Hondero
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Madrid-SPAIN
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Matolay, Interesting those Chinese (an others) trebuchets opperatint directly by hand as big staff-sling with a tripod.
Well, going through my sling references, I´ve found one relative to Danish. It´s a text of Saxo, a remarkable Danish historian that wrote an epic history of the Danish, at the beginning of XII century and in Latin, with the title of Gesta Danorum, mixture of chronicle, myth and legend. In this source Shakespeare was inspired to write the Hamlet. One of the events described is the war against Sweden. In a passage of it the slingers take part. I do not know the history of Denmark, and Saxo uses a chronology based on the names of the kings, not in the dates, so I do not know if the described battle corresponds to the time of the so called Vikings, although I think yes, and in any case it is a testimony of the use of the sling by the Danish of the Middle Age. The passage that I transcribe has fascinated me so much, as the crudity beats in it and you can feel in a vivid way the horror and reality of the medieval battles.
“Then the trumpets sounded, and both sides engaged in battle with all their strength. The sky seemed to fall suddenly on the earth, fields and woods to sink into the ground; all things were confounded, and old Chaos come again; heaven and earth mingling in one tempestuous turmoil, and the world rushing to universal ruin. For, when the spear-throwing began, the intolerable clash of arms filled the air with an incredible thunder. The steam of the wounds suddenly hung a mist over the sky, the daylight was hidden under the hail of spears. The help of the slingers was of great use in the battle. But when the missiles had all been flung from hand or engines, they fought with swords or iron-shod maces; and it was now at close quarters that most blood was spilt. Then the sweat streamed down their weary bodies, and the clash of the swords could be heard afar.”
I love epic ¡¡
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