How to use the Viking Dane Axe: A methodology for research
Vložit
- čas přidán 25. 07. 2021
- Install Raid for Free ✅ IOS/ANDROID/PC: clcr.me/w8JKaj and get a special starter pack 💥 Available only for the next 30 days
How do we try to reconstruct historically-informed martial arts systems from the past, where we don't have a manual, treatise or living lineage? What I'm looking at here is not specifically how I think they should be used, but rather how you or anyone else could use history and other methods, to arrive at a plausible theory.
Patreon & Extra Videos: / scholagladiatoria
Support & extra content on Subscribestar: www.subscribestar.com/matt-ea...
Facebook & Twitter updates, info and fun:
/ historicalfencing
/ scholagladiato1
Schola Gladiatoria HEMA - sword fighting classes in the UK:
www.swordfightinglondon.com
Matt Easton's website and services:
www.matt-easton.co.uk/
Easton Antique Arms:
www.antique-swords.co.uk/ - Zábava
Install Raid for Free ✅ IOS/ANDROID/PC: clcr.me/w8JKaj and get a special starter pack 💥 Available only for the next 30 days
14:00 To be completely Frank, shouldn't you be using a francisca?
You've got it all wrong Matt, these aren't even 2 handed weapons. They were dual wielded by the 8 foot tall berserkers
Source? ;-)
*nicholas marlin*
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
@@scholagladiatoria Sauce.
Eivor in Assassin's Creed Valhalla can dual wield two 8 foot axes. Clearly, that was based on real evidence!
@@scholagladiatoria Oh, Matt, don't be such a pedant. EIght foot tall berserkers are COOL. End of (hi)story.
I am a history teacher and you really hit on a lot of the complexity behind making any sort of informed statement about any aspect of history. It is one of those situations where the more you know, the more you know that you know very little.
If everybody on the internet was aware of the Dunning Kruger effect, that video wouldn't need to exist and a lot of hot takes would certainly be avoided.
@@dick_richards lmfao
@@dick_richards No thanks lmao, you're crazy.
barking mad, funny as
Matt is seriously my favorite historian. He's got such a passion for weapons and manuscripts!
He is this generation's Ewart Oakeshott.
They are in fact Dane-gerous to use.
That is Axe-ually the funniest thing I’ve ever heard
Well done.
Josh. :-|
Hew did you think of that?
If I only hatchet-ed with my granny more when she was alive. She loved those puns!
"I could get 10 rapier masters in this channel..." DO IT
For smaller axes (and I think the shafts on many of those replicas tend to be relatively overbuilt), we have some limited information from the use of axes in Ireland. In 1187, Gerald of Wales wrote about his travels in Ireland, visiting relatives there that fought in the Anglo-Norman invasion. He tells us that the Irish all carried axes as if they were walking sticks, and that they learned to use them from the Norwegians and Ostmen (Norse-Irish). He also says: "They strike with the axe with one hand and not both, with the thumb outstretched above the hand guiding the blow, from which neither a helmeted head struck directly on the crest, or the rest of the iron mail-clad body, protect from harming."
This is strikingly similar in description to the use of the shillelagh in bataireacht, and we do know that the Irish kept using axes in warfare until the late 17th century. We can't know for sure of course, but there is a possibility that bataireacht was either a parent art or even training for axe use, and may very well be an interesting ethnographic source to understand axe use in the medieval era. This is mirrored in other cultures, for example, the Zulus who use axes instead of knobkerries in full out war. I wrote a bit of an article here about this if anyone is interested: irishstick.wordpress.com/2021/05/28/getting-medieval-just-how-old-is-bataireacht/
Indeed. We have found no shafts longer than 110 cm and there are just six axes on period depictions that might be longer (4-5 feet) in proportions with the wielder, however complicated it is to argue about the interpretation of the depictions... :) I think we shoud start to think about shorter axes! ;)
Very interesting article
We all have the same numbers of limbs, and the same vulnerabilities and targets on our bodies. Yet, despite that, unarmed (and unarmored) combat varies considerably across time and geographic locations. I don't see why anyone should be surprised that the exact same weapon could be used so differently across cultures and times, if they gave it any thought at all.
I feel that this video is closer to a process of historical investigation than anything specific to the Dane axe. I would really love a specific follow up video on your personal interpretation of how the Dane axe was possibly used.
Agreed, I feel like this was a bit more of a tangent video than anything, since the subtitle feels more appropriate than the Dane Axe being used in the title. It was informative to be sure, but I'd love to hear more sources and theories on the Dane axe specifically as well.
@@InvalidationX145 I think the example made with the Dane Axe provides more understanding of the complexity of research needed looking at a pre-treatise weapon. I practiced 1890 Swedish manual saber fencing for a while and although that is still HEMA I now find the idea of investigating and practising earlier periods much more intresting.
@@InvalidationX145 Agreed, he does some good stuff but this was 20 minutes of saying practically nothing.
“We got a general idea of how to hold the shaft of this weapon... Sliding the hands up and down for different purposes.” 🤣
How he manages to work these into every video while not even cracking a smile is genius.
How to handle disagreement like a rational and emotionally mature adult and not be a pedantic dork.
Very nice as always! But... now I feel the need of a video on the differences in rapier systems...
I have long intended such a video, but I am NOT a rapier expert for any rapier system, let alone all of them. I need to get some of my friends together for that one. But I will.
I would also love to see this!
scholagladiatoria a little closer to home, talkingn about differences in military saber systems would also be pretty cool.
@@scholagladiatoria Sounds like a great idea for a video/series!
You could try contacting Alberto Bomprezzi for verdadera destreza. He's a brilliant master teaching in Madrid (Probably the most known in Spain)
@@scholagladiatoria That's great news! I think we are all looking forward to this comparison. ^^
Matt, this is your best video yet in my opinion, you have answered in detail many of my own questions and am pleased to hear that you value pictoral evidence, the Bayeoux tapestry etc. Without going into unnecessary detail, this was a classy and professional way of explaining your thoughts on what is HEMA and what could be HEMA. With regards the Dane Axe, I feel that it was probably used out of formation, shock and awe, force of arms style. Also it would make sense to be as heavily armoured as the period allowed, you as a Dane Axe user are going to draw a lot of attention. I think it takes the axe warfare style into another level, ramping up the aggressive style even further, it's attack, attack, attack. Great video, thank you.
They could have been mixed with spearmen. Like later hallberdeers where mixed n with pikemen. So the axemen could get protection by the spearmens shield wall.
@@alicelund147 At least that was what I've seen so far at some Viking reenactments: The axemen wielding over the heads of their buddies and hooking the enemy shields open to let the spearmen stab. But I don't know anyone from the scene. Would be nice to hear someone what thought and research brought them to that method.
@@stefanfranke5651 Given the length of the weapon I think it more likely to be used in the second or third row of a sword/axe shield wall than a line of spears, but using it like a bill like you describe seems like the most obvious way to use it. Given what we know about its use as an area denial weapon I also think it would be used to guard the flanks and rear of a shieldwall. My instinct is that it would be a defensive, mixed unit weapon when used by a lightly armored warrior like at Stamford Bridge, and a more flexible weapon for both shock attack and defense when used by a unit of heavily armored housecarls.
On the problem of Dane-Axe use, if there are any surviving treatises or traditions on the use of the Irish Sparth-Axe or the Scottish Lochaber-Axe, from what I know of the history of those weapons, they may be invaluable. This stems from the direct ancestry of the Sparth-axe for sure and the possible ancestry of the Lochaber-axe from the Dane-axe due to contact and conflict between the Irish and Scots with the Scandinavians. This couples with the fact that at least the Sparth-axe for sure but also possibly that the Lochaber-axe were used in very similar contexts to the Dane-axe: against shield walls in the hands of maille haubergeon armored iron/steel helmeted professional warriors (English Huscarls/Irish Gallowglasses).
Exactly. I have no idea where I heard it from, but I thought it was common that people thought they where for breaking shield walls. I think it makes sense, but what do I know
I made a comment to this effect since it came up in my genealogies. Take a heavy shot of Irish pirate and blend in the west of the Pale crazy retained in myth with what can be sourced about Gallowglass and similar ax designs. I couldn't find much on Gallowglass with my means unfortunately but they would be sea-fighting as much as land fighting, and did join forces when not fighting. I made a mental note once how sort of funny it was, some of the Normans may have been Norse-Gaels themselves coming back around into Scotland.. or having been kicked out and taking a long way to 'come back'.
My post was around mention of the Boarding Ax used, in name giving some of it's extra purpose. Boarding tactics, shield and spear walls, and his mention of horses is good.
I mean.. it wasn't common but I think I've heard of some transporting horses by ship. Crazier things have happened?
In the vein of re-enactment and giving a source, I do LARP (European style). I don't use a Dane axe, but a friend of mine does, and I can describe what it's like to fight him. For context, I use a longsword, but I don't see how the situation would change much if I used a short sword and shield, mostly because several of my other friends fight like that and they get the same type of results against him. We can't use spears, so I don't know how that would affect things, but I suspect the extra reach would be a godsend.
Boiled down, fighting with a Dane axe means believing the best defence is a good offence. You can't really parry and you can barely block, but you can make your opponent fear for their life when they get close and use that to force them to keep their distance. I'll run down what it's like to fight against a Dane axe:
You get close enough to hit them, which means there is already an axe-head barrelling towards you. Do you
a) Block or parry? The momentum of the axe head smashes through your defence. You're dead.
b) Hit them before they hit you? The momentum of the axe carries it into your body as you stab or swing at the axe wielder. If you're lucky and you got a good hit in (avoiding armour, etc.) you're _both_ dead. If not... you're dead.
c) Dodge to the side? Chances are the axe was being swung at an angle anyway and slightly redirecting it isn't too difficult. You're probably dead.
d) Dodge backwards? You have several option here.
1. Dodge slightly? It's not enough, you're dead.
2. Dodge moderately? Hope to high heavens you didn't underestimate their reach. 50/50 chance you're dead. But if you survived, you can attack back before they can.
3. Dodge far? Well done, you successfully evaded the attack. Now you can try and attack back, but since you moved back far they had the time to use the axe's momentum and they swing at you again. Start from the top.
Let's just say, I can understand how a single Norseman wielding a Dane axe held a bridge by himself for so long.
I love how you carefully explain things so those who don't grok what words like historical mean can maybe glean something without naming any nerds who should not be named. Very well done.
When you came to THE part about THE Diffrent Reipier styles, is it Possable there was Diffrent Axe styles between Dane, Norman or Rus?
Yes absolutely.
Yes 100% it's possible. We know that Viking shields were a bit different to Anglo-Saxon and Frankish shields of the 10th century, for example. We also know that in later centuries there were absolutely different styles of weapon use, from teacher to teacher, and with regional tendencies. So it's totally possible that there were variations between groups or areas at this time. That being said, this was a distinctively Norse/Danish weapon and it was adopted in England, for example, as a direct result of Danish conquest and intermarriage/alliance. So in the case of England, it is likely that the methods of use were virtually the same as in Denmark.
@@scholagladiatoria a few follow up ? how distinct were the aproaches to the same weapons is viking sword between reigions. Is there evidence of training systems or was it organic... ie " right kids this worked for your great uncle sven lets do this move" meaning a local village, town system. Were there records/ evidence or stories of folk training others? How organised were fighting groups of men? during the dane axes use
Not impossible. That may be as much as we can say. :)
As from the Rus side, we had same stuff as Norman.
Frederico Malagutti recently put up a video with regards to the Shad/Matt debate over HEMA where he talks at length about how systems of combat with a weapon are SPECIFIC solutions to the problem space of accomplishing the goals of combat with given tools in certain contexts (the goals, tools, and context define the problem space). A fighting system is a SOLUTION to that problem, but it is not a UNIQUE solution. In fact, you could say that every combatant comes up with their own solution, because fencing systems themselves have to be a bit generalized in order to accommodate differences between individuals. Meyer talks about this in his 1570 treatise (I think it's in the forward, but he might expand on it more in his discussion about the sword).
So when we're trying to recreate the way that people fought in the past, we have to realize that we might come up with a completely legitimate solution to the problem that is combat, but if we cannot back it up with evidence from the sources, it's very hard to say that we're doing it the way they were doing it in the past.
Here's a link to Frederico's video. He's a very cool guy: czcams.com/video/JmCsZXvEf84/video.html
Matt and Frederico know each other! They've fenced before, and Matt follows his channel.
Well from what I can tell both Shad and Matt are in agreement that HEMA = Experimental Archeology. Frederico doesn't really add anything new to the discussion other than to day that Shad makes things too difficult for himself but Fred seems to have missed the spot where Shad says he watches HEMA and dueling videos to learn from. References them as if watching a master or reading a manual. So he already does the things that Fred says he should do. Then Fred goes to summarizes that HEMA isn't about "historical" fighting per say but rather fighting that is in treatises. That is fighting that was done by certain recognized masters. Fred says what Shad is doing is new and making new things. As Matt admits in a past video, is that there is probably nothing that Shad, or anybody, could do that someone probably didn't do in history, we just don't have a source saying that they did it. And that is where the rub of the argument is.
All parties will admit that this stuff was probably done in the past, but because it is not in a written or painted record we just have to assume it never happened while admitting that any and everything that can be done with medieval weapons was probably done in the medieval times during a duel or fight. Basically saying that Shad is right, but he's wrong because there is no document saying he is right.
Giacomo di Grassi explicitly praised flexibility & core principles, highlighting how martial skill means being able to fight with whatever is available when needed: "[T]he soldier differenth from other men, not because he is more skilful in handling the sword or iauelyn, but for that he is expert in euerie occasion to know the best aduantage & with iudgement both to defend himself with anie thing whatsoeuer, and therewithal safelie to offend the enimie: In which & no other thing consisteth true skirmishing.
He that perswads himself that he can learn this Art by the exercise of a few perticuler stroks of the point and edg is vtterlie deceiued: for besids, that by those perticuler triks, there is smal knowledge gotten: So the chaunces in this Arte are so daungerous & diuers, that it is impossible to deliberat suddenly, except he haue the vniuersall knowledg and vnderstandinge of all the rules and principels hereof, being grounded vpon offending & defending, and not only vpon the sword, the dagger, the target, the iauelin & the bil. For a man at al times (when he is occasioned to strike or defend) doth not carrie these weapons about him, but is constrained to defend himselfe with a peece of wood from a Iavelyn, with a stoole or fourme from a sworde, or with a cloake from a dagger, in which case men commonly vse many other things not ordained for that purpose, doing that therewith which naturall instinct teacheth them. And this instinct is no other thing then the knowledge of the rules before laide downe: which knowledge, because it is naturally graffed in the mynde, is something the rather holpen and quallified by Arte, and maketh a man so assured and bolde, that he dares to enter on any great daunger, and iudgeth (when he seeth the qualitie of the weapon, and the syte wherein it is placed) what it maye do, or in how many waies it may either strike or defend. From which his iudgement springs the knowledge of all that he hath to do, and how he hath to handle himselfe to encounter any danger."
@@AndrewTheFrank I wasn't really talking about the shad/matt discussion in this comment. I was referencing Frederico's video and its context just as sourcing for what inspired my own thoughts.
I mostly wanted to talk about searching for solutions to the problem of combat.
(Also I wanted to boost his video because I freaking love his thoughts)
@@toddgreener Sure I understand, but he is very fixed on the overall discussion. But we could say that Shad is an example of coming up with a style that solves specific problems he faces. He isn't so fixed on learning a specific style to the T but rather barrowing things that work for him to help him with whatever is before him. Probably what a lot of the master of old did. I think your thoughts on his commentary have a bit of insight.
In my experience, it’s like the drawn out or large gang fights I’ve been in with impact weapons and observed in training video. When the shit hits the fan and you’re fast and furious, everyone resorts to basic chopping. It’s effective, and defensive especially when you’re getting tired or winded.
Your adoption of the term "frog DNA" for patching historical holes is wonderful. I'm totally re-stealing it! :)
I love listening to you talk, between you, Todd’s workshop and Metatron I’m set.
Don't forget lindybeige
@@topelite666 or shad
Or modern history tv
@@Aerostarm nah, not shad
Might I introduce you to ZNA Productions? Because ... I simply must.
Excellent video, as always, and a much better use of your time than other endeavors.
Cheers!
Being Canadian, my mind immediately went to hockey when you talked about people holding the axe left hand forward.More people hold their stick with the left hand forward than right. Part of the reason is that you generate power on a slap shot by pulling with the back hand. I wonder if it is at all similar
Nice procedural breakdown.
The most rewarding part of exploring a historical discipline or weapon is to get as close as possible to walking in that warrior's footsteps ... an ideal which requires no stone be left unturned.
I was just thinking about the Dane axe. Great video. It is amazing that the Dane axe has such a cultural imprint despite being largely limited in use and not having much material written about it
Very interesting ! I think there is a video on line with a Swedish guy using a Dane axe. I thought his style was very plausible, how they would use the axe to hook the enimy sheald away from the body. We know from battlefield injuries that the legs were a big target.
A perfect lesson about responding to criticism indirectly. That was a thoroughly and well explained position, which rebutted certain others’ points with panache. What a gentlemanly way to engage.
Thank you for presenting the full approach historical martial art practitioners should take to reconstruct more obscure techniques. I would just ad that studying of the weapon itself is not enough, it also would help a lot to study how the opposing forces attempted to defend against it, which parts of the body they armored most and which were left relatively exposed. Great video after all!
Yes, basically we have to bring every possible aspect of research that we can to the question.
Thank you for the entertaining and informative explanation! What a great way to talk about all the ways historians and archaeologists try to get as close as possible to understanding the past 😊
I a big fan of your intellectual honesty and academic thoroughness, it is very inspiring to everyone that appreciate science and learning
Very interesting. It would be a marvel to watch experts practicing with various axes.
Thank you so much for making a video explaining the kind of rigor that goes into experimental archeology!
Context and Triangulation!!! Not mocking, fully with those concepts. Use them in everyday life all the time too. Always learn something new or a new angle to look at something from your videos Matt, keep up the excellent work!
Great video Matt. Academic rigour, methodology and intent. You’d think people who love castles would have more respect for the importance of gatekeepers.
Recently someone pointed out that baseball players are taught to swing the bat so that the momentum from your body naturally transfers into the bat much like the end of a whip.
Or, like the end of a flail, or a trebuchet. A trebuchet is probably the best way to explain it.
So, I started test swinging my one handed viking axe which is a bearded heavier hybrid tool axe.
It really is just like imparting a little momentum and the thing rotates on its own - you'd actually have to fight the rotation of it with your wrists not to swing it as you do this. Its like you think of a point of rotation between you and your hips that is the trebuchet arm, and then think of your forearm and axe as the rope, and the axehead as the load.
The speed, agility and power with which I was able to swing is ridiculous compared to what it was before.
I also noticed that you could swing it rapidly in a way where you actually completely change the direction of the axe head 180 degrees for a follow up swing - this is achieved by finishing the swing in a way that sets you up to whip it back in another direction. This also seemed to grant advantages of unpredictability and flexibility, more like I was wielding a sword.
Now I really want to test this out with a Dane Axe. It seems as though with a Dane Axe that you'd be able to take this effect to the extreme. Holding the base of the haft in the right hand actually is exactly how you'd want to hold it for this technique.
Horizontal strikes with this are incredibly powerful, to the point at which they are more reliably fast and powerful than overhead strikes, with a little bit of hip/body rotation to impart the momentum, turning that slow rotation of your body into a lightning fast whip of the axe head.
I kind of suspect that Dane Axes might have been used in this way, because an axe head using the trebuchet effect is going to end the argument if it makes contact. And, if this blow was actually comparatively economical in terms of energy and tempo? That's completely and utterly devastating.
As someone who has gotten a good chuckle seeing how stock images portray violin playing, I wonder how useful the artistic sources truly are.
You are a huge pool of knowledge, fascinating to listen to and great to watch , you bring each subject to life with your enthusiasm and knowledge. Thank you sir .
That's an interesting topic!
A video comparing different schools of rapier (or any other weapon at that) would be SO AWESOME!
My own theory on the Dane Axe, is that it was used by the equivalent of a squad level sergeant. He who would hang back behind the shield and spear users for most of the fighting. If the enemy rushed past the spear's effective range the Dane Axe would be there to make the attacker "reconsider" pressing the charge home. This would keep the Dane Axe user safe during the initial closing of distance where projectiles would be most in play and give probably the most experienced fighter a place to direct his groups actions while not being seen as cowardly for not standing in the front row. Also having a big guy with a big axe behind the rank and file infantry might encourage them to not break and run when the fighting got tough.
Well, the dane axe was a answer to the problem the shieldwall created at the time. The dane axe could be used at a distance to hit over the shieldwall and also to break spear ranks. Men armed with dane axes would walk behind the shieldwall, and then come and strike through the enemy shieldwall breaking it open.
The answer is not just in the technology, but especially in the tactics of the time and era.
How to use dane axe.
1.) Hold axe
2.) Swing axe so sharp metal bit hit enemy
3.) Repeat step 2 until opponent dies
If only it were that easy! The hard bit is not being killed at the same time.
Great video! Hopefully clear enough even for those down under
Great video! I found it very informative.
YES to getting 10 Rapier experts showing their differences!!
Zoned out for a few seconds and mat was right up to the camera shouting about raid shadow legends 😵
I think the dane axe was used in shield walls to hook and pull at shields, opening the holders up for other attacks from your friends. This could be done while staying back in safety since the shaft was so long. Then ofc it could be used on unarmed people very effectively as well
To be honest I'd love to try doing some dane axe SEMA (Speculative European Martial Arts)
Wow Matt you are extremely intelligent and passionate about understanding history!!! A real inspiration for us mere humans
"sliding their hands up and down for different purposes"
some things never change.
Given the dominance of shieldwalls in battles at this time the Dane axe does seem like a linebreaker weapon. The Romans encounter problems with the Dacian Falx being used below the shields. I can imagine Dane axe wielders used in a similar way to disrupt an opposing shieldwall, attempting to create a weakness or gap before being reabsorbed into the protective wall of their comrades as the two walls crash into each other.
Ah, so there IS a manual: The Con Text. :D
Fantastic explanation of the HEMA methodology. Some people seem to think all methods are equal and that's just not true. Textual sources are the best, followed by oral tradition, followed by pictures, followed by archeological evidence (including bone fractures, etc.), followed lastly by personal experience (experimental archeology). All can be used to reconstruct the past but with varying levels of certainty.
Case in point when it comes to the importance of skeletons in this kind of research: we learned more about the use of the Aztec sword (macuahuitl) from the injuries on skeletons than from just about anywhere else. And that information, in turn, ended up radically altering our ideas about how well defended the Spaniards were against said weapon. Good to see someone acknowledging the importance of that type of archaeology here.
thank you for putting the raid advert which are basically mandatory 2 min+ in an appropriately lengthed video.
too many youtubers put them in videos that arent even 10 mins.
idc much about sponsors but when the ad-read is almost identical on multiple channels and put in shorter and shorter videos...
its refreshing to see it in a more traditional 30 min tv runtime commercial style.
on topic, i didnt even think about there being a danish way to use a dane axe.
I always though that the dane axe would be used as a shock weapon, elite housecarls moving to a weak point in the shield wall to create a gap or force a rout, but the example of the dane protecting Stamford Bridge has me reexamining my original premise, this was definitely an elite weapon for an incredible well skilled warrior
How were great axes used? Choppy end goes on the other man.
Oh i didnt realize, thanks mate.
Were you really an archeologist? I don't remember seeing you on Time Team. Isn't being on Time Team a prerequisite to being an archeologist in the UK?
I understand that this is humor, but actually a couple of my friends were regulars on Time Team and I was on it in the background once LOL
@@scholagladiatoria I love watching Time Team episodes. Which one were you in?
I honestly can't remember, it was while I was an archaeology student and it was somewhere in either Norfolk or Suffolk I think. It was at a church. I was probably hungover.
Matt was three years behind me at the Institute of Archaeology (we didn’t cross over but we have mutual friends from then) and in my year we had the guy who became Head Researcher for Time Team (Jim) who regularly got given horrible things to do on camera (my favourite was when he was treated like a Victorian prisoner). Its not uncommon to have students provide research to documentaries and things like Time Team (although often not credited, as I found out to my cost!)
I should add that I wasn't officially on it - we were on a field trip which by pure coincidence was up the road from where they were filming. We paid them a visit while they were filming and we ended up in the background.
Various people who have been on it are friends of mine though - the most significant one being Raksha.
I Hope this ends the stupid "debate" on what is (or not) historical. Great vídeo
I noticed that your channel is the only one I will suffer through a raid Shadow Legends ad
Coming from Norse descent there is a way that you use the axe. You charge in swinging the axe as wildly as you can, there is no skill or plan.
The rage is not a myth, my family comes from Bardufoss in Norway, and some of us when we get angry get banished from the house. None of the men in our family are under 190cm in height and the women in the family tend to be around 180cm tall. We have been gene tested and most of us don't feel pain which is both good and bad depending on what you are doing. And our blood has a prothrombin gene mutation factor five v-leiden so our blood clots amazingly quickly.
We have tried in the past to find people to fight in the UK but no-one seems to want to do full contact fighting with us as we don't wear full armour and apparently they are afraid we will get hurt.
When we do our traditional fighting there are lots of cuts afterwards but no bruising.
Dane Axe is perfectly accurate & fine to use to describe it!.
A devastating weapon in the right hands go check The Battle of Stamford Bridge.
The fact Huscarls & the like used these weapons sort of proves how highly they were thought of & the standard of warrior who used it.
Thanks for this; now I know what to look for in a HEMA instructor (if only there were lots of options).
Another great video. Your points were well formatted. Been meaning to do a video like this, focus on North American spike tomahawks
Great video.
Great vid Matt! Curious if there are Byzantine descriptions of the Dane Axe in action with the Varangian guard?
Great rebuttal video. ;)
Maybe i can add a few things may be of interest regarding the dane axe:
Much later in War of the Religions 1531 in Switzerland where Officers leading a troop of Zürich Soldiers requested 50-60 long handled Axes so called Hundtbiehl(Dog axes) to have a chance against the Central Swiss Troops that were armed with Schlachtschwerter aka Great Swords. Seems like those long handled axes were supposed to have the same role as the great swords.
And that could link to some of dane axe wielders in the bayeux tapestry which seem to have similiar positions in the formation much like the swiss and german mercenaries with great swords depicted in the 15-16th century.
Giulio Caesare Brancaccio writes about the Landsknechts that their halberds and two handed swords at the front were supposed to stop charges that break the first line of pikes. Which also reminds me of the dane axe wielders being depicted as close to the first line or attacking calvary and others.
George Silver also mentions the Battle Axe and Compares it with the two handed swords(being used among the midst of many men and calvary) and describes similiar situations so at least their usage or tactical deployment seemed to be similiar.
However all of those bits are much later than the actual time period but maybe theyre at least bit helpful for some people interested in the dane axe.
Matt hinting at a possible rapier series? Would be awesome!
Great video as always :D. It is a shame that there aren’t many sources talk about the usage axes (one handed or two handed).
Getting ahold of a weapon and playing with it.
--That which most of us do.
I don't own a single weapon, but this was fascinating. Thank you Sir!
Matt your wall looks healthy again!
How to use the Viking Dane Axe?............damn near every way you can imagine. They are useful in so many various ways. Edit: The thrusting power is woefully under utilized. (depending on the shape obviously)
Would love a video on the different schools of rapier use
weird question, since you mentioned the pollaxe's similarity to the dane axe/greataxe: Would you consider a pollaxe more similar to a halberd or to a greataxe? My instinct is to say halberd, but in how they were used they might have been more similar to greataxes if I'm understanding it correctly, no?
Thanks to the treatises, we know that the use of the pollaxe was actually very very closely related to the use of the halberd and bill. We can see this in various German and Italian treatises, where a lot of the techniques are either the same, or very similar (modified for length etc). As for the use of the Dane axe... I just don't know exactly how it was used, because we lack data for it. My instinct is that we can take some of the basic bits from 15th/16th century pollaxe/halberd/bill, but obviously we have to leave out some aspects... and we'll never know whether that produces an accurate end result, because we just don't have enough 10th/11th century data.
Nobody talks about medieval Mongol swords. An idea for a video?
The Caucasian and South Russian nomad empires in general are quite neglected in history
A nice way to give a reply to Shad 😉
I would enjoy seeing some of the experimental archaeology on the Dane axe. Given the weight distribution I know that felling axes (the lightest of the lumber axes) still have a turning moment very close to the head I wonder if there is a form of murder stroke whipping the handle around quickly like a cudgel after a strong stroke with the head.
"If the Japanese had an analogue for the Dane Axe..."
Now I'm wondering how the Ono/Masakari axes compare to the Dane Axe...
A Bisento would be more similar to a Dane axe
@@al-imranadore1182 Comes down to what you're calling an ono, a masikari or a Bisento... They all can be used for different weapons (Ono, for example can be anything from a hand-axe almost a poleaxe depending on who you're talking to).
I think most of the audience were agree we want that video with 10 different rapier Masters talking about the differences in their systems!
Matt, I think one pitfall to avoid when using later period docs for an earlier weapon system is the illusion that (for instance) the Great Axe was developed out of the poleaxe, whereas obviously - if at all - the poleaxe was developed out of the Great Axe. So there would have been many techniques appropriate to the Great Axe that turned out to be useless for the poleaxe, and in fact new techniques might have been developed for the poleaxe that never existed for the Great Axe.
All of that makes perfect sense to me ... not quite sure what other folk seem to think this is a response to/aimed at, it just seems rational, sensible and logical imho.
One thing that's rarely mentioned with respect to large axes is that when swung with speed they hold a high degree of momentum that contains sufficient and more, power to be able to continue the strike through many a sword block.
I'd say that would be one of the advantages that would enhance their preference over other weapons.
I will consult this video next time I have to make a last stand on Stamford bridge
To what extent can we assume pictorial evidence to be accurate? An illustrator documenting the battle of So and Such (upon Thyme) in England, 1334, might describe some rather fantastical arms and armour for whatever reasons. Then again, he might know full well and describe perfectly how certain things looked and were used. And everything in between.
Artistic sources need to be assessed in the same way as all other historical documents :-)
We find everything from clear cut straight up fantasy, to very literal matter-of-fact renderings of everyday life. We have to research and use judgement.
@@scholagladiatoria I wish. It's so much easier to look at pictures than to read the texts that artistic sources have become gospell amongst less-informed people, without any nuancing of their contexts, when there is even a context remaining at all...
@@eol42 Especially when the art is 100s of years apart from the event yet is treated as a photograph of the event by some.
@@eol42 Are you saying there were no rabbits with spears riding on snails? I've been lied to!
Is this experimental archaeology? By someone actually qualified and experienced who actually reads actual books?! I cackled academically all the way through this, you absolutely nailed it. Love it :D
Video suggestion:
10 reasons why you (the modern person) need a sword/axe/piece of armour!
You have to. Look at it as a dynamic system, end grip for long rage strikes and hooks to get more levrage and middle grip for short swings in close range so you can put your back into it and twist with the boody. Not to be ignored is the shaft butt. End that csn be used to jabb, poke, blokk or counter as movement for the strikes to get ekstra momentum og create an opening so the wielder. Controlls tempo
I don't know, Matt, maybe the Dane Axe should be MORE famous. 12th-14th century art seems to show a healthy number of Western European knights (not just Englishmen or Norsemen) wielding them. Searching "axe" on Manuscript Miniatures turns up a lot of examples. Perhaps a follow-up discussion about the weapon's spread and popularity over time is in order. This might also lead into a treatment of the birth of the poleaxe, as one can find images of great axes with top spikes fairly early. They probably evolved into the poleaxe of the later treatises. At any rate, it'd be interesting to shed some light onto lesser-known aspects of European polearm usage. Just some thoughts, can't wait to hear from Matt and anyone else who has researched this! 🪓 🪓
What camera do you use?
I enjoy all of your content but I found this particularly interesting. In part because of the anatomy of the weapon, as you stated Matt, we can look at the same weapon at the same time and see different applications depending on the region.
I have not read the answers in the thread so I hope. I am not doubling up on anything.
In regards to this axe (which I love btw).I wonder if how we preload our body such as a discus or hammer thrower would/could be similar with blocking steps V active steps with would make total sense to me. However targets trajectory and angles could essentially be the difference?
I don't know of course but as an ex athlete, various positions of pre loading the body is mostly going to be the same.
How they could have been used to strike various targets and techniques from that point is what fascinates me. I am from a full time speed/power sport background.
Once upon a time a Danish farmer was chopping wood when he was assualted by a bunch of marauders, and he picked up his axe and fought them off successfully, after that everyone wanted one.
Sounds like the story of Jim Bowie.
Depictions from the Bayeux Tapestry and my perceived sensation of the way the weapon feels in the hand tend to support the bottom grip whack ' em & hack 'em theory.
lol, using frog DNA is a brilliant analogy
I like the Jurassic park reference. xD
Also I hope you know you have the best life. Professionally at least.
My favorite quote from my anthro and experimental arch professor "Experimental archaeology tells us how things COULD have been used, not necessarily how they generally were. But if it's possible; someone probably did at least use something that way a few times." paraphrased.
I believe your friend Roland of demicator has a good series of using Norse weapons with the biomechanics practiced 👍 It might not be historical treatise but makes so much sense.....
I can see them being shock troops more heavily armoured to break a shield wall then generally melee
Are there any data on wear patterns on the artifacts themselves? I've found that with a lot of tools in a non-archeological context looking at that and how they eventually fail tells me an awful lot about how they were used. No idea if there are enough examples to draw anything useful out of it.
I feel like this is a response to a certain someone. Great video though. I do get distracted every time your weapon wall is changed or rearranged. Did the blue grip great sword hang where the pinkish/red gripped great sword is or did you change the grip? What happened to the other indian buckler?