home Treatment and prevention The ax is another battle axe. Battle axes (2): weapons of knights and kings Battle ax in Rus'

The ax is another battle axe. Battle axes (2): weapons of knights and kings Battle ax in Rus'

The battle ax can be very different: one-handed and two-handed, with one and even two blades. With a relatively light warhead (no heavier than 0.5-0.8 kg) and a long (from 50 cm) axe, this weapon has impressive penetrating power - it’s all about the small area of contact of the cutting edge with the surface, as a result of which all the impact energy concentrated at one point. Axes were often used against heavily armored infantry and cavalry: the narrow blade wedges perfectly into the joints of 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 metal era, people carved axes out of stone - despite the fact that quartz stone is as sharp as a scalpel! The evolution of the ax is diverse, and today we will look at the five most impressive battle axes of all time:

Ax

Brodex - Scandinavian battle ax

Distinctive feature axes - a crescent-shaped blade, the length of which can reach 30-35 cm. A weighty piece of sharpened metal on a long shaft made sweeping blows incredibly effective: it was often the only way at least somehow break through heavy armor. The wide blade of the ax could act as an improvised harpoon, pulling the rider from the saddle. Warhead was driven tightly into the eye and secured there with rivets or nails. Roughly speaking, an ax is a general name for a number of subspecies of battle axes, some of which we will discuss below.

The most furious controversy that has accompanied the ax since Hollywood fell in love with this formidable weapon is, of course, the question of the existence of double-edged axes. Of course, on the screen this miracle weapon looks very impressive and, coupled with an absurd 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 high inertia upon impact. Often there was a sharp spike on the back of the ax head; However, Greek labrys axes with two wide blades are also known - a weapon that is mostly ceremonial, but still at least suitable for real combat.

Valashka

Valashka - both a staff and a military weapon

National hatchet of the mountaineers who inhabited the Carpathians. A narrow wedge-shaped knob, strongly protruding forward, the butt of which often represented a forged muzzle of an animal or was simply decorated with carved ornaments. The Valashka, thanks to its long handle, is a staff, a cleaver, and a battle axe. Such a tool was practically indispensable in the mountains and was a status sign of a sexually mature married man, head of the family.

The name of the ax comes from Wallachia, a historical region in the south of modern Romania, the patrimony of the legendary Vlad III the Impaler. It migrated to Central Europe in the 14th-17th centuries and became an invariable shepherd’s attribute. Starting from the 17th century, the wallachka gained popularity due to popular uprisings and received the status of a full-fledged military weapon.

Berdysh

Berdysh is distinguished by a wide, moon-shaped blade with a sharp top

What distinguishes the berdysh from other axes is its very wide blade, shaped like an elongated crescent. At the lower end of the long shaft (the so-called ratovishcha) was attached iron tip(podtok) - they used them to rest their weapons on the ground at the parade and during the siege. In Rus', the berdysh in the 15th century played the same role as the Western European halberd. The long shaft made it possible to keep a greater 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 stab, and the wide blade reflected blows well, so the skilled owner of the reed did not need a shield.

The berdysh was also used in horse combat. The reeds of mounted archers and dragoons were smaller in size compared to infantry models, and the shaft of such a reed had two iron rings so that the weapon could be hung on a belt.

Polex

Polex with protective splints and a hammer-shaped butt - a weapon for all occasions

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. Distinctive feature There was always a long spike at the top and often at the lower end of the weapon, but the shape of the warhead varied: there was a heavy ax blade, a hammer with a counterweight spike, and much more.

On the shaft of the polex you can see metal plates. These are the so-called splints, which provide the shaft with additional protection from cutting. Sometimes you can also find rondels - special discs that protect the hands. Polex is not only a combat weapon, but also a tournament weapon, and therefore additional protection, even reducing combat effectiveness, seems justified. It is worth noting that, unlike the halberd, the pommel of the polex was not solidly forged, and its parts were attached to each other using bolts or pins.

Bearded Ax

The “beard” gave the ax additional cutting properties

The “classic”, “grandfather’s” ax came to us from the north of Europe. The name itself is most likely of Scandinavian origin: a Norwegian word Skeggox consists of two words: skegg(beard) and ox(axe) - now you can show off your knowledge of Old Norse on occasion! Characteristic feature The ax is a straight upper edge of the warhead and a downward drawn blade. This shape gave the weapon not only chopping, but also cutting properties; In addition, the “beard” made it possible to take the 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.

This 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 with them excess luggage (after all, they still had to leave room for looted goods!), such versatility played a very important role.

By the beginning of the 12th century, the battle ax had firmly taken its place in the arsenal of truly knightly weapons, along with a spear and, of course, a sword. Although the Vikings had already died out by that time, two-handed axes served warriors throughout Europe for several more centuries.

Axes have become lighter, but have remained virtually unchanged in size. Gunsmiths began to pay more attention to the butt - in some cases it became a pronounced combat element.

This beauty was found in England, in a river flowing through Northumberland, along with the skeleton of its last owner. The dating of the ax is the mid-13th century.

History has preserved many cases when battle axes played an important role in battle. So, on February 2, 1141, the English king Stephen, having broken his sword at the Battle of Lincoln, held the defense with a large Danish ax. And only when its shaft broke, the enemy managed to capture the king.

Two centuries later, in the summer of 1314, the battle ax of a man named .
This is the same Robert Bruce who became one of the heroes of the film “Braveheart”, and who went down in history as the Scottish King Robert I.

Angus Macfadyen as Robert the Bruce. Still from the movie "Braveheart"

Remember the battle that ends the film? This was the legendary Battle of Bannockburn, at the very beginning of which the next episode happened.

The enemy of the Scots, the English king Edward II, began to gather forces to the battle site in advance. And then June 23rd vanguard The English, consisting of young and ardent knights, came across the Scots who were reconnaissance of the area.

One of the pieces from the Battle of Bannockburn chess set by Anne Carlton

Sir Humphrey de Bohun, who led the horsemen, recognized one of the Scots as their king and, grabbing his spear in the “battle” position, rushed towards him.

That day, Robert the Bruce left his spear in camp, contenting himself with a short-handled battle axe. And when he saw that the enemy was rushing towards him, he made the only correct decision in such a situation.

Having given the horse the command to leave the line of attack, Bruce met the knight with a powerful blow to the head.

In the 16th century, pollaxes fell out of use following plate armor. However, the idea of a reinforced shaft will be continued in tubular steel handles for axes and maces.

But that will all happen later. And in the 14th century, the most effective weapon of knights was the pollex, which easily killed even an enemy clad in armor.

The weapon turned out to be so dangerous that even in the 21st century its blunted model is prohibited for use at many historical festivals in Russia. The surviving textbooks perfectly show the troubles that this weapon could cause.

The technique of working with a pollex, reconstructed on the basis of these textbooks, can be seen in the video.

The pollex models used by fighters are not based on an axe, but on a war hammer. I will talk about this variety in the article “War Hammer”, which has not yet been written))). However, the video is quite revealing, and, which is very rare, of good quality.

Weapons of knights and the “star” of tournaments

From the very beginning, the battle ax was part of the mandatory knightly program. And everyone was aware of its danger, including the knights themselves. Thus, the French king Francis I refused to fight on pollaxes with his English colleague Henry VIII due to the fact that “ there are no mittens that can sufficiently protect the hand«.
And these are the words of the almighty king!

However, not everyone paid attention to such a trifle as injuries. A great fan of crossing battle axes was the French knight Jacques de Lalen, who lived in the mid-15th century. Here is a chronicle of just a few of his fights.

1445, Antwerp, battle with the Italian knight Jean de Boniface. By the time it came to the pollaxes, the fighters managed to break six spears and continued the battle. When the turn of the pollaxes finally came, Jacques dealt de Boniface such a blow that he almost twisted him!

1447, Castile, fight against Diego de Guzman. When Jacques and Diego fought on the pollex, their blows were so violent that sparks flew from the armor.

1447, Flanders, fight with the English squire Thomas Kew. During the fight, Thomas hit Jacques de Lalen in the hand with the spike of his pollex. The point penetrated under the glove and passed through, “cutting nerves and veins, since the spike of the Englishman’s ax was surprisingly large and sharp.”
Seeing that things were going badly, Jacques threw away his pollax and threw Thomas Q to the ground, thus winning the fight. Fortunately for the winner, the wound he received did not cripple him.

On graves and coats of arms

In addition to war and tournaments, pollex was also used during “ God's judgment"- a fight in which the winner was cleared of all charges. And there is one rule associated with this kind of battles, which the masters who made tombstones knew very well.)))

So, if the justified winner nevertheless died from the wounds received during God’s judgment, then on the grave monument he was depicted dressed in exactly the armor in which he cleared his name from accusations. The statue was supposed to hold a sword and an ax in crossed hands.
The one who was killed in a duel was depicted as fully armored and also with his arms crossed. However, all of his offensive weapons were depicted next to him.

Among other things, battle axes were an honorary coat of arms. They can be seen on the coats of arms of France, on the historical coat of arms of the King of Iceland and on the modern coat of arms of the Swiss canton of Saint Gall.

Summarizing

In knightly Europe, battle axes were not surrounded by such a halo as around a sword, whose shape resembled a cross. However, the ax was a weapon no less important than the sword, and often the ability to handle it brought people fame, and therefore immortality.

Literature

Maciejewski Bible
Ewart Oakeshott, The Archeology of Weapons. From the Bronze Age to the Renaissance"
D. Aleksinsky, K. Zhukov, A. Butyagin, D. Korovkin “Horsemen of War. Cavalry of Europe"
J.J. Rua "History of Chivalry"
K. Coltman “Knight's tournament. Tournament etiquette, armor and weapons"
R. Lovett “What is pollex”
Count Michael De Lacy "Pollex: description and techniques"
“Kings of England against Wales and Scotland 1250-1400” (almanac from the “New Soldier” series)

An ax is a weapon of war and peace: it can chop 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 and even two blades. With a relatively light warhead (no heavier than 0.5-0.8 kg) and a long (from 50 cm) axe, it has impressive penetrating force - it’s all about the small area of contact of the cutting edge with the surface, as a result of which all the impact energy is concentrated at one point. Axes were often used against heavily armored infantry and cavalry: the narrow blade wedges perfectly into the joints of 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 metal era, people hewed axes out of stone - despite the fact that quartz stone is as sharp as a scalpel! The evolution of the ax is diverse, and today we will look at the five most impressive battle axes of all time:

Brodex - Scandinavian battle ax

A distinctive feature of the ax is its crescent-shaped blade, the length of which can reach 30-35 cm. A heavy piece of sharpened metal on a long shaft made sweeping blows incredibly effective: often this was the only way to somehow penetrate heavy armor. The wide blade of the ax could act as an improvised harpoon, pulling the rider from the saddle. The warhead was driven tightly into the eye and secured there with rivets or nails. Roughly speaking, an ax is a general name for a number of subspecies of battle axes, some of which we will discuss below.

Valashka

Valashka - both a staff and a military weapon

National hatchet of the mountaineers who inhabited the Carpathians. A narrow wedge-shaped knob, strongly protruding forward, the butt of which often represented a forged muzzle of an animal or was simply decorated with carved ornaments. The Valashka, thanks to its long handle, is a staff, a cleaver, and a battle axe. Such an instrument was practically indispensable in the mountains and was a status sign of a 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 patrimony of the legendary Vlad III the Impaler. It migrated to Central Europe in the 14th-17th centuries and became an invariable shepherd’s attribute. Starting from the 17th century, the wallachka gained popularity due to popular uprisings and received the status of a full-fledged military weapon.

Berdysh

Berdysh is distinguished by a wide, moon-shaped blade with a sharp top

What distinguishes the berdysh from other axes is its very wide blade, shaped like an elongated crescent. At the lower end of the long shaft (the so-called ratovishcha) an iron tip (podtok) was attached - they used it to rest the weapon on the ground during the parade and during the siege. In Rus', the berdysh in the 15th century played the same role as the Western European halberd. The long shaft made it possible to keep a greater 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 stab, and the wide blade reflected blows well, so the skilled owner of the reed did not need a shield.

Polex

Polex with protective splints and a hammer-shaped butt - a weapon for all occasions

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 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 was a heavy ax blade, a hammer with a counterweight spike, and much more.

On the shaft of the polex you can see metal plates. These are the so-called splints, which provide the shaft with additional protection from cutting. Sometimes you can also find rondels - special discs that protect the hands. Polex is not only a combat weapon, but also a tournament weapon, and therefore additional protection, even if it reduces combat effectiveness, seems justified. It is worth noting that, unlike the halberd, the pommel of the polex was not solidly forged, and its parts were attached to each other using bolts or pins.

Bearded Ax

The “beard” gave the ax additional cutting properties

The “classic”, “grandfather’s” ax came to us from the north of Europe. The name itself is most likely of Scandinavian origin: the Norwegian word Skeggox consists of two words: skegg (beard) and ox (axe) - now you can flaunt your knowledge of Old Norse on occasion! A characteristic feature of the ax is the straight upper edge of the warhead and the blade drawn downwards. This shape gave the weapon not only chopping, but also cutting properties; In addition, the “beard” made it possible to take the 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.

IN big family As a melee weapon, the battle ax occupies a special niche. Unlike most other models, the ax is a universal weapon. It dates back to the beginning of time, and has managed to maintain its popularity to this day.

There are many myths and legends associated with it, although the ax itself is often not some kind of special sacred weapon, like, for example, a sword. It is rather the workhorse of war, something without which it was impossible to conduct battles or organize a decent camp.

The emergence of weapons

The first examples of battle axes appear since people learned to make axes from stone and tie them to sticks with tendons. At that time, a battle ax was no different from a working one.

At a later time, people learned to make polished battle axes from smooth cobblestones. Several months of careful sanding resulted in an attractive and terrifying weapon.

It was already difficult to use it for cutting down trees, but it broke through heads unprotected by helmets excellently.

The archaeological culture of battle axes passed from Altai to the Baltic, leaving along its path the burials of men and women armed with these weapons.

Man's mastery of metal made it possible to create more advanced examples of battle axes. The most famous models can be called Celts and Labryses. The celt was an ax with a socket instead of a butt.

The handle of such a weapon was either cranked or straight. Researchers believe that the celt was a universal tool, equally suitable for both work and battle.

Labrys, on the contrary, was a weapon of warriors or a ceremonial object of priests.

The Greek word labrys hides a two-edged axe, widely used in the early days of ancient Greek civilization.

Only a physically strong, dexterous and skilled warrior could cope with similar weapons. An inexperienced warrior with a labrys was more dangerous to himself, since the second blade could hit him on the head when swinging.

In skillful hands, the heavy bronze blade delivered terrible blows, from which not every cuirass or shell could protect.

Axes in antiquity and the Middle Ages

Sources describing the opponents of the Roman legionaries highlight Germanic tribes armed with Francis. The name of this type of battle ax came from the Frankish tribe, although this weapon was common among all Germanic tribes. Francis were distinguished by a small impact surface, and therefore great penetrating force.

Axes differed in purpose, as well as in the length of the handles.

Francis with short handles threw into the enemy's formation, long ones were used for cutting with the enemy.

During the decline of the Roman Empire and in the early Middle Ages, new fans of battle axes appeared, striking fear throughout continental Europe. Northern warriors, Vikings or Normans happily used these weapons.

The use of axes was associated with the poverty of the northerners. The metal for swords was very expensive, and the production itself was complex and labor-intensive, and every man had an axe, without which one could not live in the north.

After the campaigns, having become rich, the warriors acquired swords and many other weapons, but the ax continued to play a leading role. Bruenor the battleaxe would have approved of the choice of the northern brothers. Even the Varangian guard of the Byzantine emperor was armed with large axes.

The famous Viking weapon was the Brodex.

A two-handed battle ax mounted on a long handle caused terrible injuries due to the additional force. Armor made of leather or fabric was not an obstacle at all for the Brodex, and the metal of this weapon was often crushed and turned into worthless pieces of iron.

In total, the gun in question came from the following types of combined weapons:

halberd, hatchet mounted on a pike;
berdysh, a wide ax blade on a long handle;
chased, with a narrow blade for maximum effective penetration of armor;
a poleaxe, a reed-like weapon on a long handle with a wide blade;
valashka, a small hatchet on a staff handle;
Polex, a combined universal foot combat weapon with a tip and a butt-hammer.

The increasing complexity of military affairs required new types of battle axes. To protect against cavalry, the ax was crossed with a pike to form a halberd, which made it possible for the infantryman to pull the rider off the saddle.

Among the Russians, this idea resulted in the creation of a berdysh, a battle ax capable of stabbing a horse and rider due to its narrow pointed toe. In mountainous areas, dangerous both by nature and population, small Wallachians appear, universal specimens, with the help of which you can both prepare firewood and knock the spirit out of attackers.

The pinnacle of development was the creation in the 16th century of the polex, the distinguishing feature of which was the spike at the top.

Polex could be of different shapes, but it was always distinguished by its complex pommel design and versatility, since it could be used both as a piercing weapon and as a blunt weapon.

Battle ax in Rus'

Slavic tribes began to use battle axes long before the invention of writing. Since the neighbors of the places where the Slavs lived were not inclined towards a peaceful life, every man had to have a weapon.

According to legends, ax blades were sharpened so that you could shave your head with them. And the Slavs learned to use an ax in construction or protecting their farms from childhood.

Data from archaeological excavations indicate the influence of Slavic axes on Scandinavian ones, or vice versa, depending on which sources you believe. In any case, the Russian battle ax had much in common with the weapons of the Scandinavians.

Right angle, blade bevel down, small area the cutting part itself, the features of both weapons. From a military point of view this is justified. It was almost useless to hit a body wrapped in furs, and even with chain mail, with a wide blade.

The narrow blade of the warrior's battle ax penetrated almost any defense.

A cleaver was used effectively for the same reason. The dull blade did not need to penetrate the armor; it crushed the bones under the armor.

Many folk legends tell about lumberjacks who were chopping wood and were caught by enemies and robbers, and it was the cleaver who helped them fight off.

In the north of Rus', battle axes were used as the main weapon for a long time. The warriors of Novgorod the Great armed themselves with them “according to the behests” of their fathers and grandfathers. In the northeast, these weapons were also widely used.

Archaeologists excavating battle sites find several axes for each sword.

These are mainly models of “beard-shaped” axes, with an extended heel and lower part of the blade.

After the start Tatar-Mongol yoke the ax remained perhaps the only means of protection from both wild animals and robbers. Southerners enriched the arsenal of these weapons with coinage. This sample had a small blade, elongated and balanced by an equally elongated butt.

Axes in modern times and in modern times

After distribution firearms The age of the ax is by no means over. These weapons are used not only by Rodion Raskolnikov, but also by such elite units as sappers of Napoleon’s Imperial Guard, boarding teams of all countries during hand-to-hand combat, and even soldiers of the Red Army during Patriotic War.

The driver Ovcharenko, who was transporting ammunition to the front line, surrounded by a sabotage group of about 50 Germans, got his bearings and, not having any other weapons at that time, grabbed an ordinary carpenter's ax from the cart, cut off the head of a Wehrmacht officer, throwing his soldiers into shock. A pair of grenades completed the defeat of the enemy, the soldier received the Star of the Hero of the USSR for this feat.

Modernity makes its own adjustments to the conduct of combat.

Today, new models of battle axes are becoming widespread. Manufactured from the latest generation steel grades, different forms and sizes. They are lightweight and very durable.

Such axes have proven themselves quite well as a universal tool in raids. It can be successfully used in hand-to-hand combat, as well as, and of course, you can simply chop firewood at a rest stop. Excellent specialized axes are now being produced for tourists, rock climbers, etc.

Ax in popular culture

Not a single self-respecting work of the fantasy genre, be it a game or a book, can do without the hero of the article. They arm gnomes, frantic and strong fighters, with axes.

At the same time, many developers forget that short fighters cannot fully take advantage of the effectiveness of the weapon in question.

The dwarf can deliver a crushing blow from top to bottom with a heavy ax into the protected chest of an enemy of average height. But for the authors this convention has no meaning, and they still create numerous, similar, stern dwarves with huge axes.

The weapons themselves act as valuable artifacts in the world of online games.

For example, the battle ax of the unfortunate is considered a valuable artifact, which can be obtained by completing a chain of quests.

The ax did not find much response in historical literature. The bulk of the stories are related to swords, swords or sabers. At the same time, axes remain in the background, but their importance as a massive and effective weapon does not suffer from this.

Video

Find an ancient ax and your day will not be wasted. There are finds that can last the entire season. But what do you know about ancient axes? Few diggers will be able to distinguish a battle ax from a working one. And there are even fewer who can distinguish the ax of a simple warrior from the ax of a leader. Today, even among official archaeologists, you can hear wild things like - the main warrior had the largest ax. Drive away such specialists with wet rags. In fact, identifying an ax is quite simple.

All ancient Russian axes can be divided into two large groups - axes with extended butt(“hammer”) and axes with a regular blade. Specifications Both groups of axes are different from each other.

In the first group There are three types of axes, which most researchers classify as battle axes. The first type, “A”, is characterized by a wide rectangular blade and a flat guy on the butt (shapes 1-4).

Based on some differences in the shapes of the blades, axes of this type can be divided into two subtypes: the first is represented by axes with a trapezoidal blade, the second by axes with blades approaching a rectangular shape (shapes 1-2).

Type "A" dates back to the 10th century. based on finds in burial mounds of this time and by analogies. The second type of ax in this group, type “B,” has elongated hammers on the butt, usually ending in small heads, and narrow ones that symmetrically widen into often rounded blades. The cheeks are usually oval (shape 5-11).

Axes with elongated butts can generally be dated to the 10th-11th centuries.17. Analogues of IM are known in Hungary and Poland.

The third type, “B”, is represented by axes with a small hammer on the butt, and sometimes just with a slightly thickened top part butt. The blade is almost always wide, sometimes even drawn down by a narrow strip (shapes 12-18). It is interesting that some battle axes (XIII-XIV centuries) from Vladimir and Novgorod with rich decorative details belong to the same type.

These axes, which can be called “mints,” date back to the 10th-12th centuries, but the bulk of the finds date back to the 11th century. Probably, the initial form for axes of this type was type “B”, complicated by a number of characteristic details inherent in axes of the second group (without hammers on the butt). Analogies are known in Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia. Axes of the three named types were made using the same technology from two strips of metal.

Axes of the second group represented by a significantly larger number of types. Some have subtriangular-shaped projections on the butt (bottom and top). It is possible that these processes originated from the “hammers” on the butts of axes of types “A” and “B” and were intended mainly to protect the ax from the blow of an enemy weapon. Decorative caps, which already appeared on axes of type “B” (forms 1, 5, 7, 10, 11), show that the hammers here have lost their original purpose and serve to protect the ax from an enemy blow.

The above-mentioned branches are found precisely in axes of those types, the origin of which dates back to the 10th century, to its second half. These are type “G” axes (forms 19-20).

Very small in size, with a blade that expands evenly from the butt and resembles the blade of a “B” type ax with cheeks on both sides. Axes of this type date back to the second half of the 10th-11th centuries; analogues to them are known in Poland. There are 23 known examples of such axes.

The most common type of battle ax in Russian antiquities of the late X-XII centuries. is type "D". These are axes with a wide blade and butt protrusions. Axes of the “D” type continue the evolution of the blade shape, which began already in the second half of the 10th century. (axe shape 11) for some axes of types “B” and “C”.

According to the nature of the lower notch, “D” type axes are divided into two subtypes: in the first, the lower notch approaches half the circle to a greater extent than in the second. Based on the size of the handle, there are four options in each subtype (“a”, “b”, “c”, “d”). There are 102 examples of this type in total.

Type “D” dates back to the end of the 10th-12th centuries; The vast majority of axes were found in burials of the 11th century. In Poland, such axes also date back to the 11th century. (forms 19-32).

Axes of types “E”, “Zh”, “3”, “I” are much less common and, like type “D”, do not produce clear and numerous series. Type "E" axes are characterized by a strongly concave top line and a large bottom notch. The date of axes of this type is the 11th century. (forms 33-34).

Type “G” is represented by axes with a blade strongly drawn down, completely similar to the blades of some axes of types “B” and “D” (shape 35).

Only five examples of such axes are known, which date back to the 11th-12th centuries. and have exact analogies in Poland 29 and Scandinavia.

All type 3 axes are different from each other, but they are united by small cheeks (always located only on one side), small sizes, a slight bend in the top line and a specific small notch at the bottom. They date back to the 11th-12th centuries. (forms 36-37). Nine axes of this type are known.

A characteristic feature of type “I” axes is the presence of slightly elongated jaws on both sides. The blade of these axes is usually not wide, the top line is slightly concave, and the bottom notch is large. Date - X-XI centuries. Five axes of this type are known (shape 38).

K-type axes with straight top line and an ear hole in the shape of an inverted trapezoid are found exclusively in the Ladoga barrows (forms 40 and 41).

The top line of some axes of this type is perpendicular to the vertical of the butt, while in others it departs from it at a slight angle. The cheeks are usually located on one side. Date - X-XI centuries. E1 specimen is known.

Axes of type “L” differ from axes of type “K” primarily in the oval shape of the butt hole. They are found not only in the Ladoga region, but also in the north-west of Novgorod land. Dating back to the 11th-12th centuries. There are 14 known copies (Form 42).

Axes of the “M” type are wide-bladed, without a lower notch, with a relatively symmetrically expanding blade, very thin and always rounded, with cheeks on both sides of the butt, with a subtriangular shape of the butt hole (shape 43).

Historian and specialist ancient weapons Spitsyn considered these axes to be combat axes. Their date is X-XII centuries.34. Analogues of such axes are known in Poland and Scandinavia. They are distributed mainly in Northern Rus' 37. There are variants of this form - some have a less wide and more symmetrical blade, the cheeks are not triangular, but somewhat elongated (form 39); others have a lower notch (shape 44). These are later versions of “M” type axes, known already in the 11th-12th centuries.

The types of axes described are generally combat axes. In addition to their shape, battle axes differ from work axes in the size of the butt holes. For the task of separating battle axes from workers, these dimensions are of paramount importance, since they allow us to judge not only the thickness of the axe, but also its length. The shorter handles of working axes were also thicker, while the battle axes of the Middle Ages had thin and long handles. Characteristic of the axes of the selected types is the small thickness of the ax handles, which was compensated by a significant length, reaching up to 1 meter. The fact is that a long ax increases the force of the blow, but at the same time the recoil force. For a battle ax the impact force is important, for a working ax the recoil force is no less important; therefore, the length of the handles of working axes should not exceed the size at which the recoil force becomes more noticeable. Thus, reducing the recoil force is achieved by reducing the impact force (efficiency), in other words, by reducing the length of the handle. Accordingly, the decrease in length increases its thickness, reaching 4.3 cm in diameter. On the contrary, for a battle ax the thickness of the handle decreases as its length increases. It is impossible to work with such an ax (it will break), but it is convenient to fight.

The long handles of battle axes are known from ancient images. It’s interesting that on the carpet from Bayeux (the Bayeux Tapestry, try to estimate the scale or just look at this image of the tapestry, you’ll probably watch it live for the whole day) the handles of the axes held by the military leaders are long and thinner than those of the axes used by ordinary soldiers. If we compare this fact with the types of battle axes known to us, then we can assume that battle axes with the thinnest (and, obviously, the longest) handles belong to military leaders, and ordinary axes belong to ordinary warriors. Long ax handles are also depicted in ancient Russian miniatures.

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