Product description
The war flail emerged in the 12th century from the peasant threshing flail and stayed in use through the 17th century. This medieval weapon is often — though incorrectly — called a morning star, especially the variant where the head connects to the handle by a chain (ball-and-chain flail).
The medieval war flail was a shorter weapon: a wooden handle linked by a chain, rope, or leather strap to one or more striking heads. Variants such as the kisten—sometimes smooth, sometimes spiked—spread from Eastern Europe westward from the 10th century on. Illustrations from the 15th through 17th centuries show both large two-handed flails and shorter one-handed versions. Well-known examples appear in the painting Battle of Orsha (1520–1534), in The Travels of Marco Polo (c. 1410), and in the military treatise Bellifortis (c. 1450).
This replica war flail features 2 stars and makes a great addition to any medieval collection.
