Museum complex

A ball of the ball-and-chain flail

Ancient Rus’, Novgorod
XII-XIII centuries
Copper-base alloy; casting
Height - 6.1 cm, width - 3.4 cm
From: Novgorodian archeological expedition, 1965
Showcase 7

The ball-and-chain flail is a ball-shaped object with small semispherical bulges and an eye for threading the belt. The ear and the main volume of the flail are separated by a roller, the ear is decorated with two decorative projections.
The ball-and-chain flail is a weapon of a close combat, of percussion and brisance action. The ball-and-chain flail consisted of a wooden stick, to one end of which was attached a leather belt with a ball attached to it.

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On the territory of Ancient Rus’ ball-and-chain flails were quite common type of weapon.
The appearance of ball-and-chain flails in Russia in the X century, researchers associate with the influence of nomads. Ball-and-chain flails earlier had bone weights made after the Khazar sample. Also the Khazars remained for a long time the southern steppe neighbors of Rus’, till a part of their lands was taken by the Cumans. In XII-XIII centuries this weapon became very widespread in all territories of Rus’. Ball-and-chain flail belonged, above all, to the number of weapons of horse warriors and served as a secondary weapon.

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