Slinging.org Forum - Assyrian Slings with "Tails"

Dale

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Re: Assyrian Slings with "Tails"
Reply #30 - May 16^th, 2006 at 3:00pm

CanDo,
A short sling and an overhand (Apache?) cast are a good combination for short range. Out past 35 yards, even Grandfather (as Forsyth called him) had trouble: still accurate, but no impact. I can cast a golf ball a hundred yards, underhand or figure-8 overhand, but not Apache overhand. Of course, those slingers could be using a figure-8 ... from their appearance, they'd be in the windup, just about to bring the slings behind their backs.

?? You are right, that other archer isn't touching his bow...

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Dale

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Re: Assyrian Slings with "Tails"
Reply #31 - May 16^th, 2006 at 3:52pm

Bjärn,
I think there is no one "right" way to sling. I like Knollslinger's narrow grip: a knot at the end of the release cord, a matching knot on the retained cord, both knots gripped between thumb and forefinger. I like it because I have used it almost as long as I've been slinging and it feels comfortable. I did try the way you and Lobo hold the cord, and it does not work for 1/8-inch (3 mm) nylon cord; the cord is too thin to grip. But I remember trying it with one of my braided slings (cord thickness about 1/4-inch or 6 mm) and it worked well.

I think holding the cord with your whole hand, is more secure if you are slinging something heavy. I don't sling anything much heavier than about a hundred grams, because I fear the knot may slip from my fingers.

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Dale Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Posts: 1581 California, USA Gender:	Re: Assyrian Slings with "Tails" Reply #32 - May 16^th, 2006 at 4:40pm Mgreenfield, I google'd on "Choctaw toli" and I got one good hit. University of Georgia Flying Rats , one of two "paleface" toli teams. They have a history of the game, and descriptions of variations.
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lobohunter Interfector Viris Spurii Offline where be a rock and a string there be a sling Posts: 1945 Cottage Grove or Gender:	Re: Assyrian Slings with "Tails" Reply #33 - May 16^th, 2006 at 7:25pm heres My standard grip
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SEB

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Re: Assyrian Slings with "Tails"
Reply #34 - May 17^th, 2006 at 1:57pm

Hai everybody

Some time since I last visited...
I hope I understood all the ideas and info well.
But judging this with only the drawing as example is not so ok.
I found that many drawings are not all that accurate repesentatifs of the ancient art.
There is a lot of details missing or not in place.

So hereby I post a good picture of an origional peace of baserelief.
This is one of the pictures I used for making my own replica (see the "assyrian slingers"-post from some time ago)

The picture comes from this site:

http://biblelandpictures.com/gallery/gallery.asp?action=browse&categoryid=55&whi...

A lot more old-tyme weapons and stuff there .

You can clearly see the cord splitted, up to the hand.
Why the long cord? Many good suggestion are allready given.
But there is another problem...I see no wristloop!

The art in those days was very accurate and precisely detailed. No artistic freedom in those days.
Remeber this is all state-propaganda.
So now what?
I don't know, I think I'll stick to my dubble fingerloops. Wink

Sander

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is it a bird? is it a plane? no, it's a...DUCK!!&&ffffFFFkadef!!...auw, that's not a duck, thats a rock!!

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CanDo Interfector Viris Spurii Past Moderator Offline Posts: 1652 New England, USA Gender:	Re: Assyrian Slings with "Tails" Reply #35 - May 17^th, 2006 at 3:35pm THANK YOU! I believe that the time has come.... Well, I've always wanted to do that..... More food for thought, could the tail be a noise maker? Can it help stabilize the shot?
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CanDo

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Re: Assyrian Slings with "Tails"
Reply #36 - May 17^th, 2006 at 3:40pm

I think that the image makes it fairly clear that it is the retention cord which has that tail... It seems like it would just get in the way and slap the user's forearm.....

Perhaps it could be used as a sight of sorts? Or for guaging distance? (user knows the elevation of his arm sort of thing)

Decoration?
Status (like the longer it is the more powerful the soldier)? Coming of age type of thing?

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siguy Interfector Viris Spurii Offline si vis pacem para bellum Posts: 1714 connecticut Gender:	Re: Assyrian Slings with "Tails" Reply #37 - May 17^th, 2006 at 3:43pm perhaps the intention of the long tail has something to do with making noise, as cando suggests. maybe it is something like the whip sling that someone put together a while back(i seem to have a tendency to forget who made what, doesn't it seem that way?)
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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 #38 - May 17^th, 2006 at 3:59pm that would have been Matthias was a cool sling Cando might be right about it but still the risk of the stone getting caught would be pretty severe
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CanDo

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Re: Assyrian Slings with "Tails"
Reply #39 - May 17^th, 2006 at 7:49pm

How would the stone get caught? It is the retention cord after all. Matthias's (awesome) whip-sling popped on the release cord. Really, any noise making properties would make the most sense to be built into the sling itself, not into a tail.... Could that even make any noise??

I'm going to think some about how it could be used as a tool to measure distance (crazy, but you never know).... How did archers and other slingers do it?

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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 #40 - May 18^th, 2006 at 2:14am The appearance of some Assyrian artwork seems to point toward the use of a 'whip tail' for the same purpose of Matthias' setup. Then too, I wonder if it is possible that one was able to open the hand just enough to dump the rock while catching the tail for a quick reload? Doubtful. TS
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Matthias

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Re: Assyrian Slings with "Tails"
Reply #41 - May 18^th, 2006 at 2:39am

Doubtfull... Wink

Since we are speculating, I'll point out that the tail of my sling-whip is significantly longer than the release cord length as well. I normally fold it back and pinch it at the fold, but if I let it hang through my palm it would be about the same length as the slings pictured.

The Balearic slings are held in much the same way, using a full palm grip.

SEB's photo sure looks like it is the retention side that is longer. I used to make slings like this, before I discovered finger loops. My grip passes the retention cord between my index and middle fingers, and I used to wrap the rentention cord around the bottom three fingers once to ensure... well... retention.

Matthias

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mgreenfield

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Re: Assyrian Slings with "Tails"
Reply #42 - May 18^th, 2006 at 9:05am

SEB's picture answers my questions! Grin

It IS a sling, NOT a throwing stick. The extra length DOES appear to be on the retained NOT the released cord.

My bet is that those slingers just wrapped a couple turns of the retained cord around their hand, and let the long end hang.

Perhaps the extra "fatness" of cord wrapped in the hand made gripping the retained cord easier.

Perhaps the slinging motion applied to the hanging end made it tend to stay wrapped instead of coming unwound.

Hmmmm. I have to build another sling soon to test all this. Maybe other slingsters here will want to try it, too.

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Yahweh Bless you in Yeshua

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Re: Assyrian Slings with "Tails"
Reply #43 - May 18^th, 2006 at 11:41am

Check this out:

In light of pictographic evidence, I believe that there can be no doubt that they used signal slings....and for the very same reason Matthias made his. To give off a loud 'Bang'.....which, in unison with other slings would have made for an impressive show! Some tablets also appear to depict slings with wrist loops and tails....the extra length would certainly have made some sound, intentional or otherwise. I wonder, what else did the ancients learn about the sling?

TS

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CanDo Interfector Viris Spurii Past Moderator Offline Posts: 1652 New England, USA Gender:	Re: Assyrian Slings with "Tails" Reply #44 - May 18^th, 2006 at 7:38pm way to ruin the fun! haha, Actually, I do concur, that picture gives everything some sense. Nice Find
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