This is a list of notable types of weapons that were used in

warfare War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of State (polity), states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or betwe ...

, and more broadly in

combat Combat (French language, French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent Conflict (process), conflict between multiple combatants with the intent to harm the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed (Hand-to-hand combat, not usin ...

, prior to the advent of the

early modern period The early modern period is a Periodization, historical period that is defined either as part of or as immediately preceding the modern period, with divisions based primarily on the history of Europe and the broader concept of modernity. There i ...

, i.e., approximately prior to the start of the 16th century. It therefore excludes objects that may be broadly understood as weapons but are not combat weapons, such as

ceremonial weapons A ceremonial weapon is an object used for ceremonial purposes to display power or authority. They may be used in parades and as part of military dress uniforms, or presented as gifts on formal occasions. Although they are descended from weapons ...

and ritual tools shaped or conceptualized as weapons, hunting weapons, and other items that may be perceived as weapons but for which there is no historical evidence of their use in combat during the relevant period. The entries are grouped according to their uses, with similar weapons categorized together. Some weapons may fit more than one category (e.g. the spear may be used either as a

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 we ...

or as a

projectile A projectile is an object that is propelled by the application of an external force and then moves freely under the influence of gravity and air resistance. Although any objects in motion through space are projectiles, they are commonly found ...

), and the earliest gunpowder weapons that fill within this period are also included.

Hand-to-hand combat

Hand or fist weapons and fans

Single-handed weapons not resembling a straight dagger blade, usually wielded without wrist action; often protects the forearm. *

Bagh nakh The bagh nakh, vagh nakh, or vagh nakhya (, , , , lit. tiger claw) is a fist-load, claw-like dagger, originating from the Indian subcontinent, designed to fit over the knuckles or be concealed under and against the palm. It consists of four or five ...

, tiger claws (Indian) *

Brass knuckles Brass knuckles (also referred to as brass knucks, knuckledusters, iron fist and paperweight, among other names) are a melee weapon used primarily in Hand to hand combat, hand-to-hand combat. They are fitted and designed to be worn around the kn ...

, knuckle dusters (European) *

Cestus Cestus (), plural: cesti, in a general sense meant, for ancient Greeks and Romans, any band or tie. However, it was more frequently used to refer to: * The Girdle of Aphrodite * Boxing gloves used by ancient Greeks and Romans, also written '' ...

, bladed cestus, caestus, myrmex, sfere (Mediterranean) * Deer Horn Knives (Chinese) * Emeici (Chinese) * Finger knife (African) * Gauntlet (European) * Indian parrying weapon *

Japanese fan The Japanese war fan, or ''tessen'' (), is a Japanese hand fan used as a weapon or for signalling. Several types of war fans were used by the samurai class of feudal Japan and each had a different look and purpose. Description War fans varied i ...

, iron fan * Katar, suwaiya (कटार) (Indian) * Korean fan, mubuchae (무부채), tempered birch fan * Larim fighting bracelet, nyepel (African) *

Maduvu The Maduvu, also known as a ''maru'' or ''madu'', is a weapon from India. It is one of the many weapons used in the Tamil martial art Silambam. More commonly known as a madu, it is also referred to as a ''maan kombu'' after the deer horns fro ...

, buckhorn parrying stick, maru (Indian) * Pata, sword gauntlet (Indian) *

Push dagger A push dagger (alternately known as a punch dagger, punch knife, push knife or, less often, a push dirk) is a short-bladed dagger with a "T"-shaped handle, designed to be grasped and held in a closed-fist hand, so that the blade protrudes from th ...

, also see

Katar (dagger) The katar is a type of push dagger from the Indian subcontinent. The weapon is characterized by its H-shaped horizontal hand grip which results in the blade sitting above the user's knuckles. Unique to the Indian subcontinent, it is the most fam ...

(Indian) * Tekko, Tekko Kagi (Japanese) *

Wind and fire wheels Wind-and-fire wheels () are melee weapons, wielded as a pair, associated with Chinese martial arts such as baguazhang and taijiquan. Visually, they are similar to chakrams, although unlike chakrams they are not throwing weapons. Each wheel is ...

(Chinese) * Moche Tiger claw (Peru)

Edged and bladed weapons

Thrusting and cutting weapons for melee combat. Col. D.H. Gordon's classification has been used where applicable.

Swords

=Curved one-handed

= *

Dao The Tao or Dao is the natural way of the universe, primarily as conceived in East Asian philosophy and religion. This seeing of life cannot be grasped as a concept. Rather, it is seen through actual living experience of one's everyday being. T ...

, beidao, zhibei dao (Chinese) *

(Northeast Indian) * Dha (Southeast Asian) *

Falchion A falchion (; Old French: ''fauchon''; Latin: ''falx'', "sickle") is a one-handed, backsword, single-edged sword of European origin. Falchions are found in different forms from around the 13th century up to and including the 16th century. In so ...

(European) *

Hwando Hwando () is a mountain fortress of the ancient Korean kingdom of Goguryeo, built to protect Goguryeo's second capital, Gungnae. It is located in present-day Ji'an city of the province of Jilin, China. The fortress is located 2.5 km west of ...

(Korean) *

Kampilan The kampilan (Baybayin: ) is a type of single-edged sword, traditionally used by various Ethnic groups in the Philippines, ethnic groups in the Philippine archipelago. It has a distinct profile, with the tapered Sword#Blade, blade being much broa ...

(Philippinese, Southeast Asian) *

Khopesh The ''khopesh'' ('; also vocalized khepesh) is an Egyptian sickle-shaped sword that developed from battle axes. The sword style originated in Western Asia during the Bronze Age and was introduced in the Second Intermediate Period.Lloyd, Alan B. ...

, sappara, sickle sword (Egyptian, Middle Eastern) *

Kilij A kilij (from Turkish language, Turkish ''kılıç'', literally "sword") is a type of one-handed, single-edged and curved scimitar used by the Seljuk dynasty, Seljuk Empire, Timurid Empire, Mamluk Empire, Ottoman Empire, and other Turkic khanat ...

(North Indian, Middle Eastern) *

Klewang The klewang or kelewang is a category of traditional single-edged sword that can be found throughout the Malay Archipelago. Usually it is shorter than a ''pedang'' (sword) but longer than a '' golok'' (machete). There are straight bladed types ...

(Southeast Asian) *

Krabi Krabi (, ) is the capital of and main town in Krabi Province (''thesaban mueang''), on the west coast of southern Thailand, where the Krabi River flows into Phang Nga Bay. The town lies south of Bangkok, and as of 2020, has a population of 32, ...

(Southeast Asian) *

Liuyedao The ''liuyedao'' or "willow-leaf saber" is a type of ''dao'' that was commonly used as a military sidearm for both cavalry and infantry during the Ming and Qing dynasties. A descendant of the earlier Mongol sabre the liuyedao remained the ...

(Chinese) * Mameluke (Middle Eastern) *

Nimcha A nimcha () is a single-handed sword from North Africa, especially used in Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. It is classified as a type of scimitar or ''saif''. Becoming popular in north Africa during the 16th century, surviving nimcha are usually f ...

(African) * Parang Nabur (Bornean) *

Piandao The ''piandao'' (片刀) is a type of Chinese sabre (''dao'') used during the late Ming dynasty and through the Qing dynasty. A deeply curved dao meant for slashing and draw-cutting, it bore a strong resemblance to the Persian shamshir. A fairly ...

(Chinese) *

Pulwar The pulwar or pulouar () is a single-handed curved sword originating in Afghanistan. Origin The pulwar originated alongside other scimitar-type weapons such as the Arab Arab sword, saif, the Persian shamshir, the Turkish kilij, and the Indian ta ...

(Middle Eastern) *

Scimitar A scimitar ( or ) is a single-edged sword with a convex curved blade of about 75 to 90 cm (30 to 36 inches) associated with Middle Eastern, South Asian, or North African cultures. A European term, ''scimitar'' does not refer to one specific swor ...

, saif (Middle Eastern) *

Shamshir A shamshir () is a type of Persian/Iranian sword with a radical curve. The name is derived from the Persian word ''shamshīr'', which is made of two words ''sham'' ("fang") and ''shir'' ("lion"). The curved " scimitar" sword family includes the ...

(Pakistani, North Indian, Middle Eastern) *

Shashka The shashka or shasqua (Abkhaz language, Abkhaz: Аҳәа, Асахәа; , – ''long-knife''; Georgian language, Georgian: ჭოლაური, ch'olauri; Chechen language, Chechen: ''Гlорда, Гlурда''; ) is a kind of Caucasian sabr ...

(Caucasian, Circassian) * Surik (Indonesian) *

Talwar The talwar (), also spelled talwaar and tulwar, is a type of curved sword or sabre from the Indian subcontinent. Etymology and classification The word ''talwar'' originated from the Sanskrit Language, Sanskrit word ''taravāri'' () which means ...

(Pakistani, North Indian, Middle Eastern) *

Yanmaodao The ''yanlingdao'' () or ''yanmaodao'' () is a type of ''dao'' used as a standard military weapon during the Ming dynasty and middle Qing dynasty (1368–1800). The blade is straight until the curve begins around the center of percussion along ...

(Chinese)

=Straight one-handed

= *

Arming sword In the European High Middle Ages, the typical sword (sometimes academically categorized as the knightly sword, arming sword, or in full, knightly arming sword) was a straight, double-edged weapon with a single-handed, cruciform (i.e., cross-shape ...

, war sword (European) *

Backsword A backsword is a type of sword characterised by having a single-edged blade and a hilt with a single-handed grip. It is so called because the triangular cross section gives a flat back edge opposite the cutting edge. Later examples often have a ...

(European) *

Chokutō The is a straight, single-edged Japanese sword that was mainly produced prior to the 9th century. Its basic style is likely derived from similar swords of ancient China. Chokutō were used on foot for stabbing or slashing and were worn hung fro ...

(Japanese) *

Estoc The French estoc is a type of sword, also called a tuck in English, in use from the 14th to the 17th century. It is characterized by a cruciform hilt with a grip for two-handed use and a straight, edgeless, but sharply pointed blade around in le ...

(European) *

Firangi ''Firangi'' () is a 2017 Indian Hindi-language historical comedy film written and directed by Rajiev Dhingra. It stars Kapil Sharma, who is also the producer, along with Ishita Dutta and Monica Gill. The film was shot primarily in Punjab an ...

, firanghi (Central Asian) * Flamberge (European) * Flyssa (North African) * Hwandudaedo (Korean) * Ida (West African) *

Jian The ''jian'' (Mandarin Chinese: , , English approximation: , Cantonese: ) is a double-edged straight sword used during the last 2,500 years in China. The first Chinese sources that mention the ''jian'' date to the 7th century BCE, during the S ...

(Chinese) *

(Philippinese) *

Kaskara The ''kaskara'' is a type of traditional sword, which is characteristic of Sudan, Chad, and Eritrea. The blade of the kaskara was usually about a yard long, double edged and with a spatulate tip. While most surviving examples are from the 19th c ...

(Central African) *

Khanda Khanda may refer to: Places * Khanda, Sonipat, a large historical village in Sonipat district of Haryana, India * Khanda, Jind, a village in Jind district of Haryana, India * Khanda Kheri, a village in Hansi Tehsil of Hisar district of Haryana, ...

(South Asian) * Moplah (Southwestern Indian) * Patag (Bhutanese) *

Rapier A rapier () is a type of sword originally used in Spain (known as ' -) and Italy (known as '' spada da lato a striscia''). The name designates a sword with a straight, slender and sharply pointed two-edged long blade wielded in one hand. It wa ...

(European) * Saingeom (Korean) *

Seax A ''seax'' (; also sax, sæx, sex; invariant in plural, latinized ''sachsum'') is a small sword, fighting knife or dagger typical of the Germanic peoples of the Migration Period and the Early Middle Ages, especially the Saxons. The name comes f ...

(European) * Side sword (European) * Sikin Panyang (Sumatran) *

Spatha The spatha was a type of straight and long sword, measuring between , with a handle length of between , in use in the territory of the Roman Empire during the 1st to 6th centuries AD. Later swords, from the 7th to 10th centuries, like the Viking ...

(Mediterranean, Greek) *

Takoba Takoba (also ''takuba'' or ''takouba'') is a sword A sword is an edged and bladed weapons, edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight o ...

(North African) * Tibetan Jian (Middle Asian) * Tsurugi (Japanese) *

Ulfberht The Ulfberht swords are a group of about 170 medieval swords found primarily in Northern Europe, dated to the 9th to 11th centuries, with blades inlaid with the inscription ''+VLFBERH+T or +VLFBERHT+''. The word "Ulfberht" is a Frankish perso ...

(Frankish)

=Curved two-handed

= * Dōtanuki (Japanese) *

Falx The was a weapon with a curved blade that was sharp on the inside edge used by the Thracians and Dacians. The name was later applied to a siege hook used by the Romans. Etymology is a Latin word originally meaning 'sickle' but was later used ...

(European, Thraco-Dacian) *

Katana A is a Japanese sword characterized by a curved, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands. Developed later than the ''tachi'', it was used by samurai in feudal Japan and worn with the edge fa ...

(Japanese) * Miao dao (Chinese) *

Nandao A ''Nandao'' () is a kind of '' dao'', or single-edged sword, that is used in contemporary wushu taolu.' Ratified for use by the International Wushu Federation in 1992, it has gained widespread popularity worldwide and has become one of the ...

(Chinese) *

Nihontō A is one of several types of traditionally made swords from Japan. Bronze swords were made as early as the Yayoi period (1,000 BC – 300 AD), though most people generally refer to the curved blades made from the Heian period (794–1185) to the ...

(Japanese) *

Panabas The panabas is a chopping bladed weapon or tool from the Philippines, variously described as both a sword and a battle axe. It has a distinctive long straight haft and a curving blade of various designs. It can range in size from and can be held w ...

(Philippinese) * Ssangsudo (Korean) *

Tachi A is a type of sabre-like traditionally made Japanese sword (''nihonto'') worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan. ''Tachi'' and '' uchigatana'' ("''katana''") generally differ in length, degree of curvature, and how they were worn when she ...

(Japanese) * Uchigatana (Japanese)

=Hand-and-a-half and two-handed greatswords

= * Assamese dao (Indian, Southeast Asian) * Boar sword (European) *

Changdao The ''changdao'' ( zh, t=長刀, s=长刀, first=t, p=chángdāo, l=long sword) was a two-handed, single-edged Chinese swords, Chinese sword. The term has been translated as "long saber," "saber-staff," or "long-handled saber." During the Ming ...

(Chinese) * Claidheamh da laimh, highland sword (European) *

Claymore A claymore (; from , "great sword") is either the Scottish variant of the late medieval two-handed sword or the Scottish variant of the basket-hilted sword. The former is characterised as having a cross hilt of forward-sloping quillons with ...

, Scottish Gaelic for "great sword" (Scottish, European) * Dadao (Chinese) *

Executioner's sword An executioner's sword is a sword designed specifically for decapitation of condemned criminals (as opposed to combat). These swords were intended for two-handed use, but were lacking a point, so that their overall blade length was typically tha ...

, heading sword, sword of justice (European) *

Flame-bladed sword A flame-bladed sword or wave-bladed sword has a characteristically undulating style of blade. The wave in the blade is often considered to contribute a flame-like quality to the appearance of a sword. The dents on the blade can appear parallel o ...

, flambard, flammard, flammenschwert (European) *

(Japanese) *

Longsword A longsword (also spelled as long sword or long-sword) is a type of European sword characterized as having a cruciform hilt with a grip for primarily two-handed use (around ), a straight double-edged blade of around , and weighing approximatel ...

, bastard sword, espée bastarde, hand and a half sword (European) *

Nagamaki The is a type of traditionally made Japanese sword (''nihontō'') with an extra long handle, used by the samurai class of feudal Japan.Friday 2004, p. 88. History It is possible that nagamaki were first produced during the Heian period (794 to ...

(Japanese) * Nodachi,

Ōdachi An or is a type of traditionally made used by the samurai class of feudal Japan. The Chinese equivalent of this type of sword in terms of weight and length is the '' miaodao'' or the earlier ''zhanmadao'', and the Western battlefield equival ...

(Japanese) * Parade sword, paratschwerter (European) *

Wodao The ''wodao'' () is a Chinese sword from the Ming dynasty and Qing dynasty. It is typically long and slender, but heavy, with a curved back and sharp blade. It bears a strong resemblance to the Tang sword, ''zhanmadao'', ''tachi'' or '' ōdachi'' ...

(Chinese) *

Zanbatō The ''zhanmadao'' () was a single-bladed anti-cavalry Chinese sword. It originated during the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) and was especially common in Song China (960–1279). General characteristics The ''zhanmadao'' is a single-edged ...

(Japanese) *

Zhanmadao The ''zhanmadao'' () was a single-bladed anti-cavalry Chinese sword. It originated during the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) and was especially common in Song dynasty, Song China (960–1279). General characteristics The ''zhanmadao'' is a ...

(Chinese) *

Zweihänder The ''Zweihänder'' (, literally "two-hander"), also ''Doppelhänder'' ("double-hander"), ''Beidhänder'' ("both-hander"), ''Bihänder'', or ''Bidenhänder'', is a large two-handed sword that was used primarily during the 16th century. ''Zwe ...

, great sword, espadon, spadone, tuck, montante, lowland sword, two handed sword, dopplehänder (European)

=Shortswords

= Delineated as 20-28 inches/51–71 cm total length. Curved shortswords include the following: * Aikuchi, haikuchi (Japanese) * Akrafena (West African) * Barong (Southeast Asian) *

Janbiya A jambiya (), is a type of dagger with a short curved blade with a medial ridge that originated from the Hadhramaut region in Yemen. They have spread to other countries in the Middle East, to other countries in the Arab world, and to parts of Sou ...

, jambiya, jambya, jambia, janbia (Middle Eastern) *

Khanjar A khanjar is a traditional dagger originating from the Sultanate of Oman, although it has since spread to the rest of the Middle East, South Asia and the Balkans. Worn by men for ceremonial occasions, it is a short curved blade shaped like t ...

(Middle Eastern) *

Kodachi A , literally translating into "small or short ''tachi'' (sword)", is one of the traditionally made Japanese swords (''nihontō'') used by the samurai class of feudal Japan. Kodachi are from the early Kamakura period (1185–1333) and are in the ...

(Japanese) * Pinuti (Southeast Asian) *

Shikomizue Japanese sword mountings are the various housings and associated fittings ('' tosogu'') that hold the blade of a Japanese sword when it is being worn or stored. refers to the ornate mountings of a Japanese sword (e.g. ''katana'') used when the ...

(Japanese) *

Talibon Talibon, officially the Municipality of Talibon (; ), is a municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 71,272 people, making it ...

(Southeast Asian) *

Wakizashi The is one of the traditionally made Japanese swords ('' nihontō'') worn by the samurai in feudal Japan. Its name refers to the practice of wearing it inserted through one's ''obi'' or sash at one's side, whereas the larger '' tachi'' sword wa ...

(Japanese) Straight shortswords include the following: *

Baselard The baselard, ''Schwiizerdolch'' in Swiss-German (also ''basilard, baslard'', in Middle French also and variants, Medieval Latin, Latinized etc., in Middle High German ) is a historical type of dagger or short sword of the Late Middle Ages. E ...

(European) * Bilbo (European) * Billao (Somali) * Bolo, itak (Philippinese, Southeast Asian) *

Cinquedea The cinquedea (, ) or cinqueda is a civilian short sword (or long dagger). It was developed in northern Italy and enjoyed a period of popularity during the Italian renaissance of the 15th and early 16th centuries. The name ''cinquedea'' means "f ...

, anelace (European) *

Colichemarde Colichemarde is a type of small sword (often written "smallsword") blade that was popular from the late 17th to the mid-18th century. Overview The small sword is considered to be a descendant of the "transitional rapier", which itself evolved fro ...

(European) *

Gladius ''Gladius'' () is a Latin word properly referring to the type of sword that was used by Ancient Rome, ancient Roman foot soldiers starting from the 3rd century BC and until the 3rd century AD. Linguistically, within Latin, the word also came t ...

(Roman) *

Luwuk Luwuk is the capital of Banggai Regency, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Its area is 72.82 km2 following boundary changes in 2012 and 2015. There used to be an oil industry in the region. At the 2020 census the town had a population of 34,849.B ...

(Javanese) * Misericorde (European) *

Ninjatō The was the preferred weapon of the ''shinobi'' of feudal Japan. It is portrayed by modern ninjutsu practitioners (including Masaaki Hatsumi and Stephen K. Hayes) as the weapon of the ninja and features prominently in popular culture. 20th-ce ...

, Shinobi gatana (Japanese) *

Small sword __NoTOC__ The small sword or smallsword (also court sword, Gaelic: or claybeg, French: , lit. “Sword of the court”) is a light one-handed sword designed for thrusting which evolved out of the longer and heavier rapier (''espada ropera'') o ...

(European) * Swiss dagger, holbein dagger, schweizerdegen (European) *

Xiphos The ''xiphos'' ( ; plural ''xiphe'', ) is a double-edged, one-handed Iron Age straight shortsword used by the ancient Greeks. It was a secondary battlefield weapon for the Greek armies after the dory or javelin. The classic blade was generall ...

(Greek)

=Axe-like

= Generally, convex blades used for heavy chopping or slashing. *

Aruval The aruval (ISO: ) is a type of billhook machete from southern India, particularly common in the Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It is also known as the koḍuvāḷ, the kodavali, the machchu longu or the koita. It is a type of long sickle with a kni ...

(South Indian) * Bolo, itak (Philippinese, Asian) *

Falcata The falcata is a type of sword typical of pre-Roman Iberia. The falcata was used to great effect for warfare in the ancient Iberian Peninsula, and is firmly associated with the southern Iberian tribes, among other ancient peoples of Hispania. ...

(Mediterranean) *

Golok A golok is a cutting tool, similar to a machete, that comes in many variations and is found throughout the Malay Archipelago. It is used as an agricultural tool as well as a weapon. The word ''golok'' (sometimes misspelled in English as "gollock" ...

(Southeast Asian) *

Harpe The ''harpē'' () is a type of sword- or sickle-like weapon mentioned in Greek and Roman sources, and almost always in mythological contexts. Harpe in mythology The harpe is most notably identified as the weapon used by Cronus to castrate and ...

, harpi (Greek) *

Kopis The term kopis () in Ancient Greece could describe a heavy knife with a forward-curving blade, primarily used as a tool for cutting meat, for ritual slaughter and animal sacrifice, or refer to a single edged cutting or "cut and thrust" sword wi ...

(Greek) * (Nepali) * Kudi (Southeast Asian) *

Kukri The kukri () or khukuri (, ) is a type of knife or short sword with a distinct recurve in its blade that originated in the Indian subcontinent. It serves multiple purposes as a melee weapon and also as a regular cutting/chopping tool throughout ...

, khukri (Nepali) *

Machete A machete (; ) is a broad blade used either as an agricultural implement similar to an axe, or in combat like a long-bladed knife. The blade is typically long and usually under thick. In the Spanish language, the word is possibly a dimin ...

(Spain, Latin America) * Vettukathi (South Indian) * Mahera (Greek) * One handed Dacian falx, sica (Mediterranean, Greek) * Parang Pandit (Southeast Asian) * Sosun pattah (South Asian) *

Yatagan The yatagan, yataghan, or ataghan (from Turkish ''yatağan''), also called varsak, is a type of Ottoman knife or short sabre used from the mid-16th to late 19th century. The yatagan was extensively used in Ottoman Turkey and in areas under imm ...

, yataghan (Middle Eastern)

=Other

= * Hook sword (Chinese) *

Kris The kris or is a Javanese culture, Javanese asymmetrical dagger with a distinctive blade-patterning achieved through alternating laminations of iron and nickelous iron (''pamor''). The kris is famous for its distinctive wavy blade, although ma ...

, keris sundang, keris bahari (Indonesian) *

Nandaka Nandaka () or Nandaki is the sword of the Hindu god Vishnu. Nandaka is generally depicted in images where Vishnu is represented with more than his usual four arms. The sword is compared to knowledge in Hindu scriptures. In Sri Vaishnavism (a maj ...

Nair The Nair (, ) also known as Nayar, are a group of Indian Hindu castes, described by anthropologist Kathleen Gough as "not a unitary group but a named category of castes". The Nair include several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom hi ...

, nayar (Indian)

Fighting knives and daggers

=Sickles and sickle like knives

= Generally short, concave blades used for heavy cutting. * Arit (Maduresian, Indonesian) *

Karambit The karambit or kerambit (as used in Indonesian), kurambik or karambiak (both from the Minangkabau language) is a small curved knife resembling a claw. Origin The karambit is believed to have originally been weaponized among the Minangkaba ...

, kerambit, korambit (Minangkabauian, Indonesian) * Kujang (Sundanese, Indonesian) *

(Indian) *

Mandau The Mandau () is a river in Bohemia (Czech Republic) and Saxony (Germany). It is a left tributary of the Lusatian Neisse, which it joins near Zittau. It originates from multiple springs north of the 580.6m (1902 feet AMSL) Wolf Mountain (Czec ...

(Malaysian, Indonesian, Bornean, Bruneian) * Pichangatti (Indian) * Punyal (Philippinese, Southeast Asian) *

Sickle A sickle, bagging hook, reaping-hook or grasshook is a single-handed agricultural tool designed with variously curved blades and typically used for harvesting or reaping grain crops, or cutting Succulent plant, succulent forage chiefly for feedi ...

(Improvised, worldwide) * Sudanese sickle knife (African)

Picks and pickaxes

Chicken sickles Chicken sickles () are a number of Chinese martial art, Chinese bladed weapons similar to the hook sword and the Okinawan weapons, Okinawan Kama (weapon), kama. They can be used as a single or double weapon. It is considered the special weapon of t ...

(Chinese) * Crowbill (European, Central Asian) *

Elephant goad The elephant goad, bullhook, or ankusha is a tool employed by mahout in the handling and training of elephants. The pointed tip of an elephant goad or a bullhook could be used to stab the elephant's head if the elephant charged nearby people, ...

, ankus, ankusha, bullhook, elephant hook (South and Southeast Asian) *

Hakapik A hakapik () is a club, of Norwegian design, similar to a fishing gaff, used for killing and moving seals. The hakapik is a multipurpose hunting tool—a heavy wooden club, with a hammer head (used to crush a seal's skull), and a hook (used to ...

(European) *

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 curve ...

, martel de fer, also a blunt weapon (European) *

Kama ''Kama'' (Sanskrit: काम, ) is the concept of pleasure, enjoyment and desire in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. It can also refer to "desire, wish, longing" in Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Sikh literature.Monier Williamsका� ...

(Japanese) *

Mattock A mattock () is a hand tool used for digging, prying, and chopping. Similar to the pickaxe, it has a long handle and a stout head which combines either a vertical axe blade with a horizontal adze (cutter mattock), or a pick and an adze (pick ...

(Improvised, European) *

Pickaxe A pickaxe, pick-axe, or pick is a generally T-shaped hand tool used for Leverage (mechanics), prying. Its head is typically metal, attached perpendicularly to a longer handle, traditionally made of wood, occasionally metal, and increasingly ...

(Improvised, European) *

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 ...

also a blunt weapon (European)

Axes

Adze An adze () or adz is an ancient and versatile cutting tool similar to an axe but with the cutting edge perpendicular to the handle rather than parallel. Adzes have been used since the Stone Age. They are used for smoothing or carving wood in ha ...

(Improvised, European) *

Bardiche A bardiche , berdiche, bardische, bardeche, or berdish is a type of polearm used from the 14th to 17th centuries in Europe. Ultimately a descendant of the medieval sparth axe or Dane axe, the bardiche proper appears around 1400, but there are ...

(European) *

Battle axe A battle axe (also battle-axe, battle ax, or battle-ax) is an axe specifically designed for combat. Battle axes were designed differently to utility axes, with blades more akin to cleavers than to wood axes. Many were suitable for use in one ha ...

(European) *

Bhuj Bhuj () is a city and the headquarters of Kutch district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Etymology According to legend, Kutch (Kachchh) was ruled by the Nāga chieftains in the past. Sagai, a queen of Sheshapattana, who was married to King B ...

with blade shaped like the dagger on a long shaft *

Broadaxe A broadaxe is a large broad-headed axe. There are two categories of cutting edge on broadaxes, both are used for shaping logs into beams by hewing. On one type, one side is flat, and the other side beveled, a basilled edge, also called a side ax ...

(European) * Congolese axe (African) * Dahomey axe club, also an effective blunt weapon (African) * Danish axe, hafted axe, English long axe, Viking axe, Danish longer axe (European) * Doloire (European) * Fu (Chinese) *

Hand axe A hand axe (or handaxe or Acheulean hand axe) is a Prehistory, prehistoric stone tool with two faces that is the longest-used tool in human history. It is made from stone, usually flint or chert that has been "reduced" and shaped from a larger ...

, ovate handaxe (Paleolithic) *

Hatchet A hatchet (from the Old French language, Old French , a diminutive form of ''hache'', 'axe' of Germanic origin) is a Tool, single-handed striking tool with a sharp blade on one side used to cut and split wood, and a hammerhead on the other side ...

(European) * Igorot headhunting axe ( Philippinese, Southeast Asian) *

Labrys ''Labrys'' () is, according to Plutarch (''Quaestiones Graecae'' 2.302a), the Lydian language, Lydian word for the Axe#Components, double-bitted axe. In Greek it was called (''pélekys''). The plural of ''labrys'' is ''labryes'' (). Etymology ...

, pelekys (Greek) *

Long-bearded axe A bearded axe, or Skeggøx (from Old Norse ''Skegg'', "beard", and ''øx'', "axe"), is any of various axes, used as a tool and weapon, as early as the 6th century AD. It is most commonly associated with Viking Age Scandinavia Scandinavia i ...

(European) * Masakari (Japanese) * Nzappa zap also thrown (African) * Ono (Japanese) *

Palstave A palstave is a type of early bronze axe. It was common in the middle Bronze Age in northern, western and south-western Europe. In the technical sense, although precise definitions differ, an axe is generally deemed to be a palstave if it is hafted ...

(Bronze Age, improvised, European) * Sagaris (Middle Eastern) * Shepherd's axe, valaška (European) * Sparth Axe (European) * Tabarzin (Middle Eastern) *

Tomahawk A tomahawk is a type of single-handed axe used by the many Native Americans in the United States, Indian peoples and nations of North America, traditionally resembles a hatchet with a straight shaft. Etymology The name comes from Powhatan langu ...

, Spontoon Tomahawk, also thrown (American) * Tlaximaltepoztli (American) * Vechevoral (Middle Asian)

Truncheons and blunt weapons

Usually wielded with one or two hands at close quarters with striking motions, although some sharp-pointed truncheons like the sai were more often used for stabbing. *

Aklys The aklys (Latin aclys, Greek agkulis) was a Roman javelin measuring approximately 2 m (79 in, 6.6 ft) in length, thrown with the aid of a leather strap or amentum, similar to a Swiss arrow. Every soldier was issued at least two. The term also a ...

(Osci tribe of Southern Italy) * Bō (Japanese) *

Bokken A ''bokken'' (, , 'wood', and ''ken'', '(double-edged) sword') or ''bokutō'' (, , 'wood', and ''tō'', '(single-edged) sword') is a Japanese wooden sword used for training in kenjutsu. It is usually the size and shape of a ''katana'', but is so ...

(Japanese) * Clubbing boomerang (Worldwide) * Returning boomerang (Australian) * Cambuk (Southeast Asian) *

Canne de combat Canne de combat is a French combat sport. As weapon, it uses a ''canne'' or Stick-fighting, cane (a kind of walking-stick) designed for fighting. ''Canne de combat'' was standardized in the 1970s for sporting competition by Maurice Sarry. The ''c ...

(European) *

Cateia A cateia is an ancient European throwing weapon. Sources describe it similar to a boomerang and possibly related to the aklys.Quesada Sanz, Fernando, ''El boomerang'', nº 51 de La aventura de la Historia, Arlanza Ediciones, Madrid, January 2003, I ...

(European) * Chúi (Chinese) * Club, baseball bat, stone club, truncheon, cudgel, bludgeon *

Crop A crop is a plant that can be grown and harvested extensively for profit or subsistence. In other words, a crop is a plant or plant product that is grown for a specific purpose such as food, Fiber, fibre, or fuel. When plants of the same spe ...

(Worldwide) * Bastons, Eskrima Sticks, straight sticks (Southeast Asian) *

Flail Flail may refer to: * Flail (tool), an agricultural implement for threshing * 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 i ...

(European) * Gada (Indian) *

Gunstock war club The gunstock club or gun stock war club is an Indigenous weapon used by many Native Americans and First Nations and named for its similar appearance to the wooden stocks of muskets and rifles of the time.Gurz, Ottoman gurz (Middle Eastern) *

Hammer A hammer is a tool, most often a hand tool, consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This can be, for example, to drive nail (fastener), nails into wood, to sh ...

(Improvised) *

Hanbō The ''hanbō'' (半棒, "half-staff") is a Stick fighting, staff used in martial arts. Traditionally, the ''hanbō'' was approximately three ''Shaku (unit), shaku'' or about long, half the length of the usual staff, the ''rokushakubō'' ("six ' ...

(Japanese) *

, horseman's hammer, martel de fer, also a pickaxe weapon (European) * Jawbone war club (American) *

Jō A is an approximately wooden staff, used in some Japanese martial arts. The martial art of wielding the jō is called ''jōjutsu'' or ''jōdō''. Also, ''aiki-jō Aiki-jō (Kanji: 合気杖 Hiragana: あいきじょう) is the name given ...

(Japanese) *

Jutte A is a blunt melee weapon that was used by police in Edo-period Japan (1603–1868). In English-language sources, it is sometimes incorrectly spelled jutte, such as in Ikkaku-ryū juttejutsu. History In feudal Japan, it was a crime punishable ...

, jitte (Japanese) *

Kanabō 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 ''nyoibō'', ''konsaibō'', , and ''ararebō''.Mol, Serge (2003). ''Classical weaponry of Japan: spec ...

(Japanese) *

Knobkierrie A knobkerrie, also spelled knobkerry, knobkierie, and knopkierie (Afrikaans), is a form of wooden club, used mainly in Southern Africa and Eastern Africa. Typically they have a large knob at one end and can be used for clubbing an enemy's head. F ...

, knopkierie, knobkerry (African) *

Kotiate Kotiate is a type of traditional hand weapon of the Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand. A kotiate is a short club normally made of wood or whalebone. Kotiate means to cut or divide the liver (koti = cut in two or divide; ate = liver), ...

(Māori) * Kurunthadi, churuvadi, kuruvadi, muchan, otta (Indian) *

Macana The term macana, of Taíno origin, refers to various wooden weapons used by the various native cultures of Central and South America. These weapons were referred to as a hadzab or hats'ab in Yucatecan Mayan. Meaning and origin The earliest ...

(American) * Mace, spiked mace, flanged mace (European, Middle Asian) *

Macuahuitl A macuahuitl () is a weapon, a wooden sword with several embedded obsidian blades. The name is derived from the Nahuatl language and means "hand-wood". Its sides are embedded with prismatic blades traditionally made from obsidian, which is c ...

, maquahuitl (American) *

Mallet A mallet is a tool used for imparting force on another object, often made of rubber or sometimes wood, that is smaller than a maul or beetle, and usually has a relatively large head. General overview The term is descriptive of the ...

(American) * Mere used to strike, jab (Māori) *

Morning star Morning Star, morning star, or Morningstar may refer to: Astronomy * Morning star, most commonly used as a name for the planet Venus when it appears in the east before sunrise ** See also Venus in culture * Morning star, a name for the star Siri ...

, goedendag, holy water sprinkler (European) *

Mughal Mughal or Moghul may refer to: Related to the Mughal Empire * Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries * Mughal dynasty * Mughal emperors * Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia * Mughal architecture * Mug ...

(Central Asian) *

Ōtsuchi 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 38–39,000 years ago. The Jōmon period, named after its cord- ...

(Japanese) *

Patu A patu is a club or pounder used by the Māori. The word in the Māori language means to strike, hit, beat, kill or subdue. Weapons These types of short-handled clubs were mainly used as a striking weapon. The blow administered with this ...

, patuki (Māori) * Plançon a picot, planson (European) *

Quauholōlli The quauholōlli (also transliterated as cuauhololli) was a kind of Blunt instrument, blunt weapon used by the Aztecs, Huastec civilization, Huastecs, and Purépecha Empire, Tarascans. It is a Mace (bludgeon), mace-like Club (weapon), club consisti ...

(American) *

Roundhead Roundheads were the supporters of the Parliament of England during the English Civil War (1642–1651). Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I of England and his supporters, known as the Cavaliers or Royalists, who ...

(European) * Rungu also thrown (African) * Sai (Okinawan, Japanese) * Shestopyor, Pernach (Russian) * Shillelagh (Irish) * Short scepter, mace scepter (European) * Stone war club (American) * Suburito (Japanese) * Sword mace 鐧 (Chinese) *

Tambo Tambo may refer to: People * Adelaide Tambo (1929–2007), South African anti-apartheid activist * Dali Tambo (born 1959), South African anti-apartheid activist, TV presenter and also son of Oliver Tambo and Adelaide Tambo * Oliver Tambo (1917� ...

, tanbo (Okinawan) *

Tekkan The , also known as ''tetsu-ken'' or , is a Japanese weapon that was used during the Edo period until the beginning of the 20th century. It was an iron Baton (law enforcement), truncheon; it could closely resemble a wakizashi-sized sword with a b ...

(Japanese) *

Tekpi The ''tekpi'' is a pointed melee weapon from Southeast Asia. Known as ''tekpi'' in Malay language, Malay, it is called ''chabang'' or ''cabang'' (Dutch spelling: ''tjabang'' meaning "branch") in Indonesian language, Indonesian, ''siang tépi'' (� ...

(Malaysia) *

Tewhatewha A tewhatewha is a long-handled Māori club weapon shaped like an axe. Designed to be held in two hands, the weapon comes to a mata (point) at one end and a rapa (broad, quarter-round head) at the other. The tewhatewha (pronounced ''tefa tefa'') ...

(Māori) *

Tonfa The ''tonfa'' ( Okinawan: , lit. ''old man's staff'' / ''"crutch"'', also spelled as ''tongfa'' or ''tuifa'', also known as T-baton) is a melee weapon with its origins in the armed component of Okinawan martial arts where it is known as th ...

(Okinawan) *

Waddy A waddy, nulla-nulla, leangle or boondi is an Aboriginal Australian hardwood club or hunting stick for use as a weapon or as a throwing stick for hunting animals. ''Waddy'' comes from the Darug people of Port Jackson, Sydney.Peters, Pam, ''Th ...

, Nulla Nulla (Australian) *

also a pickaxe weapon (European) *

Yawara The ''yawara'' is a Japanese weapon used in various martial arts. Numerous types of jujutsu make use of a small rod, made of wood, that extends somewhat from both ends of a person's fist which is known as a ''yawara''. The ''yawara'' likely orig ...

, pasak, yawara bo, dulodulo (Japanese, Southeast Asian) * Yubi-bo (Japanese)

Polearms and spears

Wielded mainly with two hands. Primarily for hand-to-hand combat with sweeping, thrusting, and or hooking motions.

Blunt staves

* Bâton français (European) * Bō (Japanese) * Eku (Okinawan) *

Gun A gun is a device that Propulsion, propels a projectile using pressure or explosive force. The projectiles are typically solid, but can also be pressurized liquid (e.g. in water guns or water cannon, cannons), or gas (e.g. light-gas gun). So ...

(Chinese) *

(Japanese) * Lathi (Indian) *

Naboot A naboot (nabboot, asaya, asa, shoum) is a quarterstaff constructed of palm wood or rattan Rattan, also spelled ratan (from Malay language, Malay: ''rotan''), is the name for roughly 600 species of Old World climbing palms belonging to s ...

, shoum, nabboot, asa, asaya (Middle Eastern) *

Quarterstaff A quarterstaff (plural quarterstaffs or quarterstaves), also short staff or simply staff is a traditional European polearm, which was especially prominent in England during the Early Modern period. The term is generally accepted to refer to a s ...

(European) * Shareeravadi (Middle Asian) *

Taiaha A taiaha () is a traditional weapon of the Māori people, Māori of New Zealand; a close-quarters staff weapon made from either wood or whalebone, and used for short, sharp strikes or stabbing thrusts with efficient footwork on the part of the wi ...

(Māori)

Spears

* Ahlspiess, awl pike (European) *

(Osci tribe of Southern Italy) * Atgeir (European) *

Boar spear A boar spear is a spear used for boar hunting. It is relatively short and heavy and has two "Lug (knob), lugs" or "wings" on the spearsocket behind the blade, which act as a barrier to prevent the spear from penetrating too deeply into the quarr ...

(European) * Brandistock, feather staff, buttafuore (European) * Dangpa chang also thrown (Korean) *

Dory Dory most commonly refers to: * Dory (boat), a small, shallow-draft boat * Dory, the common name of several fish; see List of fishes known as dory * Dory (''Finding Nemo''), a fictional character Dory may also refer to: Arts and entertainmen ...

(Greek) * Hasta (Roman) *

Hoko yari ''Hoko yari'' is an ancient form of Japanese spear or '' yari'' said to be based on a Chinese spear. The hoko yari came into use sometime between the Yayoi period and the Heian period, possibly during the Nara period The of the history of Ja ...

(Japanese) *

Iklwa An assegai or assagai is a polearm used for throwing, usually a light spear or javelin made up of a wooden handle with an iron tip. Area of use The use of various types of the assegai was widespread all over Africa and it was the most common we ...

(Zulu tribe of South Africa) * Jukjangchangbo, daijichang, toupjang, nangsun, dongyemochang, chichang, sabarichang, yangjimochang (Korean) *

Lance The English term lance is derived, via Middle English '' launce'' and Old French '' lance'', from the Latin '' lancea'', a generic term meaning a wikt:lancea#Noun">lancea'', a generic term meaning a spear">wikt:lancea#Noun">lancea'', a generi ...

(European) * Menavlion, menavlon (Greek) *

Migration Period spear The spear or lance, together with the bow (weapon), bow, the Migration Period sword, sword, the seax and the shield, was the main equipment of the Germanic peoples, Germanic Ancient warfare#Germanic, warriors during the Migration Period and the ...

, geirr, gaizaz, gar, ger, framea (European) *

Military fork A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily Weapon, armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable ...

(European) *

Pike Pike, Pikes or The Pike may refer to: Fish * Blue pike or blue walleye, an extinct color morph of the yellow walleye ''Sander vitreus'' * Ctenoluciidae, the "pike characins", some species of which are commonly known as pikes * ''Esox'', genus of ...

(English) *

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

(Improvised) * Qiang (Chinese) *

Ranseur A ranseur, also called roncone, was a polearm similar to the Partisan (weapon), partisan used in Europe up to the 15th century. It was still seen in court as a ceremonial weapon through the 17th century. Often thought to be a derivation of the e ...

, rawcon, runka (European) * Saintie (Middle Asian) * Sang (Indian) *

Sarissa The sarissa or sarisa was a long spear or pike about in length. It was introduced by Philip II of Macedon and was used in his Macedonian phalanxes as a replacement for the earlier dory, which was considerably shorter. These longer spears imp ...

(Greek) *

Sibat Sibat is a type of spear used as a weapon or tool by natives of the Philippines. The term is used in Tagalog and Kinaray-a. It also called bangkaw, sumbling or palupad in the islands of Visayas and Mindanao; and budjak (also spelled bodjak or bu ...

, bangkaw, palupad, sumbling (Southeast Asian) *

Sovnya A sovnya () is a traditional polearm used in Russia. Similar to the glaive, the sovnya had a curved, single-edged blade mounted on the end of a long pole. This was a weapon used by late-medieval Muscovite Muscovite (also known as common m ...

(Russian) *

Spetum A spetum is a polearm that was used in Europe during the 13th century. Other names include chauve souris, corseca, corsèsque, korseke, runka, and rawcon. It consists of a pole, some long, on which is mounted a spear head with two projections ...

(European) *

Swordstaff A swordstaff (Old Danish: ''sværdstaf''), or staffsword (Old Danish: ''stavsværd'', Old Swedish: ''stafsværdh'', ), is a Medieval polearm mentioned in Scandinavian sources. It is a figurative term, referencing a spear, or similar, utilizing wi ...

(European) *

Trident A trident (), () is a three- pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and historically as a polearm. As compared to an ordinary spear, the three tines increase the chance that a fish will be struck and decrease the chance that a fish will b ...

Trishula The ''trishula'' () is a trident, a divine symbol, commonly used as one of the principal symbols in Hinduism. It is most commonly associated with the deity Shiva and widely employed in his iconography. Etymology The name ''trishula'' ultimate ...

(Indian, Southeast Asian) *

Yari is the term for a traditionally-made Japanese blade (日本刀; nihontō) in the form of a spear, or more specifically, the straight-headed spear. The martial art of wielding the is called . History The forerunner of the is thought to be a ...

(Japanese)

Polearms with axe-like blades

* Arbir (Southeast Asian) *

(European) *

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 ...

, bec de faucon (European) *

Bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Pl ...

, English bill, bill hook, bill guisarme (European) * Bisento (Japanese) * Chacing staff (European) *

Dagger-axe The dagger-axe () is a type of polearm that was in use from the Longshan culture until the Han dynasty in China. It consists of a dagger-shaped blade, mounted by its tang to a perpendicular wooden shaft. The earliest dagger-axe blades were m ...

, ko (Chinese) * Danish axe, hafted axe, English long axe, Viking axe, Danish longer axe (European) *

Epsilon axe The epsilon axe is a type of battle axe named for its similarity to the Greek letter epsilon (ϵ). The epsilon axe was widely used throughout the Middle East, its usage spread from there and grew in popularity to be used in eastern Europe and Russ ...

(European, Middle Eastern) *

Fauchard A fauchard is a type of polearm which was used in Europe from the 11th through the 17th centuries. In later use fauchards became ornamental and ceremonial (''fauchard de parade''), growing in size until some examples were almost too heavy to ...

(European) *

Glaive A glaive, sometimes spelled as glave, is a type of pole weapon, with a single edged blade on the end, known for its distinctive design and versatile combat applications. There are many similar polearms such as the war scythe, the Japanese nag ...

(European) * Guan (kwan) dao (Chinese) *

Guisarme A guisarme (sometimes gisarme, giserne or bisarme) is a polearm used in Europe primarily between 1000 and 1400. Its origin is likely Germanic, from the Old High German , literally "weeding iron". Like many medieval polearms, the exact early form ...

(European) *

Halberd A halberd (also called halbard, halbert or Swiss voulge), is a two-handed polearm that was in prominent use from the 13th to 16th centuries. The halberd consists of an axe blade topped with a spike mounted on a long shaft. It may have a hook or ...

(European) * Jedwart stave (European) * Ji (Chinese) * Lochaber axe (European) * Long handled nagamaki (Japanese) * Man catcher (European) *

Monk's spade A monk's spade (; also, ), also called a Shaolin spade, is a Chinese polearm consisting of a long pole with a flat spade-like blade on one end and a smaller crescent shaped blade on the other. Neither blade was designed to be sharpened. In old C ...

(Chinese) *

Naginata The ''naginata'' (, , ) is a polearm and one of several varieties of traditionally made Japanese blades ('' nihontō''). ''Naginata'' were originally used by the samurai class of feudal Japan, as well as by ashigaru (foot soldiers) and sōhei ( ...

(Japanese) * Ngao (Southeast Asian) * Nulbjakchang, galgorichang (Korean) *

Ox tongue spear thumb The ox tongue spear (''langue de boeuf'' or ''langdebeve'') was a type of broad-headed double-edged spear that was used in Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries. Some designs had protrusions from the middle or base of the blades, makin ...

(European) *

Partisan Partisan(s) or The Partisan(s) may refer to: Military * Partisan (military), paramilitary forces engaged behind the front line ** Francs-tireurs et partisans, communist-led French anti-fascist resistance against Nazi Germany during WWII ** Ital ...

, partizan (European) * Pollaxe, poleaxe (European) *

Pudao ''Podao'' or ''pudao'' () is a Chinese single-edged infantry weapon that is still used primarily for training in various Chinese martial arts. The blade of the weapon is shaped like a Chinese broadsword, but the weapon has a longer handle, usua ...

(Chinese) * Romphea, romfea (Greek) *

Sasumata The is a polearm used by the samurai class and their retainers in feudal Japan. Description and use Although some sources place the origin of the sasumata in the Muromachi period, most sources discuss its use in the Edo period. In Edo period J ...

(Japanese) *

Scythe A scythe (, rhyming with ''writhe'') is an agriculture, agricultural hand-tool for mowing grass or Harvest, harvesting Crop, crops. It was historically used to cut down or reaping, reap edible grain, grains before they underwent the process of ...

(Improvised) * Sodegarami (Japanese) * Tepoztopilli (American) * Tongi, four pointed tongi, two pointed (South Asian) * Tsukubō (Japanese) * Two handed Dacian falx (Mediterranean, Greek) *

Voulge A voulge (also spelled vouge, sometimes called a couteau de breche) is a type of polearm that existed in medieval Europe, primarily in 15th century France. Description A voulge would usually have a narrow single-edged blade (sometimes with a seco ...

(European) *

War scythe A war scythe or military scythe is a form of polearm with a curving single-edged blade with the cutting edge on the concave side of the blade. Its blade bears a superficial resemblance to that of an agricultural scythe from which it is likely ...

Polearms with spikes and hammers

(European) *

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 co ...

(European) * Zhua (Chinese)

Flexible weapons

Whips

Used for whipping. *

Bullwhip A bullwhip is a single-tailed whip, usually made of braided leather or nylon, designed as a tool for working with livestock or for competition cracking. Bullwhips are pastoral tools, traditionally used to control livestock in open country. A ...

(Worldwide) * Buntot Pagi (Philippinese) *

Cat o' nine tails The cat o' nine tails, commonly shortened to the cat, is a type of multi-tailed whip or flail. It originated as an implement for physical punishment, particularly in the Royal Navy and British Army, and as a judicial punishment in Britain and ...

(European) *

Chain whip The chain whip, also known as the soft whip, is a weapon used in some Chinese martial arts, particularly traditional Chinese martial arts, Chinese disciplines, in addition to modern and traditional Wushu (term), wushu. It consists of several met ...

, jiujiebian, samjitbin, qijiebian (Chinese) *

Knout A knout (, ) is a Russian whip that consists of a rawhide (material), rawhide thong or a rope attached to a long wooden handle. Commonly used for prodding horses or cattle, knouts were also used for flagellation as a corporal punishment in Russ ...

(Eastern European) *

Nagyka The nagaika, sometimes nagyka (, ) is a short, thick whip with round cross-section used by Cossacks, borrowed from the Nogai people, hence the original name "nogaika", or "Nogai's whip". It is also called камча, kamcha from the Turkic languag ...

, nagaika, nogaika (Eastern European) * Small whips, crops (Worldwide) *

Stockwhip A stockwhip is a type of whip made of a long, tapered length of flexible, plaited leather or nylon with a stiff handle and thong able to pivot along the handle easily. Stock whips are used when rounding up cattle.'' Origin and uses The Aust ...

(Australian) *

Urumi An urumi is an Indian sword with a flexible, whip-like blade, secretly worn around the waist. Originating in modern-day Kerala, a state in southwestern India, it is thought to have existed from as early as the Sangam period. It is treated as ...

, chuttuval (Indian)

Sectional and composite

Having multiple handles or holdable sections. *

Nunchaku is a traditional East-Asian martial arts weapon consisting of two sticks (traditionally made of wood), connected to each other at their ends by a short metal chain or a rope. It is approximately (sticks) and (rope). A person who has pract ...

(Okinawan) * Tabak-Toyok, chako (Southeast Asian) *

Three-section staff The three-section staff, three-part staff, triple staff, originally sanjiegun () or sansetsukon (), three-section whip, originally sanjiebian (), is a Chinese flail weapon that consists of three wooden or metal staves connected by metal rings o ...

(Okinawan, Chinese)) *

Two-section staff The two-section staff or changxiaobang () is a versatile weapon which originated in China from the ancient Shaolin temple and Shaolin martial arts. It is a Flail (weapon), flail-type weapon which consists of a long staff with a shorter rod attache ...

, xhang xiao ban, could also be considered a polearm (Chinese)

Chains and ropes

Having a heavy object attached to a flexible chain or rope. Wielded by swinging, throwing, or projecting the end, as well as wrapping, striking, and blocking with the chain or rope, sometimes attached to another type of weapon. *

Chigiriki The is a Japanese flail weapon. It consists of a solid or hollow wood (sometimes bamboo) or iron staff with an iron weight and chain on the end, sometimes retractable. The chigiriki is a more aggressive variation of the parrying weapon kusariga ...

(Japanese) * Cumberjung, double ended flail, flail with quoits (Indian) *

, fleau d'armes, kriegsflegel (European) * Flying claws (Chinese) * Flying guillotine (Chinese) *

Kusari-fundo ''Kusari-fundo'' ( 鎖分銅) is a handheld weapon used in feudal Japan consisting of a length of chain (''kusari'') with a weight (''fundo'') attached to each end of the chain. Various sizes and shapes of chain and weight were used as there wa ...

, manrikigusari, manriki (Japanese) * Kusari-gama (Japanese) *

Kyoketsu-shoge The is a double-edged blade, with another curved blade attached near the hilt at a 45–60 degree angle. This is attached to approximately of rope, chain, or hair which then ends in a large metal ring. Likely used by ninja of the Iga province ...

(Japanese) *

Lasso A lasso or lazo ( or ), also called reata or la reata in Mexico, and in the United States riata or lariat (from Mexican Spanish lasso for roping cattle), is a loop of rope designed as a restraint to be thrown around a target and tightened when ...

, uurga, lariat (American, Chinese) *

Meteor hammer The weapon called the meteor hammer (), often referred to simply as meteor (), belongs to the category of ancient Chinese weapon, consisting at its most basic level of two weights connected by a rope or chain. One of the flexible or "soft" weap ...

, dragon's fist, dai chui, flying hammer, sheng bao, liu xing chui (Chinese) *

Rope dart The rope dart or rope javelin (, Japanese: 縄鏢 or 縄標: Jōhyō), is one of the flexible weapons in Chinese martial arts. Other weapons in this family include the meteor hammer, flying claws, and chain whip. It consists of a metal spike ...

, jouhyou, rope javelin, sheng biao (Japanese, Chinese) *

Monkey's fist Monkey is a common name that may refer to most mammals of the infraorder Simiiformes, also known as simians. Traditionally, all animals in the group now known as simians are counted as monkeys except the apes. Thus monkeys, in that sense, const ...

(Improvised, European, Japanese, Chinese) *

Surujin The ''surujin'' or ''suruchin'' is one of the traditional weapons of Okinawan kobudo. It comprises a 150 -152 cm or 2-3(4,921 feet -4,986 feet or 6,5 feet -9.8feet) long rope with a weight tied to each end. Historically this weapon is very pre ...

, suruchin (Okinawan)

Shields

Used not only to block strikes and missiles but also swung outwardly (or in quick upward motions) to strike an opponent. Also used to rush an opponent (known as shield bashing). Some shields had spikes, sharp edges, or other offensive designs. *

Aspis An ''aspis'' (; : aspides, ) or ''porpax'' shield was the heavy wooden shield used by the infantry in various periods of ancient Greece. Construction An ''aspis'' was deeply dished and made primarily of wood. Some had a thin sheet of bronze ...

, oplon (Greek) *

Buckler A buckler (French ''bouclier'' 'shield', from Old French ''bocle, boucle'' ' boss') is a small shield, up to 45 cm (up to 18 in) in diameter, gripped in the fist with a central handle behind the boss. It became more common as a companio ...

(European) *

Clipeus In the military of classical antiquity, a ''clipeus'' (; Ancient Greek: Aspis, ἀσπίς) was a large shield worn by the Ancient Greece, Greek Hoplite, hoplites and Ancient Rome, Romans as a piece of defensive armor, which they carried upon t ...

(Roman, Greek) *

Dhal Dal is a term in the Indian subcontinent for dried, split pulses. Dal or DAL may also refer to: Places Cambodia *Dal, Ke Chong Finland * Laakso, a neighbourhood of Helsinki India *Dal Lake, in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India *Dal Lake ...

(Indian) *

Heater shield The heater shield or heater-shaped shield is a form of Middle Ages, European medieval shield, developing from the early medieval kite shield in the late 12th century in response to the declining importance of the shield in combat thanks to impr ...

, heraldic shield (European) * Hide, wickerwork, leather and ceremonial shields (Tribal, Worldwide) *

Hungarian shield A Hungarian (or Hungarian-style) shield was a specific form of targe. It was rectangular at the bottom, but the upper edge swept upward forming a curve. The elongated upper edge was designed to protect the head and neck against sabre cuts. They w ...

(European) *

Kite shield A kite shield is a large, almond-shaped shield rounded at the top and curving down to a point or rounded point at the bottom. The term "kite shield" is a reference to the shield's unique shape, and is derived from its supposed similarity to a fly ...

(European) *

Lantern shield The lantern shield is a small shield combined with a lantern used during the Italian Renaissance (15th and 16th century Italy) especially for night time duels. A number of specimens survive. Their defining feature is a small circular shield – a ...

(Italian) *

Parma Parma (; ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmesan, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,986 inhabitants as of 2025, ...

, parmula (Roman) *

Peltarion Peltarion is an AI software company with offices in Stockholm and London. In June 2022, the company was acquired by the video game developer King, which is owned by Activision Blizzard. On September 30, 2022, Peltarion was shut down as part of ...

(Greek) * Rattan shield (Korean, Chinese) *

Round shield A round shield can refer to any type of hand-held shield that has a round shape. They come in highly varying sizes, and have, in different forms, been very popular in Europe, the Asia and the Americas, throughout the Bronze Age, the classical peri ...

* Scuta, rectangular, tower and oval scutum (Roman) *

Targe The targe is a type of strapped round shield that was used by Scottish Highlanders in the early modern period. From the late 16th century, until the Battle of Culloden in 1746, the Scottish Highlander's main means of defence in battle was his ...

(European) *

Nguni shield Nguni may refer to: *Nguni languages * Nguni cattle * Nguni people *Nguni sheep, which divide into the Tsonga Tsonga may refer to: * Tsonga language, a Bantu language spoken in southern Africa * Tsonga people, a large group of people living ma ...

(African) * Chīmalli (American)

Thrown

Throwing blades and darts

Chakram The chakram (; ) is a throwing weapon from the Indian subcontinent. It is circular with a sharpened outer edge and a diameter of . It is also known as ''chalikar'' meaning "circle", and was sometimes referred to in English writings as a "war- qu ...

(Indian, Southeast Asian) *

Kunai A is a Japanese multipurpose tool and weapon thought to be originally derived from the masonry trowel. Design A ''kunai'' normally had a leaf-shaped wrought blade in lengths ranging from and a handle with a ring on the pommel for attach ...

(Improvised, Japanese) *

Mambele A mambele is a form of hybrid knife/axe in central and southern Africa, originating from a curved throwing dagger used by the Mangbetu people, Mangbetu. Description The mambele consists of an iron blade with a curved back section and rearwar ...

(African) *

Plumbata Plumbatae or martiobarbuli were lead-weighted throwing darts carried by infantrymen in Antiquity and the Middle Ages. They were used to inflict damage on enemies at a distance before engaging in close combat. Roman soldiers in some legions car ...

(European) *

Shuriken A is a Japanese concealed weapon used by samurai or ninja or in martial arts as a hidden dagger or '' metsubushi'' to distract or misdirect. History The origins of the ''bo-shuriken'' in Japan are still unclear, despite continuing researc ...

(Japanese) *

Swiss arrow A Swiss arrow (also known as a Yorkshire arrow, Dutch arrow, Scotch arrow, or Gypsy arrow) is a type of enlarged dart in the shape of an arrow that is thrown with the aid of a lanyard, which is retained by a small notch close to the fletching. I ...

(European) *

Throwing dart Darts are airborne ranged weapons. They are designed to fly such that a sharp, often weighted point will strike first. They can be distinguished from javelins by the presence of fletching (feathers on the tail) and a shaft that is shorter or m ...

(Worldwide) *

Throwing knife A throwing knife is a knife that is specially designed and weighted so that it can be thrown effectively. They are a distinct category from ordinary knives. Throwing knives are used by many cultures around the world, and as such different tact ...

(Worldwide)

Throwing spears

All could be used as

spears A spear is a polearm consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to t ...

, but were designed and primarily used for throwing. *

Angon The ''angon'' (Medieval Greek , Old High German ''ango'', Old English ''anga'' "hook, point, spike") is a type of javelin that was used during the Early Middle Ages by the Anglo-Saxons, Franks, Goths, and other Germanic peoples. It was similar ...

(European) *

Assegai An assegai or assagai is a polearm used for throwing, usually a light spear or javelin made up of a wooden handle with an iron tip. Area of use The use of various types of the assegai was widespread all over Africa and it was the most common we ...

, assagai (African) *

Atlatl A spear-thrower, spear-throwing lever, or ''atlatl'' (pronounced or ; Classical Nahuatl, Nahuatl ''ahtlatl'' ) is a tool that uses leverage to achieve greater velocity in Dart (missile), dart or javelin-throwing, and includes a Plain bearing, b ...

and darts (American, Paleolithic tribes) *

Falarica Falarica, also Phalarica, was an ancient Iberian ranged polearm that was sometimes used as an incendiary weapon. Design The Falarica was a heavy javelin with a long, thin iron head of about in length attached to a wooden shaft of about equal l ...

, phalarica (Mediterranean) *

Harpoon A harpoon is a long, spear-like projectile used in fishing, whaling, sealing, and other hunting to shoot, kill, and capture large fish or marine mammals such as seals, sea cows, and whales. It impales the target and secures it with barb or ...

(Worldwide) * Jangchang (Korean) *

Javelin A javelin is a light spear designed primarily to be thrown, historically as a ranged weapon. Today, the javelin is predominantly used for sporting purposes such as the javelin throw. The javelin is nearly always thrown by hand, unlike the sling ...

(Mediterranean) * Lancea (Mediterranean) * Mesangylon (Greek) * Metal bar, metal pipe (Improvised, Worldwide) * Northern spear (Philippinese, Southeast Asian) *

Pilum The ''pilum'' (; : ''pila'') was a javelin commonly used by the Roman army in ancient times. It was generally about long overall, consisting of an iron shank about in diameter and long with a pyramidal head, attached to a wooden shaft by eith ...

(Roman) *

Soliferrum Soliferrum or Soliferreum (Latin: ''solus'', "only" + ''ferrum'', "Iron") was the Roman name for an ancient Iberian ranged polearm made entirely of iron. The soliferrum was a heavy hand-thrown javelin, designed to be thrown to a distance of up to ...

, saunion, soliferreum (Mediterranean) *

Spiculum A ''spiculum'' is a late Roman spear that replaced the ''pilum'' as the infantryman's main throwing javelin around 250 AD. Scholars suppose that it could have resulted from the gradual combination of the ''pilum'' and two German spears, the ''a ...

(Roman) *

Vel Vel () is a divine spear associated with Murugan, the Tamil Hindu god of war. Significance According to Shaiva tradition, the goddess Parvati presented the Vel to her son Kartikeya(also known as Murugan), as an embodiment of her shakti, in ...

(Indian) *

Verutum The ''verutum'', plural ''veruta'' (), was a short javelin used in the Roman army. This javelin was used by the ''velites'' for skirmishing purposes, unlike the heavier ''pilum'', which was used by the ''hastati'' and ''principes'' for weakening ...

(Roman) * Woomera, amirre (Australian)

Throwing axes

Could also be used as axe weapons, but were specifically designed for throwing. *

Francisca The francisca (or francesca) was a throwing axe used as a weapon during the Early Middle Ages by the Franks, among whom it was a characteristic national weapon at the time of the Merovingians (about 500 to 750 AD). It is known to have been use ...

, francesca (European) * Hunga munga, danisco, goleyo, njiga (African) *

Hurlbat A hurlbat (or whirlbat, whorlbat) is a weapon of unclear original definition. Older reference works refer to it largely as a type of club, either held in the hand or thrown. Modern usage appears to refer to a type of throwing-axe. Historical refer ...

, whirlbat (European) * Kapak siam (Asian) * Nzappa zap (African) *

also an axe weapon (American)

Throwing balls

Bolas Bolas or bolases (: bola; from Spanish and Portuguese ''bola'', "ball", also known as a ''boleadora'' or ''boleadeira'') is a type of throwing weapon made of weights on the ends of interconnected cords, used to capture animals by entangling ...

, ayllo, liwi, qilumitautit (Central American, South American, Arctic) *

Slungshot A slungshot is a maritime tool consisting of a weight, or "shot", affixed to the end of a long cord often by being wound into the center of a knot called a " monkey's fist". It is used to cast line from one location to another, often mooring lin ...

not to be confused with a

slingshot A slingshot or catapult is a small hand-powered projectile weapon. The classic form consists of a Y-shaped frame, with two tubes or strips made from either a natural rubber or synthetic elastic material. These are attached to the upper two ends ...

(Improvised, Worldwide) *

Stone In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

(Improvised, Worldwide)

Throwing sticks

Boomerang A boomerang () is a thrown tool typically constructed with airfoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight, designed to return to the thrower. The origin of the word is from Australian Aborigin ...

(Australian, Worldwide) *

, knopkierie, knobkerry, also a blunt weapon (African) * Rungu (East African) * Stick,

branch A branch, also called a ramus in botany, is a stem that grows off from another stem, or when structures like veins in leaves are divided into smaller veins. History and etymology In Old English, there are numerous words for branch, includ ...

(Improvised, Worldwide)

Gunpowder-based

Abus August Bremicker Söhne KG, commonly known as ABUS, is a German manufacturer of security solutions, primarily preventative security technology. The company had remained headquartered in Wetter, North Rhine-Westphalia since its founding. It ...

howitzer (Turkish) *

Arquebus An arquebus ( ) is a form of long gun that appeared in Europe and the Ottoman Empire during the 15th century. An infantryman armed with an arquebus is called an arquebusier. The term ''arquebus'' was applied to many different forms of firearms ...

, caliver, hackbut, harkbus, harquebus (European) * Bajozutsu pistol (Japanese) *

Basilisk In European bestiary, bestiaries and legends, a basilisk ( or ) is a legendary reptile reputed to be a Serpent symbolism, serpent king, who causes death to those who look into its eyes. According to the ''Natural History (Pliny), Naturalis Histo ...

cannon (European) * Baton a feu hand cannon (French) * Bedil tumbak hand cannon (Indonesian) *

Blunderbuss The blunderbuss is a 17th- to mid-19th-century firearm with a short, large caliber Gun barrel, barrel. It is commonly flared at the muzzle (firearms), muzzle to help aid in the loading of Lead shot, shot and other projectiles of relevant quantity ...

, donderbus (European) * Bo-hiya rocket arrow (Japanese) * Bombard (European, Middle Eastern, Chinese) * Byzantine bombard (Greek) * Byzantine fire tube (cannon)Γεώργιος Ηλιόπουλος (Georgios Iliopoulos), "Η χαμένη πυραυλική τεχνολογία των αρχαίων Ελλήνων" (The lost missile technology of the ancient Greeks), Ιχώρ (Ihor), 27, page 12-13, Greece, 2002. (Greek) * Byzantine rocket launcherΓεώργιος Ηλιόπουλος (Georgios Iliopoulos), "Η χαμένη πυραυλική τεχνολογία των αρχαίων Ελλήνων" (The lost missile technology of the ancient Greeks), Ιχώρ (Ihor), 27, page 13, Greece, 2002. (Greek) *

Cannon A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder during th ...

(European, Middle Eastern, Chinese) *

Cetbang Cetbang (originally known as bedil, also known as warastra or meriam coak) were cannons produced and used by the Majapahit Empire (1293–1527) and other kingdoms in the Indonesian archipelago. There are 2 main types of cetbang: the eastern- ...

cannon (Indonesian, Southeast Asian) * Che Dian Chong musket (Chinese) *

Chongtong ''Chongtong'' () is a term for military firearms of the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties. ''Chongtong'' varied in size from small firearms to large cannons. There were three generations of ''chongtong''. The well-known ''cheonja'', ''jija'', ''hyeonj ...

cannon (Korean) *

Culverin A culverin was initially an ancestor of the hand-held arquebus, but the term was later used to describe a type of medieval and Renaissance cannon. The word is derived from the antiquated "culuering" and the French (from " grass snake", follo ...

cannon (French) * Dardanelles bombard (Turkish) * Dulle Griet bombard (Belgian) * Ekor lotong cannon (Malaysian) * Falconet, falcon cannon (European) *

Fauconneau A Fauconneau was a small type of cannon used during the Middle Ages and the early Renaissance. A typical ''fauconneau'' weighed about 25 kg and had a length of about 1 meter. It was a semi-portable weapon. It was mainly an anti-personnel weapon ...

cannon (European) *

Faule Grete The Faule Grete ( German for ''Lazy Grete'', alluding to the lack of mobility and slow rate of fire of such super-sized cannon) was a medieval large-calibre cannon of the Teutonic Order. The bronze bombard was cast in 1409 in the cannon foundr ...

bombard (Polish) * Faule Mette bombard (German) *

Fire arrow Fire arrows were one of the earliest forms of weaponized gunpowder, being used from the 9th century onward. Not to be confused with earlier incendiary arrow projectiles, the fire arrow was a gunpowder weapon which receives its name from the tra ...

, rocket arrow (Chinese) *

Fire lance The fire lance () was a gunpowder weapon used by lighting it on fire, and is the ancestor of modern firearms. It first appeared in 10th–12th century China and was used to great effect during the Jin-Song Wars. It began as a small pyrotechnic de ...

, Huo Qiang lance hand cannon (Chinese) * Grose Bochse bombard (German) *

Hand cannon The hand cannon ( or ), also known as the gonne or handgonne, is the first true firearm and the successor of the fire lance. It is the oldest type of small arms, as well as the most mechanically simple form of metal barrel firearms. Unlike match ...

(European, Middle Eastern, Chinese) *

Hand mortar The hand mortar is a firearm and early predecessor of modern grenade launchers that was used in the late 17th century and 18th century to throw fused grenades. The action was similar to a flintlock, matchlock, or wheellock firearm (depending on t ...

(European) *

Heilongjiang hand cannon The Heilongjiang hand cannon or hand-gun is a bronze hand cannon manufactured no later than 1288 and is the world's oldest confirmed surviving firearm. It weighs 3.55 kg (7.83 pounds) and is 34 centimeters (13.4 inches) long. The Heilongjian ...

(Chinese) * Hu Dun Pao cannon (Chinese) *

Huo Che Huo Che () or rocket carts () are several types of Chinese multiple rocket launcher developed for firing multiple fire arrows. The name ''Huo Che'' first appears in ''Feng Tian Jing Nan Ji'' (), a historical text covering the Jingnan Campaign, Jin ...

rocket arrow launcher (Chinese) * Huo Chong hand cannon (Chinese) *

Hwacha The ''hwacha'' or ''hwach'a'' () was a multiple rocket launcher and an organ gun of similar design which were developed in fifteenth century Korea. It resembled a wooden cart with a launch pad attached, and it had up to 200 tiny Sin'gijŏn, sing ...

rocket arrow launcher (Korean) * Istinggar arquebus (Indonesian) * Java arquebus (Indonesian) * Jiaozhi arquebus (Vietnamese) *

Korean cannon Cannons appeared in Korea by the mid 14th century during the Goryeo dynasty and quickly proliferated as naval and fortress-defense weapons. Major developments occurred throughout the 15th century, including the introduction of large siege mortars ...

Lantaka The ''Lantaka'' (Baybayin: pre virama: ''ᜎᜆᜃ'': post virama: ''ᜎᜈ᜔ᜆᜃ'') also known as ''rentaka'' (in Malay, jawi script: رنتاک) was a type of bronze portable cannon or swivel gun, sometimes mounted on merchant vessels and ...

, rentaka cannon (Philippinese, Indonesian, Malaysian, Southeast Asian) * Lela cannon (Malaysian) *

Matchlock A matchlock or firelock is a historical type of firearm wherein the gunpowder is ignited by a burning piece of flammable cord or twine that is in contact with the gunpowder through a mechanism that the musketeer activates by pulling a lever or Tri ...

Snap matchlock The snap matchlock is a type of matchlock mechanism used to ignite early firearms. It was used in Europe from about 1475 to 1640, and in Japan from 1543 until about 1880, and was also largely used by Korea (Joseon) from the 16th century Imjin ...

* Meriam kecil hand cannon (Indonesian, Malaysian) * Mons Meg bombard (Belgian) * Mortar (European, Middle Eastern, Chinese) * Orban bombard (Turkish) *

Organ gun A ribauldequin, also known as a rabauld, randy, ribault, ribaudkin, infernal machine or organ gun, was a late medieval volley gun with many small-caliber iron barrels set up parallel on a platform, in use in medieval and early modern Europe du ...

, ribauldequin, ribauiidkin, ribault, rabauld (European) *

Petronel The petronel was a 16th- and 17th-century black-powder muzzle-loading firearm, defined by Robert Barret (''Theorike and Practike of Modern Warres'', 1598) as a " horsemans peece". It was the muzzle-loading firearm which developed on the one h ...

hand cannon (European) * Pierrier a boite cannon (French) *

Pistol A pistol is a type of handgun, characterised by a gun barrel, barrel with an integral chamber (firearms), chamber. The word "pistol" derives from the Middle French ''pistolet'' (), meaning a small gun or knife, and first appeared in the Englis ...

(European) * Pot de fer cannon (French) *

Prangi The prangi, paranki, piranki, pirangi, farangi, firingi, or firingiha was a type of cannon produced by the Ottoman Empire. It was subsequently copied and produced in other places such as the Mughal Empire, Mughal empire under Babur. The prangi was ...

, pranki, pranku, paranki, pranga, parangi, prangu, parangu, piranki, pirangi, farangi, firingi, firingiha cannon (Turkish, Indian) *

Pumhart von Steyr The Pumhart von Steyr () is a medieval large-calibre cannon from Styria, Austria, and the largest known wrought-iron bombard by caliber. It weighs around and has a length of more than . It was produced in the early 15th century and could fire, ...

bombard (Austrian) * San Yan Chong three barrel hand cannon (Chinese) * Shou Chong hand cannon (Chinese) * Singijeon, shinkichon rocket arrow (Korean) * Tanegashima arquebus (Japanese) * Tarasnice cannon (European) * Toradar, torador arquebus (Indian) * Tu Huo Qiang hand cannon (Chinese) * Veuglaire cannon (French) * Wankou Chong cannon (Chinese) * Xanadu cannon (Chinese) * Xi Xia cannon (Chinese) * Xun Lei Chong spear five barrel revolver musket (Chinese)

Slings

* Kestros, cestrus, cestrosfendoni, kestrosfedoni (Greek) * Sling (Worldwide) * Stave sling, fustibale (Mediterranean)

Bows

Longbows

* Daikyu (Japanese) * Decurve bow * Deflex bow *

English longbow The English longbow was a powerful medieval type of bow, about long. While it is debated whether it originated in England or in Wales from the Welsh bow, by the 14th century the longbow was being used by both the English and the Welsh as ...

, warbow * Flatbow *

Self bow A self bow or simple bow is a bow made from a single piece of wood. Extra material such as horn nocks on the ends, or built-up handles, would normally be accepted as part of a self bow. Some modern authorities would also accept a bow spliced tog ...

Welsh longbow The Welsh bow or Welsh longbow was a medieval weapon used by Welsh soldiers. They were documented by Gerald of Wales around 1188, who writes of the bows used by the Welsh men of Gwent: "They are made neither of horn, ash nor yew, but of elm. " H ...

, warbow

Recurve bows

Cable-backed bow A cable-backed bow is a bow reinforced with a cable on the back. The cable is made from either animal, vegetable or synthetic fibers and is tightened to increase the strength of the bow. A cable will relieve tension stress from the back of th ...

Composite bow A composite bow is a traditional bow made from horn, wood, and sinew laminated together, a form of laminated bow. The horn is on the belly, facing the archer, and sinew on the outer side of a wooden core. When the bow is drawn, the sinew (s ...

* Hungarian bow *

Perso-Parthian bow A composite bow is a traditional bow made from horn, wood, and sinew laminated together, a form of laminated bow. The horn is on the belly, facing the archer, and sinew on the outer side of a wooden core. When the bow is drawn, the sinew (st ...

Short bows and reflex bows

Gungdo The Korean Bow ( hanja: , or ''horn bow'') is a water buffalo horn-based composite reflex bow, standardized centuries ago from a variety of similar weapons in earlier use. Due to its long use by Koreans, it is also known as Guk Gung ( hanja: , or ...

, hwal (Korean) *

Hankyu , trading as , is a Japanese private railway company that provides commuter and interurban service to the northern Kansai region. It is one of the flagship properties of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc., in turn part of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho G ...

(Japanese) *

Mongol bow The Mongol bow is a type of Recurve bow, recurved composite bow historically used in Mongolia, and by the horse archers of the Mongol Empire. "Mongol bow" can refer to two types of bow. From the 17th century onward, most of the traditional bows i ...

Turkish bow Turkish may refer to: * Something related to Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities in the former Ottoman Empire * The w ...

Crossbows

Arbalest The arbalest (also arblast), a variation of the crossbow, came into use in Europe around the 12th century. The arbalest was a large weapon with a steel prod, or bow assembly. Since the arbalest was much larger than earlier crossbows, and becau ...

, arblast (European) * Bullet bow, English bullet bow, pellet crossbow (European) * Cheiroballistra, hirovallistra hand ballista (Roman, Greek) *

Crossbow A crossbow is a ranged weapon using an Elasticity (physics), elastic launching device consisting of a Bow and arrow, bow-like assembly called a ''prod'', mounted horizontally on a main frame called a ''tiller'', which is hand-held in a similar f ...

(European, Chinese) *

Gastraphetes The gastraphetes (), also called belly bow or belly shooter, was a hand-held crossbow used by the Ancient Greeks. It was described in the 1st century by the Greek author Heron of Alexandria in his work ''Belopoeica'', which draws on an earlier ac ...

, gastrafetis (Greek) * Pistol crossbow *

Repeating crossbow The repeating crossbow (), also known as the repeater crossbow, and the Zhuge crossbow (, also romanized Chu-ko-nu) due to its association with the Three Kingdoms-era strategist Zhuge Liang (181–234 AD), is a crossbow invented during the W ...

, chu ko nu, zhuge (Chinese) *

Skåne lockbow The Skåne lockbow was an early form of crossbow from Skåne or Scania, then a province of Denmark. (It has been part of southern Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavi ...

(European) * Stone bow (European)

Blowguns

Blowgun A blowgun (also called a blowpipe or blow tube) is a simple ranged weapon consisting of a long narrow tube for shooting light projectiles such as darts. It operates by having the projectile placed inside the pipe and using the force created by ...

, blowpipe, blow tube (Worldwide) * Fukiya (Japanese)

Stationary, mounted, or wheeled ballistic devices

This section includes ballistic (missile-launching)

siege engines A siege engine is a device that is designed to break or circumvent heavy castle doors, thick city walls and other fortifications in siege warfare. Some are immobile, constructed in place to attack enemy fortifications from a distance, while othe ...

and similar larger ballistic devices which were either stationary, mounted on moving objects such as carts or elephants, or wheeled. *

Ballista The ballista (Latin, from Ancient Greek, Greek βαλλίστρα ''ballistra'' and that from βάλλω ''ballō'', "throw"), plural ballistae or ballistas, sometimes called bolt thrower, was an Classical antiquity, ancient missile weapon tha ...

(European, Asian) * Ballista elephant (Angkor) * Carroballista (Roman) *

Catapult A catapult is a ballistics, ballistic device used to launch a projectile at a great distance without the aid of gunpowder or other propellants – particularly various types of ancient and medieval siege engines. A catapult uses the sudden rel ...

(European, Asian) * Catapulta (Roman) * Efthytonon catapult (Greek) * Hu Dun Pao trebuchet (Chinese) *

Mangonel The mangonel, also called the traction trebuchet, was a type of trebuchet used in Ancient China starting from the Warring States period, and later across Eurasia by the 6th century AD. Unlike the later counterweight trebuchet, the mangonel was ...

(Chinese) *

Onager The onager (, ) (''Equus hemionus''), also known as hemione or Asiatic wild ass, is a species of the family Equidae native to Asia. A member of the subgenus ''Asinus'', the onager was Scientific description, described and given its binomial name ...

(Roman) *

Oxybeles The oxybeles () was a weapon used by the Ancient Greeks starting in 375 BC. The word is derived from Ancient Greek: οξύς (''oxys'' = sharp, pointed) and βέλος (''belos'' = arrow). The weapon was basically an oversized gastraphetes, a co ...

, oxyvelis ballista (Greek) * Palintonon catapult (Greek) * Polybolos, polyvolos repeating ballista (Greek) *

Trebuchet A trebuchet () is a type of catapult that uses a hinged arm with a sling attached to the tip to launch a projectile. It was a common powerful siege engine until the advent of gunpowder. The design of a trebuchet allows it to launch projectiles ...

(European, Asian)

Flamethrowers

* Pen Huo Qi flamethrower (Chinese) *

Greek fire Greek fire was an incendiary weapon system used by the Byzantine Empire from the seventh to the fourteenth centuries. The recipe for Greek fire was a closely-guarded state secret; historians have variously speculated that it was based on saltp ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Premodern combat weapons Weapons by period Lists of weapons