One of the most ancient types of throwing weapons is the sling. This weapon, which has excellent destructive power, is now undeservedly forgotten and is perceived with a smile. If the bow or crossbow is certainly perceived as a serious weapon, then the sling is more like a child's toy. However, in ancient times, the sling was used everywhere, and it was used during various wars that took place on the territory of Greece, Persia, and even the Roman Empire. In service with some European medieval armies, the slings were used until the appearance of firearms.
What is a classic sling
The device slings in essence is nothing complicated. This is a simple strip of textiles of any kind, leather, bast or other available material that was available in a particular locale. Often, a usual rope was used to make a sling, on which in the middle a leather pocket for the projectile was sewn. Sometimes the sling was woven from ropes, making the weaving wider in the middle.
The most common model of the sling in ancient times was a simple belt sling, with an extension in the center. Sometimes, for ease of use, a cord was attached to one end of the sling, which was attached to the middle or index finger of the shooter. Such a sling was used not only for training in shooting a sling, but also as a variant of military weapons. Often, a sling for combat throwing made a special indentation, in order to better position the sling projectile.
Although the sling does not differ in a variety of different modifications, there were still a few modifications that differed significantly from each other:
- The classic belt or rope slingshot, which was the most popular throwing weapon not only in ancient Greece, but also all over the world. In order to learn to use virtuoso slings, ancient warriors have been practicing since childhood. It is worth noting that the sling shooting was considered an ignoble occupation and real warriors neglected these weapons, although the sling projectile, released by a professional's hand, easily pierced a metal helmet;
- Less known was the sling, made in the form of a scourge. This weapon was a long whip, to which was attached a strong rope or loop. This type of sling was used in medieval Europe. Slings of this type were made of metal in the form of small balls;
- The most simple and rare modification of the sling, which was a cross between a spearman and a sling, is an ordinary stick, split at the end. Shooting from this type of sling was not effective enough, although not only stones or sling shells could be inserted into the split end, but also various metal products, such as darts, etc.
The sling is the simplest throwing weapon, its principle of action is unique and is not repeated in any other type of cold weapon. A stone or projectile from a sling flies under the influence of centrifugal force, which causes it to pick up a huge initial speed and fly a considerable distance.
The centrifugal force itself is used not only in the sling, but also in the catapult, and even in javelin throwing (the arm moves in an arc as it moves), but the preliminary spin of the projectile used in the sling is a unique phenomenon.
The history of the emergence and popularization of the sling
Since the sling device is simple, this is what determined the group of people using these weapons. According to the legends, the shepherd was invented by ancient shepherds who had no other weapon than stones, staffs and clubs. A few people who skillfully used sleds, not only could effectively drive away wolves, but also easily get a few wolf hides.
A new throwing weapon that appeared 3-4 millennia ago quickly attracted an army with its effectiveness. It is not known which troops first began to use the sling en masse, but already the Persians attacking the ancient Greeks had entire groups of sopers. According to ancient sources, the ancient Persians not only fell into a man at a distance of 100 meters, but also killed him with one blow that hit his head.
The ancient Greeks, who had previously perceived the sling as a weapon of shepherds, immediately adopted this weapon, seeing what damage it causes on the battlefield. It was from the Greeks that the slant passed to the ancient Romans. The Romans invented the use of clay cores, which had been previously fired in a kiln, as inexpensive projectiles. For the masters of firing from the sling, nuclei were made of lead. A lead shell hit the enemy’s head (even protected by a helmet) guaranteed death in 98 out of 100 cases. There were lead shells weighing up to 400 grams. Hitting such a "pebble" easily broke bones. Shells for sling were worn in a special bag that wore over her shoulder. Sometimes these bags were worn on the belt.
The most skillful horns of the ancient world were the inhabitants of the island of Rhodes, who wove their hair streaks, preferring women. The same skillful warriors in handling slings were the inhabitants of the Balearic Islands. An experienced warrior who was a native of these islands could kill a bull at a distance of about 150 meters. On the battlefield with Rhodian or Bolear horns, only Cretan archers, who fired much farther, could make a worthy competition.
In Europe, the latest cases of the use of sling in wars were recorded in the 16th century, during the Huguenot wars.
Sling shooting
Since an ordinary stone, thrown by the hand of a professional warrior, flies a maximum of 50 meters, the appearance of a sling increased this figure at least 3 times.
Any piece of cloth or rope, 1.5-2 meters long can serve as a sling. To do this, it is enough to fold it in half, and in the middle put a projectile. After this sling spins for 2 ends above his head. Having unscrewed the sling above your head, you should release one end from your hand. After that, the stone will fly in the right direction.
Although the sling is almost forgotten nowadays, there is still an anchor competition in the Balearic Islands. The speed of the projectile from the sling, released by the hand of a modern slinger, reaches 190 km / h, while the accuracy of the impact is enormous. Those who wish to learn how to work with sling should know that although the sling is easy to manufacture, it is much more difficult to master than other types of throwing weapons.
