DIY throwing ax drawings. How did the ancient Slavs fight (9 photos)

Undoubtedly, people who live in a private home or often go on hikes need such an indispensable tool as an ax. To purchase it, you just need to go to the market.

If you have questions about the quality of the purchased ax, you can make it yourself. Moreover, this can be done very easily if you use the instructions and tips for making it.

Classification of axes

Axes come in the following types:

Carpentry. Light, small axes must have a sharp blade. Designed for trimming and precision woodworking.
Carpentry universal. Axes of different weights. They don't have a big handle. They are used for imprecise wood processing.
Lumberjack's axe. Used for cutting wood, it has a wide blade and a long handle.
Ice ax Used in mountaineering. It consists of a spike, a head, a blade and a handle sharpened at the base. Outwardly it looks like a pickaxe.
Cleaver. A cone-shaped ax with heavy weight. The shape and weight help to split hard wood.
Kuznechny. This ax can be used to chop off metal materials. They apply the ax to the place where they need to chop off and hit the butt with a hammer.
Potes. It is used to trim wood. For efficient operation, the ax has a rounded blade.
Povarskaya. An ax with a short handle and a heavy, sharp cutting surface.
Paznik. Used for cutting grooves using an edge on the blade. The cutting part is perpendicular to the ax handle.
Firefighter. An ax with a metal handle that is insulated to withstand a voltage of 1000W. Its peculiarity is that there is a spike on the butt, which is used to cut a passage through the rubble.
Assault firefighter. A massive ax with a long handle. In case of fire, it is used to break down heavy structures.
Tourist. A small ax with a short shaft. It happens in combination with a knife or saw. For safety, it comes with a cover.
Tsalda. The ax blade, made in the shape of a sickle, is used to clear small bushes from the area.

Self-production

The order of work is as follows:

Work on cutting out an ax handle

Before starting work, it is necessary to make transverse cuts at the top and bottom of the beam. The depth of the cuts should not reach the line of the ax by 2-3 mm. Use a chisel to remove the excess layer of wood. Use a rasp to cut out places where corners and transitions are needed. Finally, the ax handle is sanded using sandpaper.

Choosing the piercing part

You can’t make a metal sheet at home, so you need to know what to look for when choosing it in a construction market:

ideally, steel should be marked according to GOST;
the eye should have the shape of a cone;
the blade should not have dents, bends or nicks;
If you look at the butt, its ends should be perpendicular to the blade.

Placing an ax on an ax handle

This can be done by performing these simple operations:

Transverse and longitudinal cuts are made on the ax handle in the upper part.

Cut 5 wedges from hardwood.

Gauze soaked in resin is wrapped over the ax handle to fit more tightly into the eyelet.

Hammer the ax handle into the eye of the ax.

Drive wedges into the cuts.

After drying, the protruding parts of the wedges are cut off.

Blade sharpening

Proper sharpening of the blade will ensure good functionality of the ax. Depending on the type of work performed, you should choose the sharpening angle.

For example, a taiga ax is sharpened at an angle of 25-30 degrees. If you need to cut fresh wood, you need to sharpen at an angle of 25 degrees.

If a sharpening wheel is used, the butt should be held at an angle of 45 degrees. All movements are performed smoothly, without jerking.

As you can see, having a small set of tools and instructions for making an ax in your arsenal, it is not at all difficult to make it to your size and needs.

Look video instructions on production taiga ax with your own hands:

The ax is actually a very important tool. Of course, if you are a real carpenter, you should definitely know how to make an ax that is perfect for certain tasks. Professional carpenters usually use several axes at once. Nevertheless, this type the instrument is also necessary for people living outside the city, or simply for city residents who occasionally travel to their summer cottages. After all, the bathhouse needs to be heated with wood, and you can chop it only with an axe. And so that no misunderstandings arise in the process, and the tool does not let you down, you should know all the subtleties of how to make an ax with your own hands, as well as how to prepare it for work. The ax itself can be completely different in shape. But the ax must be properly mounted, wedged, and sharpened at a certain angle.

Choosing the cutting part of the ax

When you are faced with a choice in the process of purchasing a piercing part, be sure to pay attention to the metal from which it is made. There must be a GOST inscription confirming implementation in accordance with the norms and requirements. You should be wary if you see a sign like: OST, MRTU, TU. In this case, the metal production technology could be changed by the manufacturer. If we talk about choosing a good Soviet ax, then it is better to buy it on the regular market.

You can check the quality of an ax in the old-fashioned way, by striking the blade of one against the blade of another. If one of the products is made poorly, then it will be on it that marks from the impact will remain. Also, if you hang the ax, you can knock on it and listen to the sound. He will be characteristic.

Please note that if the blade is good, there should be no dents or flaws; the eye should be cone-shaped; also the eye and blade must be coaxial; and there must also be at least a small thickness of the butt, and its ends must be perpendicular to the blade.

If you were unable to find a product that meets all standards. Do good ax you can do it yourself. Even if some misunderstandings are discovered in the purchased product over time, they can be eliminated by sharpening the burrs, boring the eyes, and giving the butt a symmetrical shape.

Select a workpiece. Make an ax handle

Based on your height and strength, you should choose the length of the axe. The quality of the wood is also very important. For example, for lightweight products weighing up to one kg, the length of the handles is 40-60 cm. If we talk about a heavy ax - up to one and a half kilograms in weight, the length of the handle will be 55-65 cm.

You should approach the question of how to make a wooden ax correctly. For example, not every tree is suitable for its handle. The most suitable options are the root part of the birch, as well as its growths; maple or oak, ash and other types of wood. It is very important to dry the preparations well, and always in natural conditions and for a considerable time.

You choose a tool template in advance, and your template should be outlined on the workpiece. The end part of the handle should be thick so that the master can brake with his hand if the ax slips out. Excess wood (beyond the contour) should be removed with a knife, an ax with a perfectly sharpened blade, or other similar tools. After this, you need to make sure that the actions are correct. For fitting, place the ax on the ax handle using a mallet. Make sure that these parts fit very tightly together. After that you can begin further cleaning. To scrape, you should use glass, and to grind, use fine-grain sandpaper. Knowing how to make an ax out of wood is already half the battle. But that's not all.

“Planting” the ax on the handle

This process can be done, for example, in this way:

The top of the ax is adjusted in accordance with the eye. Unnecessary wood should be removed with a knife.

The ax handle should be placed horizontally on a flat, hard surface, and the ax should be placed on top. On the handle you need to mark with a pencil the place to which it needs to be inserted. Having divided the segment in two, you should put a second mark.

Use a vice to clamp the ax handle so that the wider end is facing up. Use a hacksaw to cut to the 2nd mark directly under the wedge.

The wedge can be from a store, or it can also be made from wood by hand. Its thickness can be 5-10 mm, the length is the same as the depth of the cut, and the width is equal to the eye of an ax.

You need to put a board on the table, and put an ax on it, upside down. The ax should be put on the ax handle, tapping it on the board. Next, you should turn it over and tap it with the handle while inserting it. This should be turned over and tapped several times in a row. As a result, the ax handle should fit into the eyelet.

After this, the ax handle must be placed vertically, and a wedge must be inserted into the cut and hammered in with a mallet.

Oil should be applied to the ax handle, the excess will drain off, and the tool will be left to dry. After everything, use a rag to wipe the ax and handle.

In addition, you can watch a video on how to make an ax, with the help of which the essence of making the tool will be clearer to you.

Sharpening an ax blade

This issue is very important so that working with the tool does not cause inconvenience and hassle. In accordance with GOST, the sharpening angle should be from twenty to thirty degrees. If you are a professional carpenter, then sharpening should be done at an angle of thirty-five degrees.

Upon completion of the work done with an ax, it is recommended to put a cover on the blade. Be careful!

An ax is one of the first human-made tools. A sharpened stone tied to a stick helped primitive man dig root crops from the ground, cut down trees, hunt and defend himself from enemies. Later, axes were made of copper, bronze, and steel. Their form was improved, various variations of this instrument appeared, both combat and peaceful. Axes were widely used for combat in Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Persia. Since those ancient times, the design and methods of using these weapons have remained almost the same as they were conceived by our ancestors.

Weapons that don't change

Simplicity of perfection - these are exactly the words that can be used to describe battle axes. Photos of samples found in ancient mounds ancient weapons confirm this fact.

Their basic forms have not changed much over the past thousands of years. Scythian sagaris, Greek labrys - their recognizable outlines are repeated in medieval Romanesque axes, and in Viking battle axes, and in the weapons of the Russians. It's not a lack of imagination. There are simply things that no longer need to be improved, because they are already perfect. This doesn't mean they are necessarily difficult. There is nothing simpler than a wheel, but no one has improved it. Not a single inventor contributed anything fundamentally new to its design. Whether made of wood or stone, with or without hubs, a wheel is always a wheel.

The same is true with an axe. It can be stone, bronze or made of the best steel. It may be German, Chinese or African. But it is impossible to confuse an ax with another weapon. Different countries, dissimilar cultures independently came to the creation of this ingenious weapon. Simple, cheap and extremely practical, it was equally applicable in everyday life and in battle. Actually, sometimes it is difficult to say for what exact purposes these weapons were used. Yes, specialized axes created exclusively for warriors cannot be confused with household tools. That's just in reverse side the pattern does not emerge in this case. Any ax suitable for chopping firewood instantly becomes a combat ax; you only need to want to chop something other than pine logs. Or anyone.

Why were axes popular in Rus'?

Viking battle axes are practically legendary. There is not a single film about the harsh northerners in which a sharpened ax of impressive size would not flash in the frame. Moreover, in Europe at the same time they mostly used swords, and in the East - sabers. That is, the territory in which one could see an ax in the hands of a warrior with the same probability as a sword was not so large. Why? If the ancient battle ax was so bad that few people used it, then why was it used at all? Weapons are not a reason to show off your originality. There's no time here external effect, this is a matter of life and death. And if the ax was good in battle, then why did the sword clearly dominate?

In fact, there are no bad or good weapons. Unusable tools simply disappear from use forever. Those unfortunate people who trusted the promises of the inventors die, and the rest draw conclusions. Weapons that remain in active use are, by definition, quite convenient and practical. But it remains so only under certain conditions. There is no universal weapon that would be appropriate everywhere and always. What are the advantages and disadvantages of an axe? Why were the battle axes of the Slavs and Normans not widespread in Europe?

First of all, it should be noted that an ax is a weapon of a foot warrior. It is much more convenient for a rider to work with a sword or saber, depending on the situation. This is why Viking seafarers so often used axes, unlike European or Eastern cavalry. Rus', which traditionally had close cultural ties with the Viking northerners, could not help but adopt these features of combat. Yes, and there were foot soldiers in Rus' large number. Therefore, many preferred the battle ax.

Ax and sword - what's the difference?

If we talk about the comparative characteristics of a sword and an ax in equal conditions, in this case in a foot fight, then each type of weapon has its own advantages and disadvantages. The ax has much more power blow, it easily cuts through armor, but a sword is unlikely to cope with such a task. The ax can be thrown. In addition, these weapons are much cheaper. Not every warrior can buy a good sword. But the axe, even if devoid of decorative elements, will be affordable for anyone. And this type of weapon has many more functions. The sword is only good for war. The ax can also be used for its intended purpose, that is, to chop and chop a tree, and not an enemy. In addition, the ax is more difficult to damage. It does not chip as much as a sword, and such damage is of little significance. This is why battle axes were valued. You could replace the damaged butt with your own hands by simply attaching a suitable shaft. But to put the sword in order, you need a forge.

Compared to swords, battle axes have two main disadvantages. Due to the center of gravity falling on the metal part of the weapon, they are less maneuverable. But it is precisely this design feature that gives the ax blow its crushing force. But it is more difficult for them to fend off an enemy attack, so warriors who prefer this type of weapon almost always used shields. And the ax is not capable of a piercing blow, and in battle this can turn out to be a serious problem. A lunge always occurs faster than a swing; a warrior with an ax in such a situation loses in speed to an enemy with a sword. After the heavy, durable armor fell out of use, the latter type of weapon gave way to the much lighter and swifter sword. In the same way, battle axes retreated to the much more maneuverable fencing technique. There weren't very many Viking seafarers, for whom cheapness and practicality were decisive. But at the same time, our ancestors still used such weapons.

What did a battle ax look like in Rus'?

One way or another, this weapon was very popular in Rus'. Even in written evidence dating back to the 8th century, there are references to this type of military equipment. A huge number of axes found were made between the 9th and 13th centuries. This was due to the technological leap that occurred during this period. The number of axes found in burials and ancient settlements is amazing. More than one and a half thousand copies have survived to this day. Among them there are obvious battle axes, such as coined ones, and universal ones, suitable for both war and peaceful work.

The specimens found vary greatly in size. Conventionally, they can be divided into two-handed and one-handed, just like swords. Small axes in economic use could be a tool for coopers and carpenters. The larger ones were used by carpenters and lumberjacks.

Often in films, battle axes are depicted as huge, almost impossible to lift, with monstrously wide blades. This, of course, looks very impressive on the screen, but has little to do with reality. In fact, no one would use such a pointlessly heavy and clumsy machine in battle. Slavic battle axes found in military burials are quite compact and light in weight. The length of the handle of such a weapon is on average about 80 cm, the length of the blade varies from 9 to 15 cm, width - from 10 to 12, weight - within half a kilogram. And this is quite reasonable. These dimensions are sufficient, they provide an optimal combination of impact force and maneuverability. To cut through armor and inflict a mortal wound - battle axes made in such modest, “non-cinematic” proportions are quite capable of doing this. Create unnecessary difficulties for yourself with your own hands, making an effective weapon heavier? No warrior would do such a stupid thing. Moreover, archaeological finds prove that the warriors also used even lighter hatchets, weighing from 200 to 350 grams.

Military weapons in ancient Slavic burials

Working axes, which served as an indispensable attribute of the burial of Russian men, were larger. Their length was from 1 to 18 cm, width - from 9 to 15 cm, and weight reached 800 g. However, it should be noted that the classic funeral decoration of both a warrior and a civilian in Rus' implied his readiness not so much for battles, but to a long journey through the halls of the afterlife. So they put into the mounds what might be needed on the campaign. The ax turned out to be indispensable in this regard. It could perform the functions of both a weapon and a tool at the same time.

However, one can also dispute theories about a purely peaceful or exclusively combat use specific axes. Judging by the coinage and rich decorations, some large specimens were clearly status weapons - no one would put such insignia on a wood chopping tool. This probably depended on the personal preferences and physical capabilities of the warriors.

The famous Arab traveler Ibn Faddlan noted in his notes that the Russian warriors he met had swords, axes and knives with them, and never parted with these weapons.

What types of axes are there?

First of all, you need to decide on the terminology. What is the name of this or that type of battle ax? Axe, cleaver, chaser, halberd, glevia, guisarma, francisca... Strictly speaking, all these axes are blades mounted on a shaft, capable of chopping. But at the same time they differ greatly.

A mint, or klevets, is a small hatchet whose blade is made in the form of a sharp, beak-like protrusion. The blow with this part of the weapon is exceptionally powerful. High-quality chasing can be used to pierce not only armor, but also shields. On the side of the butt there is a small hammer.

The hammer hatchet is a separate type of weapon, a direct descendant of the Scythian sagaris. It has a narrow blade and also a hammer on the butt.

A poleaxe is not just a huge axe. This is a structurally different weapon, differently balanced, therefore the technique of fighting with an ax is fundamentally different from that when using an ax. The blade of the ax is usually arched, sometimes it can be double-sided.

Franziska - a small throwing ax used by the Franks. This is a relative of the Indian tomahawk. The length of the Francis handle was no more than 80 cm. True, there were also large types of this weapon, not intended for throwing, but they are less remembered.

Halberd, gisarma, glevia are a kind of hybrids of an ax and a spear. The blade, reminiscent of that of a poleaxe, was combined either with the tip of a spear or with a sharpened hook and was mounted on a long shaft. If an ax is a chopping type weapon, then such hybrids should also stab, and, if necessary, even cling and pull the enemy from a saddle or rampart.

All these types of bladed weapons were used in Rus'. Some were more popular, some less. We generally imagine the guards of the times of Ivan the Terrible exclusively with halberds, and, for example, the legendary knights - with huge axes. Craftsmen, making modern battle axes, copy these classic examples as far as possible, usually choosing the most spectacular ones in appearance. Unfortunately, it is the ax that makes a weak impression on a person who has little knowledge of edged weapons due to its inconspicuousness. But it was he who was the most common weapon of medieval Rus'.

Classic typology

Although in Rus' there was no pronounced classification difference between these types of weapons, it is still possible to distinguish the following types battle axes.

Weapons for combat purposes - hatchets, hammers, peckers, which physically could not be used in household work. This also includes expensively decorated axes. By the way, only 13 copies of such weapons survived, 5 of them were lost, 1 was later discovered in a foreign collection.
Small hatchets for universal use. These specimens look like ordinary work axes, they are simply inferior in size. The shape and dimensions of such weapons have already been described above.
Massive, heavy axes primarily for household purposes. They were obviously rarely used as weapons by warriors.

Mentioning the features of battle axes, we will focus only on the first two types described. The fact is that the third type is exclusively a working tool. Various versions A halberd or gisarm should not be included in the list either. They undoubtedly belong to the category of striking-cutting weapons, but the length of the shaft does not allow them to be considered an adequate replacement for an ax.

Axes exclusively for military purposes

The classical classification of A. N. Kirpichnikov divides battle axes into 8 types.

Type 1. These axes have a triangular, narrow and elongated blade, sometimes slightly curved downwards. The cheeks of the butt are triangular in shape, and the hammer attachment always produces a square in cross section. They were common in the X-XIII centuries. It is this type that the coin, the most popular battle ax among warriors in Rus', belongs to. It is the coins that are usually found in squad burials. Judging by their exceptional numbers, these axes were not imported. expensive weapons, and were made by local craftsmen.
Type 2. Another version of the coinage. Its blade is long, trapezoidal in shape, and on the back of the butt there is a narrow lamellar “beak”. This version of the ax is found only in burials dating from the 10th and first half of the 11th century. Similar models were discovered during excavations in Latvia, Poland, Sweden and Hungary.
Type 3. A combat hatchet with a narrow blade, very common. Such models were found in burials of the 10th-11th centuries throughout Russia. A lot was extracted from the Vladimir mounds. But in the north of the country this type of ax is not particularly widespread. Considering the number of hatchets of this type found in Russia and other countries, and the time of their manufacture, we can conclude that this model was created by local craftsmen, and from here it migrated to neighboring states.

Axes used both in battle and for household needs

Type 4. A version of the ax with a carved, elongated butt and a wide triangular blade extended downwards. The upper edge of the blade is straight. Often the lower part of the blade had a truncated shape, this made it possible to carry the weapon on the shoulder, resting the blade against the back. Two notches on the cheeks provided the blade with reliable fixation on the butt. Archaeologists found these axes in both combat and working versions, in a ratio of almost 50/50. Some household axes were found complete with weapons and may have been used as a universal tool, suitable for both work and battle. The axes found date back to the 10th, 11th and 12th centuries. Often this weapon was the only one that archaeologists discovered with a warrior, and this is not surprising. The exceptionally successful shape of the ax and the reliable, strong butt, secured with triangular jaws, made this weapon surprisingly effective; its efficiency approached unity. Slavic craftsmen knew how to make battle axes practical and formidable weapons. This type of weapon was suitable for a strong vertical blow; the curved edge of the blade made it possible to deliver cutting blows - a property useful not only in battle, but also in everyday life.

Such axes are also considered an exclusively Slavic invention: in Russia, similar finds date back to the 10th century, and foreign analogues were created no earlier than the 11th century, that is, 100 years later.

Type 5. A type of ax with a significantly drawn down blade and a pronounced notch. The cheekbones have only one lower notch. Such axes were in use in the 10th and early 12th centuries. In the north of Rus', these particular guns were extremely popular; significantly more of them were discovered than other models. And this is quite logical, because similar form Scandinavian culture gave the blade to the Russians. There were many battle axes of this type; they actively came into use three hundred years earlier.
Type 6. It differs from the model described above by its characteristic double cheeks. At first, these axes were used as combat axes (from the 10th to the 11th centuries). But their characteristics were significantly lower than those of the 4th type, and already by XII century axes became predominantly workers. They were usually not combat tools, but household tools, which is why the butt was attached so securely.

Wide-bladed and narrow-bladed universal tools

Type 7. Axes with a symmetrically expanding large blade. The cutting edge of the blade of such a weapon is usually significantly beveled towards the shaft. Such axes are found mostly in the north of the country, which is quite logical, because they were borrowed from the Scandinavians. They were popular with Norman and Anglo-Saxon foot soldiers, as some documentary evidence has survived. But at the same time, this type of ax was actively used in everyday life, even more often than for combat purposes. In Rus', such weapons were often found in peasant burials.
Type 8. It is very reminiscent of type 3, but its butt design is different. This is an outdated form of a heavy splitting axe, rarely used in combat conditions. Such instruments were popular as weapons in the 5th-9th centuries, later they were replaced by more advanced forms.

An ax - along with other sharp iron objects (knife, sickle, scythe, etc.) - is a talisman and a repellent against evil spirits and diseases, U Eastern Slavs The ax was placed under the feet of the cattle during the first pasture to protect it from damage and predators; for the same purpose in the Russian North, a shepherd walked around the herd with an Ax; Bulgarians hammered an ax into a tree to protect themselves from wolves.

In Polesie, the Ax was placed under the threshold so that the vampire could not enter the house; in Ukraine and among the Western Slavs, an Ax was placed under the bed of a woman in labor and under the cradle of a newborn, along with other iron objects, to protect them from damage and evil spirits. To protect the living from the influence of death, the Ax was placed under the bench where the deceased lay, or on the bench after the body was removed. The Serbs placed the Ax near the threshed grain left outside the barn to protect it from the night demons. In the Carpathian wedding ceremony, the groom, leading the newlyweds into the house, hit the door crosswise with an ax in order to neutralize possible damage. In the Russian North, it was believed that a merman could not harm a person if he mentioned out loud the Ax and other sharp objects. The ax was used to stop the hail, symbolically “cutting” the hail cloud.

To protect a newborn child from evil forces, the Serbs made an amulet for him in the form of a small Ax. It was made at midnight on the eve of Friday by a husband and wife who stripped naked and remained silent. The child for whom the amulet was made was supposed to wear it all his life as a talisman.

An ax, an object made of iron, is used in magical practice to impart strength and health to man and cattle. In Western Ukraine, going to bed on New Year, they placed an Ax near the bed, and in the morning they stood on it so that their legs were healthy and strong. To make the wound on the leg heal faster, an Ax was placed under the feet. For the same purpose, the Czechs stood on the Ax with their bare feet on the morning of Good Friday. To make childbirth easier, Serbian women drank water in which a sharp Ax was washed. In Polesie, after the deceased was taken out of the house, an Ax was thrown over the threshold so that the remaining family members would be healthy.

In folk beliefs, the Ax was associated with masculine. In Belarus, if the couple wanted to have a boy, they placed an Ax at the head of the bed, and if they had a girl, they placed a sickle. Among the Eastern Slavs, it was customary to cut off the umbilical cord of a newborn boy using an Axe. According to Polesie agricultural customs, before starting plowing, you need to stick an Ax into the ground to ensure a good harvest.

Sometimes the blade of the Ax was associated with the sharp teeth of rodents and predators, so the Bulgarians were forbidden to touch the blade of the Ax and other sharp objects on the first day of Lent, so that pests would not attack the fields.

In the Ukrainian Carpathians and Eastern Slovakia, ritual hatchets were used, which served as a sign of the power and magical power of the older shepherd.

The earthly embodiment of the glorious weapon of the great Perun was widespread in Rus' no less than the sword. One often hears that an ax is a purely gangster weapon (remember the children's song: “knife and ax workers, romantics from the high road”) and in ancient Rus' They were operated only by robbers. This is a misconception. In fact, the ax, along with the sword, was in service with the princely squads. The ax was also an indispensable tool for erecting military mechanical devices, fortification barriers, and for clearing roads in the forest. The fact that this weapon is rarely found in the epic heroic epic is extremely simple: the ax was the weapon of an exclusively foot warrior, while the Bogatyr from the epic has an obligatory companion - a faithful horse (for the same reason, many Bogatyrs in the epics have a saber instead of a sword). Foot soldiers revered and loved the axe, especially since the cult of the great God of War is associated with it. The ax was convenient in battle with heavily armed warriors, it could good hands it’s easy to split a shield or tear a chain mail.

There is an opinion that the battle ax was enormous in size compared to the working one. For example, there are many paintings where in the hands of a Slav or a Viking there is a huge ax, with a blade almost as long as a warrior’s elbow. This is a delusion, an exaggeration of artists. In fact, the weight of the battle ax did not exceed 500 grams and only real Bogatyrs could afford a larger ax. Of course, the larger the ax, the greater its destructive power, but is it worth neglecting speed for the sake of the monstrous force of the blow, because while the warrior is swinging his huge weapon, a nimble opponent will be able to blow off his head three times, for example, with a light saber. Battle axes resembled workers in shape, but were somewhat smaller. Slavic warriors were familiar with a huge number of forms and designs of the battle ax. Among them there are those that came from the east, for example, hammered axes, more similar to a pickaxe than an axe, the Scandinavians gave the Slavs the same ax or wide-bladed axe, and an ax in those days was mainly called a working, carpenter's ax. However, their proportions are somewhat unusual.

We are used to seeing in movies and paintings in the hands of a semi-wild warrior a huge ax on a short ax handle - everything is just the opposite. The ax handle sometimes exceeded a meter in length, while the ax blade was 17-18 cm long and weighed on average 200-450 g, while the weight of a peasant poleaxe (axe) was 600-800 g. Such axes spread throughout Northern Europe at the turn of the 10th and 11th centuries. Another interesting view axes - with a straight top edge and a blade pulled down. Such axes spread to Norway, Sweden and Finland in the 7th-8th centuries. They appeared in Rus' and Finland in the 10th-12th centuries and found great popularity here: such an ax not only chopped, but also cut.

A purely national type of ax, ideal for combat and combining all best qualities weapon was like this: its blade is curved towards the bottom (so he could also cut), and the inclination of the blade is such that the efficiency of the blow tends to unity: all the force applied by the warrior goes precisely to the blow and is concentrated in its middle part, which gave the blow enormous strength. “Cheeks” were placed on the sides of the butt, the back part was strengthened with “toes”, both of which were intended for urgently securing the ax to the ax handle (wooden handle), moreover, they protected it when a deeply embedded ax had to be rocked in order to be pulled out.

Axes of this shape were used both for combat and for work. Since the 10th century they have spread to Rus' and become the most in mass form axe. Other nations, of course, also appreciated Russian invention: archaeologists find such axes all over Europe (however, these finds date back no earlier than the 11th-11th centuries, which proves the Slavic origin of such an ax).

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 terrible 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 refers to a double-edged axe, widely used during the birth of ancient Greek civilization.

Only a physically strong, dexterous and skilled warrior could cope with such a weapon. 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 during the era early Middle Ages new lovers 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.

Famous weapons the Vikings had 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 by 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 poleax, the distinguishing feature of which was the spike on 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 and as a crushing 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 disposed to 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.

A right angle, a downward bevel of the blade, a small area of the cutting part itself, features of both weapons. From a military point of view this is justified. Hitting a body wrapped in fur, and even with chain mail, with a wide blade was almost useless.

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. Made from the latest generation steel grades, in different shapes 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. Armed with axes of gnomes, frantic and strong fighters.

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.

IN historical literature the ax did not find much response. 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.