Waldmann is often rather uncritical in his use of artistic sources, so we should not take his statements as definitive. Waldmann is able to point to some examples that show more contemporary soldiers with ball-and-chain weapons, but he does not offer a detailed analysis of his sources. Waldmann is his book 'Hafted Weapons of Medieval and Renaissance Europe' argues that ball and chain flails were used uncommonly - he points to one surviving example with a wooden ball and to the same sort of artistic depictions we discuss above, looking at much the same evidence and reaching a somewhat different conclusion. There is no doubt that other types of flails were used in war, and some of those were purpose built, though they were still infantry weapons. First of all, the article is not talking about military flails in general, but about the ball-and-chain type. Moreover, the articles notes that many depictions of these weapons are showing warriors in fantastical settings, in which case ball-and-chain flails and other arms might be there to let viewers know 'this is far away and long ago, see that warrior is swinging around a spiky ball on a chain.' Finally, many surviving museum examples of this flail design are dubious in one way or another, as the article listed above observes. While in sport combat like Dagorhir (or historical sport combats) having a 'tricky' weapon can be advantageous if it is used properly, battlefield weapons are generally selected for their practicality and versatility. Namely, that flails of this design are dangerous and ungainly, and that they don't provide a significant advantage in power. If you follow the link in the wiki page to the article that discusses the iconic '(spiky) ball and chain' style of flail, you'll see some core arguments. Compared to the variety of axes, spears, swords and other weapons on medieval battlefields, flails would be relatively uncommon. Generally, military flails are less common than other staff weapons. The current rotation is:īroadly, I would say that the Wikipedia article is correct. Previous AMAs | Previous Roundtables Featuresįeature posts are posted weekly. May 25th | Panel AMA with /r/AskBibleScholars Please Subscribe to our Google Calendar for Upcoming AMAs and Events To nominate someone else as a Quality Contributor, message the mods. Our flaired users have detailed knowledge of their historical specialty and a proven record of excellent contributions to /r/AskHistorians. Please Read and Understand the Rules Before Contributing. Report Comments That Break Reddiquette or the Subreddit Rules. Serious On-Topic Comments Only: No Jokes, Anecdotes, Clutter, or other Digressions. Provide Primary and Secondary Sources If Asked. Write Original, In-Depth and Comprehensive Answers, Using Good Historical Practices. Questions should be clear and specific in what they ask, and should be able to get detailed answers from historians whose expertise is likely to be in particular times and places. Nothing Less Than 20 Years Old, and Don't Soapbox. Be Nice: No Racism, Bigotry, or Offensive Behavior.
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