Carrying axes, maces, etc? -- myArmoury.com

Scott Kowalski · Posted: Sat 07 Feb, 2009 7:32 pm Post subject: Carrying axes, maces, etc?

Does anyone have any ideas or better yet period sources of how these weapons would have been carried when not in use? Say by an archer or spearmen who was deploying his primary weapon. Stuffed behind the belt/swordbelt? Or would there have been a loop of some kind on a sword belt that could accommodate the haft of the weapon allowing it to be slid down to the head?

Any help on this would be appreciated.

Scott

Sam Gordon Campbell · Posted: Sun 08 Feb, 2009 2:51 am Post subject:

Not sure if this helps, but I use as a basic source most of the time. : http://www.keesn.nl/mac/mac_en.htm

Scott Kowalski · Posted: Sun 08 Feb, 2009 10:31 am Post subject:

Thank you for the link Sam. I have already looked through the Mac Bible I was just wondering if anyone had other sources.

Scott

Sean Flynt · Posted: Sun 08 Feb, 2009 11:31 am Post subject:

I'm not sure an archer or someone using a polearm would have a mace as a secondary weapon. Looking at Austrian artwork in the period of 1440-1520 I see maces held my mounted men-at-arms and lower class men representing civic authorities (arrest and torture of Jesus, especially). The mace is usually shown in hand, even when not in use, but in at least one case it's suspended in a ring attached to the saddle. The famous mounted gothic armour in the Wallace Collection for many years had a mace suspended by a thong from a hook in roughly the same place on the saddle as the ring shown below. Maces often were pierced for a thong, which provides a logical means of carry. We sometimes see short axes and other weapons suspended by a ring at the belt or thrust through the belt, again I'm thinking mainly of depictions of the arrest and torture of Jesus. The fellow below, holding the mace reversed, probably shows us a common means of carry. I'd say that any reasonable way you want to carry it is historically plausible.

Scott Kowalski · Posted: Sun 08 Feb, 2009 2:00 pm Post subject:

Thank you for the information as well as the illustrations Sean.

I guess I should have stated for what era. I am looking for the time period between say 1285-1310. Though I would not think that the method would change much during that time frame would they have changed much over a 100 year one? Besides the Mac Bible what other sources do I have to look at illustrations from?

Scott