiians. The Tongan people, renowned for their seafaring skills and warrior culture, employed slings in their arsenal.[45]
TheChamorro reached a terrific competency with the weapon as witnessed by 17th century Belgianmissionary, Pedro Coomans: "Their offensive weapons include the sling, which they aim very skillfully at the head. Out of small ropes they weave a sort of net-bag, in which to carry stones with an oblong shape, some formed out of a marble stone, and others of clay, hardened in either the sun or fire. They whirl and shoot those so violently. Should it make an impact upon a more delicate part, like the heart, or the head, the man is flattened on the spot. Then, if envy would make them want to burn a house from a distance, they would stuff the perforated side of it with tow burning with a very ferocious fire, which, with a swift movement became a flame, and sail away to seek shelter in enemy houses."[46] The sling stone (in its "almond"/ovoid shape) is a vital cultural artifact of Chamorro culture, enough so, that it was adopted for the Guamian flag and state seal.[46]
The staff sling, also known as the stave sling,fustibalus (Latin), andfustibale (French), consists of a staff (a length ofwood) with a short sling at one end. One cord of the sling is firmly attached to the stave and the other end has a loop that can slide off and release the projectile. Staff slings are extremely powerful because the stave can be made as long as two meters, creating a powerfullever. Ancient art shows slingers holding staff slings by one end, with the pocket behind them, and using both hands to throw the staves forward over their heads.
The staff sling has a similar or superior range to the shepherd's sling, and can be as accurate in practiced hands. It is generally suited for heavier missiles and siege situations as staff slings can achieve very steep trajectories for slinging over obstacles such as castle walls. The staff itself can become a close combat weapon in a melee. The staff sling is able to throw heavy projectiles a much greater distance and at a higher arc than a hand sling. Staff slings were in use well into the age of gunpowder as grenade launchers, and were used in ship-to-ship combat to throw incendiaries.[citation needed][47]
Piao Shi (飃石, lit. 'whirlwind stone'), also known asShou Pao (手砲, lit. hand cannon) during theSong period, is the Chinese name for staff sling. It consists of a short cord tied to one end of a fivechi bamboo pole, and is usually employed in siege defense alongside larger stone throwers. It is depicted and described in theJi Xiao Xin Shu (紀效新書).
Thekestros (also known as thekestrosphendone,cestrus, orcestrosphendone) is a sling weapon mentioned by Livy and Polybius. It seems to have been a heavydart flung from a leather sling. It was invented in 168 BC and was employed by some of theMacedonian troops of King Perseus in theThird Macedonian War.
Thetraction trebuchet was a siege engine which uses the power of men pulling on ropes or the energy stored in a raised weight to rotate what was, again, a staff sling. It was designed so that, when the throwing arm of the trebuchet had swung forward sufficiently, one end of the sling would automatically become detached and release the projectile. Some trebuchets were small and operated by a very small crew; however, unlike theonager, it was possible to build the trebuchet on a gigantic scale: such giants could hurl enormous rocks at huge ranges. Trebuchets are, in essence, mechanized slings.
Traditional slinging is still practiced as it always has been in the Balearic Islands,[citation needed] and competitions and leagues are common. In the rest of the world, the sling is primarily a hobby weapon, and a growing number of people make and practice with them. In recent years 'slingfests' have been held in Wyoming, USA, in September 2007 and in Staffordshire, England, in June 2008.[citation needed]
According toGuinness World Records, the current record for the greatest distance achieved in hurling an object from a sling is 477.10 m (1,565 ft 3 in), using a 127 cm (50 in) long sling and a 62 g (2.2 oz) dart, set by David Engvall at Baldwin Lake, California, on September 13, 1992.[48]
The principles of the sling may find use on a larger scale in the future; proposals exist fortether propulsion of spacecraft, which functionally is an oversized sling to propel a spaceship.
The sling is used today as a weapon primarily by protestors, to launch either stones orincendiary devices, such asMolotov cocktails. Classic woolen slings are still in use in the Middle East by Arab nomads and Bedouins to ward off jackals and hyenas.International Brigades used slings to throw grenades during theSpanish Civil War. Similarly, theFinns made use of sling-launched Molotov cocktails in theWinter War againstSoviet tanks. Slings were used during the variousPalestinian riots against modern army personnel and riot police. They were also used in the 2008 disturbances in Kenya.[49][50]
Andalusian Vaquero (1825). A Spanish,Andalusian, vaquero or herdsman, with a “garrocha” or lance and a “honda” or sling to herd cattle.
A Tibetan girl guarding a herd of goats slings a small rock.
Arab shepherd boy using a sling, c. 1900–1920, Jerusalem
^Knoppers, Gary, "Is There a Future for the Deuteronomistic History?", In Thomas Romer,The Future of the Deuteronomistic History, Leuven University Press, 2000ISBN978-90-429-0858-1, p. 119.
^Yigael Yadin,The Art of Warfare in Biblical Lands (Jerusalem: International Publishing Company, 1963), 34–35
^Cunliffe, Barry (2005).Iron Age Communities in Britain: An Account of England, Scotland and Wales from the Seventh Century BC until the Roman Conquest (4th ed.). Routledge. p. 136.ISBN978-0-415-56292-8.
^Cahlander, Adele (1980).Sling Braiding of the Andes (Weaver's Journal Monograph IV). St. Paul, MN: Dos Tejadores.ISBN978-0937452035.
^Lucretius,On the Nature of Things--"Just as thou seest how motion will o'erheat /And set ablaze all objects, - verily /A leaden ball, hurtling through length of space, /Even melts."
^Virgil,The Aeneid, Book 9, Stanza LXXV – "His lance laid by, thrice whirling round his head / The whistling thong, Mezentius took his aim. / Clean through his temples hissed the molten lead, /And prostrate in the dust, the gallant youth lay dead."
^Pritchett, W. Kendrick (1992).The Greek State at War: Part V. University of California Press. pp. 24–25, footnote 44.ISBN978-0-520-07374-6.
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