![]() You’ll have no trouble recognizing members of the genus Crataegus –whether they’re the knee-high or tree-high variety–because their straight (or moderately curved) single spikes are not shared by any of North America’s other native shrubs or trees.Īmerican hawthorns were originally found only as undergrowth in dense forests, but later–as homes and shopping centers whittled the woodlands away–the small trees were able to hybridize. You’ll have to be mighty careful, however, when you start to gather your raw shillelagh material, because all of the 100-plus species of North American hawthorn are armed with thorns that grow anywhere from one to five inches long. Today the shillelagh is a symbolic souvenir of the Irish spirit, and–according to New York City’s largest cane shop–the Gaelic cudgel is one of the best-selling (at prices from $30.00 to $37.50 each! ) types of walking stick. In later years, as more peaceful pursuits prevailed, the traditional club was used primarily as a walking staff, or as a stick to herd cattle. When the British invaded the Emerald Isle, they not only chopped down the great oak forests (which had been considered sacred by the Druids) and shipped off the timber to England, but also imposed strict laws, one of which was a ban on weapons.Īfter that, shillelaghs–far from disappearing along with the oak–simply began to be made from the wood of the Irish blackthorn (a species of hawthorn), and the innocent-appearing “canes” became the Irish resisters’ main weapon in their continuing struggle against the conquerors. Sometimes, however, an extremely strong man would use two shillelaghs: one to fend off attacks, and the other to bash his opponent. On such occasions the shillelagh was seldom swung with just one hand, but grasped in the middle with both fists and brought down with head-splitting force. The traditional walking stick’s name comes from an old Gaelic word meaning “oak club.” Centuries ago these weapons were made of oak, cut from a great forest near the village of Shillelagh in County Wicklow.īefore the eighth century, the sturdy bludgeons were used to settle old family feuds at village fairs (or at least to solve the problem until the next fair was held). In fact, the sturdy, gnarled hardwood wallopers (which the Celts have carried–as canes or weapons–since the days of the legendary Irish giant, Finn MacCool) are really pretty easy to craft. #Irish weapon shillelagh how to#It does not make the stick feel heavier as the extra weight is carried in the hand and it is completely invisible.You don’t have to be Irish to know how to make a shillelagh (pronounced shih-LAY-lee or shih-LAY-lah). According to Olde Shillelagh, this “means that the head of the stick is filled with lead to give the stick a better balance and more potency at the point of impact. Moreover, these knobs were often lead loaded. This weapon is used in the Irish martial arts known as Bataireacht or Irish stick fighting.Ī Shillelagh often had a large knob at the end of the stick in order to more effectively strike an attacker. Traditionally, Shillelaghs are made from the wood of a Blackthorn tree because it is less prone to cracking. The Shillelagh is an Irish wooden short staff or walking stick that was also used as a martial arts weapon. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |