Illustrations of European slingers and staff-slingers, 11th-13th centuries

[druzhina]

You would expect to see a slinger in 'David & Goliath' but there are many illustrations of medieval slingers such as:

Anglo-Saxon slinger in 'God's Covenant with Abram' from Ælfric's Hexateuch, 2nd quarter of the 11th century
Spanish staff-slingers in 'Fighting around Bethulia' from the Roda Bible, c.1050-1100AD
Spanish staff-slingers in 'Army of Antiochus V' from the Roda Bible, c.1050-1100AD
French slinger in 'David and Goliath' from the Bible of Saint Stephen Harding, 1109-1111AD
'David and Goliath' from the Melisende Psalter, Jerusalem, 1131-1143AD
Spanish slinger in 'David and Goliath' from the Biblia Segunde de San Isidoro de Leon, 1162AD
English slinger in the 'Life of David' from the Winchester Bible, c.1160–1180AD
Spanish slinger in the Rylands Beatus, Commentary on the Apocalypse by Beatus of Liébana, c.1175
From Liber ad honorem Augusti by Pietro da Eboli, c.1197
..Sicilian staff-slinger in 'Fighting at Salerno'
..Sicilian slinger in 'The people of Salerno attack the palace'
..Sicilian slinger in 'Assault by the Salerni on the Terracina Palace'
..Sicilian slinger in 'Salerno attacked by the imperial troops'

Staff-slingers in the 'Siege of Damietta' from the Chronica Majora by Matthew Paris, 1240–53AD
French slinger in 'David and Goliath' from the Morgan or Maciejowski Bible, mid 13th Century
French slinger in 'Uriah is Slain' from the Morgan or Maciejowski Bible, mid 13th Century
The Islamic Defenders of Ciutat de Mallorca, including a staff-slinger, 1285-1290
Spanish slinger at Battle of Najera 'Chroniques' by Jean Froissart,Bruges, Belgium, c.1470-1475AD
As David is traditionally shieldless, this probably skews down the proportion of slingers depicted with shields.

Ian Heath based his slingers in Armies of Feudal Europe 1066-1300 on some of the illuminations above.


MIRROR SITE
Slingers in Armies of Feudal Europe 1066-1300 by Ian Heath

Druzhina
Illustrations of Costume and Soldiers

[druzhina]

Here are some replies from another forum:

SteelonSand 29 Sep 2013 3:24 a.m. PST

As usual, some fantastic finds – thanks very much for posting these – interesting to see how many times the slinger is depicted using a shield, and also some great shield designs on view, too.
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Patrice 29 Sep 2013 6:53 a.m. PST

Excellent! Thank you.
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Cerdic 29 Sep 2013 8:20 a.m. PST

It is interesting that the sling is generally thought of as an Ancient period weapon rather than a Medieval one. But there does seem to be a fair bit of evidence that were used a lot later than expected.

Even Shakespeare wrote about the "Slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" ……
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Patrice 29 Sep 2013 8:57 a.m. PST

there does seem to be a fair bit of evidence that were used a lot later than expected

Yes, and many French people can think about one : "Thierry la Fronde" :)
…a TV serie immensely popular in the 1960s!

The fictional hero was a French Robin Hood with a sling, fighting in the early HYW against foreign occupation (English, but obviously remembering the WWII Resistance which was only 20 years before this TV program).

…It was very popular, but they don't broadcast it again… it looks so ridiculous now :)
YouTube link
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bluewillow 29 Sep 2013 6:52 p.m. PST

nice find!

cheers
Matt

[druzhina]

As David is traditionally shieldless, this probably skews down the proportion of slingers depicted with shields.

Ian Heath based his slingers on some of the illuminations above.

MIRROR SITE
Slingers by Ian Heath

Druzhina
Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers

[druzhina]

This picture of David in the Navarre Picture Bible, Pamplona, Spain, 1197AD shows some detail of the sling's construction.

MIRROR SITE
David in the Navarre Picture Bible, Pamplona, Spain, 1197AD

Druzhina
Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers