Curious Aardvark
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Taller than the average Dwarf
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Midlands England
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[quote]We generally assume that slingers, like the sheppard communities from which they were traditionally drawn, were of comparatively low status[/quote]
Umm I think you are speaking mainly for yourself there. I would imagine that most of us (and I may well be equally guilty here) would assume that a professional slinger in an army would be accorded the same sort of status as a latter day bowman. The equivalent of a modern day weapons specialist perhaps. On top of which some of the communities that furnished large numbers of slingers were not shepherds - the balearic island slingers were frequently from fishing communities and as often came from families that had traditions as slinger mercenaries. Somewhat like the swiss mercenary tradition. Assuming that the majority of professional slingers were shepherds (who was looking after the sheep) is probably not entirely accurate.
After all the number of the enemy you could bring down with ranged fire would improve the odds of the hand to hand fighting tremendously so one would think that a slinger would have had pretty decent status among their fellow soldiers.
[quote]They were one of the few branches of society that might actually get paid with money rather than barter. They also tended to be young, mobile, and predominantly male. The closest modern analog would be software engineers[/quote] Surely again, soldiers are a much better modern analogue, or plumbers or europaen migrant workers - most of the software engineers I know no longer travel round to jobs but conduct more and more business remotely - for which a better ancient analogue would have been a merchant or static trader.
According a slinger soldeirs status makes a lot more sense. A soldiers status in general society is something that has not changed down the years and kipling (as usual) says it best:-
[center]Tommy By Rudyard Kipling, 1892[/center]
[i]I went into a public- 'ouse to get a pint o' beer,
The publican 'e up an sez, "We serve no red-coats here."
The girls behind the bar they laughed an' giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street again an' to myself sez I:
O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy go away";
But it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins," when the band begins to play-
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it's "Thank you Mr Atkins," when the band begins to play.
I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
They gave a drunk civilian roo, but 'adn't none for me;
They sent me to the gallery or round the music-'alls,
But when it comes to fighting', Lord! They'll shove me in the stalls!
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy wait outside";
But it's "Special train for Atkins," when the trooper's on the tide-
The troopship's on the tide, my boys, the troopship's on the tide,
O it's "Special train for Atkins," when the trooper's on the tide.
Yes, makin' mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an' they're starvation cheap;
An' hustlin' drunken soldiers when they're goin' large a bit
Is five times better business than paradin' in full kit.
Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy 'ow's yer soul?"
But it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll-
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it's " Thin red line of 'eroes," when the drums begin to roll.
We aren't no thin red 'eroes, nor we aren't no blackguards too,
But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
An' if sometimes our conduck isn't all your fancy paints,
Why single men in barricks don't grow into plaster saints;
While it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy fall be'ind,"
But it's "Please to walk in front, sir," when there's trouble in the wind-
There's trouble in the wind, my boys, there's trouble in the wind,
O it's "Please to walk in front, sir," when there's trouble in the wind.
You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires, an' all:
We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck 'im out, the brute!"
But it's "Saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool - you bet that Tommy sees!
Note:
It was the Duke of Wellington who coined the popular nickname Thomas (or Tommy) Atkins, for the ordinary soldier. In 1843, whilst Commander-in-Chief, he was asked to come up with a 'typical' soldier's name. Thinking back to his first campaign in the Low Countries in the 1790s he remembered a badly wounded, but stoical, soldier he had encountered - Thomas Atkins.[/i]
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