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General >> General Slinging Discussion >> Slings in Fiji https://slinging.org/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1341882046 Message started by _kava_ on Jul 9th, 2012 at 9:00pm |
Title: Slings in Fiji Post by _kava_ on Jul 9th, 2012 at 9:00pm
G'Day :)
Recently I was visiting the small pacific island nation of Fiji for a wedding :) I didn't get the chance to visit the capital (and its museum), but being aware that slings were used in the pacific, I kept an eye out for any info I could find... no luck seeing anyone using one though :( but I was able to find a small text published by the museum that catalogued (with brief descriptions) pieces in its collection. Yay! some info on slings in Fiji became apparent. The text is "Yalo-i-Viti" a Fiji museum catalogue by Fergus Clunie, reprinted in 2003. ISBN: 982-208-005-0 Adapted from the text: 173. iRabo, sling. The strings are braided from coir (coconut husks) sinnet, whilst the raft of strings which from the pouch are whipped and bound together with hibiscus bast cordage. Length of stings, 625 and 701 mm. Fights usually began with a hail of arrows and slingstones. In using the sling the looped end of one string was slipped over the index finger of the throwing hand, whilst the knotted end of the other was gripped between thumb and index finger. A heavy cobble - often up to about the size of a tennis ball - was placed in the pouch, and the sling swung through a single whipping arc, the knotted end of the cord being released with a flick which sent the stone hurtling towards its target. Boys were schooled in the use of the sling and the dodging from its missiles from infancy, so that while slingstones flew thick and fast in skirmishes, they inflicted fewer casualties than might otherwise have been expected. Where they did hit, however, slingstones inflicted stunning, often crippling, and sometimes immediately fatal wounds. Accuracy was far from precise, the stones generally being loosed in volleys. |
Title: Re: Slings in Fiji Post by xxkid123 on Jul 9th, 2012 at 10:27pm
Dodging sling stones? Surely doable but in my a opinion nearly a feat to do it with consistency. Even in volleys I would think it would be difficult to spot every single one of the stones coming your way. Ricochet wouldn't help either. A lot of respect for them...
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Title: Re: Slings in Fiji Post by Matt Borel on Jul 9th, 2012 at 11:50pm
Glad to see the comments on accuracy and volley strategy, as I have suspected that slings were utilized more for cover fire, harassment, and "hail of stones" volleys from and/or into a group, and that the tales of intentional, accurate one-on-one attacks were not that common. Or that the events were less common than the stories. Even in the age of rifles many battles involve groups of riflemen firing at enemy groups. To think that slingers in armies would be trying to hit dispersed, indidvidual targets seems pretty optimistic.
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Title: Re: Slings in Fiji Post by Rat Man on Jul 10th, 2012 at 2:06pm
Very interesting, Kava. Thanks.
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Title: Re: Slings in Fiji Post by Torc on Jul 10th, 2012 at 8:10pm Quote:
This always gets me. In a firing line accuracy was not the goal, as long as you could sent the round as far as was needed, into a large group, you were certainly going to hit someone somwhere. This was no different for archers who got the arch and released on command. (Being around SCA combat archers teaches you a thing or two). |
Title: Re: Slings in Fiji Post by _kava_ on Dec 6th, 2012 at 10:12pm
G'day :)
Well, I was fortunate enough to be able to travel to Fiji again (for another Hindu wedding) and this time I made sure I visited the Fiji Museum in the capital, Suva. The Museum was third world. All the signs and display cabinets were hand made by the staff and the presentation of the items of the collection were not the best they could be. This actually made the museum probably one of the best I have ever visited, because having done all the work themselves definitely made what the staff had done with the place more of an achievement! No slings were on display, but I managed to obtain a copy of "Fijian Weapons and Warfare" by Fergus Clunie. This text has a one page chapter on slings as found in Fiji: Quote:
an interesting tidbit: Quote:
_K_ |
Title: Re: Slings in Fiji Post by David Morningstar on Dec 7th, 2012 at 3:33am Great stuff! 8-) |
Title: Re: Slings in Fiji Post by Dan on Dec 7th, 2012 at 8:10am
Cool stuff man! Thanks for posting! :)
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Title: Re: Slings in Fiji Post by Bill Skinner on Dec 7th, 2012 at 11:50am
That is some great info. Thank you for posting it.
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Title: Re: Slings in Fiji Post by Morphy on Dec 8th, 2012 at 5:37pm
Great info and I love the look of that sling you posted.
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Title: Re: Slings in Fiji Post by teilmtaball on Jan 18th, 2022 at 6:21pm
In Fiji now, thanks for the head start. Iʻll be on the search!
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Title: Re: Slings in Fiji Post by Kick on Jan 19th, 2022 at 12:41pm
Welcome to the forum and thanks for bringing this post back up to the surface. There are some really interesting aspects about these descriptions:
1. The training to dodge slingstones. As mentioned, that must have been so difficult, but the fact it's something being trained for indicates it's possible and efforts to avoid slingstones were expected to be a good warrior. 2. That slingers were separated from archers and perhaps had a different role. It's not mentioned whether the archers had a secondary close-up weapon, but slingers specifically had clubs that they would use after barraging the enemy with stones and that the sling was a good pair for a club because it's so portable. It really shows how having warriors that could sling as well as fight hand-to-hand was just as true in Fiji as it was when Vegetius said that all troops should be taught how to sling specifically because the sling is so easy to carry. I love that either ends of the world worked out slings are pretty neat :D I feel we need a podcast episode on this stuff... |
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