Danish ax
| Danish ax | |
|---|---|
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| Information | |
| Weapon type: | Ax, battle ax |
| Designations: | Danish ax, Viking ax |
| Use: | weapon |
| Region of origin / author: |
Denmark , Viking warriors |
| Distribution: | Scandinavia , England |
| Overall length: | about 120 cm to about 180 cm |
| Blade length: | about up to 55 cm |
| Weight: | 1-2 kilograms |
| Handle: | Wood (ash or oak) |
| Lists on the subject | |
A Danish ax (also Viking ax , Scandinavian ax , broad ax ) is an early medieval battle ax with a long handle that can be wielded with one or two hands.
description
The Danish ax has a single-edged, curved blade (blade). The ax blade is shaped in such a way that it can act as a shield hook, with which one can hold on to the opponent's shield or tear it away. The cutting edge is elongated on the forward-facing side of the leaf. This extension ensures penetration of the target with a throw. The blade is attached to the shaft with one eye. The Danish ax was originally introduced by the Danish Vikings , but quickly spread across Scandinavia , England and Russia . The Danish ax belongs to the type of broad ax or normal battle ax. There are different versions that differ in length, blade shape and design.
literature
- Wendelin Boeheim: Handbook of Arms , Nachdr. D. Ed. Leipzig 1890, Fourier Verlag, Wiesbaden 1985, ISBN 978-3-201-00257-8
- George Cameron Stone, Donald J. LaRocca: A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration and Use of Arms and Armor: in All Countries and in All Times , Courier Dover Publications, 1999, pp. 79, 80, ISBN 978-0-486 -40726-5
Web links
- Danish ax at My Armory
- History and use of Viking axes at hurstwic.org
- Gerhard Seifert, Lexicon of Weapon Terms. Scan version, fully visible. (PDF file; 2.10 MB)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Martina Sprague, Norse warfare: the unconventional battle strategies of the ancient Vikings , Verlag Hippocrene Books, 2007, ISBN 978-0-7818-1176-7