View source for Poleaxe

{{short description|Medieval European polearm}}
{{hatnote|Several variant spellings redirect here. See also [[List of Gladiators UK events#Pole-Axe]]}}
{{more citations needed|date=March 2014}}
[[File:Pollaxe MET 14.25.340 001jan2015.jpg|thumb|15th-century [[Republic of Venice|Venetian]] poleaxe at the [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]]]]
The '''poleaxe''' (also '''pollaxe''', '''pole-axe''', '''pole axe''', '''poleax''', '''polax''') is a [[Europe]]an [[polearm]] that was  used by [[Medieval warfare|medieval]] [[infantry]].
== Etymology ==
Most etymological authorities consider the ''poll''- prefix historically unrelated to "pole", instead meaning "head".<ref>The [[Oxford English Dictionary]] gives the following etymology, s.v. '''Poleaxe''':
:[ME. ''pollax'', ''polax'', Sc. ''powax'' = MDu. ''polaex'', ''pollaex'', MLG. and LG. ''polexe'', ''pollexe'' (whence MSw. 15th c. ''polyxe'', ''pulyxe'', MDa. ''polöxe''), f. ''pol'', [[head|POLL]] n.1, Sc. ''pow'', MDu., MLG. ''polle'', ''pol'' head + [[axe|AXE]]: cf. MDu. ''polhamer'' = poll-hammer, also a weapon of war. It does not appear whether the combination denoted an axe with a special kind of head, or one for cutting off or splitting the head of an enemy.They were especially used for fighting Mounted infantry. In the 16th c. the word began to be written by some ''pole-axe'' (which after 1625 became the usual spelling), as if an axe upon a ''pole'' or long handle. This may have been connected with the rise of sense 2. Similarly, mod.Sw. ''pålyxa'' and Westphalian dial. ''pålexe'' have their first element = pole. Sense 3 may be a substitute for the earlier ''bole-axe'', which was applied to a butcher's axe.]</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=The Wars of the Roses |author1=Wise, Terence |author2=Embleton, G.A. |isbn=0-85045-520-0 |pages=33 |publisher=Osprey |year=1983 |series=Men at Arms |volume=145}}</ref> However, some etymologists, including [[Eric Partridge]], believe that the word is derived from "pole".<ref>For instance, Partridge gives the following etymology:
:L ''Palus'', stake becomes OE ''pal'', whence ME ''pol'', ''pole'', E ''Pole'', the ME cpd ''pollax'', ''polax'' becomes ''poleaxe'', AE ''poleaxe'': cf AX (E)</ref>
== Types of poleaxe ==
[[File:Godfrey of Bouillon, holding a pollaxe. (Manta Castle, Cuneo, Italy).jpg|thumb|[[Godfrey of Bouillon]] holds a short [[Lucerne hammer]]. Anachronistic fresco dated 1420.]]
[[File:Alytus County COA.png|thumb|Warrior holding a poleaxe in the coat of arms of [[Alytus County]], [[Lithuania]]]]
The poleaxe design arose from the need to breach the plate [[armour]] of [[man-at-arms|men at arms]] during the 14th and 15th centuries. Generally, the form consisted of a wooden [[wikt:haft|haft]] some {{convert|1.5|-|2|m|ft|abbr=on}} long, mounted with a steel head. It seems most schools of combat suggested a haft length comparable to the height of the wielder, but in some cases hafts appear to have been created up to {{convert|2.5|m|ft|abbr=on}} in length.
The design of the head varied greatly with a variety of interchangeable parts and rivets. Generally, the head bore an [[Battle axe|axe head]] or [[War hammer|hammer head]] upon the damaging 'face', with a spike, hammer, or fluke on the reverse. In addition, there was a spike or spear head projecting from the end of the haft which was often square in cross section. The head was attached to the squared-off wooden pole by long flat strips of metal, called ''langets'', which were riveted in place on either two or four of its sides to reinforce the pole.  A round hilt-like disc called a ''rondelle'' was placed just below the head. They also appear to have borne one or two rings along the pole's length as places to prevent hands from slipping. Also of note is that the butt end of the staff, opposite the weapon's head, bore a spike or shoe.
On quick glance, the poleaxe is often confused with the similar-looking [[halberd]]. However, the axe blade on a poleaxe seems to have been consistently smaller than that of a halberd. 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.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://medieval.stormthecastle.com/armorypages/polearms/poleaxe.htm |title=The Poleaxe |access-date=2019-11-21 |archive-date=2021-02-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224075215/http://medieval.stormthecastle.com/armorypages/polearms/poleaxe.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>
== Fighting with poleaxe ==
The poleaxe was usually used by [[knight]]s and other men-at-arms while fighting on foot. The poleaxe has a sophisticated fighting technique, which is based on [[quarterstaff]] fighting. The blade of the poleaxe can be used, not only for simply hacking down the opponent, but also for tripping him, disarming him and blocking his blows. Both the head spike and butt spike can be used for thrusting attacks. The shaft itself is also a central part of the weapon, able to block the enemy's blows (the langets helping to reinforce the shaft), hit and push with the shaft held in both hands, or trip the opponent.
Many treatises on poleaxe fighting survive from the 15th and 16th centuries. Poleaxe fighting techniques have been rediscovered with the increasing interest in [[historical European martial arts]].
Today the poleaxe is a weapon of choice of many medieval re-enactors. Rubber poleaxe heads designed for safe combat are available commercially.
== Use in language ==
As a noun:<ref>{{cite web | url=https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/poleaxe#Noun | title=Poleaxe | date=20 March 2023 }}</ref>
* An ax having both a blade and a hammer face; used to slaughter cattle.
* (historical) A long-handled battle axe, being a combination of ax, hammer and pike.
As a [[transitive verb]]:<ref>{{cite web | url=https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/poleaxe#Verb | title=Poleaxe | date=20 March 2023 }}</ref>
* (transitive) To fell someone with, or as if with, a poleaxe.
* (transitive, figurative) To astonish; to shock or surprise utterly.
* (transitive, figurative) To stymie, thwart, cripple, paralyze.
== See also ==
* ''[[Bec de corbin]]''
* [[Bill (weapon)]]
* [[War hammer]]
== References ==
'''Notes'''
{{Reflist}}
'''Further reading'''
* Schulze, André (ed.): ''Mittelalterliche Kampfesweisen''. Band 2: Kriegshammer, Schild und Kolben. Mainz am Rhein: Zabern, 2007.  {{ISBN|3-8053-3736-1}}
== External links ==
{{Commons category|Poleaxes}}
* [http://www.thearma.org/spotlight/lejeudelahache.htm ''Le Jeu de la Hache'']
* [http://www.myarmoury.com/feature_spot_poleaxe.html Spotlight: The Medieval Poleaxe] (myArmoury.com article)
{{Polearms}}
[[Category:European weapons]]
[[Category:Medieval polearms]]
[[Category:Medieval weapons]]