Quarterstaff

A quarterstaff is a medieval English weapon, a shaft of hardwood, sometimes with metal tips. The name is also used for the fighting staves such as the Japanese bō, Chinese gùn, or French bâton, Portuguese pau and Italian bastone. The origin of the weapon's name is unknown, though many suggestions are advanced with little justification. Connection to a unit of length called a "staff" is likely false. The name may come from the way that the staff i... more

A quarterstaff is a medieval English weapon, a shaft of hardwood, sometimes with metal tips. The name is also used for the fighting staves such as the Japanese bō, Chinese gùn, or French bâton, Portuguese pau and Italian bastone. The origin of the weapon's name is unknown, though many suggestions are advanced with little justification. Connection to a unit of length called a "staff" is likely false. The name may come from the way that the staff is held: one hand at the center of the staff, and one hand halfway between the center and one end. However, this grip is not prescribed in early sources. Other theories link the word to the manner in which the wood is split from the tree, or to its length being equal to the wielder's height plus another quarter. It can be employed as a less-lethal weapon, so the name may refer to the act of giving quarter (showing mercy to a defeated enemy). The quarterstaff may be made from many kinds of wood, commonly ash, oak, hazel, or hawthorn. It may have... less