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Medieval Finnish Slings (Read 24997 times)
Mangrove
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Medieval Finnish Slings
Jun 29th, 2009 at 8:15am
 
Harjula, J. & Jokela, S. 2003. Slings and Shoes: Leather Finds from Two Excavations. Kaupunkia pintaa syvemmältä. Arkeologisia näkökulmia Turun historiaan. Archaeologia Medii Aevi Finlandiae IX. Turku. Pg. 264.

"Some of the leather finds turned out to be slings, which could have been used both as toys and as weapons. The slings from the Åbo Akademi site could perhaps be considered to be some kind of temporary or peasant weapons, with actual war weapons functioning as their models. Also the excavations at Turku Castle have produced one sling (Figure 3)."

Most of them are made out of used (shoe?) leather but the two dark ones are cut from fresh hide.

Figure 3. Six slings from Åbo Akademi site and one from bailey of Turku Castle. Åbo Akademi's slings at top row from left to right  TMM 21816:NE10421, NE50095, NE13230 and bottom row NE134100, NE5005, NE20053. The most bottom one is the sling from Turku Castle, KM 96001:4417. Photograph by TMM / Janne Harjula.

...
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David Morningstar
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Re: Medieval Finnish Slings
Reply #1 - Jun 29th, 2009 at 9:24am
 
Interesting stuff.
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Fundibularius
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Re: Medieval Finnish Slings
Reply #2 - Jun 29th, 2009 at 9:28am
 
Great find. Thanks!

At first look, I thought the one in the middle was some kind of Aussie pouch, but of course it's not. Wink
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Ferrugo numquam dormit.&&(Nigellus Iuvenis)&&&&

Noch weiz ich an im mere daz mir ist bekant
einen lintrachen  slouch des heledes hant
do badet er in dem blvote  des ist der helt gemeit
von also vester hvte  daz in nie wafen sit versneit.
 
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winkleried
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Re: Medieval Finnish Slings
Reply #3 - Jun 29th, 2009 at 7:16pm
 
I don't suppose ya happen to have a PDF of this article????
Also what is the timeline of these slings????
Marc Adkins

Mangrove wrote on Jun 29th, 2009 at 8:15am:
Harjula, J. & Jokela, S. 2003. Slings and Shoes: Leather Finds from Two Excavations. Kaupunkia pintaa syvemmältä. Arkeologisia näkökulmia Turun historiaan. Archaeologia Medii Aevi Finlandiae IX. Turku. Pg. 264.

"Some of the leather finds turned out to be slings, which could have been used both as toys and as weapons. The slings from the Åbo Akademi site could perhaps be considered to be some kind of temporary or peasant weapons, with actual war weapons functioning as their models. Also the excavations at Turku Castle have produced one sling (Figure 3)."

Most of them are made out of used (shoe?) leather but the two dark ones are cut from fresh hide.

Figure 3. Six slings from Åbo Akademi site and one from bailey of Turku Castle. Åbo Akademi's slings at top row from left to right  TMM 21816:NE10421, NE50095, NE13230 and bottom row NE134100, NE5005, NE20053. The most bottom one is the sling from Turku Castle, KM 96001:4417. Photograph by TMM / Janne Harjula.

...

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Mangrove
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Re: Medieval Finnish Slings
Reply #4 - Jun 30th, 2009 at 8:51am
 
winkleried wrote on Jun 29th, 2009 at 7:16pm:
Also what is the timeline of these slings????


Harjula, J. 2003. Leluja vai aseita? Printed on ABOA. Turun Maakuntamuseon vuosikirja 66-67/2002-2003. Turku. Pg. 101-110.

...
Photo by TMM / Mikko Kyynäräinen.

TMM21816:NE13230 = late 14th to early 15th century
TMM21816:NE134100 = late 14th to early 15th
TMM21816:NE10421 = late medieval

TMM21816:NE5005 = late 14th to early 16th
TMM21816:NE50095 = late 14th to early 16th
TMM21816:NE20053 = Unknown, probably medieval

KM 96001:4417 = 167 x 100 mm.
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Re: Medieval Finnish Slings
Reply #5 - Jun 30th, 2009 at 11:43am
 
You realize of course, you've created new obsessions for us, researchwise. Darn you.

  And there it is again.   Sling =toy. Someone needs to go over there and show the academics what a sling can do.
   Or just slap them silly. Whatever is easiest.
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« Last Edit: Jun 30th, 2009 at 4:07pm by slingbadger »  

The greatest of all the accomplishments of 20th cent. science has been the discovery of human ignorance  The main difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has it's limits.-Einstein   I'm getting psychic as I get older. Or is that psychotic?
 
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Mangrove
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Re: Medieval Finnish Slings
Reply #6 - Jun 30th, 2009 at 5:49pm
 
slingbadger wrote on Jun 30th, 2009 at 11:43am:
And there it is again.   Sling =toy. Someone needs to go over there and show the academics what a sling can do.


[2nd article is named "Toys or weapons?"] These two articles from the same author are the first of their kind in Finland and he really does not know are these toys, weapons for peasants or "real weapons" just from the findings. So the main point of these articles are the two photos from the same findings.
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Re: Medieval Finnish Slings
Reply #7 - Jun 30th, 2009 at 7:01pm
 
Why are the holes in the pouch so big ? Wear ? Rot ? Or design ?
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Re: Medieval Finnish Slings
Reply #8 - Jul 1st, 2009 at 4:11am
 
I would guess stretching. Leather can stretch a long way without tearing before it stops and holds. It doesnt spring back. As long as you start with plenty of material around it, its not a problem but can look a bit alarming.
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Re: Medieval Finnish Slings
Reply #9 - Jul 1st, 2009 at 2:13pm
 
To me, they seem to have been cut out that big intentionally. I don't think it affected the functionality of the slings.

The holes could also have been part of the original shoe design.
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Ferrugo numquam dormit.&&(Nigellus Iuvenis)&&&&

Noch weiz ich an im mere daz mir ist bekant
einen lintrachen  slouch des heledes hant
do badet er in dem blvote  des ist der helt gemeit
von also vester hvte  daz in nie wafen sit versneit.
 
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Mangrove
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Re: Medieval Finnish Slings
Reply #10 - Jul 1st, 2009 at 2:48pm
 
Fundibularius wrote on Jul 1st, 2009 at 2:13pm:
The holes could also have been part of the original shoe design.


"[...] one of these (NE5005) is cut from a shoe - the sling contains two holes for strings and reinforcement on the other side."
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Re: Medieval Finnish Slings
Reply #11 - Jul 1st, 2009 at 4:09pm
 
These slings remember me to some findings from medieval Schlweswig and Haithabu (Northern Germany not far from the Danish border) which had been defined as sling pouiches. They are dated from 10. to 12. or 13. century. I' ll try to send pictures of them.

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Re: Medieval Finnish Slings
Reply #12 - Jul 2nd, 2009 at 6:28am
 
I'm thinking the one on the bottom, and the first one, with the open slit, may have been used as pouches for sling staffs. Olaus Magnus mentioned the Finns using chunks of red hot metal in battle, slingstaffs would be preferable  for that. He also mentions them directly in a war with the Muscovites.
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Re: Medieval Finnish Slings
Reply #13 - Jul 2nd, 2009 at 9:32am
 
If so, wouldn't the two pouches cut from fresh hide be the option for hot missiles? They still contained body moisture and may not have suffered damage from heat so easily.
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Ferrugo numquam dormit.&&(Nigellus Iuvenis)&&&&

Noch weiz ich an im mere daz mir ist bekant
einen lintrachen  slouch des heledes hant
do badet er in dem blvote  des ist der helt gemeit
von also vester hvte  daz in nie wafen sit versneit.
 
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Re: Medieval Finnish Slings
Reply #14 - Jul 2nd, 2009 at 4:01pm
 
I think by fresh hide they're probably meaning raw hide, which will dry out and become very hard or stiff. It would be preferable in my opinion to use tanned hide and soak it in water before firing hot missiles. Rawhide also seems to tear very easily. I agree with Fundibularius, that the holes look to be cut intentionally.
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