~ Medieval Weapons ~

-  Maces    -

The mace was, and still is, a symbol of power and dates back to the Stone Age making it one of the oldest weapons in use during the Medieval period. It was popular among knights and soldiers alike in Europe at that time, not only because it was relatively cheap and easy to make, but also because it was simple to use; it required very little training, especially when compared with other Medieval weapons such as the sword or the bow and arrow.

For the infantrymen, the mace would be of a fairly short length, perhaps of about three to four feet, whereas the mace of the cavalrymen would have been longer so as to cater for having to reach from horseback.

The shape of the mace was basically a development of the club but with spikes and blades added so as to cause more damage, and would usually have been made of steel. As it was intended for one-handed as well as two-handed use, the mace had to be light enough in weight for this purpose, while also being heavy enough to penetrate and crush armor.

Maces - continued