+IIICOOLINGIII What you tell me the times is true. OTOH I rarely mind the ads and YT seem to have cut back on voice-recognition ones, possibly due to negative feedback.
+Vito C Is that chiefly a British thing? I've always heard the term "ball & chain" used in that way, but that usually specifically refers to a spouse or significant other.
Haha, this guy reminds me of my history teacher when I was a freshman, except english (my old history teacher was french) He used to jump around with a sweater on and have imaginary sword fights and make sound effects. Good times.
NorseHorse I've actually gained quite an appreciation for the design of actual axes thanks to folks like Lloyd showing me examples. I agree, nice looking indeed. :)
NorseHorse The worst part is that a danish waraxe is pretty large and intimidating by itself, and completely functional. Seen the norse axemen in medieval 2: total war? Those things are really frightening, without going to fantasy proportions.
eople thonk of a executioners axe which was heavy & enormous - & often extremely inexpertly wielded. Jack Ketch (who was admittedly drunk as a skunk at he time) took 7 blows to kill the Duke of Monmouth & still had to use a knife to sever the head. He on;y got the job as hangman because he was "good at knots" - evidently not the same skill set at all. It took even more to kill Lady Elizabeth Pole - although that was because she kept running away.
I feel that if two swords were better than sword and shield, then the world would not have been one in which almost everybody from revolting peasant to professional soldier chose sword and shield.
Of course this man of medieval CZcams was there at the time, but consider his biases. He and his popped collar are just trying to confuse his enemies, because he-having the world’s longest neck-would have been extra vulnerable to a felling axe.
Because if the effect of the wounds caused by the heroes' arrows were realistic, those heroes might seem cruel. Better that the bad guy's minions die peacefully and quickly.
Lindy, you are just fabulous. The enthusiasm you have for the things you talk about just makes the videos even more gripping. I love listening to educated people who speak with a passion. I also love learning about real history. Thanks
This is why when I played an axe-wielding dwarf who made his own weapons and armor I declared all my axes were bearded axes - you get the wide blade, thinner weight, yet the axe head still looks intimidating, plus a dwarf with a beard with beards on his axes just makes for the perfect dwarven imagery.
HowDo ILogin Nice, I assume they were some form of poleaxes for the extra reach due dwarves having short arms? Say, a dwarven longaxe from pathfinder? Preferably with a spike on top for stabbing those uppity humans.
angelowl89 Dwarven Poleaxe > Spiked Chain. Gimme 2d6 damage, reach, x3 crits, set vs. charge, and trip over that 2d4 no special crit gimp fetish garbage.
A Very nice summary of the use and appearance of real battleaxes. It never ceases to amaze me the number of people who try to argue that huge fantasy style axes, dual wielded weapons etc have a basis in reality.
Twohanded axes had the advantage of being able to strike the sword-arm side of an enemy, making it much harder for him to defend himself or attack without exposing himself greatly. Other than that, they would use the ''beard'' of the axe to pull the enemy soldiers shield, ankels and so forth. It has the advantage of being able to cleave unarmored enemies, crush armored enemies and scare the willies of everyone else. Their range could also make them quite efficient againts cavalry and such.
I doubt that they were shaped that way specifically for that purpose, but it was a thing you could do with an axe. I've tried it and it isn't a very useful move on your own, but it can help to open up an opponent to an attack by a friend of yours. Most axes could do this - it wasn't something unique to Viking ones.
I noticed that war hammers were way smaller than you see in movies and TV shows and figured the same thing. It must not take much at all to drop a soldier with one, and any weight above what's necessary is just wasted.
2 words for you: hydrostatic shock. Bullets make a shockwave when they enter the body and slow down. A 9mm doesn't have much of one when compared to, say a .45 cal or a 5.56mm round, and no, there are only a few places on the body where a gunshot would be immediately fatal.
Yes, you could make one very heavy bash with a heavier axe, although the enemy would see it coming a long way off. If the axe is too light it becomes ineffective. The equation seems to balance at optimum efficiency with an axe head smaller than fantasists imagine.
@Nickkraw The Normans were famed for their cavalry. Most Viking soldiers who used horses used them for getting to the fight, but then fought on foot. Some were perhaps a bit like dragoons.
@jaskamakkara Not really. One could argue that the development of the late halberd was a way of getting through better armour, but that was making the haft linger, not making the head heavier.
Gooooooood point. Been chopping wood blocks in my village of a little less than a million since my teens on and off with an axe that is doing most of it's work with weight instead of edge. Of course (when nobody was watching) i would attempt to fight invisible enemies with it. The only way i could move relatively quickly with this tool is to use it two-handed. And it'd still be slow to turn around right after a swing and prepare a parry or attack.
I'm a Dark Ages - Middle Ages nerd, and I've never heard many of your facts. So I'm very glad to see these videos, because they're a SUPERB source of knowledge that I can't find anywhere else. Keep them up, they're EXCELLENT!
One big (no pun intended) advantage of a battle axe was cost. In the ages where metal was at a premium, they were an effective alternative for a less well-off man at arms.
@Oiaku They were used for hooking quite a bit. You would hook someone's shield away, sidestep, blade to the neck. Or, anything really, once you eliminated their shield, you could do pretty much whatever.
Yup. Norman Light Cavalry was very effective, and was often the only way they could intercept the quick raids of Vikings. Some of the reasons Vikings/Norsemen did not use horses for combat was that Scandinavia does not have good conditions for mounted combat. Forests and mountains. They also had horses that were built for colder climate and heavier work, instead of the more agile horses from further south.
@Thane4 In a a two and a half minute video, I can't deal with everything, nor even all aspects of one thing. I struggle enough sometimes to make one point about one thing. I've never used a bardiche.
I read a book in my library while ago. it said the viking axe came about when they were farmers and they got raided, they use their wood axe. Some vikings used that still cause they were dirt poor but others made it really light. Designed for a quick blow to a skull. The Danish axes i read were more lethal pulling out of the enemy than the chop itself.
They don't take long to shoot. They take far longer to edit. When I get the opportunity, I set the camera up and shoot between four and ten at a time. It's just a bloke talking.
Holding the felling axe reminds me of the game "kiss the sledge." Where you straight armed try to kiss a sledge hammer gripped from the end. Have any of you ever played the game? Its common in metal shops. Anyway, its near impossible to wield any heavy headed weapon at the end of a long one handed grip. No matter how strong you are.
And then, in the late medieval period, they had all-steel axes, to go with their all-steel maces. They were tired of the wooden ax handles breaking. And the guy who made modern carpentry hammers with a long steel tuning fork inside a lightweight fiberglass handle was --a GENIUS! Swing an old iron and wood hammer all day and your arm and shoulder are ruined, but these modern hammers are great on reducing weight and vibration.
A guy i play D&D with uses his axe to chop down trees and have them fall on the enemy. The first time he did this i was like "You're telling me he can chop down a tree in 6 seconds?" and the rest of the table was like "Ugh yeah, it's a greataxe" while looking at me as if i was a moron.
Now, while you do make a great point, and you are absolutely right, the axes that the vikings used were exceptionally well made and well blanced, which allowed for a greater weight than if the axe was poorly balanced and had a wider axe head. What is also important to remember is that the Skeggöx, or bearded axe, used by the vikings were thin, rather small closer to the handle, but the head was very wide when looking at it from top to bottom which allowed for greater hacking power
@Nickkraw Based on the fact that it was the commonest battlefield weapon in near enough all cultures throughout the entirety of of the pre-gunpowder period all round the world, the spear. For single combat, it isn't so clear but the sword was a successful weapon.
I think the reason the ax, and also the spear were so popular is simply a lack of resources. The ax and spear points are not that much iron. They're easier to make more of them with fewer pounds of iron that had to be mined by hand, purified by hand, and forged into a weapon by hand. Wood was easier to come by, so most weapons were the minimal amount of iron and the maximum amount of wood to keep the cost down. Plus, an ax can be used as an ax, as a tool for everyday use.
To break a shield wall the Romans used special Javelins. They carried light ones and heavy ones. The light ones where thrown and the enemy would of course raid shields. When they impacted they broke so they couldn't be thrown back and so they would be stuck in a shield rendering the shield useless. After that the Romans could charge or defend from an army that lacked shields.
@Mixelplic Those axes were Danish Axes, like the ones shown in the video at 2:13. Those handles were typically tall enough to reach from the ground to the owners chin, so yes they were very long.
Makes sense. Look at what the DOG brothers fight with. It's a tool to hook over the top of a shield or pull a spear shaft or something. And the striking point could just as well be a spike. Thanks for making this video I enjoyed it.
Actually, viking berserkers used "Bearded Axes", a war axe with a long "Beard" (The blade extends downward) on the blade. They usually wielded two of these (Talk about ambidextrous) and would either pull down a foes weapon and shield and headbutt them, or pull down a shield and go for a killing blow. It was a very effective battle strategy, especially since it meant they could attack fanatically whilst still defending themselves.
Actually, i see some problem in terminology. I am used to the following: Axe, designed for battle - light axe with a short cutting edge compared to distance from helve to cutting edge. And the Battle Axe is a little larger, but suitable in one hand, axe which has the edge of a blade a lot longer than the distance from helve to edge. And the word "battle" has not too much to do with it's purpose
I just love to watch your vids! Truly entertaining and informative! The information that you give us is also spot on 99% of the time. It would be great to see you have a 30min or so TV show here in the U.S. (BBC America perhaps?). As an edged weapon collector and an old guy (60) I actually have learned quite a bit from you in regard to my fairly new hobby (26months), keep up the great work, looking forward to other vids! Dan, Landers, CA USA
Same with hammers. War hammers had small heads. Big headed hammers are called Mauls, and they were made from timber, with or without metal spikes fitted
There were two main designs seen (to my knowledge), the bearded axe head, and the crescent axe head. Axes were also much mire common than swords because they were much cheaper to produce.
To break through the shields of the shield wall. From at least my understanding, one chap would hook his axe over the rim of the shield and pull it downward, then someone else would give the unguarded person a stab, chop or poke. But even then talking about two handed axes, the heads weren't comically large as depicted in films, tv, computer games etc.
Correction, axe heads on battle axes were small. The handles could also be small, but we also have examples of long battle axe handles that were two handed wielded, and were almost as long as spears. The idea is to put as much energy as possible as you can in a small spot, and a small ax head with a really long haft can deliver a lot of energy. Then again, were lots of tactical reasons to favor a smaller as handle. It should also be noted, that the famed metal tomahawks that Native American warriors loved to carry, were originally supplied by French fur traders, and were actually a type of French battleax that has it's roots going back to the middle ages. So most medieval axes were probably what we would think of as tomahawks, but with lots of long handled versions for specialty troops.
that's really the reason I like axes more than most other weapons. it's bladed so it has a low area of impact, increasing damage, and the head weighs enough to cause damage even if you don't pierce armor. worst case scenario you manage to make a dent in the armor that a spear, arrow, or sword can later stab through during the battle, even if you yourself die.
an ax doesn't need to have a huge head in order to pierce armour, in fact you want the smallest surface possible to deliver the largest amount of pressure to the smallest area possible in order to puncture the armour(or break the maile, or shatter the shield) this is actually why maces developed flanges, the flanges would apply the mass of the weapon over a smaller surface area, thus making it extremely effective at crushing and deforming plate.
"Ow! You've hit me in the head with an axe! I'm mightily disconcerted!"
Two years later, but maybe you should write a strongly worded letter. If your still disconcerted enough, today.
“How unfortunate, I seem to have a cerebral hemorrhage.”
@@DennisNeijmeijer you’re*
Thanks for pointing out the dry british humour by repeating it with less subtlety.
@@MenacingSnail yo'ure*
CZcams really wants me to watch this 10 years later.
yeah
yeah, if this guy thinks battle-axes are small he should see my wife
I'ts been suggesting it to me every day this week for some reason
All the other comments made me think, You poor happy fools. No idea what Dogecoin is. Or tiger king.
@@SexyBabyHotStuff13 Maybe he already did
I guess if you're gonna use a fantasy-drawing axe, you also need fantasy-drawing muscles.
Actually you'd still be better off with small axes then. At least afaik.
ForYeensSake
Not if you're fighting a dragon. :-D
If you're a dragon swinging an axe shouldn't be one of your top priorities.
ForYeensSake
???
I obviously misread lol. Even if fighting a dragon, velocity is still more important than mass afaik. Not sure though.
I’m glad loyd carefully put that imaginary felling axe back where he found it @1:30, very considerate.
A decade later and Lindy hasn't changed his content one single bit. Nice to see some people still stick to their principles.
A point of difference: the length.
Yes, some of his videos are 12 years old and still evergreen fresh.
Yes. To add continuity, just now, in 2023 the content, while lengthier, is still classic Lindybeige. And that's OK.
I'm dying of laughter at the way he keeps shouting "diddy"
I slightly blow air out of my nose
Time to get it on like Diddy Kong.
Tiddy*
2:19 "These are not felling axes." advert for felling axes pops up.
CZcams's voice-recognition-based advert timing is a cross between annoying and creepy.
+Simon Clarkstone Haha, I wasn;t the only one XD
+Simon Clarkstone It's called ad blocker :3
+IIICOOLINGIII What you tell me the times is true. OTOH I rarely mind the ads and YT seem to have cut back on voice-recognition ones, possibly due to negative feedback.
I imagine it just creeped too many people out, which it has done for me in the past, so i just got ad block xD
1:09 a point about considering the weight of felling axes: do not do this if you doubt the strength in your wrist, you will end up with 3 shins.
"Hatchets".
Y e s.
Well yes but actually no
Oh look the fearsome vikings with their.... hatchets
There are those who argue that a sword takes skill to use well, whereas axe/club just takes brutality.
"Disconcert them quite a lot."
aggressively British
End title card joke: A "battle-axe" is also slang for a "an aggressive, domineering and forceful woman." (as your mother-in-law might be)
+Vito C wow you are a slang expert 0_0
+Vito C sorry what joke really a women name tony was killed ran off the road this guy is one that might be in on it
+Vito C Do you know what an axe-wound is?
+Vito C my grandma uses that term
+Vito C Is that chiefly a British thing? I've always heard the term "ball & chain" used in that way, but that usually specifically refers to a spouse or significant other.
Well my mother-in-law is a battleaxe, and she is most decidedly on the large side.
My mother-in-law isn't on the larger side but she is double-headed.
+Sean Jones lol
don't you mean two-faced
jax parra nope, definitely two-headed.
@@GUnitSeanAKAmong "you know how i know youre not 2 faced? If you were youd wear the other one"
Haha, this guy reminds me of my history teacher when I was a freshman, except english (my old history teacher was french) He used to jump around with a sweater on and have imaginary sword fights and make sound effects. Good times.
History teachers are always either super serious with anger issues or super wacky
you must find the mightiest tree in the forest, and chop it down. WIIIIIITTHH ! a HERRING!
Ni!
Screw a herring, I'll do it with a sardine!
+Alexander Westphal I shall do no such thing
It!
Awww Please :(
What I hate is how ugly fantasy axes look. Why a big chunk of metal on a stick instead of the sleek looking design real ones have?
NorseHorse I've actually gained quite an appreciation for the design of actual axes thanks to folks like Lloyd showing me examples. I agree, nice looking indeed. :)
NorseHorse The worst part is that a danish waraxe is pretty large and intimidating by itself, and completely functional. Seen the norse axemen in medieval 2: total war? Those things are really frightening, without going to fantasy proportions.
+angelowl89 Still not as large as in typical fantasy works, like each axe blade being bigger than a man's head. xD
Indeed, Elder Scrolls. No handle and two gigantic axe heads? What? And they removed the halberds? Bethesda, you don goofed.
Because they are not Dane axes. That is what we are missing. Beautiful elegant daneaxes.
Those sound effects "spheeoow" and then the quote "this is how you fight" make me understand why CZcams wanted me to see this 10 years later.
Rule of thumb: If the depicted axe or hammer head is larger than the wielder's own head, it is DEFINITELY too big.
eople thonk of a executioners axe which was heavy & enormous - & often extremely inexpertly wielded. Jack Ketch (who was admittedly drunk as a skunk at he time) took 7 blows to kill the Duke of Monmouth & still had to use a knife to sever the head. He on;y got the job as hangman because he was "good at knots" - evidently not the same skill set at all.
It took even more to kill Lady Elizabeth Pole - although that was because she kept running away.
ITS DIDDY
Hold Up it's Diddy
I feel that if two swords were better than sword and shield, then the world would not have been one in which almost everybody from revolting peasant to professional soldier chose sword and shield.
The acting holding a non existent ax, collecting it with both hands before it dropped, well done.
Reality: "Your axe is smol"
Fantasy: "NOOOOOOOO"
Of course this man of medieval CZcams was there at the time, but consider his biases. He and his popped collar are just trying to confuse his enemies, because he-having the world’s longest neck-would have been extra vulnerable to a felling axe.
I was wondering about the collar. Thanks for the explanation.
Really enjoy your vids, I learn quite a bit from you. Cheers.
Because if the effect of the wounds caused by the heroes' arrows were realistic, those heroes might seem cruel. Better that the bad guy's minions die peacefully and quickly.
I love your sense of humor ;) it makes your videos a joy to watch not to mention they're very informative ;)
10 years old and still great content!
"Mothers-in-law", gotta love the impeccable grammar!
Lindy, you are just fabulous. The enthusiasm you have for the things you talk about just makes the videos even more gripping. I love listening to educated people who speak with a passion. I also love learning about real history. Thanks
This is why when I played an axe-wielding dwarf who made his own weapons and armor I declared all my axes were bearded axes - you get the wide blade, thinner weight, yet the axe head still looks intimidating, plus a dwarf with a beard with beards on his axes just makes for the perfect dwarven imagery.
HowDo ILogin Nice, I assume they were some form of poleaxes for the extra reach due dwarves having short arms? Say, a dwarven longaxe from pathfinder? Preferably with a spike on top for stabbing those uppity humans.
angelowl89 Dwarven Poleaxe > Spiked Chain. Gimme 2d6 damage, reach, x3 crits, set vs. charge, and trip over that 2d4 no special crit gimp fetish garbage.
angelowl89 ,
Energy dilivered is a square function of speed. The small contact area concentrates the impact. That dilevers the energy even through armor.
Yes, the symbol was a common one. It may have meant that the slinger was from Crete, which many were.
I was only now recommended this and I am glad of it
yep same here
Love how the background hasn't changed in over a decade
A Very nice summary of the use and appearance of real battleaxes.
It never ceases to amaze me the number of people who try to argue that huge fantasy style axes, dual wielded weapons etc have a basis in reality.
Twohanded axes had the advantage of being able to strike the sword-arm side of an enemy, making it much harder for him to defend himself or attack without exposing himself greatly. Other than that, they would use the ''beard'' of the axe to pull the enemy soldiers shield, ankels and so forth. It has the advantage of being able to cleave unarmored enemies, crush armored enemies and scare the willies of everyone else. Their range could also make them quite efficient againts cavalry and such.
It was effective, certainly. Whether it actually came all the way through is another matter, but sheer percussive effect could do the job.
1:33 I love how extremely well you can mime holding an axe, WTF
I doubt that they were shaped that way specifically for that purpose, but it was a thing you could do with an axe. I've tried it and it isn't a very useful move on your own, but it can help to open up an opponent to an attack by a friend of yours. Most axes could do this - it wasn't something unique to Viking ones.
I noticed that war hammers were way smaller than you see in movies and TV shows and figured the same thing. It must not take much at all to drop a soldier with one, and any weight above what's necessary is just wasted.
@EgholmViking I don't know of any evidence that stone age axes were used for battle. I think they were mainly for display and for felling trees.
2 words for you: hydrostatic shock.
Bullets make a shockwave when they enter the body and slow down. A 9mm doesn't have much of one when compared to, say a .45 cal or a 5.56mm round, and no, there are only a few places on the body where a gunshot would be immediately fatal.
Yes, you could make one very heavy bash with a heavier axe, although the enemy would see it coming a long way off. If the axe is too light it becomes ineffective. The equation seems to balance at optimum efficiency with an axe head smaller than fantasists imagine.
@Nickkraw The Normans were famed for their cavalry. Most Viking soldiers who used horses used them for getting to the fight, but then fought on foot. Some were perhaps a bit like dragoons.
I'm lving this channel. Very nice work. Entertaining as well as very educational. This bodes well for the internet vs television. Bravo
Got recommended this 10 years after it's posted. But what a chaotic energy this man has.
@jaskamakkara Not really. One could argue that the development of the late halberd was a way of getting through better armour, but that was making the haft linger, not making the head heavier.
Gooooooood point. Been chopping wood blocks in my village of a little less than a million since my teens on and off with an axe that is doing most of it's work with weight instead of edge. Of course (when nobody was watching) i would attempt to fight invisible enemies with it. The only way i could move relatively quickly with this tool is to use it two-handed. And it'd still be slow to turn around right after a swing and prepare a parry or attack.
I'm a Dark Ages - Middle Ages nerd, and I've never heard many of your facts. So I'm very glad to see these videos, because they're a SUPERB source of knowledge that I can't find anywhere else. Keep them up, they're EXCELLENT!
Hahaha, it's ditty!
Jeff Benefiel Diddy. Ditty means scatterbrained or stupid, diddy means small and cute
You're amazing, Lindybeige!
One big (no pun intended) advantage of a battle axe was cost. In the ages where metal was at a premium, they were an effective alternative for a less well-off man at arms.
“Not for felling trees anyway”
Lmao
@Oiaku
They were used for hooking quite a bit. You would hook someone's shield away, sidestep, blade to the neck. Or, anything really, once you eliminated their shield, you could do pretty much whatever.
this makes so much sense, the smaller head will concentrate more force into a blow, making armor weaker against it. It would also allow deeper cuts.
Excellent mother-in-law joke, Les would be proud. I love fantasy axes as drawn by the classic 70's artists, but I also favour function over form. :D
Yup. Norman Light Cavalry was very effective, and was often the only way they could intercept the quick raids of Vikings. Some of the reasons Vikings/Norsemen did not use horses for combat was that Scandinavia does not have good conditions for mounted combat. Forests and mountains. They also had horses that were built for colder climate and heavier work, instead of the more agile horses from further south.
Always do a excellent job explaining and describing!
thank u youtube algorithm for recommending me videos about battle axes from 10 years ago
@Thane4 In a a two and a half minute video, I can't deal with everything, nor even all aspects of one thing. I struggle enough sometimes to make one point about one thing. I've never used a bardiche.
even after ten years the soundeffects are still effective.
@thetasters They were "Danish axes". Some are pictured in this video. The real ones are thin.
Greetings traveller, CZcams is bringing you here now as 2021 will require you to use this knowledge, rest and take heed.
I read a book in my library while ago. it said the viking axe came about when they were farmers and they got raided, they use their wood axe. Some vikings used that still cause they were dirt poor but others made it really light. Designed for a quick blow to a skull. The Danish axes i read were more lethal pulling out of the enemy than the chop itself.
Very good video, you fixed a lot of issues I’ve been questioning from knight/squire excerpts.
Thank you
They don't take long to shoot. They take far longer to edit. When I get the opportunity, I set the camera up and shoot between four and ten at a time. It's just a bloke talking.
Holding the felling axe reminds me of the game "kiss the sledge." Where you straight armed try to kiss a sledge hammer gripped from the end. Have any of you ever played the game? Its common in metal shops. Anyway, its near impossible to wield any heavy headed weapon at the end of a long one handed grip. No matter how strong you are.
@iainmud I have a hypothesis that the Dane axe was meant as a way to counter shield walls by reaching over the shield and coming down on the head.
And then, in the late medieval period, they had all-steel axes, to go with their all-steel maces. They were tired of the wooden ax handles breaking.
And the guy who made modern carpentry hammers with a long steel tuning fork inside a lightweight fiberglass handle was --a GENIUS! Swing an old iron and wood hammer all day and your arm and shoulder are ruined, but these modern hammers are great on reducing weight and vibration.
You're so full of information. I'm glad you decided to share it with us all.
(no sarcasm, I really do mean it)
"Knot of Justice" Guild Wars 2. Amazing!!!!
A guy i play D&D with uses his axe to chop down trees and have them fall on the enemy. The first time he did this i was like "You're telling me he can chop down a tree in 6 seconds?" and the rest of the table was like "Ugh yeah, it's a greataxe" while looking at me as if i was a moron.
Now, while you do make a great point, and you are absolutely right, the axes that the vikings used were exceptionally well made and well blanced, which allowed for a greater weight than if the axe was poorly balanced and had a wider axe head.
What is also important to remember is that the Skeggöx, or bearded axe, used by the vikings were thin, rather small closer to the handle, but the head was very wide when looking at it from top to bottom which allowed for greater hacking power
@Nickkraw Based on the fact that it was the commonest battlefield weapon in near enough all cultures throughout the entirety of of the pre-gunpowder period all round the world, the spear. For single combat, it isn't so clear but the sword was a successful weapon.
Brilliant wrap-up about the mother-in-laws.
I think the reason the ax, and also the spear were so popular is simply a lack of resources. The ax and spear points are not that much iron. They're easier to make more of them with fewer pounds of iron that had to be mined by hand, purified by hand, and forged into a weapon by hand.
Wood was easier to come by, so most weapons were the minimal amount of iron and the maximum amount of wood to keep the cost down.
Plus, an ax can be used as an ax, as a tool for everyday use.
To break a shield wall the Romans used special Javelins. They carried light ones and heavy ones. The light ones where thrown and the enemy would of course raid shields. When they impacted they broke so they couldn't be thrown back and so they would be stuck in a shield rendering the shield useless. After that the Romans could charge or defend from an army that lacked shields.
@Mixelplic Those axes were Danish Axes, like the ones shown in the video at 2:13. Those handles were typically tall enough to reach from the ground to the owners chin, so yes they were very long.
"oh, you want some too" said the mighty warrior
Lloyd covered that point in his previous video about double-bitted axes.
@studiosguignol Not sure. Can't remember.
the joke at the end lightened my mood, but very good points
Makes sense. Look at what the DOG brothers fight with. It's a tool to hook over the top of a shield or pull a spear shaft or something. And the striking point could just as well be a spike. Thanks for making this video I enjoyed it.
Actually, viking berserkers used "Bearded Axes", a war axe with a long "Beard" (The blade extends downward) on the blade. They usually wielded two of these (Talk about ambidextrous) and would either pull down a foes weapon and shield and headbutt them, or pull down a shield and go for a killing blow. It was a very effective battle strategy, especially since it meant they could attack fanatically whilst still defending themselves.
I've seen this 3 times now. The first in 2013, then around 2018, then this morning. Thanks youtube
Actually, i see some problem in terminology. I am used to the following:
Axe, designed for battle - light axe with a short cutting edge compared to distance from helve to cutting edge.
And the Battle Axe is a little larger, but suitable in one hand, axe which has the edge of a blade a lot longer than the distance from helve to edge.
And the word "battle" has not too much to do with it's purpose
I like the Ancient Nord axes in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. They have an L-shaped blade on a wooden shaft with a pointy bit on the back.
I just love to watch your vids! Truly entertaining and informative! The information that you give us is also spot on 99% of the time. It would be great to see you have a 30min or so TV show here in the U.S. (BBC America perhaps?). As an edged weapon collector and an old guy (60) I actually have learned quite a bit from you in regard to my fairly new hobby (26months), keep up the great work, looking forward to other vids! Dan, Landers, CA USA
@TheRedWolf080 Google for stone age axes and look at their proportions. They are a lot thicker than metal axe heads.
Same with hammers. War hammers had small heads. Big headed hammers are called Mauls, and they were made from timber, with or without metal spikes fitted
There were two main designs seen (to my knowledge), the bearded axe head, and the crescent axe head. Axes were also much mire common than swords because they were much cheaper to produce.
To break through the shields of the shield wall. From at least my understanding, one chap would hook his axe over the rim of the shield and pull it downward, then someone else would give the unguarded person a stab, chop or poke. But even then talking about two handed axes, the heads weren't comically large as depicted in films, tv, computer games etc.
Correction, axe heads on battle axes were small. The handles could also be small, but we also have examples of long battle axe handles that were two handed wielded, and were almost as long as spears. The idea is to put as much energy as possible as you can in a small spot, and a small ax head with a really long haft can deliver a lot of energy. Then again, were lots of tactical reasons to favor a smaller as handle.
It should also be noted, that the famed metal tomahawks that Native American warriors loved to carry, were originally supplied by French fur traders, and were actually a type of French battleax that has it's roots going back to the middle ages. So most medieval axes were probably what we would think of as tomahawks, but with lots of long handled versions for specialty troops.
@dathwampeer Some of the axes pictured in this video are bearded axes. Thin.
Oh God the end, glorious.
Ditto
Stannis Baratheon So how do you feel about how that HBO show assassinated your character?
that's really the reason I like axes more than most other weapons. it's bladed so it has a low area of impact, increasing damage, and the head weighs enough to cause damage even if you don't pierce armor. worst case scenario you manage to make a dent in the armor that a spear, arrow, or sword can later stab through during the battle, even if you yourself die.
an ax doesn't need to have a huge head in order to pierce armour, in fact you want the smallest surface possible to deliver the largest amount of pressure to the smallest area possible in order to puncture the armour(or break the maile, or shatter the shield) this is actually why maces developed flanges, the flanges would apply the mass of the weapon over a smaller surface area, thus making it extremely effective at crushing and deforming plate.
I think you can get an answer for everyting on the Cold Steel video: Fighting Tomahwk. From choping, cuting, spearing etc they cover a wide topic.
@checkboard I don't think the back end was intended as a striking surface in battle.