Medieval University Maces

Graduation ceremonies are in abundance in many parts of the world right now, and I love to point out just how Medieval these ceremonies are. Y’all in the robes — you’re Cosplaying, because those outfits are from back in the Middle Ages. And relative to another tradition from these times is the university ceremonial mace, like the one shown here — this one isn’t just symbolically Medieval, but dates to 1418/19.

Maces are basically fancy clubs, having originally evolved as a weapon with one end fashioned with metal (or a large rock), because that made the club all the better to bash up one’s enemies. They appear in the human record back in Mesopotamian and Ancient Egyptian times, but took on a special character in Medieval Europe. One of the reasons is that professional Church figures (like Bishop Odo of the famous Bayeux Tapestry) could get around an injunction against shedding blood (I know — whatever) but still go into battle. Another aspect of Medieval maces’ history is that they became well established symbols of authority.

And thus, the University mace — these are carried out during graduation ceremonies nowadays as well as in Days of Yore, and represented the autonomous authority of universities. The mace you see here is among the oldest preserved, and has represented the Faculty of Arts at St Andrews since the early 15th century (although the figures holding the shields were added later).