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A voulge (also spelled vouge, [1] sometimes called a couteau de breche) is a type of polearm that existed in medieval Europe, primarily in 15th century France. [ 2 ] Description
A medieval bill with a spike and a hook. A bill is a class of agricultural implement used for trimming tree limbs, which was often repurposed for use as an infantry polearm. In English, the term 'Italian bill' is applied to the similar roncone or roncola, but the Italian version tended to have a long thrusting spike in addition to the cutting ...
A halberd (or Swiss voulge) is a two-handed polearm that came to prominent use during the 14th and 15th centuries but has continued in use as a ceremonial weapon to the present day. [30] First recorded as "hellembart" in 1279, the word halberd possibly comes from the German words Halm (staff) or Helm (helmet), and Barte (axe). The halberd ...
The halberd was usually 1.5 to 1.8 metres (4.9 to 5.9 ft) long. [3] The word halberd is cognate with the German word Hellebarde, deriving from Middle High German halm (handle) and barte (battleaxe) joined to form helmbarte. Troops that used the weapon were called halberdiers. The word has also been used to describe a weapon of the early Bronze ...
In profile, the head of a partisan may look similar to other types of polearm, such as the halberd, pike, ranseur, spontoon, ox tongue, or spetum. The arrival of practical firearms and bayonet led to the obsolescence of the partisan and of other polearms. Despite this, partisans continued in use for many years as a ceremonial weapon. Ceremonial ...
Ultimately a descendant of the medieval sparth axe or Dane axe, the bardiche proper appears around 1400, but there are numerous medieval manuscripts that depict very similar weapons beginning c. 1250. The bardiche differs from the halberd in having neither a hook at the back nor a spear point at the top. [1]
The halberd is still the ceremonial weapon of the Swiss Guard in the Vatican. [1] The Swiss armies of the late 14th and 15th centuries, used a variety of different polearms other than halberds and pikes, such as the Lucerne hammer. By the 15th century, the carrying of side arms (baselard, dagger, and degen) had become ubiquitous.
Spontoon. A spontoon, sometimes known by the variant spelling espontoon [1] or as a half-pike, is a type of European polearm that came into being alongside the pike.The spontoon was in common use from the mid-17th century to the early 19th century, but it was used to a much lesser extent as a military weapon and ceremonial implement until the late 19th century.