Dark times, Middle Ages, knights and barbarians, aggressive campaigns and massacres. This topic is of interest to many human race. Someone admires the courage and bravery of the warriors of the past, someone is trying to understand what motivated the rulers who destroyed entire clans.

But an integral theme of such research was and remains the weapons used by the soldiers. One of the most ancient and widespread is the ax and its types.

What is an axe?

The modern word "axe" is rooted in the Old Slavonic "sikira" or "sokira". In translation, these words are general meaning- axe.

One of the most dangerous weapons of the past was the axe. The meaning of the word fully justifies its appearance. Almost all types of these weapons are similar. A wooden shaft, the length of which varies from several tens of centimeters to one meter. A blade is impaled on it, long and wide. The blade, the length of which reaches thirty centimeters, has a semicircular shape.

The ax and its types are widespread in many countries of the world, but in various eras and centuries.

where and when the weapon was used

The first mention of what an ax is refers to ancient eras. It is known that in Ancient Egypt the ax was made of bronze and was very popular among the warriors. The battle ax has become the most common weapon in the Eastern Region. Blacksmiths and gunsmiths experimented with the look and soon created an ax that had two parallel blades. This type of weapon did not bypass Ancient Rome and Greece.

During the battle, warriors armed with axes were in the second rank. They dealt deadly shield bearers. The long shaft of the weapon was used in strategic goals: in battle, infantrymen cut off the legs of opponents and horses.

But Europe learned much later what an ax was. The definition of the word remains the same: a battle ax with a long shaft. However, weapons did not become widespread until the first infantry troops appeared in the eighteenth century.

How has the ax changed in Europe?

With the advent of European countries ah eighteenth century foot soldiers, the ax became increasingly popular. The meaning of the word has not changed, it was still a battle ax with a rounded blade and a shaft of various lengths. However, the appearance has changed.

In a battle against soldiers dressed in cast armor and helmets, the swing of the ax was not enough to inflict significant damage on the soldiers. Then the length of the shaft was changed. In the hands of the soldiers turned out to be a weapon two meters long, to the tip of which they attached not only sharp blades, but also various hooks, bayonets and tips.

But it is worth noting that even in this era, the ax on the shaft was not used as a spear. The imbalance of the shaft and the tip did not allow accurate long-range throws.

From the heyday of the Ancient Civilizations to eighteenth-century Europe, the ax underwent several changes.

Halberd

One of the varieties of the ax was the halberd. It became widespread in the fifteenth century, becoming the most effective weapon against armored cavalry troops.

The appearance is slightly different from conventional weapons. The shaft of the halberd ranged from one meter to two and a half, and the maximum weight was almost six kilograms. The blade was of different shapes: flat, narrow, crescent, concave or vice versa. The main difference of the halberd is the combined tip, the length of which could reach one meter.

For fatal blows, the tip of the halberd was equipped with a needle-shaped spear blade, hook or butt.

Scandinavian ax

Asking the question of what an ax is, one cannot ignore the Scandinavian version. This type of weapon belongs to the Middle Ages. Outwardly resembles modern analogue, but differs in a wider blade, equally diverging to the sides. The shaft of the weapon was thin. The width of the blade was only two and a half centimeters, and the weight, excluding the shaft, was no more than 500 grams.

It was from Scandinavia at the beginning of the tenth century that the battle ax migrated to Europe, and it reached Rus' only in the second half of the century. And if in Rus' they stopped using a battle ax in the thirteenth century, then European warriors did not begin to abandon it yet for a long time.

Ax of Perun

What is an axe? Of course, a battle axe. But this is not a complete answer. In addition to the weapons of infantrymen and warriors of the past, such an ax was a talisman among the Slavs.

Ax of Perun, according to modern research, was one of the favorite weapons of the main and strongest Slavic god.

The ax of Perun is the main amulet of the warriors who went into battle. According to legend, the talisman takes spears and arrows away from a person. But it protects only those who fight for their Motherland and their people.

However, the symbol of the divine weapon helps not only people associated with battles. The ax adopted the symbolism of its owner and became a talisman that helps to overcome difficulties. It gives strength to fight evil and darkness.

Considering the historical process in its forward movement, we will see that a person constantly fought: he fought for cattle and for women, land and money, faith and the Fatherland. It is war that is the constant companion of progress.

Since with the development of civilization the equipment of warriors also developed, the weapons, respectively, also changed rapidly and became more and more perfect and dangerous. Today we will talk about the ax - the weapon of medieval warriors, which has not lost its relevance to this day.

Where does the ax come from

Ax - one of the types of battle axes is distinguished by a special blade in the form of a crescent. Such weapons were common as early as the 1st millennium in Ancient Greece, but from the Iberian Peninsula it quickly spread throughout the mainland and became known not only in Europe, but also in Asia.

At that time, the ax had two blades arranged along the handle like a butterfly. Such a double-sided ax was capable of much in the hands of an experienced warrior, the long handle ended with a point, so it could be both chopped and stabbed.

Two-handed ax was very popular with the infantry, it was intended to attack the horsemen and tear apart metal armor.

Like a battle ax, ax - destructive weapon of great strength, but lighter and because of the long handle it holds balance better, which gives the warrior the opportunity to maneuver during the battle.

And although in our time there are different kinds weapons mass destruction, but the popularity of battle axes has gone uphill again because of their versatility, size and ability to use in extreme conditions.

Distant ancestor of the battle ax

The ancestor of the battle ax was the two-edged labrys, which originated in ancient Greece, and is a symbol of divine power. The functions of this weapon were both combat, and cult, and ceremonial. Since it was very difficult to make such a weapon, it was only available to kings and priests.

To use an ax with two blades arranged in the form of a butterfly on both sides of the shaft in battle, it was required great power and dexterity. A warrior armed with a labrys and covering himself with a shield was invincible and, in the eyes of those around him, was endowed with divine power and power.

Description of the ax

The ax is a melee weapon from the family of battle axes common in the Middle Ages. Its main difference from an ax is the shape of the blade in the form of a crescent. In addition, the ax had a longer shaft, which made it possible to balance in battle and keep the enemy at close range.

In addition, the ax could not only chop, but also stab.

Therefore, it can be argued that the ax is an ax and a sword, and a spear at the same time.
The first axes consisted of a shaft, blade and counterweight. Sometimes the shaft was strengthened, and its length varied depending on the functions:

  • for infantry it was made from two to two and a half meters;
  • for boarders - sea pirates attacking ships, more than three meters in length and large hooks were still welded to the ax for ease of use;
  • for cavalry - the shaft was prepared less than a meter.

The length of the ax blade also varied from a few centimeters to a meter, and in the lower part of the blade there were protrusions for a more secure attachment to the shaft.


Such weapons were universal: they were used both for attack and for defense, and for pushing warriors from horses, and for robbing rich merchant ships.

Many European armies had special units armed with these axes to protect the flanks.

Viking legendary weapons

Normans, Vikings, Varangians - words that terrified all the peoples who inhabited Europe, since the world did not know more bloodthirsty and powerful warriors then.

Armed with Scandinavian axes, otherwise they were called Danish or heavy battle axes, the Vikings did not know defeat in battle and always took rich booty and led away captive slaves.

The main difference between this weapon was a wide, heavy blade, which could instantly cut a person’s head or chop off limbs.
Mighty warriors masterfully wielded axes for battle, work, and tournaments.


IN Kievan Rus, which has close trade ties with looked like brothers of the Viking axes. Among the foot Russian army, axes and axes were the main type of weapon.

Most Popular Axes

Since the ax was a fairly common weapon in the Middle Ages, its appearance was varied depending on the functions that it had to perform.

Since the 10th century, Scandinavian axes, well known in the Scandinavian Peninsula and northern Europe, have become widespread, but at the same time their appearance has also changed.

Since the Scandinavian ax is heavy, and not every warrior will be able to maneuver with an ax in battle, which weighed so much that weak man and it was not easy to raise it, then it was replaced by halberds and reeds.

And the brodex turned into an executioner's ax, since its wide, heavy blade made it possible to quickly separate the head from the body.


The one-sided ax became a tool of labor, with the help of it, lumberjacks felled hundred-year-old trees and chopped off huge branches. With such a tool, it was easy to turn a log of any size into a beam.

In the 14-15 centuries in Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands, the foot army used halberds - cold weapons with a long, up to 3 meters, shaft, which ended in a sharp pike and a small, light crescent-shaped blade.

With such weapons, mercenaries easily coped with mounted knights, pulling them off their horses with the help of hooks specially mounted on weapons, and completed the job with axes and swords.

Some halberds look like axes, others like chases, and sometimes they look like a cross between a spear and.

Berdysh - special kind an ax impaled on a long, up to two meters, shaft and a curved blade resembling an elongated crescent moon.

The berdysh used by mounted warriors were somewhat smaller and lighter, and small holes were made in them along the entire length of the blade, into which rings were threaded.


When in the 16th century the armor of the knights became lighter, then the berdysh fell out of use, since sabers and swords made of hardened metal easily pierced light chain mail.

The Wallachian battle hatchet was called the Wallachka, after the name of the area from which it came to us. Having a long shaft and a relatively small blade, strongly protruding forward, the wall was both a weapon, a staff, and a tool.

This weapon gained immense popularity among the common people during the time of Vlad the Impaler, and in the 14-15 centuries this hatchet was chosen by shepherds and hunters.

In the 17th century, just such a hunter's ax became a symbol of the struggle of the Serbian people for independence from the Turkish yoke. At the same time, the battle hatchet ( brother axes-chasing) became a symbol of peasant uprisings in Rus'.

The history of the development of cold development in the world goes back thousands of years, each country can present its favorite models, but even today in almost every home there is a simple hatchet, which, if necessary, can be turned into a terrible military weapon.

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The ax is a universal tool. They cut wood or ... enemies. In ancient times, it was difficult to imagine a warrior without a battle axe. Largely because of its convenience: with a relatively small weight, he had an impressive impact force. Therefore, the battle ax was equally effective against both infantry and cavalry. In our review of the top 5 most formidable and popular battle axes of the past.

1. Ax



The ax for a long time occupied a dominant position in the armament of a warrior among other types of battle axes. She was especially fond of the warriors of Scandinavia - the Vikings. The Slavs also had a fairly common weapon.



The ax is distinguished by a special blade shape - in the form of a crescent moon up to 35 centimeters long. And the long shaft in addition made the blows incredibly productive. The special design made it possible to use the ax as a kind of harpoon to pull the enemy off the horse.



The ax was popular until the late Middle Ages, when the era of knights gradually receded into the past, and they were replaced by lightly armed warriors. Swords and sabers were able to cut through thinner mail, and heavy battle axes were no longer needed.

Interesting fact: The “revival” of the ax happened not so long ago and, oddly enough, in Hollywood. Directors and directors are very fond of these axes with two blades. And although they are considered one of the most inconvenient modifications of this weapon, their imposing appearance attracted cinema.

2. Berdysh



In a sense, the berdysh can be called a kind of ax. It also has a moon-shaped blade, however it is more elongated and has a sharp top. Another distinctive feature of this type of ax was the presence at the end of a long shaft (ratovishka) of the so-called inflow - a special metal tip. It was installed in order to be able to put the weapon vertically, resting it on the ground.



Berdysh was very handy in close combat. The long shaft helped keep the enemy at some distance, and the rounded blade helped deliver crushing blows. The sharp end also allowed the ax to perform a piercing function. And also a rather wide blade was able to reflect enemy blows, and the warrior could even do without a shield.



Cavalry troops had their own modification of this weapon. Such a reed was lighter and smaller in size. He had one more distinguishing feature: along the entire length of the blade, metal rings were threaded into it. Berdysh gradually came out of mass use warriors around the same period as the ax itself.

3. Bearded ax



Today, this weapon is also called the "grandfather's ax", which indicates its traditional and massive use. His homeland is Northern Europe, presumably on the territory of modern Norway. This ax has a row characteristic features that distinguish it from other "relatives". The blade has a clearly horizontal top edge, but Bottom part on the contrary, an elongated shape.

Such an unusual design made it possible to perform several functions at once: both as a chopping and as a cutting weapon. The elongated part itself, the so-called. The "beard" made it possible for a double grip, with one hand being protected by the actual blade. And the handle of a small length made the ax lighter, and the warrior could use not only the force of impact, but also speed.



Due to its characteristics, the beard-shaped ax was quite versatile: it was used both in everyday life and during the battle. This made him very fond of the Scandinavian warriors: as you know, the Vikings had fairly light boats, so they clearly could not afford heavy, bulky luggage.

4. Valashka



Valashka is a battle ax that has a clear localization of its distribution. It can be called the "national" weapon of the Carpathian highlanders. It is worth saying that this ax is popular among the Romanians, and among the Hutsuls, and among the Lemkos, but it has different names: bartka, balta, topirets. Actually, the gun received the name "Valashka" from the Romanian historical region of Wallachia, where the legendary Vlad Tepes came from.



Valashka is a narrow wedge-shaped knob on a long handle. The ax butt was often made in the form of a forged head of an animal or simply decorated with carved ornaments. This design allowed the ax to be universal in use. It was used both as a weapon and as a staff while moving in the mountains.

Valashka was so fond of the Carpathian highlanders that it became, among other things, part of their national costume. The ax was also used as a ritual object - they even danced with it. Valashka was a kind of status sign married man, head of the family.

5. Polex



The Polex was a very popular polearm for foot combat among European warriors of the 14th and 15th centuries. He was especially fond of the participants of padarms - knightly tournaments with theatrical elements. According to information, the polex had many varieties and modifications that differed in size, weight, or additional equipment.

The main distinguishing characteristics of the poleaxe were a long spike at the top of the gun, and at its lower end. The shape of the blade varied: heavy, wide, or in the form of a hammer with a counterweight spike. Separate parts of the ax head were attached to one another with pins or bolts.



Polex, being a tournament weapon, assumed the presence of additional protective elements, even if they reduced its combat capability. So, for example, on the shaft of an ax sometimes there were langets - special metal strips that protected it from cutting. In some cases, special disks were also used to protect the hands during the battle, the so-called rondels.

Good day everyone! By writing this article, I am opening a new section on my resource - chopping melee weapons. There are many varieties of battle axes and it is simply not possible to consider them all in one article. And therefore, this article will be introductory - a kind of introduction to all subsequent ones, and at the same time - a table of contents for the section. This practice I already used earlier in the section about " daggers».

And now directly to the point. We all imagine the appearance of an ax, and there is nothing surprising in this - an ax is such a useful, convenient and practical thing for creative work, known to everyone, that it is simply impossible not to know about it. We will touch on a more interesting component of the hypostasis of the ax - its combat use and varieties.

A multifunctional shock-chopping melee weapon, a kind of ax designed to defeat the enemy's manpower. Distinctive feature a battle ax is a small blade weight (about half a kilogram) and a long ax handle (from fifty centimeters). Battle axes were single-handed and two-handed, single-sided and double-sided. A battle ax was used, both for close combat and for throwing.

According to the generally accepted classification, the ax occupies an intermediate position between conventional percussion weapons and bladed melee weapons. This is a group of chopping edged weapons or, as it is also called - percussion-chopping melee weapons.

A little about the origin of the ax ...

First, let's decide when the history of the ax begins? An ax similar to the classical form, having a handle and a striking part, appeared approximately six thousand years BC, in the Mesolithic era. The ax was used mainly as a tool and was intended for cutting trees, building dwellings, rafts and other things. The shock part was stone and roughly hewn. Only in the later stages of the development of the Stone Age did the ax begin to take on a more "human" appearance. Polished and drilled stone axes began to appear, which were used not only as a trench tool, but also as a weapon in close combat or hunting.

The ax, in general, is the clearest example of how an economic tool can be reborn and become a melee weapon. This basically explains its ubiquitous distribution among almost all peoples. And before the advent of other purely combat weapons, such as the sword, the ax was, in a way, a monopoly in the field of effective edged weapons. After the appearance of the sword, they became the main rivals for the championship in the field of combat edged weapons, this is especially clearly seen in the example of the West.

Why did the ax never lose the fight with the sword?

The answer to this question lies on the surface. True, there are quite a few reasons. Let's take a look at them. I will not consider the positive qualities of the sword, since the article is still about axes.

So let's go:

  • An ax is much easier to make.
  • The ax is more versatile.
  • On the near and short distances the ax can be used as a throwing weapon.
  • Significantly greater impact force, due to large mass and short blade.
  • In combat, almost the entire design of the ax works. The corners of the blade can be used to poke or cling to the enemy, and the prepared butt was often used as a striking or stabbing weapon.
  • Grip versatility. A battle ax can be used with one or two hands.
  • High efficiency against enemy armor. Armor can actually break through, inflicting severe injuries to the enemy.
  • The ability to inflict stunning, but not fatal blows.

As can be seen from the above material, positive qualities not to occupy a battle ax, and this is far from all. In general, the battle ax is a rather formidable and effective weapon.

General classification of the battle ax.

Let's now look at the main categories by which battle axes can be classified, there are two of them:

  1. Handle length.
  2. The shape of the blade of the ax itself.

The length of the handle, as the main criterion, could be of three main sizes.

Short handle was up to thirty centimeters long, and in general case equal to the length of the forearm. Axes of this size received another name - hand ax. Such axes could be used in pairs, striking with two hands. In addition, the small size of such an ax made it possible to throw it easily and accurately, as well as use it as a secondary weapon or a weapon for the left hand. It was convenient to hold such an ax under the blade and inflict a kind of “knuckle blows”. The handle itself at the end usually had a slight thickening, or a special limiter that prevented the hand from slipping.

The second version of the handle - medium size handle. Other name - two-handed ax. This variety had a handle up to one meter in size and was intended for a wide two-handed grip. With this type of battle ax, it is convenient to block blows and counterattack. A metal ball, pike or hook was usually attached to the butt of the handle, which made it possible to deliver additional blows. In addition, with such a grip, one hand is protected by a blade, like a guard. Such an ax is convenient for use from a horse and in tight passages and rooms.

Third view- This long handle. In general, the handle

such a battle ax is longer than that of a two-handed ax, but less than that of a pike. Such weapons are designed mainly for combat against enemy cavalry.

By blade shape the classification is somewhat more complex. Do more early species battle axes, there is a main emphasis on chopping blows and, accordingly, such axes had a shape elongated from the butt to the blade. The length of the blade was often half the width of the axe.

The presence of a semi-circular blade with a length greater than the width indicates that this ax. This shape of the blade increases the possibility of stabbing, as well as chopping with an outflow of blows. At the same time, the penetration power of the weapon as a whole is somewhat reduced.

If the upper end of the ax is sharply protruding forward, giving an even greater opportunity for piercing and cutting blows, then we have reed. Wherein classic reed additionally provides full protection second hand, by connecting the lower part of the blade to the handle. True, this variety is found only in Poland and Russia.

An ax that has a blade tapering towards the end and having a triangular or dagger shape is called slander. In general, klevets is very similar to minted, but due to the presence of a blade, it has the ability to apply undercutting blows. This type adequately copes with the armor and shields of the enemy, while not getting stuck in them.

Battle axes can be unilateral, and bilateral. On one-sided axes, on the side opposite the blade, called the butt, they usually put a hook or a spike - to deliver additional blows. Bilateral axes, on the contrary, had blades on both sides of the handle, as a rule, of a symmetrical shape. With such axes it is convenient to strike in both directions.

Since the article turns out to be cumbersome, for convenience it was decided to divide it into two parts. In the second part, we will take a closer look at the features of each species separately, as well as their historical changes.

Hello dear readers! Today I would like to continue the topic "Battle axes" and describe to you about such an instance from this series as an ax. Let's talk about its characteristics and functionality. And also about several varieties of axes common in Asia and Europe.

Ax - one of the varieties of a battle ax, is considered a chopping melee weapon. Characteristically differs from other axes in the blade in the form of a crescent, pointed along the convex part. It takes its roots from ancient times.

Common in ancient Greece, the ax called "labrys" instead of the butt had a symmetrical second blade, like a butterfly. Historians write that weapons of the same form were common among the peoples of Asia and the Romans.

The ax was also known in many countries of Europe and in Rus'. It was used in most cases by infantry to pull horsemen off their horses and break through heavy armor. For this, a strong and long spike, sometimes bent down, was located on the butt side of the ax.

Judging by the name, we can say that the ax is an ax, only the shaft itself is slightly longer. But there is a difference - it's a balance. The balance of the ax gives its owner a good freedom of movement. The ax is used due to its weight, like a hammer or mace.

In most cases, the ax differs from axes in that it can deliver stabbing blows, respectively, the ax would have to complete the feather, pointed forward, such as a halberd. In Asia, skillful martial masters preferred to wield an ax rather than an ax, since in good hands, the ax is capable of a lot. Judging by its appearance, we can say that this is a hybrid between a spear and a sword.

Characteristics of the ax

Ax consists of a shaft, a blade and a counterweight at the end of the shaft. The shaft of the ax consists of an ordinary stick, sometimes with a winding to prevent hands from slipping along the shaft. The length of the shaft depends on the method of use: for infantry up to 2.5 meters, "combat halberd"; for cavalry 70 - 80 centimeters, "horse axes"; for boarding ships up to 3 meters, "boarding halberd".

The warhead was pushed into the eye and fixed on the shaft with nails or rivets. The blade of the ax has very many types and forms, but in most cases it looked like a month-shaped blade, not far away from the shaft itself.

Since, the more the blade moved away from the shaft, the more the balance of the ax was lost, in turn, the possibility of fencing techniques. And if one side is heavier than the other, such an ax will be very difficult to wield.

The use of "butterfly" axes showed that it was difficult to strike with such an ax, the ax itself turned out to be very heavy and there was a very large inert force upon impact. There were also such axes, where the blade exceeded the shaft itself and served as a counterweight to itself.

Often the front of the blade was sharpened so that it was possible to inflict stabbing blows, although in several types of ax a kind of spike serves for this. Very often there is a gap between the blade and the spike or the blade and the shaft, which is used to capture the opponent's blade, but for this one must perfectly master the fencing techniques of the ax.

WITH opposite side blades, where the butt is located, in some types of axes a hook is used. It is used for various purposes, such as: grab the wall or side of the ship, throw the rider off the horse, and much more.

The chopping part of the ax varies in length from 10 centimeters to a blade equal in length to the xiphoid blade. There is a protrusion at the bottom of the ax blade, below the fastener itself, it is called a pigtail and is used to better fasten the blade itself to the shaft.

The counterweight is a simple metal knob or spike that was used to rest on the ground, but it could also deliver an imperceptible blow. Without a counterweight, with an ax it would be very difficult to manage.

Ax functionality

The functionality of the ax allows you to use it as a spear, the difference between them is only in length, and of course the balance will not allow you to throw the ax like a spear. In a one-on-one fight, the ax has many advantages over other types of edged weapons.

With an ax, you can pull a warrior off a horse or strike at the lower limbs, unprotected by a shield. If, for example, spears were used in defense, axes and swords in attack, then axes were the golden mean between them. Although many armies used detachments of axes to protect the flanks, using pikemen in the center.

Since axes were common in many countries of Europe and Asia, in each country the battle ax looked different and was used, depending on the shape of the blade, for different purposes. But still, let's try to deal with each of them separately.

Halberd

The halberd is a melee polearm with a combined tip. The tip is a needle spear point up to one meter long and can be either round or faceted. The tip of the halberd itself sometimes had a hook. A small ax blade on one side, and on the other, a pointed butt is placed.

The advantages of the halberd were demonstrated to Europe in the XIV century, thanks to the Italian and Swiss mercenaries, who showed all the advantages of this ax in battle against knightly cavalry. In Flanders, the halberd was given the name "godenac".

The halberd was in service with many European countries from the 13th to the 17th centuries, but it became most widespread in the 15th - XVI centuries, as the most effective weapon against armored cavalry. The shaft of the halberd reached 2 - 2.5 meters and the weight was from 2.5 to 5.5 kilograms.

The halberds differed only in the shape and size of the axe. The ax blade could be: flat or crescent, narrow or wide, concave or convex, in the form of an ax or chasing, the number of hooks.

But there were also halberds that did not have a spear point and looked like an ordinary ax on a long shaft. By the 15th century, the halberd had finally formed and looked like: a narrow hatchet on one side, and on the other, a curved and pointed headband, a large needle point, on one side a shaft, and on the other hand, a small knob or a small point for better sticking into the ground .

In battle, there was no armor that the halberd could not break through with its tip, with an ax or butt, crushing - chopping blows were applied, a rider was pulled off a horse with a hook or ships were pulled during boarding. Also, boarding halberds were equipped with a large hook for better grip and an elongated shaft (up to 3 meters).

The name of the ax comes from English word"broad axe", meaning a wide axe. The broad-blade ax has a wide trapezoidal blade. Brodeks became the most common in the X-XI centuries, in the Baltics and Scandinavia.

On the territory of Rus', judging by the archaeological finds, there were practically none. Brodex had a characteristic rounded blade. Brodexes can be divided by appearance, with one-sided and two-sided sharpening. Double-sided brodexes were battle axes, but they were very heavy and inconvenient in terms of striking.

But later they were used, the executions that existed in the era of the New Age, the executioners chopped off their heads with such axes. Brodexes with one-sided sharpening, on the contrary, were not combat, but were used in agriculture. For example, due to their large flat surface, it was easy for them to process the surface of a fallen tree, beam or beam.

Berdysh

Berdysh is a cold weapon, like an ax - axes. The origin of the ax has not been sorted out, and to this day, some believe that it went from French word"bardiche", others from the Polish "berdysz".

The blade is curved, resembling a crescent moon, worn on a long shaft, reaching up to 180 centimeters. They also said "ratovishche" on the staff. The blunt part of the ax blade had a hole for mounting on the rattove, and, as in an ordinary ax, it is called a butt, the opposite edge of the blade is also called stupid, and the end of the blade pulled down is called pigtail.

The ratovishche was attached to the metal, sitting on the butt and nailed or riveted, and the pigtail was tied with a strap. To nail the shaft to the butt, wells were made in it, their number could reach up to 7.

Pigtail they were also first nailed with several nails, and a rope or strap was still wound on top. In some cases, a thin strap on each turn was fixed with a small stud. On the lower part of the shaft, a metal tip was mounted, the so-called "flow", designed to better stop the reed into the ground.

subflow used in firing muskets, but also in parade formation. There are reeds in which small holes were made on the blade itself all over the canvas and rings were inserted into them. Thanks to this experiment, berdysh appeared, which were used by the cavalry. The berdysh of equestrian archers were much smaller than the axes of foot soldiers.

There were two metal rings for the shoulder strap on the ratovishe, so that it would be more convenient for the rider to use the reed. Riders began to use berdysh less and less often, since with the lightening of armor, swords became relevant, and later sabers.

Lochaberakst or Lochaber ax in English means "Lochaber axe" and takes its roots from the name of the territory in Scotland, called Lochaber. Outwardly, lochaberakst is very similar to a reed.

Ax consists of an iron blade with two eyes into which the shaft itself is inserted, about one and a half meters long. The length of the blade itself reached 50 centimeters and had both a flat surface and a wavy one.

The upper end of the ax was in the form of a crescent and sharpened so that it would be possible to inflict stabbing blows. On the eyes there could be a hook for pulling warriors from the cavalry. The Lochaber ax was used by both cavalry and infantry and was a very versatile and effective battle ax.

Studying history, it can be assumed that the lochaberakst, due to its functionality, was modernized into a halberd around the 15th century. But in Scotland they were relevant until the 18th century.

Sakravor translated from Armenian "Սակրավոր" , came from the word sakur, meaning an ax. In the ancient Armenian army, the soldiers were mainly armed with axes. From the name of the ax came the very name of the warriors - sacravor.

But since the warriors were very functional, their equipment also included other axes, military trench shovels. Sakravors were engaged in laying roads, cutting down forests, building bridges, setting up military camps, trenches, haravands "խարավանդ" and much more.

It was also the responsibility of the sacravores to monitor the "gumak" - a convoy of horses, oxen, carrying ammunition, food, camp supplies. In our time, you can hear in the Armenian army that they say sakravor to sappers. From which it follows that even in those days, the first multifunctional sappers appeared.

The Scandinavian ax is a medieval polearm. The Scandinavian ax differed from most axes in that it had a wide blade, symmetrically diverging in different directions. The ax was very thin, it had side cheeks.

The thickness of the blade itself was about 2 millimeters, having a sleeve at the end, the width of the sleeve was 2.5 centimeters, and the length was 3.5 centimeters. The blade blade was also large, its width was 17 - 18 centimeters, and the length was also 17 - 18 centimeters.

For you to understand, it was not a square, since the blade diverged symmetrically in different directions. The weight of the ax without the shaft was about 450 grams, and the shaft reached a length of up to 120 centimeters. The ax takes its roots from its name - Scandinavia.

Due to their Norman influence, the Scandinavians introduced the ax to Europe in the 10th - 11th centuries, in Rus' such axes appeared only in the second half of the 10th century, and full-scale use began only in the 11th century. If in Rus' in the XII - XIII century, axes began to lose their popularity, then in Europe, on the contrary, they are used very massively.

During the XII - XIII centuries, axes undergo all kinds of modifications, such as: a spike is added, like a halberd, the length of the shaft itself increases. One of these modifications will polex . At the same time, an unmodified version of the ax is also used: as proof, they were used in Ireland and Scotland until the 16th century.

Polex

The Polex is a modified Scandinavian axe, considered a European polearm. In the XV - XVI centuries, the polex became one of the most widely used melee weapons for foot soldiers. Like all axes, the polex was also divided into a shaft, up to two meters long and a metal blade.

On the top of the polex blade there was a needle spike, on some axes such a spike was also placed in the lower part of the shaft. On the pole itself there were iron strips "langets" descending on both sides of the blade head to the bottom and were used to protect the blade from cutting.

There were poles with protection for the hands, such protection was called "rondel". But the most important difference in the polex was that all parts of the blade were assembled on bolts or pins, it was possible to replace the failed part with a new one. Because of this, he had great popularity, since the halberds at that time were solid forged.

The siege knife is a polearm. Its purpose was to cut and stab. It looked like both a halberd and a glaive, but it had a large shaft, about 3 meters.

The wedge-shaped tip had a wide cutting surface on one side and a large hook on the other, designed to cling to the fortress walls and climb the same walls with a knife. It was used mainly in Germany and was relevant until the 18th century.

Guizarma

Translated from Italian "guisarme" means guisarma, guisarma, guisarma . It is very similar to a halberd with a long narrow, slightly curved point, the blade of which is straight, with a branch pointed at the end. The first branch is long and straight, and the other branch is a slightly curved spike.

The thorn and the blade are placed at a decent distance from each other, according to the type of guizarama, one can say that its progenitors were ordinary agricultural pitchforks. The guizarama is the only European ax designed primarily for spectacular strikes.

Chopping blows with an ax were used primarily against horses, cutting their tendons, but it was also possible to pull off the rider himself. Such a specific weapon appeared in the 11th century, but the final result was formed only at the end of the 14th century.

Glaive

Translated from French "glaive" means glaive, glaive . The glaive is a polearm designed for close combat and was used only by infantry. It consists of a tip about 60 centimeters long, 5 - 7 centimeters wide and has a shaft about one and a half meters long.

Metal tape was often wound around the shaft itself to strengthen it from cutting, or rivets were applied for the same purpose. The tip is shaped like a blade, but sharpened only on one side of the wide "falcyon".

From the side of the so-called butt of the tip, a spike branches parallel to the tip, bent at a small angle. The functions of the spike included grabbing the weapon when repelling a blow from above, as well as delivering more powerful and effective piercing blows that pierce the enemy’s armor.

Since the tip itself could only deliver chopping blows, the glaive was mainly used as a chopping weapon. At the end of the shaft, there was also a tip, but in most cases it was used as a balance. Although, sometimes they also inflicted tricky blows or finished off the wounded.

Many believe that the glaive is the most ordinary scythe, only straightened and put on the shaft, as if continuing it, with the tip forward. Since the glaive is a relatively light ax, functional, it began to be used in France and Germany as early as the 15th century, but the use required special skills.

There were many modifications of the glaive, for example: a wide, ax-like tip on one side of the shaft and a spherical counterweight on the end; or on both sides of the shaft, there were identical, sharp, narrow, long blades.

All modifications cannot be counted, but I will point out several analogues of the glaive in other countries, for example:

  • German "halberd"
  • Polish "berdysh"
  • Indian "bhuj"
  • Japanese "nagamaki" and "naginata"
  • Chinese "guandao"
  • and, of course, "owl" from Rus'

In conclusion, I would like to say that the ax was so functional that many countries and continents had their own axes, each country made its own modernization of the ax, so it is impossible and problematic to list them in one article. But in the future, I will write about battle axes, which I have not yet paid my attention to. So, stay tuned for new posts about battle axes! It will be boring!


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