Medieval Maces

A medieval spiked mace is a very simple weapon but a very powerful weapon thanks to its symmetrical shape. It doesn’t matter which side of the head of the mace is used as it will deliver a powerful blow to the enemy. The mace consists of the shaft and the head. The shaft of the mace can be made out of wood or metal and the head can be made of metal, wood or stone. The head of the mace is thicker and wider than the shaft and it usually is covered with spikes, knobs or it can have flanges. The length of the mace varied depending on intended use. Usually soldiers on horseback had longer maces to be able to deliver powerful blows from the horseback. Foot soldiers carried shorter maces.

Medieval spiked maces and war hammers were used against knights in suits of armor as these weapons could deliver devastating blows without penetrating the wearers suit of armor. Even though the armor was not penetrated, it could be seriously damaged or bent, not to mention the wearer of such armor would sustain serious injuries. The only type of mace that was able to penetrate a very thick armor was the flanged mace. Because of their simple construction and easy manufacturing, maces very common on battlefields. Maces were in wide use especially in Eastern Europe in Medieval Russia and Poland. Maces from Eastern Europe had pear-shaped head.