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SLING (from M. Eng. slingen, to fling, throw with a jerk, Icel. slyngva, cf. Ger. schlingen, to twist) , an implement for casting missiles, also from its resemblance inSee also: form to the implement, a See also: hanging See also: loop used as a support for a wounded See also: limb, a chain with hooks used for raising or lowering heavy goods or See also: objects, &c
.
The sling as a weapon is probably the earliest form of See also: device known to mankind by which an increase of force and range was given to the arm of a thrower of missiles
.
Sling stones from the See also: stone age have been frequently found (see ARMS AND
See also: ARMOUR)
.
The form of the weapon is of two kinds; the sling proper consists of a small strap or socket of See also: leather or hide to which two cords are attached; the slinger holds the two ends in one See also: hand, whirls the socket and missile rapidly round the See also: head and, loosing one cord sharply, despatches the missile; the other type is the staff sling, in which the sling itself is attached to a See also: short staff, held in both hands
.
This was used for heavier missiles especially in siege operations during the See also: middle ages
.
There are many references to slings and to slingers in the See also: Bible; the See also: left-handed slingers of Benjamin were famous (See also: Judges xx.16)
.
The See also: Assyrian monuments show the sling of the ordinary type and slingers were used in the See also: ancient See also: Egyptian army, but not before the 8th century B.C
.
The sling (Gr. vrPevS6vl7, See also: Lat. funda) is not mentioned in See also: Homer; See also: Herodotus (vii
.
158) speaks of the slingers in the army offered by Gelon to serve against the Persians; it seems to have been a weapon chiefly used by See also: barbarian troops
.
The Acarnanians, however, were expert slingers (Thuc. ii
.
81), and so also were the See also: Achaeans, who later invented the sling which discharged a See also: shaft with an iron See also: bolt head (See also: Livy xlii
.
65, from See also: Polybius)
.
In the See also: Roman army by the See also: time of the Punic See also: Wars the slingers (funditores) were auxiliaries from See also: Greece, See also: Syria and See also: Africa
.
The Balearic islanders, who were in Hannibal's army, were always famous as slingers
.
In See also: medieval times the sling was much used in the Frankish army, especially in defending trenches, while the staff-sling was used against fortifications
chief See also: industries, and there is an important butter-market
.
Monthly fairs are held
.
See also: Sligo is a centre of, See also: salmon and See also: sea-fishing industries
.
The Dominican Abbey, founded in 1252 by See also: Maurice See also: Fitzgerald, See also: Lord-See also: Justice, is one of the finest monastic ruins in See also: Ireland
.
It was partly destroyed by fire in 1414 and again in 1642
.
Three sides of the cloisters remain, and the lofty quadrangular tower at the junction of the See also: nave and chancel is entire
.
The See also: east window is of the date of the See also: original structure
.
The See also: principal See also: modern See also: church is the Roman Catholic
See also: cathedral (1869) for the diocese of Elphin in the Norman See also: style with a finely sculptured doorway
.
There is also a Roman Catholic See also: college
.
A See also: castle was built at Sligo by Maurice Fitzgerald in 1242, which in 1270 was taken and destroyed by O'Donnel; in 1310 it was rebuilt by See also: Richard, See also: earl of See also: Ulster, and was again partly destroyed in 1369 and 1394
.
Of this and the walls with which the See also: town was fortified there are no remains
.
Early in the reign of See also: James I. the town received a market and two
See also: annual fairs; in 1613 it was incorporated and received the privileges of a See also: borough; and in 1621 it received a charter of the See also: staple
.
In 1641 it was besieged by the See also: Parliamentary forces under See also: Sir See also: Charles
See also: Coote, but was afterwards evacuated, and occupied by the Royalists till the termination of the war
.
In ,688 it declared in favour of James II., and, after being captured by the Enniskilleners, was retaken by General See also: Sarsfield, but ultimately surrendered to the earl of Granard
.
The borough was disfranchised in 1870
.
Under the See also: Local See also: Government (Ireland) See also: Act, 1898 it retains its mayor and corporation, but the latter has practically the status of an See also: urban See also: district council
.
in the e4th century
.
They were used down to the 16th and 17th centuries to throw grenades
.
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