Swiss spiked wooden mace , morgenstern , how old ???

[francantolin]

Hello dear members,

I collect this long wooden stick- mace in central Switzerland .
Seems authentic not a late repro.
Pretty huge model
The shaft has been carved on a long stock, squared shape ( not 6 or 8 as I saw ) and a long forged spike , on the four sides, one lateral spike is missing and there are worm holes in ( to treat...) especially at the basis so I guess the shaft was longer before...


It seems pretty old, but how can we date it ?

I read that this kind of Morgenstern were peasant swiss weapons starting in 1600 and ending in circa 1900.

[francantolin]

Sorry,Better with some pictures

[francantolin]

Hello,
Many views but no comment,
I add what I found:
The cousin of the morgenstern,
I like the Holy Water sprinkler name !
This one said to be early 16th century,
I like these basic brutal shape

[francantolin]

For the xl size,
Here a comparison with my indonesian spear.
Sure, not same use , not same people

[francantolin]

Hello,
Looking through old posts, I found very little about Morgensterns and their wooden spiked cousins.
I present here the Flemish cousin of the Morgenstern named Goedendag or Goedendac, Guten Tag - to say hello to the enemy or good dagger.
Plus a sort of large stick with a spear at the end to counter horsemen and also variant with side point like wooden Morgensterns.
existence since the 13th-14th century and a more massive and shorter handle

[M ELEY]

I've always been drawn to these classic pieces, but confess I know very little. It seems I remember reading that just like the kreigsickel (spelling?), they were very possibly field tools that were refashioned into weapons by the peasantry during rebellions and such. I've also always loved the name 'holy water sprinkler'!! Yeah, I think I'd pass on being blessed by one of these!

[Victrix]

Guten Morgen! I finally made it here to Graz, Austria where I’m visiting the Landeszeughaus. The morning stars were peasant arms. They were unskilled in war, unarmed and expendable. Hence they were issued cheap and unsophisticated weapons which could be easily massproduced. Some of these peasant arms are stored in the Styrian armoury with other arms and armour of the 16-18C.

[francantolin]

Hello,
Thank you M. Eley and Victrix for your comment,
these wooden models were peasant weapons as already said, often created with agricultural tools.
of an era where the peasants' testimony which was not trained to use more complex weapons did not have the money to buy them and often havent't the right to have them at home. They have developpeded these weapons, formidable and effective in defending themselves from attackers because they were often left to their own devices. like the Chinese peasants or Japanese on the island of Okinawa who, prohibited from having bladed weapons, learned to use sickles and other agricultural tools, Subsequently becoming weapons commonly used in martial arts

[M ELEY]

Exactly. I was thinking along those lines as well when it came to so-called 'peasant' weapons made from farm implements. I remember reading that the bian or jin was such an item used for lifting hay bails, but excellent as a cudgel/deflecting weapon. I love your morning star and would love to have one of these. Now if I can only rationalize what they have to do with pirates/maritime use?

[Akanthus]

Here some examples taken from " Europäische Hieb und Stichwaffen " from Müller Kölling Platow.All very simple and easy to produce but certainly very effective.

[francantolin]

Thank's a lot M. Eley and Akanthus for your messages and informations !
I will try to get the book , it seems well made and interesting ( + 300 pages ) I saw they are available on EBay,
I'll try to find one not with a faire price 😅🙂

On what I saw on the pictures and descrpition,
I thinkn I can say mine is 17th-18th century.
?...