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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 ...
A late-14th/early-15th-century Halberd from Fribourg. The word helmbarte or variations thereof show up in German texts from the 13th century onwards. At that point, the halberd is not too distinct from other types of broad axes or bardiches used all over Europe. In the late 13th century the weapon starts to develop into a distinct weapon, with ...
The halberd was a traditional weapon by the Swiss, consisting of an axe-blade topped with a spike, with a hook or pick on the back, on top of a long pole. [56] This weapon was mostly used by foot soldiers against cavalry. Halberds became obsolete when improved pikes started to be produced in huge numbers.
A smaller head concentrates the kinetic energy of the blow on a smaller area, enabling the impact to defeat armour, while broader halberd heads are better against opponents with less mail or plate armour. Furthermore, many halberds had their heads forged as a single piece, while the poleaxe was typically modular in design. [6]
The word is related to the Old Norse geirr, meaning spear. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] It is usually translated in English as " halberd ", but most likely more closely resembled a bill or glaive during the Viking age. [ 3 ]
Many variations of this design flourished over time; some [who?] feel that the ranseur is a variation of the spetum. According to antiquarian John Hewitt, the spetum is a variation of the partisan. [1] The spetum is usually distinguished from the ranseur and partisan by its "prongs" being single edged and used for slashing. The main blade is 12 ...
The American flag is one of the world's most recognizable symbols, but it didn't always look the way it does today. Before we had the current American flag, there were many versions, featuring ...
The naginata (なぎなた, 薙刀) is a polearm and one of several varieties of traditionally made Japanese blades (). [1] [2] Naginata were originally used by the samurai class of feudal Japan, as well as by ashigaru (foot soldiers) and sōhei (warrior monks). [3]