Magic and art have always shared a deep connection, with both disciplines relying on creativity, imagination, and the ability to captivate an audience. Throughout history, artists and magicians have utilized various techniques to invoke wonder and awe in their viewers. In the realm of magic, performers employ tricks, illusions, and sleight of hand to create seemingly impossible outcomes. Through the skillful manipulation of objects or the use of psychological techniques, magicians are able to defy the laws of the physical world and inspire a sense of mystery and enchantment. The art of magic lies in the ability to orchestrate these illusions seamlessly, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. Similarly, art has always possessed the power to transport viewers to another realm, evoking emotion and sparking the imagination.

The Witch King’s mace… Part 1

What would a Witch King costume be without his ridiculously large mace as seen in The Return of the King? In his iconic fight with Eowyn in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields he reveals this badass weapon (technically called a ‘flail’) consisting of a massive spiked metal mass hanging from a spiked chain. Here is the clip:

I knew I could easily figure out the handle, and chain would be easy to get from a home improvement store. The hanging part of the mace would prove to be the biggest challenge. Not only did it have to look accurate and give the illusion of metal, it also had to not weight 100 pounds! I searched but could not find a Pepakura version of the weapon. I ended up building a cardboard “core” that I could build upon with other materials. The final piece ended up using cardboard, wood, paper, fiberglass resin, hot glue, canned spray foam, and spackle (and ended up weighing a decent amount anyways!).

The mace, when viewed from the top, is an 8-sided star. I began with a paper template that I used to cut out 4 cardboard panels. I “notched” them so they would fit around a central wooden dowel rod.

Cardboard panel (4 needed)

Hot-glued onto central dowel

Hot-glued to dowel

My eventual goal was to “sculpt” the final shape of the mace out of spray foam applied on top of the cardboard armature. I had to get the shape as close as possible using cardboard and paper first, as spray foam expands and is hard to control. I built paper pyramids out of card stock and glued them over the spike tips, and also added smaller cardboard ridges to mark the “valleys” between each spike.

Card stock pyramids

I was happy with the overall shape of the mace, so I coated it in a layer of polyester fiberglass resin (see my earlier post on the Pepakura method). This resin will soak into cardboard and paper and add strength and rigidity. After the resin was fully cured (24 hours) I began adding spray foam. I used “Great Stuff” brand which is an all-purpose spray foam used for insulating and filling gaps. The foam does expand quite a bit, but I planned on using the cardboard edges as guides for carving it down to my intended shape. The intermediate result looked a little funny (‘Stay Puft’ Witch King mace!)

Spray foam on mace

Is there a mace in there?!

The next steps were to scrape and sand down the spray foam to the final shape, coat it in yet another layer of polyester resin, and add a lightweight spackling compound to smooth out the pocked surface. In part 2 of this post I will show how I painted and finished the mace, as well as how I built the handle and spiked chain…

Carving away excess foam

Carving away excess foam

Surface smoothed with spackle

Finished shaping, ready for primer

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Similarly, art has always possessed the power to transport viewers to another realm, evoking emotion and sparking the imagination. Artists use various mediums such as paint, sculpture, photography, and performance to create visually stunning and thought-provoking works. Just as a magician carefully crafts their illusions, artists carefully select and arrange colors, textures, and forms to create a desired effect, manifesting their inner worlds through their creations.

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Looking for an unusual hand forged flail? Here it is! Here is a hand forged Witch King of Angmar’s flail with a metal wall holder on which you can hang it. It is a functional piece of art! But mainly for decorative purposes, for cosplay. Sizes of a flail:
Length of the flail head: 25 cm (10")
Width of the flail head: 20 cm (7.88")
Length of the handle: 25 cm (10")
Length of the chain: 15 cm (6") Size of a wall holder:
32 cm (12.6") x 10 cm (3.94") Net weigth: 8.3 kg (18.26 lbs) Color of the flail: black with some silver patina.
Color of a wall holder: black with some bronze/copper patina. The wall holder has a wooden surface texture. Both a flail and a flail holder is made of metal. The chain has spikes. It looks like a real flail of Witch King of Angmar. The price of the listing includes a personalization of a flail holder (not obligatory). A nice present for a wedding anniversaries (6th, 11th), birthday, Father's Day, for cosplay activities and for many other gifting occasions! It might be the best functional piece of art and decoration in your home! In order a flail not to be treated as a cold weapon by Ukrainian customs I will ship it in two parcels and diassembled: the flail head - in one parcel, all the rest - in the second parcel. A flail costists of three parts which you will need to assemble (a flail handle, a chain, a flail head) upon receiving (with a help of two screws). Add charm to your house with one of these cute crafts! I can send it to any country. I keep usually 1 piece always available. If on the moment of your order it will not be available, please allow 7 - 14 days for its making. SPECIAL DISCOUNTS FOR YOU:
If you order two any items from my shop in one order, you will have 10% discount off the order price. If you order three any items from my shop in one order, you will have 15% discount off the order price.
If you liked this item in my shop and you are about to order only one item from my shop but you are not sure about the price, please drop me an e-mail and I will try to arrange a special discount for the chosen by you item. I would want you to buy an item you liked in my shop. All materials, content, designs, photos, polices, item descriptions and logos appearing within ForgedCommodities listings, products, policies, descriptions, and materials are the intellectual property of Forged Commodities and may not be copied, reproduced, distributed or displayed without express written consent by ForgedCommodities or an Authorized party. Witch King of Angmar’s flail, hand forged flail,King Angmars flail,King of Angmar, weapon replica,chain flail,flail weapon

Did Peter Jackson ever explain the Witch-King's flail?

In the books, the Witch-King has a mace when he fights Éowyn. In the movies, he definitely has a flail and sword combo. My initial thought was that Peter Jackson wanted to avoid too many similarities between Sauron in the intro to the first movie and the Witch-King in the third. Helmet aside, they'd look pretty similar if they had essentially the same weapon. But there are other characters with maces, too, notably Azog the Defiler, a character Peter Jackson himself invented, so clearly he doesn't seem to mind an enemy having a mace, unless they have a scary helmet, maybe? Is there any official statement from Peter Jackson or another important LOTR figure explaining why the Witch-King had different weapons? Or is this just another of those "Hey, it's different from the books for no reason"?

• tolkiens-legendarium
• the-lord-of-the-rings
• the-return-of-the-king

The ROTK Extended Edition DVD Special Features had several minutes devoted the the Witch King and his weapons. I don't recall if the choice to change the mace was discussed, they did, however, focus heavily on making the flail larger.

And the average person doesn't know the difference between a flail, a mace, a morning-star, and is likely to use the terms interchangeably - perhaps Tolkien himself was such a person. There wasn't necessarily a conscious decision to change anything.

Both magic and art also involve an element of surprise and suspense. Magic performances often involve unexpected outcomes and unexpected twists, leaving the audience in awe and wonder. Similarly, art has the ability to surprise and captivate viewers, with unexpected interpretations, hidden symbolism, or unconventional techniques that challenge conventional norms. Moreover, both magic and art require a certain level of skill, practice, and mastery. Just as a magician must spend countless hours perfecting their tricks and refining their techniques, a dedicated artist invests time and effort into honing their craft. The art is not only in the final creation but also in the process of creation itself. Ultimately, magic and art share a common goal: to transport their audience to another realm, to awaken their senses and foster a sense of wonder. They both have the power to inspire, challenge, and provoke thought. Magic and art offer an escape from the mundane, inviting us to explore new possibilities and embrace the extraordinary..

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