History Main / SufferTheSlings

** More famously, of course, DavidVersusGoliath from the ''Literature/BooksOfSamuel''. Goliath was a huge man covered with armor and carrying a sword and spear while an attendant carries his massive shield, David was just some shepherd guy with a sling (and potentially a lot of practice, from watching his father's sheep and having time on his hands). Goliath never stood a chance; David was able to put a stone straight into his forehead, either knocking him out or outright killing him on the spot (David then cut his head off, so he was dead either way). One theory holds that Goliath suffered from gigantism, which gave him both brittle bones and bad eyesight, contributing to his defeat, but in Biblical terms? David simpy brought the Bronze Age equivalent of a gun to a swordfight.

** The Bible describes the Tribe of Benjamin in [[Literature/BookOfJudges Judges 20]], who had a far greater proportion of left-handed men than the rest of Israel. When Benjamin was in a dispute with the other eleven tribes and a CivilWar broke out, there is an account of a CurbStompBattle where outnumbered Benjamin, with its corps of picked left-handed slingers (numbering no more than 700) took on twenty-two thousand men in battle and slew the lot. The left-handed slings of Benjamin were especially deadly as they could target the un-shielded (and thus less protected) side of an opponent.

** More famously, of course, DavidVersusGoliath from the ''Literature/BooksOfSamuel''. Goliath was a huge man covered with armor and carrying a sword and spear while an attendant carries his massive shield, David was just some shepherd guy with a sling (and potentially a lot of practice, from watching his father's sheep and having time on his hands). Goliath never stood a chance; David was able to put a stone straight into his forehead, either knocking him out or outright killing him on the spot (David then cut his head off, so he was dead either way). One theory holds that Goliath suffered from gigantism, which gave him both brittle bones and bad eyesight, contributing to his defeat.

* Used in ''VideoGame/{{Runescape}}'' as a new elementary ranged weapon. Subverted in that it is incredibly ineffective, and cannot be used in conjunction with ammo due to not requiring any.

* In Myth/IrishMythology's ''Literature/BattleOfMaghTuireadh'', this is how Lugh of the Long Hand kills Balor (specifically he knocks Balor's MagicalEye through the back of his head with a stone.)

** More famously, DavidVersusGoliath. Goliath was a huge man covered with armor and carrying a sword and spear while an attendant carries his massive shield, David was just some guy with a sling (and potentially a lot of practice, from watching his father's sheep and having time on his hands). Goliath never stood a chance; David was able to put a stone straight into his forehead, either knocking him out or outright killing him on the spot (David then cut his head off, so he was dead either way). One theory holds that Goliath suffered from gigantism, which gave him both brittle bones and bad eyesight, contributing to his defeat.

* ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresI'': The ''Rise of Rome'' expansion , introduces the Slinger as a ranged infantry unit that counters archers. In ''[[VideoGame/AgeofEmpiresII Age of Empires II]]'', they are replaced by the javelin-throwing skirmishers but return in the ''Forgotten Empires'' expansion as a unique unit for the Inca civilization, which deal bonus damage against infantry rather than archers.

* ''Film/LevyAndGoliath'': At the end, just as the BigBad, a punkish drug dealer named Goliath, is about to gut Albert with his switchblade, {{God}} appears to Albert's brother Moses (a religion-observant Orthodox Jew) and recites him the part of the ''Literature/BooksOfSamuel'' where the biblical David uses his sling to hit the biblical Goliath in the forehead. Moses then instantly uses a makeshift sling to send a sizeable tightening nut right in Goliath's forehead, knocking him out. Then [[TheCavalry the police bursts in]] and guns down/arrests Goliath's gang.

* ''Film/LevyAndGoliath'': At the end, just as the BigBad, a punkish drug dealer named Goliath, is about to gut Albert with his switchblade, {{God}} appears to his brother Moses (a religion-observant Orthodox Jew) and recites him the part of the ''Literature/BooksOfSamuel'' where the biblical David uses his sling to hit the biblical Goliath in the forehead. Moses then instantly uses a makeshift sling to send a sizeable tightening nut right in Goliath's forehead, knocking him out. Then [[TheCavalry the police bursts in]] and guns down/arrests Goliath's gang.

* ''Film/LevyAndGoliath'': At the end, just as the BigBad, a punkish drug dealer named Goliath, is about to gut Albert with his switchblade, {{God}} appears to his brother Moses and recites him the part of the ''Literature/BooksOfSamuel'' where the biblical David uses his sling to hit the biblical Goliath in the forehead. Moses then instantly uses a makeshift sling to send a sizeable tightening nut right in Goliath's forehead, knocking him out. Then [[TheCavalry the police bursts in]] and guns down/arrests Goliath's gang.

* ''Film/LevyAndGoliath'': At the end, just as the BigBad, a punk drunk dealer named Goliath, is about to gut Albert with his switchblade, {{God}} appears to his brother Moses and recites him the part of the ''Literature/BooksOfSamuel'' where the biblical David uses his sling to hit the biblical Goliath in the forehead. Moses then instantly uses a makeshift sling to send a sizeable tightening nut right in Goliath's forehead, knocking him out. Then [[TheCavalry the police bursts in]] and guns down/arrests Goliath's gang.

* ''Film/LevyAndGoliath'': At the end, just as [[BigBad Goliath]] is about to gut Albert with his switchblade, {{God}} appears to his brother Moses and recites him the part of the ''Literature/BooksOfSamuel'' where the biblical David uses his sling to hit the biblical Goliath in the forehead. Moses then instantly uses a makeshift sling to send a sizeable tightening nut right in Goliath's forehead, knocking him out. Then [[TheCavalry the police bursts in]].

* The sling was original weapon of choice for ComicBook/{{Robin}} in UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks. [[ComicBook/RobinSeries Tim Drake]] would later adopt it along the quarterstaff.

* Creator/DavidDrake uses slingstaffs in some of his ancient alternate histories, like the ''Literature/BelisariusSeries'', and the end books of ''Literature/TheGeneral'' series, where the action shifts to a different planet. They're much easier to learn than plain slings, so slingers can be trained instead of merely recruiting those who've used slings their whole lives. This averts the "multiple swings" trope. They're usually used to throw the primitive grenades that are being introduced ahistorically.

* ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'': King David is summonable as an Archer-class Servant, and while he usually attacks with his shepherd's staff, his [[LimitBreak Noble Phantasm]] is his sling, and it does tremendous damage to the enemy it hits.

* The sling was one of the most representative weapons of the ancient Iberian warriors. It is said the sling was the first toy an Iberian child received, and that they passed a Spartan-like training regime in which their food would be hung on high tree branches so they could only eat when they broke the branch with a shot. Slings themselves were tailor made for each warrior in accordance with their weight and arm length, and part of the Iberian standard-issue weaponry for battle was a set of three different-sized slings for different ranges. They also used lead and clay projectiles instead of mere stones. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egQcKc5pF-A This video]] demonstrates the calassic Balearic-style sling in action. Note the tassel on one end, which will produce a whipcrack when you cast the stone you're using as ammunition.

* The ancient Greeks had the opposite misconception regarding slings; they believed that lead pellets could penetrate armour and even become super heated in the air, and had good reasons to think the former. They liked it so much they developed the Cestrosphendone (a sling-propelled dart) and Fustibalus (staff-sling). The Greeks would emboss taunting messages ("Catch!" "Take this!" "Ouch!") and holy symbols on stones for the benefit of their targets.

* The sling was one of the most representative weapons of the ancient Iberian warriors. It is said the sling was the first toy an Iberian child received, and that they passed a Spartan-like training regime in which their food would be hung on high tree branches so they could only eat when they broke the branch with a shot. Slings themselves were tailor made for each warrior in accordance with their weight and arm length, and part of the Iberian standard-issue weaponry for battle was a set of three different-sized slings for different ranges. They also used lead and clay projectiles instead of mere stones.

** More famously, DavidVersusGoliath. Goliath was a huge man covered with armor and carrying a sword and spear while an attendant carries his massive shield, David was just some guy with a sling. Goliath never stood a chance (one theory holds that Goliath suffered from gigantism, which gave him both brittle bones and bad eyesight, contributing to his defeat).

** When Nephi breaks his hunting bow, he still has a sling, but doesn't succeed in bringing down any game until he crafts a new bow.
** Ammon, on the other hand, faces off singlehandedly against a band of robbers, and proves to be a much better shot, killing six of them without being hit in return. (They respond by closing to melee range, but that ends [[LiteralDisarming badly]] for them too.)
** The defence of the city of Noah includes a band of elite warriors guarding the only gate into the city -- and notably using swords and slings, rather than bows. It works, holding back the entire Lamanite army with only fifty Nephites injured and none dead.

* ''LightNovel/GoblinSlayer'': The Dwarf Shaman uses a sling as his ranged weapon when he's unable to cast spells. Some goblins also use slings, most notably early in the story when one member of the female adventuring party looking to clear an elven fortress was struck in the head with a slung rock. This is later contrasted with Goblin Slayer taking a hit from a similarly slung rock, but since he's wearing a helmet, it bounces off harmlessly. Goblin Slayer himself takes up a sling during the last battle in Water Town to help High Elf Archer HoldTheLine against a horde of charging goblins. When it becomes apparent that lower spellcasters are especially in danger the moment their spell slots run out, the Guild starts to train these spellcasters to use other weapons that aren't forbidden by their class, namely slings. Priestess ends up being so crackshot with hers - she kills two out of three yetis terrorizing a rabbit padfoot village as a warning in Volume 9.

* A ''VideoGame/HeroesOfMightAndMagic'' game had slings as the weapon for [[{{Hobbits}} halflings]].

* In Film/DungeonsAndDragonsHonorAmongThieves, Doric, the tiefling druid, wields a slingshot on her wrist, fitting her nature-oriented characterization.