![]() Initially rejected by the nobility due to their commoner origins, practicality eventually compelled their adoption. Starting from the 15th century, shorter warhammers found use as cavalry weapons. In some instances, the hammer surface featured the monogram of its owner, enabling the identification of victims on the battlefield. According to Austrian army officer and weapons expert Wendelin Boeheim, these modifications were primarily driven by aesthetic considerations rather than functional improvements. While earlier pole hammers had flat surfaces, by the 15th century, there was a trend towards dividing the hammerhead into three or four diamond-shaped tips to enhance penetration. Some variants also incorporated additional hooks at the rear to facilitate binding enemy weapons and limbs. Pole hammers designed for duels frequently featured a rondel-shaped guard to protect the forward hand and a spike at the rear for increased versatility. In the context of duels, the pole hammer was often categorized as a subtype of the pole-axe, commonly referred to as "axes" in period fencing manuals (German: (Mord)Axt, Italian: (Azza)). By 1395, French infantry deployed sophisticated warhammers equipped with thrusting tips, side flanges, and a basic beak, known as "Picoise." These initially single-handed warhammers would later evolve into longer two-handed pole hammers, becoming not only widespread on European battlefields but also prominent in duels, particularly those involving armored combatants in tournaments or judicial settings. History įull-fledged warhammers emerged in the mid-14th century as a direct response to the growing prevalence and effectiveness of plate armor on European battlefields. They are recorded as a weapon of Tudor archers as late as 1562. Other references during the century (for example, in Charles the Bold's 1472 Ordinance) suggest continued use. At the Battle of Agincourt, English longbowmen are recorded as using lead mauls, initially as a tool to drive in stakes but later as improvised weapons. Ī particular use of the maul was by archers in the 15th and 16th centuries. Later in the same year, Froissart records French men-at-arms using mauls at the Battle of Roosebeke, demonstrating that they were not simply weapons of the lower classes. During the Harelle of 1382, rebellious citizens of Paris seized 3000 mauls ( French: maillet) from the city armory, leading to the rebels' being dubbed Maillotins. ![]() The use of the maul as a weapon seems to date from the later 14th century. It is similar in appearance and function to a modern sledgehammer, it is sometimes shown as having a spear-like spike on the fore-end of the shaft. Maul Ī maul is a long-handled hammer with a heavy head, of wood, lead, iron, or steel. This is the same penetrating force as a rifle bullet. A powerful swing from a war hammer can hit its target with a force of several hundred kilograms per square millimeter. The blunt side of a war hammer was usually used first to knock out and stun an enemy and, once they were on the ground, reversed to punch a hole through the helmet and deliver the coup de grâce. If against mounted opponents, the weapon could be directed at the legs of a horse, toppling the armored foe to the ground where they could be more easily attacked. The spike end could be used for grappling the target's armor, reins, or shield. Later war hammers often had a spike on one side of the head, making them more versatile weapons. War hammers, especially when mounted on a pole, could in some cases transmit their impact through helmets and cause concussions. Long war hammers were pole weapons, or polearms, meant for use on foot, whereas short ones were used from horseback. 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 that of a mace (two to three feet or 60 to 90 centimeters). Design Detail of the head of a war hammerĪ war hammer consists of a handle and a head. The war hammer could inflict significant damage on the enemy through their heavy impact without the need to pierce the armor. ![]() 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 was a popular weapon in the late medieval period. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the war hammer became an elaborately decorated and handsome weapon. It is a very old weapon and gave its name, owing to its constant use, to Judah Maccabee, a 2nd-century BC Jewish rebel, and to Charles Martel, one of the rulers of France. Indo-Persian war hammer, heavy iron head with a hammer in front, a 4.5-inch (11 cm) curved spike on the other side, cut channel decorations, hard wood shaftĪ war hammer (French: martel-de-fer, "iron hammer") is a weapon that was used by both foot soldiers and cavalry.
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