Large Fierce Mammal

A rather nice example of a hand operated head bludgeon in the Camp Norway exhibit from the collection of the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. (LFM photo)

It was an afternoon in the late 1970’s when I attended my first, and so far only, estate auction, inside the lofty, creaky confines of an ancient Halifax auction house. I was there in the company of two friends with whom was shared an interest in antique instruments of mayhem, and the newspaper listing for this particular event promised several “lots” rich in those. Notwithstanding that we were all three of us university students, and possessed of poverty accruing to that meagre station, we braved the extortionate fee of admittance and received the numbered paddles we were to raise to register a bid. Naturally, these would remain permanently furled, with one small exception when one of our number inadvertently waved his to shoo away a worrisome fly, resulting in a bid of $250.00 on a brass elephant foot shaped umbrella stand including one umbrella and three walking sticks, that was swiftly overturned by a rival bid in a trice, to the great relief of the party as a whole.

I will eschew further description of the smorgasbord laid before us for examination prior to the opening of bidding — our singular reason for attendance I might add — offering instead this performance by the late comedic genius, Spike Milligan. Another Lot takes me straight back to that day every time I listen to it, complete with punctuation by coughing fit and extra string, in abundance. The ear thrills at references to the “anti-burglar self-preservator head bludgeon, sand filled and hand sewn brown leather”, a “brass iron bound bedstead with spring head manipulator and foot operated mallet”, a “child’s hangman’s kit, once used”, the ever useful “throat mallet”, once so common and now strangely fallen into disfavour, even as the “iron bound uncle frightener, in three foot lengths”.

This all came to mind when my research for this very season of Dark Sentiments dredged up a wealth of information brought to light by the Herculean efforts of one Robert Escobar, Esq.. Mr. Escobar is author of Saps, Blackjacks and Slungshots: A History of Forgotten Weapons, a work that appears to stand alone revealing the dark history of absolute bluntness in making one’s point.

I will now relinquish the podium for Mr. Escobar to say a few words.

I will conclude tonight’s Dark Sentiment with this scene from the exquisite Legends of the Fall in which a hand operated head bludgeon figures prominently in the hands of Brad Pitt. Until tomorrow Goode Reader.