Warhammer: the quintessence of power and onslaught. German war hammer from the Higgins Museum Design and manufacture of a war hammer

The axe, spear and war hammer are the very first weapons in history. The spear was designed to stab, the ax to cut and cut, and the war hammer to crush.

With the development of civilization, metalworking skills and, accordingly, weapons improved. Through the centuries spears, axes and war hammers have undergone numerous changes in form and design.

Sometimes a few traits different weapons united in one. For example, the head of a hammer can be added to an ax, or, for example, a spearhead can be attached to the top of the hammer.

Such a multifunctional weapon was used back in the Viking Age - there are references to spears that could not only pierce, but also cut.

And although this could be achieved simply by expanding and lengthening the point of the spear, the trend towards weapons with multiple functions is obvious.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, such hybrid weapons became more and more popular, and in the 15th and 16th centuries came into general circulation.

It is believed that the medieval ax reached the pinnacle of its development when it, a war hammer and a spear were combined into one. Such a weapon in Germany was called füsstryakst, and in England - polex.

Naming this monster is pretty controversial issue, as there are more than enough of its variations and various characteristics. As well as names. In different sources of that time, the same weapon could be called differently, since there was neither GOST for products, nor a single terminology.

However, there is another type of weapon, which is also called "poleks". Instead of a chopping part, similar to an axe, it has a sharp "beak" designed to break through armor. In fact, this is a war hammer, from the same "war hammer".

And it is about such a polex - Warhammer that will be discussed further.

The use of polex

Some medieval manuals have survived (Wallerstein's code, Hans Talhoffer's fechtbuch) teaching armored combat in the context of the dueling rules of court fights. Most of them depict poleaxes of all kinds along with other weapons.

The use of poleax however was not limited to tournaments and duels, it was military weapon which was reflected in the works of art of that time.

And also found confirmation in recent archaeological finds and forensic examinations of the remains of warriors who fell in medieval battles.

German poleax from the Higgins Museum

While visiting the Higgins Armory Museum in Wustre, I was fortunate enough to study and photograph a perfectly preserved example of a 15th century German poleaxe.

The striker of this war hammer is made of one piece of iron and is a hammer on one side, and a sharp “beak” on the other. I must say that the design of this poleax is typical of the 15th century and can be easily understood from this diagram:

Compare the diagram with the photo and look at our hero with different eyes:

Shaft protection

A large nail with a decorated head passes through the center of the striker and splints - long iron strips that run along the shaft, firmly connecting them. The end of the nail on the other side is flattened and secured with a decorative round washer.

The langets fit tightly into the grooves on the octagonal wooden handle. Each splint is attached to the shaft with nine nails - four pairs of nails along the entire length of the splint and one at its very end.

There are also two additional longer splints on the front and back of the shaft, they are bent onto the striker from the inside. Additional splints provide structural strength and protect the handle from damage.

The four sides of the shaft, not protected by splints, are provided with evenly spaced hemispherical-headed nails, apparently for decoration.

The hilt is rather short, about 3 feet long (~90 cm), but it may have been cut, as there are saw marks on the end of the hilt.

War Hammer Ornament

On the striker, you can easily see the inlay of copper or brass:

In the part where the striker has the shape of a hammer, between its four teeth, another inlay is made - a cross. The base of the hammer and "beak" contain more complex herringbone pattern inlays.

Here is a larger photo of the striker:

There are also small carved fragments on the top and bottom of the hammer, as well as the mark of the master in the form of a star.

How much does a war hammer weigh?

• The weight: 3 lbs, 8 oz (~1.59 kg)
• total length: 41 1/2 inches (~1.05 m.)
• Handle length: 35 1/2 inches (~0.90 m.)
• The thickness of the octagonal shaft: 1 3/8 inches (~3.49 cm)
• Length of lateral splints: 9 inches (~22.86 cm)
• Length of anterior / posterior splints: 14 3/4 inches (~37.47 cm)
• Top point length: 4 inches (~10.16 cm)
• Striker length: 6 1/4 inches (~15.88 cm)
• Beak length: 2 9/16 inches (~6.51 cm)
• Hammer length without shaft and tip: 1 15/16 inches (~4.91 cm)
• Hammer width(distance between opposite teeth): 1 7/8 inches (~4.76 cm)
• balance point: 4 1/2 inches (from the bottom of the striker) (~11.43 cm)

The fastest

Simply put, this is a deadly, and, at the same time, elegant weapon.

Since this is a museum piece, I limited myself to trying a few blocking positions and slow attacking movements, but even this was enough to understand how balanced the weapon is.

For lack of a better analogy, I can say that this war hammer just makes you want to put it into action and hit something / someone with it.

I tried the same bill and halberd. Of these three weapons, it was the poleax that proved to be the most comfortable to use, the fastest and the most responsive to movement. Of course, it was also the shortest.

And what, of course, most struck me was the excellent balance between the heaviness of the weapon and the dexterity of its use.

All this made me take a fresh look at this weapon and appreciate its qualities.
Now I understand why poleaxes were so popular in their time.

Stay tuned and you won't miss them!

Article "A Poleaxe from the Higgins Armory Museum" by Alexi Goranov
first published on myarmory.com
Translation into Russian - especially for - was performed by Daria Savelyeva.
The material is supplemented with illustrations.

Before the appearance of regular troops, the outcome of the battle in the defense of the city, or any other village, was decided by militia soldiers, who often entered the battlefield with an adapted combat missions weapons. These were converted scythes and sickles, long knives and bows of hunters.

But most terrible weapon even then it became a war hammer - a weapon of blacksmiths. These artisans usually possessed considerable physical strength and excellent orientation, the climax of the battle was the terrible and accurate blows of war hammers, crumbling the armor and bones of enemies.

The history of the appearance of the war hammer

This weapon appeared simultaneously with the advent of metallurgy, even then the first blacksmiths went into battle with heavy sledgehammers, in terms of mass and lethal force quite comparable to maces. But, unlike other melee weapons, the war hammer was usually aimed at the target with the firm and strong hand of a trained blacksmith.

In addition to physical strength, blacksmiths also possessed excellent orientation in space, high endurance, and, of course, they knew the weaknesses of other weapons very well. For this reason, a warrior with a hammer could well resist a professional combatant or mercenary.

This also affected mythology, it was not for nothing that the strongest of the gods received this particular item as a weapon.

Known, the hammer of Thor - Mjollnir, forged in Etunheim by the dwarves Sindri and Brok, as a result of a dispute with Loki, the god of fun and deceit.

Thanks to his pranks, Mjolnir received a short handle and huge weight, which, however, did not prevent its use for combat purposes. Thor, the owner of the hammer, used it as Mjolnir's blow to cause thunder and lightning.

In fact, a whole mythological system was built around this weapon in Scandinavia, but at the same time, the Vikings themselves rarely used war hammers. This was largely due to the specifics of its application.

However, the war hammer was known not only in Scandinavia, both Greeks and Russians fought with it. Blacksmiths-Saxons went into battle with him and forged the eastern lands.
Over the years, this weapon has evolved.

Assessing its effectiveness as a shock-crushing weapon, gunsmiths began to combine it with chopping and piercing weapons. So its varieties appeared:

• long shaft hammer;
• short hammer;
• combined weapon.

If the first two differed only in the length of the shaft, then a combined weapon, such as a brandestok, for example, could have a striking surface and an ax-shaped process, at the same time, a ballistic spring-loaded tip was hidden in its shaft.

His task was to suddenly lengthen the warhead of the weapon or knock the weapon out of the opponent's hand. Such a weapon was multifunctional, but at the same time difficult to use.

Varieties of long-handled hammers were poleks, this is a hybrid of a hammer and a halberd, which has both a piercing tip and a chopping and shock striker.

At some of the war hammers, the impact surface was extended into a slightly curved beak, the task of which was to break through forged armor and chain mail.

Of interest is the so-called Lucerne hammer, actually a halberd, instead of the chopping part of which there was an elongated beak, and on the butt there was a striking part, in the form of a crown with pointed teeth.

The war hammers of the Middle Ages generally amaze the imagination with the fantasy of blacksmiths in an effort to get the perfect weapon.

Coinage and klevtsy, small light hammers with a crow's beak and a striker on the back of the butt, were considered short-handled weapons.

It was these variants of weapons that were widely used in Russia. A variant of the toast, known as driven, was quite widespread in India. Some variants of this weapon already resemble a mace or morgenstein, due to the beaks and axes located around the circumference.

With the advent of Milanese armor, war hammers gradually disappear from the scene, they finally disappear when they appear. firearms. The war hammer, for all its versatility, was inferior in terms of combat characteristics to chopping and piercing long-armed weapons. Now the war hammer is used only in computer games.

Device and principle of operation

The war hammer is a blunt weapon. AT different time the shape and functional features of its impact part changed. But the device itself remained unchanged:

• shaft - a handle made of hardwood or metal;
• lanyard, leather or fabric loop on the handle, designed to thread a hand into it;
• the heel, the pommel of the handle, could take the form of a stylet, a faceted dagger for finishing off the enemy;
• the shock part, its shape depended on the type of hammer and the blacksmith's imagination.

The shock part of the hammer could be either a purely shock, an ordinary blacksmith's hammer made of metal, or with additional combat devices. Axes-hammers, ax-hammer-beak and other configurations are known.

Quite often, a spike tip was welded onto the top of the impact part. In this case, a warrior armed with a long-pole hammer could stand in the same ranks with halberdiers.

Short-handled hammers - klevtsy, chasers and pounders were used mainly as an additional weapon in individual combat. Their main task is to break through armor or stun the enemy.

Combined weapons appeared much later, as a rule, these war hammers were used in individually for self-defense or in cavalry formation.

But most historians agree that these weapons were intended for travelers and merchants.

Ceremonial samples of these weapons were richly decorated, beaks, and other parts of the warhead were decorated with engraving and gilding. The handle was braided with leather strips or metal wire. The weight of the war hammer reached 2 kg. Short-armed weapon about 1.2-1.5 kg.

Use in combat

In its development, the war hammer has come a rather long and difficult path. From the armament of a militia-blacksmith, to the insignia, for example, the front war hammer of the commander in chief.

During evolution, he himself also changed, poleks and coinage grew out of an ordinary blacksmith's sledgehammer. The handle has been lengthened. Additional striking elements appeared on the striker - pommel, spikes, axes and beaks.

A two-handed war hammer in close formation performed its role perfectly if the attacking side had only light armor or no armor at all. Leather armor, light chain mail could not protect their owners from heavy blows, but plate cavalry soon entered the scene.

The forged rati could only be resisted by a line of spearmen armed with long-armed weapons. The hammer, as a weapon, abruptly lost its position.

He received a second birth, appearing in the form of a polex, a combined striker on a long shaft.

The infantry used a long hammer as a halberd, in this sense, he practically lost his striking role, instead receiving the role of a pike, with a reinforced warhead.

Such short-handled weapons were used everywhere both as a sign of power (in the Italian cavalry of the 15th century) and military weapons (in the noble militia) under Peter the Great in Russia. Indian drove (XVI…XIX centuries) played the role of a weapon of the second hand when cutting with sabers.

But everything changed with the advent of forged armor and subsequently firearms. Bulky and heavy hammers quickly left the scene, giving way to lighter and more effective sabers and axes, as well as armor and then sabers gradually left. Of the armor, only a helmet modified to a helmet remained.

Conclusion

The war hammer is the weapon of its era. Having passed the path from the rati to the regular troops, he finally went into the annals of history.

Despite the fact that the hammer, at times became the leader in combat equipment, in most cases it was an additional weapon of a cavalryman or knight.

In the infantry, hammers also did not take root. This is largely due to the low efficiency of the use of crushing weapons in the century of the development of plate armor, only the simplicity of the design, the possibility of using almost waste metal for its manufacture and ease of use allowed it to stay afloat.

Today, war hammers are found only in fantasy and computer games. In Tolkien, for example, this is one of the main options for arming the dwarves and similar peoples. This largely emphasizes their (dwarfs) technological culture.

Video

Blunt weapons such as warhammers gained popularity with the development of plate armor and form-fitting mail.

Unlike Mjöllnir, the legendary hammer of the mythical Scandinavian god Thor, the real war hammer was cruel and effective weapon. The development of the war hammer began around the middle of the 14th century and was a response to the development of combat protection - the emergence of plate armor. The appearance of chain mail made such weapons as the battle ax and mace relevant. But when armor began to be made from forged steel plates that had a smooth surface against a sword strike, the view of blunt weapons was reconsidered.

New Armor Breaker

Advances in the field of armor led to the improvement of weapons to combat it. The longer shaft allowed it to be held in both hands and provided the weapon with more destructive power and a more powerful blow. A simple metal ball and faceted maces changed to massive iron flanged knobs with projections that became more and more pointed over time. These innovations were designed to deal devastating blows to helmets and armor. But gunsmiths forged surface-hardened steel for armor. The result was excellent. Hardened steel was essentially as hard as a sword or ax blade, which meant that a single blow—perhaps the only chance of hitting a target in the heat of battle—was more likely to do no harm than pierce it. Armor wearers have gained more survivability.

Hammer, as the main tool of manual labor, had ancient origin, but like the ax it quickly became the weapon of the early peasants. A large mallet, war hammer or hammer (sledgehammer) - the latter made of wood or lead - began to be used on the medieval battlefield. The actual war hammer first appeared in the late 14th century, as evidenced by handwritten illustrations and combat stories that time. In the discovered mass graves of those killed at the Battle of Visby, in 1361, many skulls were found with small square holes that could only have been made by early warhammers.

Similarly, at the Battle of Rosebeck, in 1382, Flemish peasants with good helmets were defeated by the superior French royal force and paid a heavy price. As the great French chronicler Jean Froissart noted: “So loud was the clanging of swords, axes, maces and iron hammers on those Flemish helmets that nothing could be heard but the noise.”

By the early 15th century, the iron head of the hammer was two inches square and attached to a shaft 25 inches long, much like a battle ax or mace. It was primarily a rider's secondary weapon, with a leather thong tied to the base of the shaft so that it could be carried in the saddle (a war hammer had a better chance of hitting full force with sweeping movement from top to bottom). Its reduced surface area is made for a more concentrated hit. The hammer couldn't pierce best armor or helmets, but could make a dent in them, which allowed the armored man to be temporarily stunned by causing the inside of the helmet to vibrate on impact. This was usually followed by several more quick strikes, but a strong first hit was often enough to inflict a stun.

Progress in Warhammer Design

The appearance of piercing elements was a logical continuation of the development of the hammer design. Most war hammers of the late 14th century had an extension at the opposite end of the head in the form of a short thick blade or spike - the so-called. beak. By the early 15th century, the beak, about 6 inches long, had elongated and curved downward. This element also started to appear in the back battle ax, allowing a second strike to penetrate, quickly turn to more vulnerable parts of the armor, such as the neck or armpits, or even strike a lightly armored breastplate. A strong blow concentrated on a small surface can pierce armor. The beak can also be used as a hook to grab armor, reins, or a shield.

Around 1450, the hammer received a short vertical spike that could be rotated to weak points in the armor. Like the battle axe, the shaft of the hammer was often reinforced with riveted metal pieces to prevent an opponent from cutting the weapon in half with a sword. Soon, all-metal handles became the standard for knightly axes, maces, and hammers.

The war hammer was originally a knightly weapon used against other mounted knights. But for the infantryman, already wielding a variety of long polearms, the lighter warhammer was increasingly the weapon of choice against mounted warriors. The design of the hammer continued to evolve - an elongated handle for an even more effective blow to the helmet, the addition of a top spike gave the hammer spear-like functions: grasping armor, reins, a shield, or for delivering a blow capable of penetrating even heavy armor. Against mounted opponents, the weapon could be aimed at toppling the armored enemy to the ground, where he could be more easily defeated.

Lucerne Hammer and Crow's Beak (Bec de Corbin)

Differences one and two-handed hammers led to a different development of combat units. The Lucerne hammer originated in Switzerland, whose army proved its prowess with the halberd at the Battle of Sempach in 1386 against Austrian imperial troops. The warhead was a long and thin pike at its base, divided into three or four toothed heads. All this was set on top of a seven-foot iron-clad pole. The hammer provided several smaller impact points with more impact. The elongated shape made it very effective in defeating riders.

Another variety was bec de corbin, the old French "crow's beak". Unlike the alfalfa hammer, the bec de corbin was used mainly for attacking with its beak (thorn). The hammer was usually blunt instead of a multi-toothed "alfalfa". The beak was generally thicker, longer, and better adapted to break armor, while the point was shorter so as not to interfere with the purposes of the beak.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has a helmet believed to have belonged to Joan of Arc, with a deep dent - almost a hole through - on the left cheek, "work" bec de corbin.

Bec de corbin has become a household name for other types of warhammers, similar to bec de faucon, or "Falcon's beak". Another variety was called the "horseman's pick" - a type of cavalry warhammer with a long, downwardly curved beak, similar to a miner's pick, but thinner. It was used as a means of penetrating thick armor or mail, but was relatively heavy, making it unwieldy and easily avoided. An interesting weapon that developed in parallel with the bec de corbin was the Persian and Indian warhammer, which was distinguished by a complex thick and sharp beak.

AT Western Europe the hammer continued to be a comparatively popular secondary weapon in the 16th century, mainly for cavalry. During the same time period, the pike became the main polearm, while various forms war hammer - including more large varieties polexa - were brought down for use by special guards. The growing use of accurate and potentially armor-piercing ranged weapons since the late 15th and 16th centuries sealed the fate of armour.

By the beginning of the 17th century, in the choice between the speed and maneuverability of cavalry and heavy frontal armor, the first option was preferred. An important reason the lack of armor was that the probability of being hit by musket fire was low - even for the first rank of attacking cavalry. The vast majority of standard gunpowder weapons were smoothbore, which greatly reduced accuracy. The war hammer, by then long out of use for its original purpose, began to come back into fashion as a blunt weapon, used against armor, which had a tendency to lighten in Western Europe.

Polish Hussar Hammer

The situation with the war hammer in Eastern Europe was quite different. There, lighter armor was the norm, and the hammer became a popular secondary weapon for the light cavalry known as hussars.

By the end of the 16th century, the hussars had become the new, more flexible heavy cavalry, using their signature 18-foot light lance as their main strike weapon. The total weight of the hussar armor did not exceed 30 pounds.

The early Polish hussar hammer thrown from the saddle was of German and Italian design, with a long shaft. Two varieties have been named in Turkish. The coin was a combination of a hammer on one side and an ax on the other. The najac, perhaps the most popular warhammer, had hexagonal heads balanced at the other end by a long, slightly downturned beak.

Polish "butt" eventually became popular as a cane. Polish nobles carried war hammers like civilian swords and apparently used them as such, for defense or in duels. As a consequence, private military hammers were banned as too dangerous in 1578, 1601 and 1620. Although heavy fines were levied for wearing them, except in the military, their use for the protection of civilians continued into the 18th century.

The war hammer is a melee polearm of a shock-crushing type, similar in its action to a club and a mace. It has been known to man since ancient times, it is believed that the war hammer, along with a spear, an ax and a club, our distant ancestors began to use in the late Stone Age. But the “golden age” of this weapon, no doubt, was the late Middle Ages, a period when warriors clad in iron from head to toe fought on the battlefield. The hammer was able to crush even the most powerful armor.

It was during this period that he became integral part complex long-armed weapons such as the poleaxe or battle axe. Although, the war hammer was also used as a separate independent weapon.

AT last years thanks to computer toys and fantasy books, the war hammer has become more recognizable. But such fame played a cruel joke with him. Weapons usually portrayed by writers or animators have very little to do with real war hammers. Usually it is something huge, rectangular and very massive, very reminiscent of an ordinary blacksmith's hammer or sledgehammer, decorated with intricate patterns. Of course, a sledgehammer can also be used in combat, there is a lot of historical evidence for this, but a real war hammer had a completely different shape and weight. And their appearance it looked more like a pickaxe or an ice pick.

The hammer is very widely represented in the mythology of various peoples. Man has always associated it with onslaught and brute force, capable of crushing everything in its path. The most famous war hammer is without a doubt Mjolnir, the stone weapon of the Scandinavian god Thor. He used his hammer both for creation and as destructive weapon. Mjollnir could be thrown, and not only did it always hit the target, but it also returned to its owner. The Japanese revered the hammer as a symbol of prosperity and wealth; it was a constant companion of Hephaestus, the ancient Greek deity of blacksmithing and metallurgy. With the help of this hammer, Hephaestus forged armor, a sword and a shield for Achilles, with which legendary hero did not know defeat.

At the same time, among some peoples, the hammer was a symbol of the natural elements, powerful, unpredictable and indomitable. The symbolism of the hammer is characterized by a peculiar dualism associated with its two functions: peaceful and military. On coats of arms and emblems, it is the “civilian” form of the hammer that is usually used. The hammer, as a tool, has long been a symbol of hard work, industrial production, handicraft. On the coat of arms and flag Soviet Union the hammer symbolized the working class.

The war hammer was popular not only in Europe; similar weapons were also used in other regions of the world: in India, China, Persia, and the Middle East.

Already after the loss of its combat value, the war hammer long time used as a status weapon. In Italy, Poland and Germany, hammers were attributes of high military authorities. They were also popular among the robber and Cossack atamans.

Description and classification

The war hammer consists of a shaft and a warhead, which, as a rule, was made of metal. The term "war hammer" (warhammer) itself is more typical for Western European (English-language) literature; in Eastern Europe, such weapons were usually called klevtsy and coinage. However, the latter name is often used to designate small axes with an elongated beak-shaped butt, therefore, in order to avoid confusion, this name is best avoided. In general, it can be said that a wide variety of war hammers that existed in different historical periods, as well as the practice of using them as one of the elements of complex composite weapons, led to significant confusion in terminology.

The warhead of the hammers was a cylinder or parallelepiped with one pointed end. In shape, it resembled a beak and could have different lengths. The other end resembled a hammer in shape, its working surface could be smooth or have several teeth. There were different ways fastening the warhead on the shaft: with the help of a rope, a stopper, etc. With the flat part, it was possible to stun the adversary, break his bones, knock him out of the saddle. However, the main striking element of the hammer, of course, was the beak. With it, it was possible to break through almost any armor, because all the force of the blow fell on one point.

The shaft of a war hammer was usually made of wood, but metal handles are also known. Often, a wooden shaft was bound with metal. The length of the shaft varied widely, depending on historical period, country, as well as the features of the use of specific weapons.

There is a very common misconception about the war hammer, as something heavy and very massive. This is not true. One-handed samples of these weapons usually weighed 1-2 kg. Hammers had many advantages over other types of edged weapons, however, they also had very serious drawbacks.

The development of protective equipment has led to a significant decrease in the effectiveness of edged weapons. The sword was not too effective against chain mail armor, and with the advent of armor, it generally began to turn into an attribute of status. The center of gravity of the war hammer was much higher than that of the sword, and, in addition, all the power of the blow was concentrated in one small point. Therefore, in order to break through heavy armor with a war hammer, it was not necessary to have some kind of extreme physical strength. In terms of its penetrating features, it was superior to the mace, because the weight of the hammer is better balanced.

This weapon also has one more advantage: the war hammer did not get stuck in the armor or shield of the enemy. And this problem was very serious: after a not too successful strike, one could simply remain simply unarmed. In a wooden shield, almost any blade weapon, but not a hammer or a mace. They do not so much break through as they break through the barrier, leaving a rather wide hole in it. With the necessary skill and sufficient physical strength, it was generally possible to split the enemy’s shield with a hammer.

The hammer had another important advantage over the sword: it was much cheaper. At the medieval level of development of metallurgy, it was necessary to make a long and durable blade whole history. There was not enough steel, and it was of poor quality. A strong blow could well damage the blade and render the weapon unusable. And not always such defects could be corrected with a grindstone. Breaking the war hammer is unrealistic in principle, the damage that it could receive when used did not affect combat effectiveness this weapon. In addition, for the manufacture of the warhead of the hammer, it was possible to take not the highest quality steel.

However, the hammers also had shortcomings that prevented the wide distribution of these weapons.

For example, it is very difficult to repel enemy blows with a hammer: a warrior without a shield, armed with a hammer, had little chance of survival. In addition, this weapon was inconvenient in close formation.

Hammers can be divided into several main groups:

• Short hammer. This is a one-handed weapon that appeared in Europe around the 10th century. The short hammer was used by both foot soldiers and horsemen. He was very effective in close combat. From about the 13th century, the short hammer became the favorite weapon of the cavalry. It was often called knightly or cavalry. The short hammer had a length of 60-80 cm, its warhead weighed about half a kilogram. The flat impact surface, opposite the beak, could have a monogram or some kind of figure. Upon impact, they imprinted on the body of the enemy. Short hammers were well known in Russia, they were called "klevtsy" or "chasings". Zaporozhye Cossacks (kelep, kelef) and the famous Polish "flying" hussars loved such weapons. The hammer was often supplemented with a hatchet;
• Long or long shafted hammer. Such hammers had a shaft of considerable length, from 1.2 to 2 meters. This weapon became extremely popular in the late Middle Ages, from around the middle of the 14th century. Outwardly, the long hammer strongly resembled a halberd, but unlike the latter, its warhead was usually type-setting, and not solid forged. In addition to the hammer itself, it could include a variety of elements: a pike, an ax, hooks. Such weapons received separate names - poleks, alfalfa hammer. The lower end of the shaft could carry a pointed metal tip, which could also be used in combat. Some types of poleaxes had a protective guard on the shaft - a rondel. The long-pole hammer was an exclusively infantry weapon, which could be used very effectively against cavalry in close formation;
• Throwing hammer. There were also throwing hammers, in their form they looked like modern sports equipment.

Story

Man began to make hammers in the Stone Age, and in this era they were mainly used as weapons. Although the hammer is very good for its versatility, it can also “sip” a bear on the back of the head and do something around the house. It is clear that at that time the warhead was made of stone. The hammer could be the butt of a battle axe.

After the beginning of human use of metals, the tops of hammers began to be made first from bronze, and then from iron. Hammers were not very popular in antiquity, although they were widely used as a blacksmith's tool. The Assyrians have references to war hammers; the Scythians used such weapons.

The hammer was the oldest and favorite weapon of the Germanic tribes. The Teutons did not just use the hammer in battle or for domestic purposes, they endowed it with sacred properties. Later, they adopted other types of weapons from neighboring peoples, but they never abandoned the hammer. Until the 11th century, hammers were distributed mainly in the territory modern Germany, but with the improvement of protective equipment, this weapon began its victorious expansion across the European continent.

Since the 13th century, hammers have increasingly become the standard weapon of foot soldiers. And this is not surprising. Previously, a foot warrior was armed with a spear, sword and bow, but such weapons were insufficient against a heavily armed enemy. And the war hammer had excellent "armor-piercing" characteristics. In addition, the hammer could be turned into a universal weapon by adding an ax or a pike to it.

Moreover, the knights, who previously considered hammers to be the weapons of the mob, turned their attention to this weapon. And already in the XIV century, a short one-handed hammer became a typical weapon of knightly cavalry. And so popular that the hammer soon became a real symbol of the military elite - over time, like a mace, it became an attribute of a military leader.

It cannot be said that only cavalrymen used hammers. In the XIV century, this weapon is becoming more and more popular among the infantry. And not only. In 1381, the rebellious inhabitants of Paris used lead-headed hammers very effectively, very reminiscent of ordinary sledgehammers with long handles. The infantry hammer developed along the path of increasing the length of the shaft and complicating the warhead of the weapon. Very soon, a point at the end, hooks, and an ax were added to its design. Already in the XV century, the war hammer was very much like a halberd. Around this time, the polex appeared - a hybrid of an ax, a spear and a hammer. This weapon was very popular, it was used not only on the battlefield, but even in tournaments. The so-called Lucerne hammer, which had a length of up to two meters, a peak at the end and a double-sided hammer, belongs to the same period. One of its sides - the beak - could have a considerable length, and the second was made in the form of a notched hammer.

The widespread use of firearms led to the almost universal abandonment of heavy armor. Together with them, war hammers also became a thing of the past. Already in the 17th century, this weapon practically lost its combat value and turned into an attribute that emphasizes the status of its owner.

What the adventurers are armed with, we are already in in general terms discussed. Now let's see if this makes sense. It makes no sense to list all possible fantasy weapons, it's too long, and most of the names with pictures are taken from real prototypes. Therefore, we will go through only traditional problems for the genre.

war hammer

The fact that real war hammers have nothing to do with fantasy sledgehammers has already been said. But this is very important point. Let's first think about the tasks and possibilities of a fantasy sledgehammer. The task, it would seem, is obvious: to transfer great amount kinetic energy. The fantasy sledgehammer should stop the opponent with one powerful blow, knocking them to the ground, despite protective equipment and attempts to block - only dodging can help against this monstrous weapon.

Excellent. Now a little bit of physics. The density of the steel is known, it is approximately 7.8 g/cm 3 . It is clear that no one will make a fantasy sledgehammer from light materials, the whole point is lost. Let's decide on the dimensions of the warhead. If you take some paladin hammer from Warcraft as a source, then it gets really bad. Therefore, let's try to control ourselves and consider that the warhead really corresponds in size to an ordinary standard brick - this is not too defiant. That is, 250x120x65 mm. The mass of a steel brick of such dimensions slightly exceeds 15 kg.

And now, mentally or actually, try to hang a 15-kilogram pancake on the barbell bar, grab the opposite end of this barbell and try what it feels like. Hint: real two-handed sword, which is also not so easy to handle, rarely weighs more than 4 kg. At the same time, the balance two-handed sword provides much more control. Just lift 15 kg - nothing complicated. But 15 kg at the far end of the neck, taking into account the leverage rule, will turn into something completely unbearable.

That is ordinary person, even a very strong one, cannot cope with a fantasy sledgehammer. Being able to raise and lower it to mimic a strike is not that difficult, but it is completely unrealistic to provide sufficient strike frequency in combat. However, maybe such a weapon is suitable for some mythical creatures with great power? Well - you can invent everything, but why mythical creature such a healthy fool? If the creature has enough power to use a fantasy sledgehammer, then give it a regular two-handed sword, which it will twist like a weightless cane, creating a whirlwind of all-destroying slashing blows - this is much more impressive and reasonable.

What is a war hammer, really? This is a specialized weapon for breaking through heavy armor. It does not weigh very much, like an average sword - from 1 to 1.5 kg. The balance, of course, is different, the mass is concentrated in the warhead area, although not as extreme as in the case of a fantasy sledgehammer. The warhead itself has little to do with a fantasy sledgehammer. On the one hand, usually perceived as the back, the material is generally reduced in a cone to a point - this is a pick, a punch, a combat pick, and so on. The optimal shape in order to make a hole of sufficient depth in the armor. An accurate blow with such a knack is able to pierce any helmet.

On the other side, the front, there is a shorter and somewhat wider hammer. They are not pierced, but they are crushed and stunned - surprisingly, but such a modest piece of metal on a not particularly long shaft is enough to have that same terrible stopping effect. You can try to take an ordinary household hammer and put it on a meter shaft, and then hit it somewhere - just be careful, the shaft may break. So, you will immediately feel the effect, even if the target is a piece of concrete.

Often, though not always, the front of the war hammer ends not with a flat surface, like a household hammer, but with several pyramids, like a meat hammer. The meaning is the concentration of the impact force on a small surface, that is, an increase in pressure on the target. Such a hammer, like a pick, can pierce armor, but it will not get stuck in the hole made, although it will not penetrate so deep. Judging by the popularity - a fairly convenient compromise.