Dark times, the Middle Ages, knights and barbarians, aggressive campaigns and massacres. Many representatives of the human race are interested in this topic. Someone admires the courage and courage of the soldiers of the past, someone is trying to understand what moved the rulers who destroyed entire clans.
But the weapon used by the soldiers was and remains an integral topic of such research. One of the most ancient and widespread is the poleax and its species.
What is an ax?
The modern word "ax" is rooted in the Old Slavonic "sikira" or "sokira". In translation, these words have a common meaning - an ax.
One of the most dangerous weapons of the past was the ax. The meaning of the word fully justifies its appearance. Almost all types of weapons are similar. A wooden pole, the length of which varies from several tens of centimeters to one meter. A blade is mounted on it, long and wide. The blade, the length of which reaches thirty centimeters, has a semicircular shape.
The ax and its species are widespread in many countries of the world, but in different eras and centuries.
Battle Ax: where and when weapons were used
The first mention of what an ax is from ancient eras. It is known that in ancient Egypt the ax was made of bronze and was very popular among warriors. The battle ax became the most common weapon in the Eastern region. Blacksmiths and gunsmiths experimented with appearance and soon created an ax that had two parallel blades. Ancient Rome and Greece did not bypass this type of weapon.
During the battle, the soldiers armed with the ax were in the second line. They delivered deadly blows over the shoulders of the shield bearers. The long shaft of the weapon was used for strategic purposes: in battle, infantrymen cut off the legs of opponents and horses.
But Europe later learned what the ax is. The definition of the word remains the same: a battle ax with a long shaft. However, weapons became widespread only after the first infantry troops appeared in the eighteenth century.
How has the poleax in Europe changed?
With the advent of infantrymen in European countries of the eighteenth century, the poleax became an increasingly popular ax. 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 the 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 pole was changed. In the hands of the soldiers there was a two-meter weapon, to the tip of which they were attached only to sharp blades, but also various hooks, bayonets and tips.
But it is worth noting that even in this era, the ax on the pole was not used as a spear. The imbalance of the shaft and the tip did not allow for accurate long-range shots.
During the period from the heyday of Ancient civilizations to eighteenth-century Europe, the pole ax underwent several changes.
Halberd
One of the varieties of the ax was a halberd. It became widespread in the fifteenth century, becoming the most effective weapon against cavalry troops in armor.
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 various shapes: flat, narrow, crescent, concave, or vice versa. The main difference between the halberds is the combined tip, the length of which could reach one meter.
For mortal strikes, the halberds' tip was equipped with a needle lance blade, hook or pickaxe.
Nordic poleax
When wondering what an ax is, one cannot ignore the Scandinavian version. This type of weapon belongs to the Middle Ages. Outwardly resembles a modern analogue, but differs in a wider blade, equally diverging to the sides. The weapon shaft was thin. The width of the blade was only two and a half centimeters, and the weight excluding the shaft was not 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 Russia only in the second half of the century. And if in Russia they stopped using the battle ax in the thirteenth century, then the European soldiers did not abandon it for a long time.
The Ax of Perun
What is an ax? Of course, a battle ax. But this is not a complete answer. In addition to the weapons of infantry and warriors of the past, such an ax was a talisman among the Slavs.
Pekun's ax, 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 soldiers who went to battle. According to a legend, the talisman draws spears and arrows from a person. But only those who fight for their homeland and their people defend the Ax of Perun .
However, the symbol of divine weapons helps not only people associated with the battles. The ax adopted the symbolism of its owner and became a talisman that helps to overcome difficulties. He gives strength to fight evil and darkness.