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Brief Tutorial: Glossary For Polearms

Naelwyn

Non sum qualis eram
Generally simpler to cover than blades - almost all polearms are a variant of "deadly thing on a stick."
The name is quite apt.

the-pole-of-a-polearm.jpg


The head of a polearm usually combines one of more of the following functions:
polearm-head-styles.jpg
 

Naelwyn

Non sum qualis eram
The Major Polearms
  • Ahlspeiss - a wooden handled polearm with a metal spike on the end. It was a stabbing weapon. The handle was usually around 5-6 feet and the spike around 3 feet.
  • Bardiche - A pole weapon with a slicing blade on the end. The distinction of a bardiche is that the blade is attached to the pole in two places.
  • Bec de Corbin - (french for crow's beak) Had a curved end for attacking, it had a hammer at the other side as a balance for the beak. Also had a spike at the end. The curved beak was the major weapon for attack. The hammer was predominantly a counter weight.
  • Bec de Faucon - Similar to the Corbin except the shape of the beak was more like that of a falcon.
  • Bill - (also known as a Bill-Hook) A bladed weapon with the addition of a hook on the blade.
  • Boar Spear - A typical spear used for stabbing with the addition of two prongs at the base of the spear point. These prongs stopped enemy horses from moving up the spear toward the wielder. The prongs also stopped the spear from plunging too deep and getting stuck in an enemy.
  • BrandiStock - (featherStaff) An unusual weapon that had a hollow end. In this hollow end were three spiked points. Normally it was held like a walking stick and the three points concealed in the stick. But with a quick sharp motion the three points could be jerked out of the staff and locked into position.
  • Corseque - A three pronged polearm. The central spike was very long and the two side spikes were straight and typically at a 45 degree angle forward. The spikes had to be straight. If they were curved the weapon would be a Ranseur.
  • Fauchard - A bladed polearm similar to a glaive but having only one sharpened edge - the outer or concave edge. In early centuries it was this way but it developed to also have a hook on the opposite side of the sharpened edge.
  • Glaive - A polearm with a single edged blade. Sometimes it would also have a hook on the opposite side of the blade.
  • Glaive Guisarme - A glaive with a hook on it.
  • Guisarme - A hooked polearm. The important aspect was the hook that could be used to grab and dismount an opponent. In the early centuries it was just a hook on a pole but over time a spearpoint was added and a blade. There are many variations that are still considered a guisarme.
  • Hache - A generic term for a polearm.
  • Halberd - An axe pole weapon. There are three major parts of a Halberd: the Axe head, The hook opposite the axe and the spiked tip.
  • Lance - The lance has several meanings. It can mean any type of long poled thrusting weapon that is not suitable to be thrown. It also specifically refers to a long thrusting weapons specifically designed for tournament jousting. The lance is generally the longest of polearms.
  • Lucerne Hammer - A poled weapon with a stabbing point and a hammer head. The hammer head is typically separated into between two and four spikes. This was an effective percussion weapon that could penetrate armor.
  • Morningstar - A pole weapons with a mace head. The mace head would have spikes on it. This is what separates it from a normal mace. The morning star did have length variations and smaller one handed versions were used. But it also came in a polearm two handed version that was as much as six feet in length.
  • Partisan - A poled spearhead with protruding blades on each side that could parry opponents weapon blades.
  • Pike - An extremely long pole weapon with a spear end. The pike could reach as long as twenty feet.
  • Poleaxe - A polearm with an axehead at the end. The poleaxe differed from the halberd in that the ax blade was smaller.
  • Ranseur - A pole weapon similar in look to a trident with a single long spike at the top and two smaller crescent shaped tips at the hilt.
  • Scythe - A polearm with a curved blade.
  • Sovnya - A Russian polearm with a curved blade much like a Naginata.
  • Spear - A pointed polearm that could be used for throwing or for thrusting.
  • Spetum - A pole weapon of the 13th century . It was 6-8 feet in length and had three Prongs or blades. A main spear head at the top and two smaller ones on the side.
  • Svardstav - Sword Staff, a swedish polearm that is a two edged sword blade mounted on a six foot long pole
  • Voulge - Similar to the Glaive but the Glaive was a slicing axe. The voulge is more designed for hacking.
  • War scythe - a long thin bladed polearm.
 

blargtheawesome

... is very scientifical.
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Couldya tell us a bit more about the holy water sprinkler? Why's it special/why did people make a fancy follow mace that has holy water in it?
 

Lannis

You've yeed your last haw
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Couldya tell us a bit more about the holy water sprinkler? Why's it special/why did people make a fancy follow mace that has holy water in it?
Militarized clergy, man.
 

bodejodel

Reaching for the Heavens
Retired Staff
bodejodel
bodejodel


This barbaric thing of beauty is called a "Goedendag", wich roughly translates to "Good day" (as in a greeting).
I mainly love it for it's name, because at rougly 5 foot long and 4 inches in diameter at the top, it is anythyng but a good day if you encounter it...

The name "goedendag" derives from Dutch, usually taken in English sources to have meant "good day",[2] with reference to the revolt of Bruges in 1302, at which the guildsmen of Bruges purportedly took over the city by greeting people in the streets, and murdering anyone who answered with a French accent. This derivation of the name may however be spurious. The Flemish themselves referred to the weapon as a "spiked staff" (gepinde staf). Another theory is that it's related to Germanic/English "dagger", so instead of "good day" it may have meant "good dagger". "Dag(ger)" isn't used anymore in current Dutch, while "goedendag" is still almost correct in current Dutch as "good day".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goedendag

(The name is often used for the morningstar or single spiked ball flail, but that seems to be wrong. Not that it would be a good day if those are used against you... Also, it's amazing how many wrong/different names are used for medieval weapons, or any weapon in general...)
 
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