Military Historians Kelly DeVries and Robert Douglas Smith demur on the question in their book Medieval Military Technology: They have appeared in a range of medieval movies and books, and they are held in the collections of museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art.ĭespite the weapon’s popularity in pop cultural depictions of the Middle Ages, the flail was almost certainly an invention of the imaginations of later people.īut, of course, it’s much harder to prove a negative- that something did not exist – than something did. Varieties of the one-handed version have multiple chains or spiked heads. This is not to be confused with a two-handed variant, often also called a flail, which derives from the threshing implement of the same name. It’s one of these: A one-handed military flail (modern reproduction)Ī military flail is a medieval weapon consisting of a short handle attached to a chain, at the end of which is a metal ball. Just about everybody interested in the Middle Ages, who has played Dungeons and Dragons, or read historical and fantasy novels knows what a military flail is. Editor’s Note: Since posting this, I’ve done more research and updated my thoughts on this subject in an article for Medieval Warfare magazine.
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