| The
staff sling is believed to have been used in the early
|
Byzantine
staff slingers
during naval battle |
to middle Medieval period in Europe, although it was most
likely used in other regions as well. The staff sling
was used in many groups, including Carthaginian, Vandal,
Roman, and Byzantine peo9ples. It was mainly used by European
armies for sieges and naval purposes. Staff slings were
also known by their Latin name, fustibalus. Staff Slings
are more powerful and have a greater range than a sling,
but are less accurate. They also require two hands, so
the user could not carry a shield. Staff slings were good
siege weapons because masses of stone could be lauched
at fortified locations at a high-arcing angle. The projectiles
would cause much damage and chaos falling upon the enemy
location. Staff slings were excellent siege weapons at
range, but were hard to aim up close. In my experiences,
a staff sling's only use at a close range would be to
wack someone with the stick! Besides this shortcoming,
the staff sling was a great weapon, and like the sling,
outranged the bows of the time.
When
I first became interested in slings, I researched much
about them, and quickly learned how to use them correctly.
I came across a staff slinging article and found if
very fascinating. Being one of those people that likes
to tinker, I already had a 1/2 inch PVC pipe spare,
which I had used as a blowgun earlier. I already had
a sling, so I decided to try to make a staff sling.
I fastened the sling to the pipe and made it so one
end could slip off. I tried it a few times and it kept
hitting the ground! I also found that the rock sometimes
went straight up. I experimented, and eventually found
out the information I'm about to give you.
|
|
Staff
slingers
during a siege |
English
staff slingers in the
Battle of Sandwich, 1219 |
The Construction
• First get a 1/2 inch PVC
pipe. 4-5 feet is a good length. Anything longer might
require a friends help to load.
• Second get some leather cord or anything else
you use to make a sling cord out of. Cut two lengths
of 2 feet.
• Third make a pouch, and attatch the two cords.
Basically make another sling. (See "Making
a simple sling: An illustrated guide")
• Attach the sling to the staff on one end, about
4-6 inches down the staff. Then make a loop on the other
end of the loop. You will have to adjust this later
to make your staff sling work at whatever angle of fire
you want.
• Lastly you have to adjust your staff sling to
your preferences. Adjust the angle of fire, paint it,
or do whatever...
Firing
When you fire a staff sling, think of it as the arm
of a trebuchet or catapult. The arm whips forward followed
by the whip of the sling releasing the rock. Whip the
staff sling forward as if you were the catapult and
it was the arm. As for aiming goes, I'm not very accurate.
Make sure you have a big area. These go far!
Therefore...
I hope you enjoyed my article and learned something
about staff slinging. I hope you have fun with your
staff sling. Don't kill anyone, and maybe even show
your friends this article. Keep on sling'n!
-
Alan Wong
|
