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Flails
The military flail is a hand weapon in which the handle is attached to the striking part of a weapon by a flexible chain or cord. Despite being regularly depicted as a common feature of medieval European warfare, only a limited amount of historical evidence exists for their employment in Europe during this era.
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Flails
A two-handed flail of agricultural origin was used as a weapon of war in Germany and Central Europe in the later Middle Ages. This weapon consists of a hinged metal bar connected to a longer shaft. For example, in the 1420-1434 period, the Hussites fielded large numbers of peasant foot soldiers armed with flaks. However, these weapons often featured anti-personnel studs or spikes embedded in the striking end, so they were not always simple agricultural tools snatched up in a hurry by rural insurrectionists: they could be purpose-built instruments of warfare, too, fashioned with professional skill by proper weapon-smiths.