A wide range of weapons was used in warfare during the medieval ages.
While sharper weapons such as spears and swords were more popularly used, blunt weapons were also regarded as highly effective on medieval battlefields. Blunt weapons were typically effective against the expensive armor of the knights.
A selection of knights ground fighting weapons including a mace and morning star
As the armor evolved over the medieval period, it became difficult to pierce good plate armor no matter how sharp the attacker’s weapon was. The solution was found in the use of blunt weapons which could stun, concuss the victim by the sheer force and impact of the strike, even without piercing the victim’s body.
Among the blunt weapons popularly used in the medieval era were the war hammer, club, and mace.
Heavy metal mace
War hammers evolved as useful battlefield weapons directly because of the increasing use of iron armors in the late medieval period.
A war hammer’s design resembles a hammer with the exception that it comes with an exceptionally long handle which allows the wielder to add impact to the hit. Such war hammers which were made from good-quality metal and wielded by a powerful warrior could inflict a lot of damage on a victim even if the warrior couldn’t penetrate his mail or plate armor.
There were two types of Warhammer one was short and the other had a longer handle
The war hammer carried the fall impact of the blow through the thick armor and into the body, leading to concussions, fractures and in the case of a blow to the head, permanent damage.
In some cases, a pointed spike was added at the back of the blunt head of the war hammer.
This gave the attacker the advantage of tripping an opponent’s horse before attacking him with the blunt head of the hammer.
Warhammers were invented to counter the plate armor that was introduced in later medieval times
A Mace was another blunt weapon that was popularly used in the medieval period.
It comprised of a long shaft made of wood or metal which culminated in a solid head that was typically made from stone, copper, or iron.
The length of the mace wielded by foot soldiers usually ranged from two to three feet while that wielded by the cavalrymen was significantly longer. Like the war hammer, the mace was also used as a reaction to the evolution of iron armors.
The mace first became popular in Eastern Europe towards the 12th century and then traveled westwards where it briefly became an important weapon on the battlefield.
Heavy metal mace
A flail was another blunt weapon that was popular in medieval times with infantry and used by peasants, The flail was not a sophisticated weapon but was easy to produce and was effective in attacking the opponent.
It typically comprised of a long handle which culminated in a striking head that was attached to the handle with a flexible chain. The striking head, in turn, was often embellished with sharp studs or other features.
The flail had the ability to strike around the shield of an opponent but was an ineffective weapon in close combat. It was popular as a blunt weapon among the peasants of Germany and other central European territories during the late medieval period.
A notable example of the use of flails occurred when Bohemian Hussites used the weapon and during the German Peasants’ War which took place in the 16th century.
Medieval Flail Weapon
https://youtu.be/-S87kkS5m5Y