Hi

I was wondering when the term morningstar was coined? Is it a period term or a later invention. Also, does it refer to all weapons with spiked balls or only to the flail variety? Is a knobbed head also a morningstar or must it feature spikes?

Hi Kenneth,

To the best of my knowledge the morgenstern ("morningstar" in English) is, properly speaking, a mace with a spiked head-- this is as opposed to the flail (therscol) which is commonly (and mistakenly) called a morningstar today.

I don't know how the morningstar got its name, but wouldn't be surprised if it had a somewhat humorous origin-- the same weapon was also called a "godendag" (meaning "good day! :D ).

Hope that helps,

David

may or may not be connected to how it got its name, but morning star also means a planet that rises before the sun (usually venus)

perhaps the spiked head of the mace resembled a star. Thats just a stab in the dark though

Hi Geoff,

Thanks for the correction-- I hadn't realised there was such a weapon as the one shown on the link-- I had also assumed the godendag/goedendag was German. Flemish... hmm!

I appreciate it,

David

isn't it interesting how people in the middle ages gave such pleasant names to their spiked implements of painful death? "good day", "morning star", and "holy water sprinkler". somebody back then must have had a sense of humor :D

And the famed Molotov Cocktail. :D As I understand, it was devised by the Finns as an anti-tank weapon when they were invaded by the Soviets (whose Foreign Minister was Mr. Molotov). It is a sardonic title, I think.

What about the "Arkansas Toothpick"?