An ax is a weapon of war and peace: it can cut both wood and heads equally well! Today we will talk about which axes won fame and were the most popular among warriors of all times and peoples.
The battle ax can be very different: one-handed and two-handed, with one or even two blades. With a relatively light warhead (no heavier than 0, 5−0, 8 kg) and a long (from 50 cm) hatchet, this weapon has an impressive penetrating power - it's all about the small area of contact of the cutting edge with the surface, resulting in all the impact energy concentrates at one point. Axes were often used against heavily armored infantry and cavalry: the narrow blade perfectly wedges into the joints of the armor and, with a successful hit, can cut through all layers of protection, leaving a long bleeding cut on the body.
Combat modifications of axes have been widely used all over the world since ancient times: even before the era of metal, people hewed out axes from stone - this despite the fact that the quartz hairstyle is not inferior in sharpness to a scalpel! The evolution of the ax is diverse, and today we take a look at the five most impressive battle axes of all time:
Ax
A distinctive feature of the ax is a crescent-shaped blade, the length of which can reach 30-35 cm. A heavy piece of sharpened metal on a long shaft made sweeping strikes incredibly effective: often this was the only way to somehow penetrate heavy armor. The wide blade of the ax could act as an impromptu harpoon, pulling the rider from the saddle. The warhead was tightly driven into the eyelet and secured there with rivets or nails. Roughly speaking, the ax is the general name for a number of subspecies of battle axes, some of which we will discuss below.
The most furious dispute that accompanies the ax since the moment Hollywood fell in love with this formidable weapon is, of course, the question of the existence of the double-edged ax. Of course, on the screen, this wonderful weapon looks very impressive and, coupled with a ridiculous helmet decorated with a pair of sharp horns, completes the look of a brutal Scandinavian. In practice, the butterfly blade is too massive, which creates very large inertia on impact. Often there was a sharp spike on the back of the warhead of the ax; however, there are also known Greek labris axes with two wide blades - a weapon for the most part ceremonial, but still at the very least suitable for real combat.
Valashka
National hatchet of the highlanders who inhabited the Carpathians. A narrow wedge-shaped knob, strongly protruding forward, the butt of which was often a forged face of an animal or was simply decorated with carved ornaments. The shaft, thanks to the long handle, is a staff, a cleaver, and a battle ax. Such an instrument was practically indispensable in the mountains and was a status sign of a sexually mature married man, the head of the family.
The name of the ax comes from Wallachia - a historical region in the south of modern Romania, the fiefdom of the legendary Vlad III Tepes. It migrated to Central Europe in the XIV-XVII centuries and became an invariable shepherd's attribute. Since the 17th century, the wall has gained popularity in the wake of popular uprisings and received the status of a full-fledged military weapon.
Berdysh
The reed is distinguished from other axes by a very wide blade in the shape of an elongated crescent. At the lower end of the long shaft (so-called.ratovish) was fixed with an iron tip (flow) - they rested their weapons on the ground at the parade and during the siege. In Russia, the berdysh in the 15th century played the same role as the Western European halberd. The long shaft made it possible to keep a great distance between opponents, and the blow of the sharp crescent blade was truly terrible. Unlike many other axes, the reed was effective not only as a chopping weapon: the sharp end could be pricked, and the wide blade reflected blows well, so that the skillful owner of the reed was unnecessary.
The reed was also used in equestrian combat. Equestrian archers and dragoons' berdysh were smaller in comparison with infantry models, and on the shaft of such a berdysh there were two iron rings so that the weapon could be hung on a belt.
Polex
Polex appeared in Europe around the 15th-16th centuries and was intended for foot combat. According to scattered historical sources, there were many variants of this weapon. A distinctive feature has always remained a long spike at the top and often at the lower end of the weapon, but the shape of the warhead varied: there is a heavy ax blade, a hammer with a counterweight spike, and much more.
On the poleax shaft, you can see metal flat surfaces. These are the so-called splints, which provide the shaft with additional protection against chopping. Sometimes you can also find rondels - special discs that protect the hands. Poleks is not only a combat weapon, but also a tournament weapon, and therefore additional protection, even reducing combat effectiveness, looks justified. It is worth noting that, unlike the halberd, the pommel of the poleax was not solid-forged, and its parts were attached to each other using bolts or pins.
Beard ax
The "classic", "grandfather's" ax came to us from the north of Europe. The name itself most likely has a Scandinavian origin: the Norwegian word Skeggox consists of two words: skegg (beard) and ox (ax) - now you can flaunt your knowledge of Old Norse on occasion! A characteristic feature of the ax is a straight upper edge of the warhead and a downwardly drawn blade. This shape gave the weapon not only chopping, but also cutting properties; in addition, the "beard" made it possible to take a weapon with a double grip, in which one hand was protected by the blade itself. In addition, the notch reduced the weight of the ax - and, given the short handle, fighters with this weapon relied not on strength, but on speed.
Such an ax, like its many relatives, is a tool for both household work and combat. For the Norwegians, whose light canoes did not allow them to take excess luggage with them (after all, they still had to leave room for the plundered goods!), Such versatility played a very important role.
