War Hammer
A war hammer (French: ''martel-de-fer'', "iron hammer") is a weapon that was used by both infantry, foot soldiers and cavalry. It is a very old weapon and gave its name, owing to its constant use, to Judas Maccabeus, Judah Maccabee, a 2nd-century BC Jewish rebel, and to Charles Martel, one of the rulers of France. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the war hammer became an elaborately decorated and handsome weapon. The war hammer was a popular weapon in the late Middle Ages, medieval period. It became somewhat of a necessity in combat when armor became so strong that swords and axes were no longer able to pierce and ricocheted upon impact. The war hammer could inflict significant damage on the enemy through their heavy impact without the need to pierce the armor. Design A war hammer consists of a handle and a head. The length of the handle may vary, the longest being roughly equivalent to that of a halberd (five to six feet or 1.5 to 1.8 meters), and the shortest about the same as t ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Polearm
A polearm or pole weapon is a close combat weapon in which the main fighting part of the weapon is fitted to the end of a long shaft, typically of wood, extending the user's effective range and striking power. Polearms are predominantly melee weapons, with a subclass of spear-like designs fit for thrusting and/or throwing. Because many polearms were adapted from Garden tool, agricultural implements or other fairly abundant tools, and contained relatively little metal, they were cheap to make and readily available. When belligerents in warfare had a poorer class who could not pay for dedicated military weapons, they would often appropriate tools as cheap weapons. The cost of training was comparatively low, since these conscripted farmers had spent most of their lives using these "weapons" in the fields. This made polearms the favoured weapon of peasant levies and peasant rebellions the world over. Polearms can be divided into three broad categories: those designed for extended rea ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Bullet
A bullet is a kinetic projectile, a component of firearm ammunition that is shot from a gun barrel. They are made of a variety of materials, such as copper, lead, steel, polymer, rubber and even wax; and are made in various shapes and constructions (depending on the intended applications), including specialized functions such as hunting, target shooting, training, and combat. Bullets are often tapered, making them more aerodynamic. Bullet size is expressed by weight and diameter (referred to as "caliber") in both imperial and metric measurement systems. Bullets do not normally contain explosives but strike or damage the intended target by transferring kinetic energy upon impact and penetration. Description The term ''bullet'' is from Early French, originating as the diminutive of the word ''boulle'' (''boullet''), which means "small ball". Bullets are available singly (as in muzzle-loading and cap and ball firearms) but are more often packaged with propellant as a cartri ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Poleaxe
The poleaxe (also poleax, pollaxe and other similar spellings) is a European polearm that was used by medieval infantry. Etymology Most etymological authorities consider the ''poll''- prefix historically unrelated to "pole", instead meaning "head". However, some etymologists, including Eric Partridge, believe that the word is derived from "pole". The construction of the poleaxe The poleaxe design arose from the need to breach the plate armour of men at arms during the 14th and 15th centuries. Generally, the form consisted of a wooden haft some 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 in length. The design of the head varied greatly with a variety of interchangeable parts and rivets. Generally, the head bore an axe head or hammer head mounted on ash or other hard-wood shafts from 4â6 ft in length, with a spike, hamm ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Åtsuchi
An is a large wooden war mallet used by the samurai class of feudal Japan The first human inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago have been traced to the Paleolithic, around 38â39,000 years ago. The JÅmon period, named after its cord-marked pottery, was followed by the Yayoi period in the first millennium BC whe .... The Åtsuchi had a shaft of about 6 ft (182.875372 cm) much like the ono (war axe). It was mainly used for door breaching. Author Daniel C. Pauley, Publisher Samantha Pauley, 2009 P.131 References Hammers[...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Mace (bludgeon)
A mace is a blunt weapon, a type of Club (weapon), club or virge that uses a heavy head on the end of a handle to deliver powerful Strike (attack), strikes. A mace typically consists of a strong, heavy, wooden or metal shaft, often reinforced with metal, featuring a head made of stone, bone, copper, bronze, iron, or steel. The head of a mace can be shaped with flanges or knobs to increase the pressure of an impact by focusing the force on a small point. They would bind on metal instead of sliding around it, allowing them to deliver more force to an armored opponent than a traditional mace. This effect increased the potential for the mace to injure an armored opponent through weak spots in the armor, and even damage plate armor by denting it, potentially binding overlapping plates and impeding the wearer's range of motion. Medieval historian and re-enactor Todd Todeschini (AKA Todd Cutler) demonstrated this effect with period accurate equipment in a series of tests on video. Mac ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Lucerne Hammer
The Lucerne hammer ( ) is a type of polearm which was popular in Swiss armies during the 15th to 17th centuries. It was a combination of the bec de corbin and a pronged war hammer. Origins The weapon originates from Switzerland, and the name comes from a discovery of many of these weapons in Lucerne, Switzerland. Design The hammer-part of the Lucerne hammer is a three-to-four-pronged head mounted atop a long polearm shaft. It bears a long spike on its reverse, and an even longer spike extending from the top. They are occasionally found to have spikes on the side of the head as well. Use The Lucerne hammer requires both hands for effective handling. As a modified polearm, Lucerne hammers have multiple functions in battle. The forward-pointing spike could be used for spearing, while the hammer proved effective at puncturing or smashing armour. Like many other polearms, the Lucerne hammer was also used for dismounting the enemy. The long pole increased the velocity of the head ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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KanabÅ
The , or 'metal club') is a spiked or studded two-handed war club used in feudal Japan by samurai. Other related weapons of this type are the ''nyoibÅ'', ''konsaibÅ'', , and ''ararebÅ''.Mol, Serge (2003). ''Classical weaponry of Japan: special weapons and tactics of the martial arts''. Kodansha International. p. 91. Related solid iron weapons with no spikes or studs are the ''kanemuchi'' (or ''kanamuchi'') and the ''aribo'' (also known as a ''gojo'' or ''kirikobo''). Description ''KanabÅ'' and other related club-like weapons were constructed out of heavy wood Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ... or made entirely from iron, with iron spikes or studs on one end. For wooden ''kanabÅ'', one or both ends could be covered with iron caps. ''KanabÅ''-type weapons c ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Horseman's Pick
The horseman's pick is a weapon of Middle Eastern origin used by cavalry during the Middle Ages in Europe and West Asia. It is a type of war hammer that has a very long spike on the reverse of the hammer head. Usually, this spike is slightly curved downwards, much like a miner's pickaxe. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with ''war hammer''. A metal-made horseman's pick called "nadziak" was one of the main weapons of the famous Polish Winged Hussars. A weapon of late make, the horseman's pick was developed by the English and used by billmen. It was used with great success during the Hundred Years' War. A use of the horseman's pick was to tear men from their mounts. The horseman's pick was often used as a means to penetrate thick plate armour or mail which the standard sword could not. However, a number of drawbacks limited the weapon's effectiveness. Its relative heaviness made it unwieldy and, thus, easily avoided. The injury caused by the weapon was also small and rare ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Flail (weapon)
A flail is a weapon consisting of a striking head attached to a handle by a flexible rope, strap, or chain. The chief tactical virtue of the flail is its capacity to strike around a defender's shield or parry. Its chief liability is a lack of precision and the difficulty of using it in close combat, or closely-ranked formations. There are two broad types of flail: a long, two-handed infantry weapon with a cylindrical head, and a shorter weapon with a round metal striking head. The longer cylindrical-headed flail is a hand weapon derived from the Flail (tool), agricultural tool of the same name, commonly used in threshing. It was primarily considered a peasant's weapon, and while not common, they were deployed in Germany and Central Europe in the later Late Middle Ages. The smaller, more spherical-headed flail appears to be even less common; it appears occasionally in artwork from the 15th century onward, but many historians have expressed doubts that it ever saw use as an actu ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Bec De Corbin
A bec de corbin (, ) is a type of polearm and war hammer that was popular in late medieval Europe. The name is Old French for "raven's beak". Similar to the Lucerne hammer, it consists of a modified hammer's head and spike mounted atop a long pole. Unlike the Lucerne hammer, the ''bec de corbin'' was used primarily with the "beak" or fluke to attack instead of the hammer head. The hammer face balancing the beak was often blunt instead of the multi-pronged Lucerne, and the beak tended to be stouter; better designed for tearing into plate armor, mail, or gambeson. Nonetheless, some becs-de-corbin also had a multi-pronged hammer. The spike mounted on the top of the head was also not nearly as long and thin as on the Lucerne. ''Bec de corbin'' is sometimes used as a general term to describe several types of war hammer, such as mauls and horseman's picks. A similar name, bec de faucon (meaning "falcon's beak"), refers to a related weapon called a poleaxe The poleaxe (also poleax, p ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Maurice, Elector Of Saxony
Maurice (21 March 1521 â 9 July 1553) was Duke (1541â47) and later Elector (1547â53) of Saxony. His clever manipulation of alliances and disputes gained the Albertine branch of the Wettin dynasty extensive lands and the electoral dignity. 1521â1541: Infancy and youth Maurice was the fourth child but first son of the future Henry IV, Duke of Saxony, then a Catholic, and his Protestant wife, Catherine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Henry was the younger brother of George, Duke of Saxony. In December 1532, Maurice, aged 11, came to live at the castle of his godfather, Cardinal Albert of Brandenburg, Archbishop of Magdeburg and Mainz. For two years, he lived a contemplative life until his uncle Duke George demanded his return to Saxony. George began the training of the future duke and educated him as a Catholic. But in 1536 Maurice's father converted to Protestantism, and when he succeeded George as Duke in 1539, he made the duchy Protestant. Henry and Catherine took the ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Battle Of Agincourt
The Battle of Agincourt ( ; ) was an English victory in the Hundred Years' War. It took place on 25 October 1415 (Saint Crispin's Day) near Azincourt, in northern France. The unexpected victory of the vastly outnumbered English troops against the numerically superior French army boosted English morale and prestige, crippled France, and started a new period of English dominance in the war that would last for 14 years until England was defeated by France in 1429 during the Siege of Orléans. After several decades of relative peace, the English had Hundred Years' War (1415â53), resumed the war in 1415 amid the failure of negotiations with the French. In the ensuing campaign, many soldiers died from disease, and the English numbers dwindled; they tried to withdraw to Pale of Calais, English-held Calais but found their path blocked by a considerably larger French army. Despite the numerical disadvantage, the battle ended in an overwhelming victory for the English. King Henry V ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |