I am unsure of why there are three distinct different types of axes and if they were made at the same time or if there was a development so that one type is older and the other newer. The C type axe are always decorated, but in no way as lavishly as the decorated A type often is. I don’t have this axe in my collection as of now, but “stole” the picture from the Norwegian museum’s Digitalt museum that regretfully only is in Norwegian and with very limited description of the items. They are hardly ever engraved (this is one of the very few exceptions). The B axe is usually rather plain and has one flat side. This one also has something pretty unique, the top quarter of the handle with the fillings for the blade are the original ones from the 1600’s. Most of these are plain, but some have beautiful engravings like the one on the picture. The A-axe is virtually identical to the viking axe and is from my point of view the most aesthetic of the three. There were three types of axes – the A, B and C. These really were fearsome weapons, introduced in the early 1600’s when the Norwegian farmer was required to arm himself by law. With the crocked handle, one gets the force of the blow from a straight handle, but in addition get a sliding cut. With a straight handle, one gets a straight chop. These weapons were mainly used as secondary arms by poorer people.The Norwegian battle axe is often a beautiful piece of workmanship, seemingly strangely mounted on a crocked handle. This is that huge, terrifying battle axe that we commonly associate with. The big groups of Pole Weapons were the battle axes and war hammers. Around the 10th century, the Vikings developed the weapon known as the Dane Axe. One hit or blow with these battle axes could deliver a great power and damage, and so could apply relevant injury to the enemy. Buy Norse Tradesman One-Handed 24 Viking Battle Axe w/Hand-Engraved Runes The Skeggx online at an affordable price. The blades of these axes used in the Middles Ages were usually crescent-shaped and were as long as 25cm from the lower to the upper points of the blades. The Norwegian battle axe, also called Norwegian peasant militia axe, Norwegian peasant axe or peasant battle axe (Norwegian: bondeks or bondestridsks ), is a tool and weapon from Norway, which was an important part of the Norwegian national defense in the 1600s. Skilled fighters were able to bring great damage to the opponent by throwing the axes.ĭuring the Middle Ages, most battle axes had wide heads, and the hafts fit really well with the heads of the axes, in contrast with the Vikings’ axes, wich were mostly just lashed. Knights often used handled axes in mounted combats and fought with axes from the back of their horses.īattle axes were made as both single and double handed weapons, and were really efficient in close contact battles, but also could be hurled. In the middle ages mostly foot soldiers used battle axes, since the plate armors were very thick and it was hard to cause damage with light swords.
These weapons were designed for inflicting bodily harm and physical damage, not to chop wood. There is a great chance that the first, to make axes for only wars and battles were the Vikings in Europe. People already used axes to fight millions of years ago.
watercolor authentic depiction of nordic viking military weapon battle ax and sword. The Battle Axe had been a very significant weapon since the Stone Age. Find Viking battle axe stock images in HD and millions of other.