maces

Maces are blunt melee weapons with a heavy head mounted on a shaft. They are designed to deliver crushing blows and to defeat opponents wearing armor. The head is typically made of metal and attached to wood or metal hafts ranging from about 40 to 120 cm. The heads can be simple rounded shapes or elaborate with flanges, knobs, or projecting blades. Common variants include the flanged mace, which has protruding rims to concentrate force, and the knobbed or spiked forms, sometimes called a spiked mace or knob mace.

The design evolved from early club-like weapons in the early medieval period to more specialized armored-cavalry devices in the 14th to 16th centuries. The mace remained in use longer in European armies against armored opponents, and in non-European cultures as a ceremonial or urban-guard weapon. It was valued for its ability to cause concussive injury and to dent or penetrate mail or plate armor, while being easier to master than a sword or spear. By the early modern era, firearms reduced its battlefield utility, though maces continued in military and ceremonial contexts.

In modern times, the mace is widely employed as a symbol of authority in ceremonial roles in universities, courts, and legislative bodies. Carried by a macebearer, these ceremonial maces are often ornately designed and may incorporate symbols of the institution.

See also: club, flail, war hammer, morning star, ceremonial mace.