Hand sling (Period)

Slingstaff bendwise (Period)

A sling is a cupped piece of leather tied to cords or thongs, and used as a hand catapult for throwing stones.  The better known form may be more fully termed a “hand sling” (à la David and Goliath); the cup is to base and thongs to chief by default.  If the sling’s projectile must be specified (e.g., of another tincture), the hand sling is termed “loaded”.  The hand sling is found in de Bara’s Blason des Armoiries, 1581 [151], in the attributed arms of King David.

Period heraldry also has the “slingstaff”:  essentially a hand sling fastened to a long pole, with a hook to hold the sling closed until released.  This form is found in the arms of Curdon or Cawarden c.1520 [DBA1 9; cf. Parker 542].  See also weapons.

Morris Kendrick bears:  Sable, a hand sling loaded argent.

Rikk Starhurler bears:  Vert, in bend sinister a sinister hand couped inverted grasping a sling proper, therein a mullet of four points Or.