What is ax: battle ax and its types

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 bravery of the soldiers of the past, someone tries to understand what moved rulers who destroyed whole clans.

But an integral part of such studies was and remains the weapons used by the soldiers. One of the most ancient and common is the ax and its species.

What is an ax?

The modern word "ax" is rooted in the Old Slavonic "sikir" or "sokir". In translation, these words have a common meaning - the ax.

One of the most dangerous tools of the past was the ax. The meaning of the word fully justifies its appearance. Almost all types of this weapon are similar. Wooden shaft, the length of which varies from several tens of centimeters to one meter. It has a blade, long and wide. The blade, the length of which reaches thirty centimeters, has a semicircular shape.

The ax and its species have become widespread in many countries of the world, but in different epochs and centuries.

Battle Ax: where and when weapons were used

The first mention of what the ax is, belong to the ancient ages. It is known that in Ancient Egypt the ax was made of bronze and was very popular among the soldiers. The most common weapon was the battle ax in the Eastern region. Blacksmiths and gunsmiths experimented with the appearance and soon created an ax, which had two parallel blades. This type of weapon did not bypass the Ancient Rome with Greece.

During the battle, the soldiers armed with axes were in the second rank. They dealt deadly blows over the shoulders of the shield-guards. A long shaft of weapons was used for strategic purposes: in battle, foot soldiers cut the legs of opponents and horses.

But Europe learned much later what the ax is. The definition of the word remained the same: a battle ax with a long shaft. However, the weapons became widespread only after the first infantry troops appeared in the eighteenth century.

How has the ax changed in Europe?

With the advent of the eighteenth-century infantry in European countries, the ax became more and more popular. The meaning of the word did not change, it was still a battle-ax with a rounded blade and a shaft of various lengths. However, the appearance changed.

In battle against the soldiers, clad 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 was a weapon in two meters, to the tip of which was attached to 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 for accurate long-range shots.

In the period from the heyday of the Ancient Civilizations to the eighteenth-century Europe, the ax was undergoing several changes.

Halberd

One of the versions of the ax was a halberd. Widely distributed in the fifteenth century, becoming the most effective weapon against cavalry troops in the armor.

The appearance is slightly different from conventional weapons. The pole of the halberd was 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 between halberds is a combined tip, the length of which could reach one meter.

For mortal attacks, the tip of the halberd was equipped with a needle-like blade, a hook or a shoe.

Scandinavian ax

Asking what the ax is, you can not ignore the Scandinavian variant. This type of weapon refers to the Middle Ages. Externally, it resembles a modern analogue, but it differs by a wider blade, equally diverging in sides. The weapon's shaft was thin. The width of the blade was only two and a half centimeters, and the weight without the shaft - no more than 500 grams.

It was from Scandinavia at the beginning of the tenth century that the battle ax moved to Europe, and it reached Russia only in the second half of the century. And if in Russia ceased to use the battle ax in the thirteenth century, the European warriors did not abandon it for a long time.

Sekira Peruna

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

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

The ax of Peruna is the main guard of the soldiers who went to battle. According to the legend, the talisman takes spears and arrows from a man. But Sekir Perun defends only those who fight for their homeland and their people.

However, the symbol of divine weapons helps not only people associated with battles. The ax took over the symbols of its owner and became a guardian, helping to overcome difficulties. He gives strength to fight evil and darkness.