[Ansteorra] Questions regarding slings & Tavern Fights
Stefan li Rous
StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
Fri Jul 29 01:18:26 PDT 2011
>> How does one determine what is a SCA Tavern Fight Legal Weapon?
I'm not sure what you mean by SCA Tavern Fight Legal Weapon. This is
probably something okay'ed for a specific event.
Are you speaking of what I call SPDs (Silly Parrying Devices)? Often
used in special rapier scenarios? I think these may be restricted to
being defensive only weapons. But again ratan(?) daggers that are
similar, used to be allowed in SCA rapier as secondary weapons but are
now not allowed while flexi-daggers are now allowed. Maybe someone
from the rapier community can add to this or tell where I am wrong.
SPD-msg (14K) 12/ 6/95 Silly Parrying Devices for SCA rapier combat
http://www.florilegium.org/files/COMBAT-RAPIER/SPD-msg.html
I'm assuming that you aren't talking about using slings in tavern type
fights. I definitely would say that there isn't enough room in any
tavern, period or SCA, to be able to actually use a sling effectively,
except perhaps as a garrote. :-)
As to using an approved sling on the battlefield, just because
something is "illegal" currently doesn't mean you can't get the rule
changed. However, expect a long, drawn out fight against embedded
interest groups.
Prove that the weapon is "safe", and that meaning seems to be getting
more and more restrictive as time goes by, and get people interested
in using it and maybe the rule will be changed. I'm unaware of any
specific incidents that may have caused slings to have been disallowed.
Jousting from horseback used to be illegal in the SCA, but recently
some folks in this kingdom did the research and provided sufficient
evidence that foam core lances could be used. They are working now on
doing the same for balsa-cored lances. By the way, if the people
involved in this effort would identify themselves and/or connect with
me, I'd love to have some how-to/history article of these SCA-legal
lances for the Florilegium.
Slings do take a fair amount of practice to use accurately and safely.
Much more that say using a combat crossbow, both of which I've used.
I suspect that just using regular tennis balls would work just fine
from a safety standpoint. They tend to be stacked in four-ball pyramid
shapes for siege weapon ammunition, but that is to simulate much
bigger rocks.
I'm not sure just how lethal a combat sling would have been against an
armored knight in period. Most are familiar with the biblical David
and Goliath story, but there wasn't as much armor there. But I believe
they were used on the medieval battlefield even if mostly as lightly
armored auxiliaries.
So the more research on how and when it was used and it's
effectiveness on medieval slings would help.
What I believe Lady Runa was trying to simulate with the "small Nerf
type footballs and duct taped" was the period sling "bullet" that was
the same size and shape of these nerf type footballs, but made of
LEAD. Now anyone who wants to put on their period style armor and let
us sling some of those lead "footballs" at them, please contact us so
we can arrange a demo somewhere. Especially if you are one to shrug
off that these might have been real weapons. It will take us some time
to locate and cast some of these "footballs" but I'm sure something
can be arranged. :-)
And I would love to have a more comprehensive, organized article on
the use of slings in our time of study, for the Florilegium. Right
now, all I have is the collection of messages that you did find.
Even if not allowed immediately on the battlefield, I think it could
make an interesting "thrown weapons" type competition. If you are
using real rocks, you might have to figure out how to keep mis-thrown
rocks from injuring a bystander.
I could see arguments about slings being too dangerous to use in the
SCA as a "thrown weapon" but not effective/dangerous enough to be used
in SCA combat. Such is politics in the SCA.
Stefan
On Jul 29, 2011, at 1:21 AM, Bill Tait wrote:
> Slings are specifically not legal.
>
> From Society Marshal Handbook, VII A 13:
>
>
> 13. No missile weapons intended to simulate firearms, slings,
> slingstaffs,
> nor Atlatl's can be used on the field
> of Armored Combat
>
> And in all honesty, a period-used sling was most lethal against
> rabbits than
> armored fighters. (Except possibly to the face).
>
> I believe one of the reasons for disallowing slings is one of
> safety. The
> cord could either enter a bar grille, or wrap around a throat.
>
> William Arwemakere
>
> On Thu, Jul 28, 2011 at 11:08 PM, Sher M <runa.herd at earthlink.net>
> wrote:
>
>> I'm working on getting qualified as a combat archer (crossbow).
>> However
>> (isn't there always one) I've been reading the Florilegium
>> regarding slings.
>> Why can't they be used as either a primary weapon or a secondary
>> weapon?
>> I've discovered I'm pretty good for first time sling user. Could
>> find
>> nothing about SCA legal "rocks" for slings so I got some small Nerf
>> type
>> footballs and duct taped the dickens out of them turning them into
>> a sphere
>> shape (i.e. more or less round). I know what I can do with a rock
>> but
>> figured if I threw a rock at an Armored Combat Fighter he/she would
>> hit me
>> back, hard and over and over again.
>>
>> And if slings are legal to use on the field who would authorize you?
>> Thrown Weapons? Siege Weapons? Would the "rocks" have to be
>> covered in
>> yellow duct tape? What would be the minimum and maximum size/
>> weight limit?
>>
>> Which brings up another question. How does one determine what is a
>> SCA
>> Tavern Fight Legal Weapon?
>>
>> Lady Runa of The Thundering Herd (wannabe slinger)
>> Barony of Raven's Fort
>> Knight Marshal
>> Apprentice to Mistress Shanahan
>> Bronze, Tidal Thunder
>> Amazon Household
--------
THLord Stefan li Rous Barony of Bryn Gwlad Kingdom of Ansteorra
Mark S. Harris Austin, Texas StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/marksharris
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at: http://www.florilegium.org ****
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