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Assyrian Slings with "Tails" (Read 9323 times)

mgreenfield

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Assyrian Slings with "Tails"
May 12^th, 2006 at 6:24pm

Fellow slingsters, ....

...both images of ancient Assyrian slingers in the Historical gallery show them using slings with "tails". See below

We have to assume these guys knew what they were doing when they made these slings!!

I recently made a "long-tailed" sling, and gave it a try. It worked awful!! The ammo seemed to get somehow caught in the sling about half the time.

What am I missing in not being able to use a "long-tailed" Assyrian sling?? What did the "long-tails" do for the Assyrian slingers??

Inquiring minds want to know!

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Taiki Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Don't tell my mom i'm here will you... Posts: 1255 belgium Gender:	Re: Assyrian Slings with "Tails" Reply #1 - May 12^th, 2006 at 7:05pm maybe its just due to the assyrians bad drawing (thats twice i break down an old civ's drawing capabillities) Or the depicted a ceremonial sling never really meant to be used ?
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Matthias Past Moderator Offline Posts: 1418 Gatineau/Ottawa QC, Canada Gender:	Re: Assyrian Slings with "Tails" Reply #2 - May 12^th, 2006 at 8:42pm Full hand grips are nice for heavy rocks and heavy rocks are good for throwing at Hittites? Matthias
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CanDo Interfector Viris Spurii Past Moderator Offline Posts: 1652 New England, USA Gender:	Re: Assyrian Slings with "Tails" Reply #3 - May 12^th, 2006 at 11:38pm perhaps they were included to show that they were slings as opposed to clubs? I'm sure that taken in context that breaks down quickly, but just a thought.
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CanDo Interfector Viris Spurii Past Moderator Offline Posts: 1652 New England, USA Gender:	Re: Assyrian Slings with "Tails" Reply #4 - May 12^th, 2006 at 11:39pm Ooh, another thought. They didn't have different length slings, so were adjusting them for closer range.
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siguy Interfector Viris Spurii Offline si vis pacem para bellum Posts: 1714 connecticut Gender:	Re: Assyrian Slings with "Tails" Reply #5 - May 13^th, 2006 at 8:47am perhaps, cando, but then the pouch would turn lopsided, unless they were using strip slings, or slings with really long pouches. both a possibility, and it makes sense, but i don't know...
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Dale

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Re: Assyrian Slings with "Tails"
Reply #6 - May 13^th, 2006 at 10:28am

I think I read somewhere that slings used to be made with no fingerloop or wrist-strap or anything. You picked it up, weaved one end around your fingers, held the other end and slung. The advantage was that you didn't need to waste time figuring out which end to hold, after you unwound it from your waist or peeled it off your head or whatever.

So the extra cord hanging from those guys hands, could be the end of the retained cord, not the release cord.

No, I don't live in a glass house.&&&&"If builders built buildings the way programmers write programs, then the first woodpecker that came along would destroy civilization."&&&&Context matters! "Nothing but net" is a BAD thing in tennis...

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Yahweh Bless you in Yeshua

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Re: Assyrian Slings with "Tails"
Reply #7 - May 13^th, 2006 at 1:15pm

Upon closer inspection, more detail seems to be revealed....which information dovetails nicely with the historical account that the Assyrians were once caught off guard during a celebration meal by the Israelites.

Having no time, and thinking quickly, they resorted to using their bent soup ladles to scald the rapidly advancing enemy with hot, spicy meatballs. Legend has it that had it not been for two brave archers on watch that evening, Lo'rel and Ha'ar'de'.....the slaughter would have been complete, without a single casualty to the attacking army.

Thus the first ever recorded food fight was waged and lost in a course of minutes. Though Assyrian scribes, under strict order from their resentful and stubborn king, Sennacherib, recorded the event as a 'blistering' defeat for their enemies.

TS

« Last Edit: May 13^th, 2006 at 7:05pm by Yahweh Bless you in Yeshua »

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bigkahuna past-moderator Offline Posts: 3894 Delaware, USA Gender:	Re: Assyrian Slings with "Tails" Reply #8 - May 13^th, 2006 at 9:11pm LOL Great Story. Truely one for the Anals of history.
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Yahweh Bless you in Yeshua Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Matthew 11:25-30 Posts: 1700 Gender:	Re: Assyrian Slings with "Tails" Reply #9 - May 14^th, 2006 at 12:13am Yes.....quite right. It was rather corny, even for me. TS
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bigkahuna past-moderator Offline Posts: 3894 Delaware, USA Gender:	Re: Assyrian Slings with "Tails" Reply #10 - May 14^th, 2006 at 12:16am A story like that deserves a Laurel, and Hearty handshake.
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Yahweh Bless you in Yeshua Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Matthew 11:25-30 Posts: 1700 Gender:	Re: Assyrian Slings with "Tails" Reply #11 - May 14^th, 2006 at 12:26am Yeah, Moe and Curly just didn't have the cache' I was shooting for....... TS
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Re: Assyrian Slings with "Tails"
Reply #12 - May 15^th, 2006 at 4:23am

we have to assume that these pics are accurate because the archers' equipment is very accurately drawn.

there is something here which isn't readily apparent. i

EITHER there must be an unknown slinging technique that allows or requires use of a tail - i have also tried a sling with such a tail, and found it impossible to use.

OR - is it possible that these are some kind of staff sling, and that the projecting end is rigid? it looks like they are using one of those "toy" staff slings that people use to throw balls for dogs.

if they are just in tha act of throwing, maybe a flexible wooden armature would bend in the way shown.

unlikely but possible?

sv

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mgreenfield

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Re: Assyrian Slings with "Tails"
Reply #13 - May 15^th, 2006 at 9:11am

sv, .....ohmygosh! Shocked

maybe you're on to something. It IS interesting that the slings appear to be carefully drawn to look like big spoons. ALSO, there is NO indication of 2 cords going down to the slingers' hands. AND details of clothing, etc are (also?) carefully drawn.

If these are small "spoon" staff slings, the shape of the pocket must have been very well thought out to get just the right "action" on the rock. Also, the ammo standardized to work best.

Anybody have any ideas re the best pocket shape?? Any woodcarvers out there who want to experiment??

FYI Staff slings are STILL very much in use while the regular flexible sling is not so much.

The racquet used in playing Lacrosse is a staff sling, as is the cesta used in playing Jai-ali (sp?). There may be other examples.

In WWII the Germans used a hand-grenade on a throwing stick. The whole thing was thrown though. It was dubbed a "potato masher" because of it's appearance.

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Yahweh Bless you in Yeshua Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Matthew 11:25-30 Posts: 1700 Gender:	Re: Assyrian Slings with "Tails" Reply #14 - May 15^th, 2006 at 9:50am I think I finally get it now...... Slinging is an art and a science. A culinary science....Soup's on....Come and get it! If ye dare..... TS
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