Recommended combination
Product description
The war flail evolved in the 12th century from the peasant threshing flail and stayed in use through the 17th century. People often call this medieval weapon a morning star — incorrectly — especially the variant where a chain connects the head to the handle (ball-and-chain flail).
The medieval war flail was a shorter weapon: a wooden handle connected 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 to the West from the 10th century onward. Illustrations from the 15th to 17th centuries show both large two-handed flails and shorter one-handed versions. You can find well-known examples 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.
