WARFARE OF THE MIDDLE AGES. 37 



&c. The earliest battle-axes, for they go back to times when the use of 

 iron was unknown, were generally of flint, sharpened either by striking, or by 

 grinding in some way not now understood, and with a hole worked out for 

 the handle. Figs. 14-18 are such stone battle-axes. Later the stone was 

 exchanged for iron ; and a mallet, which was also hurled, was added to the 

 weapons. In the 13th century this weapon had already become smaller 

 (Jig\ 69, left side), and was used by the knights, being carried at the saddle- 

 bow or in the belt. Nearly equal to the mallet was the battle-axe, which, 

 at the time of the migrations, had become a common weapon among the 

 Germans, as we have before mentioned in treating of the warfare of anti- 

 quity (page 20). Later it was used principally by the Danes, where- 

 fore it was called also the Danish axe (pL 15, Jig. 65.) To give the 

 blow more momentum the handle was often of iron ; Jig. 66 shows 

 such an axe, which has also several points. An elegant weapon of this 

 kind is the battle-axe of the Elector John George L of Saxony (Jig. 67), 

 upon the iron handle of which the idolatry of the Jews is represented in 

 half-relief. The handle was hollow, and formed the sheath for the fine 

 dagger-blade shown in our engraving, which was itself ornamented with 

 etchings. 



To the death clubs belongs the pointed flail (Jig. 69, right hand), which was 

 carried chiefly in the Hussite and peasant wars ; the Swiss also used it at 

 Morgarten and Murten, asjig. 70 shows. But at that time the morgenstern 

 had become the more common weapon, stout wooden or iron clubs, set all 

 over with prickles or hooks, which appear also in the 10th and 11th cen- 

 turies. The morgenstern, represented in Jig. 71, is found in the armory at 

 Dresden, and is of wood, wuth iron points, &c. Another kind of morgen- 

 stern are the clubs (Jig. 68), which are small, all of iron, very short, and 

 instead of hooks are set with sharpened knife-corners. These clubs (maces) 

 the knights carried alike in the tournament and the field. 



To the earliest of defensive arms belongs the shield ; of its most ancient 

 form and material we have spoken already. Among the Anglo-Saxons the 

 shield was oval, of wood, bound with an iron rim, and with an iron point 

 (boss) in the centre ; the Franks had it three-cornered, broad above, sharp 

 below, and this continued to be the general form in the middle ages, although 

 now and then it was made more ornamental by indentations in the rim, &c. 

 This shield was also of wood, plated with hammered iron, and when not in 

 use hung by a band over the right shoulder and on the back. Frequently the 

 shield was furnished with strong iron spikes, so that it might be serviceable 

 also for a blow (Jig. 77). Such shields were permitted even in the ordeal by 

 combat, but the points must not be more than one foot in length. The infantry 

 had a larger shield (Jig. 72) of wood, painted usually with the arms of the 

 liege lord and knight, and bound with an iron rim. To protect the archers 

 the shield was yet larger and curved (Jig. 73), in other respects as above 

 described. They ceased to be used in the 15th century ; among the Bohe- 

 mians alone are they found as late as the 16th. Round shields also are 

 frequent, at the time of the crusades especially, when they w-ere adopted 

 from the Saracens. They are usually flat-vaulted and very large (fig. 74), 



ICONOGP.APHIC ENCYCLOPEDIA. VOL. III. 33 513 



