![]() If it were to rebound, say off a shield or even a successful strike, it would be likely to hit you. In a tightly packed formation, a swinging weapon would be as likely to brain your fellow soldiers as it would your enemies. The chain and swinging ball make this theoretical weapon extremely difficult to control. The element that makes a flail unique-its chain-is the biggest drawback. Philip Warner, writing in 1968 in his Sieges of the Middle Ages was more blunt, calling all existing examples of this weapon “fakes.”įirstly, as a weapon of war, the flail is not a good design. It was likely that a weapon like this was used but was not common.” ![]() “This ball-and-chain weapon has attracted a great deal of comment from modern historians, some claiming that it existed, while others dismissing it as a fantasy. Military Historians Kelly DeVries and Robert Douglas Smith demur on the question in their book Medieval Military Technology: They have appeared in a range of medieval movies and books, and they are held in the collections of museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art.ĭespite the weapon’s popularity in pop cultural depictions of the Middle Ages, the flail was almost certainly an invention of the imaginations of later people.īut, of course, it’s much harder to prove a negative- that something did not exist – than something did. Varieties of the one-handed version have multiple chains or spiked heads. This is not to be confused with a two-handed variant, often also called a flail, which derives from the threshing implement of the same name. You cannot delete your posts in this forumĪll contents © Copyright 2003-2023 myArmoury.A one-handed military flail (modern reproduction)Ī military flail is a medieval weapon consisting of a short handle attached to a chain, at the end of which is a metal ball. I keep seeing this motif, does anyone know the story?įorum Index > Off-topic Talk > "Fantasy" Weapons from the Middle Ages A fitting weapon for an angel, I suppose. It looks like some sort of Papal ferula turned into a spear. 11 Book of Hours, Use of Sarum 1440-1450, France Orléans BM A5826 Hours use of Rennes 1440-1450, Franceīodley Auct. One can almost imagine this as a holy weapon in some sort of video game. Posted: Wed 04 Jun, 2014 7:52 am Post subject:įrom the Navarre Picture Bible, 1197. ![]() ![]() Have a look at the swords shown, and also the apparent size of some of the halberd blades: We'll start with a 1433-1434 Lives of St Edmund and Fremund, which has some truly unusual looking weapons. I want to emphasize again- the purpose of this thread is not to display modern fantasy weapons or illustrations, but rather "fantasy"-type weapons that were either created in the Middle Ages, or envisioned during the Middle Ages. ![]() This thread is a chance to showcase some of these more unusual medieval creations. But what about weapons from the Middle Ages, whether antique weapons or illustrated in manuscripts, that are fantastic looking? In some cases, fantasy medieval weapons appear to be equally unusual and strange as modern fantasy creations. We've all seen fantasy versions of medieval swords and other weapons from video games, role playing games, movies, and the like. Posted: Tue 03 Jun, 2014 1:28 am Post subject: "Fantasy" Weapons from the Middle Ages ![]()
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