the.com/mace
both a spice and a weapon, which says everything about medieval priorities
means A mace is either a heavy clubbed weapon with a spiked or flanged head, a ceremonial staff carried as a symbol of authority, or the lacy outer covering of the nutmeg seed used as a warm spice.
from Two different words wearing the same coat. The weapon comes through Old French 'mace' (a club or mallet), likely from Latin 'mateola,' a tool for driving things into the ground. The spice arrives separately through Old French 'macis,' itself from Latin 'macir,' the name of a spice — though the exact plant the Romans meant is genuinely uncertain. They met in English and never sorted out their identities, which is why one word now means both 'crush a skull' and 'season the custard.'
- spice source
- the lacy red coat around a nutmeg seed
- clergy loophole
- clerics used it to avoid 'shedding blood' with blades
- symbol of power
- ceremonial maces still open parliaments today
- pepper spray
- the brand 'Mace' became a generic name
- skull math
- concentrated force crushed armor swords couldn't pierce
chemical mace spray — riot control agent (cn or cs tear gas), deployed in law enforcement since 1965, causes temporary blindness and pain