# What Do You Call This Thing?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-thing/100576
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 28, 2002, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-thing/100576 "2002-03-28T16:03:57Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2002, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-thing/100576/1 "2002-03-28T16:03:57Z")
The thing that I’m thinking of is a length of chain with a handle attached to one end. On the other end is a large metal sphere. Arranged around the perimeter sphere are several conical spike-shaped things. What is this thing called?
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### Author:  [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2002, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-thing/100576/2 "2002-03-28T16:11:00Z")
Its called a mace.
The quintessential Dark Ages/Medievel weapon of head craking.
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### Author:  [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2002, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-thing/100576/3 "2002-03-28T16:22:19Z")
Thanks, **Enola Straight** , but I thought a mace was just a club with the spikes all around it. Is the thing I described _also_ called a mace?
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### Author:  [@Lyllyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lyllyan)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2002, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-thing/100576/4 "2002-03-28T16:24:14Z")
Mace- Average Length: Approx. 3 to 4 feet. Type of weapon: Close Hand-to-Hand. Commonly used by: Macemen. This weapon was a very powerful one, requiring great strength to wield. It usually consisted essentially of a large metal ball with spikes protruding from it, which was mounted on a shaft of metal or, less commonly, wood. There were many variations including a wooden stick with a spike driven through it, but this was most popular. (The Morning Star was a popular version, too. It was usually mounted on a wooden shaft and it was longer than the mace.). It was very heavy, but its spikes could pierce armour and it was a very deadly weapon.
Flail - Average Length: Shaft; Approx. 3 to 4 feet, Chain and ball; Approx. 1 to 1.5 feet. Type of weapon: Close Hand-to-Hand. Commonly used by: Flailmen. Also called a ‘ball and chain’, this was somewhat similar of a mace. The spiked ball, however, was mounted on a chain or strap which was attacked to a stick. Much momentum could be generated by swinging it, and if you could control it it was extremely dangerous.
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### Author:  [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2002, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-thing/100576/5 "2002-03-28T16:30:37Z")
From the SOED:
> [@](#):
>
> **morgenstern** A weapon consisting of a heavy ball attached either as the head of a club set with spikes or at the end of a chain. Also called _morning star_
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### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2002, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-thing/100576/6 "2002-03-28T16:38:17Z")
I’ve been in the SCA.
It’s a Morning Star. Yeah.
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### Author:  [@The\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Lord)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2002, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-thing/100576/7 "2002-03-28T21:10:09Z")
In Diablo II, the weapon you described is called a flail.
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### Author:  [@Jabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jabba)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2002, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-this-thing/100576/8 "2002-03-28T22:01:04Z")
Well this site has a picture of a [Battle Mace](http://www.militaryantiques.com/id/swords/swordpre1700.htm)
[This one](http://www.ece.nwu.edu/~pred/Images/noble-medieval.gif) is a picture of some axes, a mace (B), two Morning Stars (G & H) and a crossbow.
And [this one](http://www.montaguemillennium.com/medieval/Medieval_Hand_Weapons.htm) has lots of pictures.