mace

[English] The large ornamented tapered rod or baton used by a drum major to signal musical and marching directions in a marching band or military band.

Rather than conduct as a corps-style drum major would, traditional drum majors often march on the field with the band, using a mace or baton to keep time and flourish their own movements.

The mace has long been associated as a symbol of authority. The mace is not simply a designation of authority but is used by defined drill movements to signal commands to the band. The mace is fashioned from base metal or Sterling silver, finished in silver plate or gold gilt.

Drum majors use the mace to signal commands to the marching band.

At first they called it TGASI, for "Tear Gas Aerosol Spray Instrument," but soon they came up with the catchier name of "Chemical Mace." According to newspaper reports, the name implied that chemicals could produce the same incapacitating effect as a medieval mace - a chilling design of spiked club - but without causing ...

From Middle English mace, borrowed from Old French mace, mache, from Vulgar Latin *mattia, *mattea, matia, (compare Italian mazza, Spanish maza), probably from Proto-West Germanic *mattjō (“cutting tool, hoe”).

Military Signal Batons and Drum Major Baton use one cord, Maces use 2 cords. Approximately 10 feet long with tassels at both ends.

A mace is essentially a club with heavy head, sometimes also metal or reinforced body, with or without spikes or flanges. Such a weapon is very simply to use, requires little precision as it can be struck with almost any angle, whereas a warhammer need to be struck with the hammerhead or spike.

Here & Now's Robin Young speaks with Angel Mitchell, the first female drum major in decades of Morgan State University's "Magnificent Marching Machine," which makes its debut at the Honda Battle of the Bands this coming weekend. Mitchell is one of four drum majors. This segment aired on February 15, 2023.

Mace is a delicate, aromatic and versatile spice that grows on the tropical nutmeg tree (Myristica fragrans). This fragrant evergreen tree produces two spices from its fruits: mace and nutmeg. That's why mace is often called nutmeg's sister spice, because they come from the same mother.

The word "mace" comes from the Latin mateola, meaning mallet. The mace evolved from an instrument of battle to a symbol of authority.

Etymology. The Middle English word "mace" comes from the French "masse" (short for "Masse d'armes") meaning 'large hammer', a hammer with a heavy mass at the end.