The war hammer is a powerful argument. German war hammer from the Higgins Museum Small decorative and fighting hammers

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

Unlike Mjolnir, the legendary hammer of the mythical Scandinavian god Thor, the real war hammer was a brutal and effective weapon. Development war hammer began around the middle of the 14th century and became 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 histories of the 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 strength with sweeping movement from top to bottom). Its reduced surface area is made for a more concentrated hit. The hammer could not pierce the best armor or helmets, but it could dent them, allowing the armored man to be temporarily stunned by causing the inside of the helmet to vibrate on impact. This was usually followed by a few more quick hits, 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 began to appear at the back of the battleaxe, allowing for 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 turned to weak points 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 in 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.

IN 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 warhammers - including the larger varieties of the poleaxe - were relegated 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 for the abandonment 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 war hammer situation in Eastern Europe was completely 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.

It is a stabbing weapon with a dagger-like blade that is mounted on the handle at a right angle, which allows you to strike with greater efficiency. A similar weapon - a war hammer - was in use in Europe, Persia and India due to the widespread use of armor and chain mail. The hammer had a small butt, which could stun the helmeted opponent, and a curved beak. In Rus', this weapon was called klevets.
1. Wooden beak (and in fact - a mace with a point) from New Caledonia.
2. "Crow's beak" of the Australian aborigines. The stone blade is attached to a wooden handle with resin.

3. Toki, New Zealand Maori battle adze. The jade blade is attached to a carved hilt with a cord.
4. "Raven's Beak" bronze age, nicknamed by archaeologists "halberd". Found in Skane, Sweden. In a similar way, an ordinary dagger blade was often mounted on a bronze handle. It is believed that some examples of such weapons had a purely ritual significance.
5. Driven, Indian "crow's beak". Made of steel, the handle is silver plated.

6. Steel combat "crow's beak" from the Afghan-Pakistani frontier, decorated with brass and silver.
7. Kama yari, Japanese "crow's beak". If a core is attached to the handle with a chain, the weapon becomes protective and is called kusarigama.
"Crow's beak" from India (right). Collectors call such specimens "crown beak". Fine examples of these weapons come from India and Persia, where they were used to pierce chain mail.

war hammer

1 . A typical simple rider's warhammer. Wrought iron shaft, copper wire wrapped around the handle.
2. This hammer has a wooden shaft, the upper half of which is bound with iron. Bavaria. 1450-1500
3. Steel hammer with gold notch, handle covered with velvet. India or Persia.
4. Hammer with a square striker and an octagonal beak, a wooden handle. Presumably Italy. 16th century
5. Hammer with a faceted beak and an obtuse striker, an oak handle. Presumably France. Around 1450
6. Hammer with a wooden handle protected by long plates. Italy. Around 1490
South German warhammer (right), decorated with hunting scenes using the gold and silver aiming technique. Second half of the 16th century (Victoria and Albert Museum, London).

The war hammer is one of the most ancient types of edged weapons, which was used mainly for combat at close range. It was first made in the Neolithic era. The hammer is a dual-use weapon used in both blacksmithing and warfare. In the second case, he is able to inflict terrible deforming and breaking blows on the enemy.

General information

As mentioned earlier, the hammer appeared in the Neolithic. Initially, it had a pommel made of stone. Quite often, he served as a butt in a ceremonial stone or battle ax. Over time, this crushing weapon was improved, and in the Middle Ages they already used ordinary blacksmith iron hammers mounted on a long handle. They were somewhat reminiscent of a mace, with which not only deafening, but also deforming blows were applied.

The most famous representative of this weapon is Mjollnir - the mythical hammer of the storm and thunder god Thor. It has become a truly religious symbol, heraldic emblem and amulet for all Scandinavians. However, until the XI century. such weapons were used mainly by the Germans alone.

Spreading

The war hammer was most widely used by horsemen, starting from the 13th century. Its rapid spread was facilitated by the appearance of reliable knightly armor and armor. Swords, maces, axes and any other weapons used in those days for close combat could no longer cope against them. All of them proved to be ineffective. That is why new variants of the same war hammer began to appear. Its varieties include any polearm with a knob, which on the one hand looks like a hammer, and on the other can look like a straight or slightly curved blade, beak, faceted spike, etc.

The very name "hammer" suggests the presence of at least one of the above elements of the combat head. The weapon retains this name even when the actual hammer is not on it. The most common was the hammer, which had an upward point and, in addition to it, short spikes, which were often located directly on the shock part of the butt or to the side of it. The beaks could pierce the plate on the armor or break the chain mail. The hammer was used to stun the enemy or deform his armor.

Lucernhammer

This is a kind of edged weapons that appeared in Switzerland around the end of the 15th century. It was in service with the foot soldiers of many European countries up to the end of the 17th century. This medieval weapon was a chained shaft up to 2 m long, at one end of which was warhead in the form of a pointed peak, and at its base is a hammer. Usually it was made bilateral. The shock toothed part of the hammer served to stun the enemy, and the hook part resembled a sharp beak. Considering its purpose, we can say that it belonged to a pole weapon with a shock-crushing action.

It is believed that the reason for the emergence of the Lucerne hammer was the hostilities that took place between the Swiss infantry and the German cavalry. The fact is that the riders had fairly high-quality armor, against which traditional halberds were powerless, since they were not able to break through the rider's iron shell. It was then that the need arose for a new weapon that could relatively easily penetrate enemy armor. As for the pike, it helped the infantrymen to effectively repel the enemy cavalry attacks. The Lucerne hammer turned out to be so good that over time it managed to completely displace the halberds.

short polearm

Similar hammers, in which the handle did not exceed 80 cm in length, appeared in Europe in the 10th century. They were used exclusively in hand-to-hand combat and were often armed with riders. But everywhere such weapons began to be used in cavalry only after 5 centuries. The short shafts of both Eastern and European hammers were very often made of iron and supplied with a special handle for gripping with one or two hands.

A war hammer on the opposite side of the beak could have a fairly diverse impact surface, for example, spiked, conical, smooth, pyramidal, crowned with a monogram or some kind of figure. The last two were used to imprint on the armor or body of the enemy.

Long shaft hammers

In the XIV century. this weapon has gained the greatest popularity. It had a long handle up to 2 m and appearance looked like a halberd. The only difference was that the warhead of the hammers was not solid forged, but assembled from several separate elements. In addition, they almost always had a pike or spear at the end. It is worth noting the fact that this medieval weapon did not always have a beak on the back of the hammer. Instead, an ax was sometimes attached, which could be both small and quite impressive in size. Such an unusual weapon was called a polax.

The impact part of the hammer in long-pole weapons was varied: smooth, with small teeth, had one or more short or long spikes, and even defiant inscriptions. There were also such variants of weapons, where the combat head consisted only of hammers, trident beaks or blades, and ended with an unchanged pike on top. Weapons with a long shaft were used mainly by foot soldiers to fight against enemy cavalry. Sometimes knights also found use for them when they dismounted.

Its first examples appeared in the 16th century. and differed in great diversity, but all of them were united by a common feature - they necessarily contained certain elements inherent in war hammers. The simplest of them were with handles, inside of which a sword was placed. Such blades often had some additions in the form of pads - special stands for firearms or crossbows.

Weapons such as brandestocks were much more complicated. In addition to the hammer with hatchets and picks, they were also equipped with long blades up to one and a half meters in length. They could be advanced either automatically or fired from the top of the handle. There were also crickets, which were a combination of hammers with pistols or guns.

Eastern counterparts

Klevtsy with short shafts were used not only in European armies, but also in the East. For example, in India, a similar war hammer was called the fakir's staff or drove it, in Afghanistan and Pakistan - lohar, in Persia - tabar. This weapon was very similar to the European one, because it had the same division of the hammer into four spikes. Like the Lucernehammer.

I must say that the klevtsy held out in the East much longer than in Europe, since they were in great demand, both among the military and among the civilian population. They were especially popular in the Indo-Persian region and even had the same name - "crow's beak". They also made combined weapons in India. There were also analogues in China and Japan.

Butt

After the loss of the combat use of klevets, special laws began to be issued in Poland prohibiting the civilian population from wearing them even in the form of canes and staves. Instead of them, another version of the hammer appeared - a butt or butt. He could easily be recognized by the iron, silver or brass knobs and by the beaks, strongly bent towards the shaft, often wrapped in a ring. There were also such specimens in which only a sharp tip was bent or they had an unusually shaped bend. In addition, the opposite end of the handle, up to 1 m long, was also bound in butts. It was mainly worn by the Polish gentry.

As you know, the butt was originally intended for self-defense, but over time it became clear that this weapon was more terrible than the slander. If earlier, during a fight with the enemy, a saber could cut the face, head or arm, and the spilled blood somehow calmed the excited warriors. Now, when a person was hit with a butt, blood was not visible. Therefore, the attacker could not immediately come to his senses and over and over again hit harder and harder, while inflicting fatal injuries on his victim. I must say that the Polish gentry, who wore this weapon, did not feel too sorry for their subjects, and often punished them with beatings, and sometimes killed them.

Surrender of positions

Over time, the hammer (a weapon of the Middle Ages) lost its former popularity, and they began to use it only as an attribute of various military ranks. So it was in Italy, Germany and other European countries. Their example was followed by robber and Cossack atamans. Quite often, screw-in dagger blades were placed in the handles of these weapons.

A war hammer is a weapon of the late Middle Ages, resembling a hammer in design and used for close combat. Its appearance is similar to an ice pick.

Design

The war hammer consists of a handle and a tip. The length of the handle varies, the longest instance of the weapon is equivalent to a halberd, the shortest is a mace. Long warhammers were used against cavalry, while short ones were used in close combat and during mounted attacks.

Later designs of war hammers suggested the presence of a spike on reverse side tip, making it a more versatile weapon.

The appearance of war hammers is a consequence of the widespread use of steel armor with surface hardening in the period of the 14th-15th centuries. The hardness of the surface of the armor reached the hardness of the blades, as a result of which the blade could rebound upon impact. As a result, blows inflicted by a sword or a battle ax passed in passing, losing their power, while a war hammer made it possible to inflict maximum damage on the enemy without even breaking through the armor.

War hammers, especially those mounted on a long shaft, could inflict serious injury without even penetrating armor. In particular, the impact was transmitted even through the thickest helmet, causing a concussion. The blade or spike was usually used for strikes aimed at other parts of the body where the armor was thinner. The spike could be used to hook armor, shield, enemy reins, as well as to break through heavy armor. In the battle against the cavalry, hammer blows were carried out on the legs of the horse, later finishing off the enemy thrown to the ground in close combat.

Maul (sledgehammer)

A maul is a long-handled hammer with a heavy tip made of steel, lead, or iron. In appearance and functionality, the weapon is similar to a modern sledgehammer, sometimes depicted with a spear-shaped spike at the end of the handle. The use of the maul as a weapon dates back to the end of the 14th century. In 1382, the rebellious Parisians stole 3,000 sledgehammers (French: maillet) from the city's arsenal, for which they received and received the nickname Maillotins. In the same year, according to Froissart documents, French soldiers used mauls at the Battle of Rosebec, which suggests that the hammer was not only a weapon of the lower classes of society.

Separately, it is worth noting the use of mauls by archers in the 15th-16th centuries. In documents from the Battle of Agincourt, the English archer is usually described as having a lead sledgehammer, initially as a barrage tool, later as an improvised weapon. There are other sources (for example, Charles the Bold's 1472 Ordinance) describing the use of this type of weapon, they say that the pier was used by Tudor archers until 1562.

What the adventurers are armed with, we have already discussed in general terms. 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 a huge amount of 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.

Great. 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. I will hint: a 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, an 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 does a mythical creature need 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.