The war hammer is a powerful argument. War hammer Use in battle

A war hammer is a cold pole weapon of the impact-crushing type, similar in its action to a club and a mace. It has been known to man since ancient times; it is believed that our distant ancestors began using a war hammer, along with a spear, an ax and a club, back in the late Stone Age. But the “golden age” of these weapons, without a doubt, was the late Middle Ages, a period when warriors clad in iron from head to toe fought on the battlefield. The hammer was capable of crushing even the most powerful armor.

It was during this period that it became an integral part of complex long-shafted weapons, such as the polex or battle axe. Although, the war hammer was also used as a separate independent weapon.

In recent years, thanks to computer toys and fantasy books, the war hammer has become more recognizable. But such fame played a cruel joke on him. The weapons usually depicted by writers or animators bear very little relation to real war hammers. Usually it is something huge, rectangular and very massive, very reminiscent of an ordinary blacksmith hammer or sledgehammer, decorated with intricate patterns. Of course, a sledgehammer can also be used in battle, there is a lot of historical evidence about this, but a real war hammer had a completely different shape and weight. And in its appearance it looked more like a pickaxe or an ice ax.

The hammer is very widely represented in the mythology of various peoples. Man has always associated it with pressure and brute force, capable of crushing everything in its path. The most famous war hammer, without a doubt, is Mjollnir - the stone weapon of the Scandinavian god Thor. He used his hammer both for creation and as a weapon of destruction. Mjollnir could be thrown, and not only did it always hit the target, but it also returned to its owner. The Japanese revered the hammer as a symbol of prosperity and wealth; it was a constant companion of Hephaestus, the ancient Greek deity of blacksmithing and metallurgy. With the help of this hammer, Hephaestus forged armor, a sword and a shield for Achilles, with which the legendary hero did not know defeat.

At the same time, among some peoples, the hammer was a symbol of the natural elements, powerful, unpredictable and indomitable. The symbolism of the hammer is characterized by a kind of dualism associated with its two functions: peaceful and military. On coats of arms and emblems it is usually the “civilian” form of the hammer that is used. The hammer, as a tool, has long become a symbol of hard work, industrial production, and craftsmanship. On the coat of arms and flag of the Soviet Union, the hammer symbolized the working class.

The war hammer was popular not only in Europe; similar weapons were also used in other regions of the world: India, China, Persia, and the Middle East.

After losing its combat significance, the war hammer was used for a long time as a status weapon. In Italy, Poland and Germany, hammers were attributes of high military command. They were also popular among bandits and Cossack chieftains.

Description and classification

A war hammer consists of a shaft and a warhead, which was usually made of metal. The term “war hammer” (warhammer) itself is more typical for Western European (English-language) literature; in Eastern Europe, such weapons were usually called klevets and coins. However, the latter name is often used to refer to small axes with an elongated beak-shaped butt, therefore, to avoid confusion, it is better to avoid this name. In general, we can say that the wide variety of war hammers that existed in different historical periods, as well as the practice of using them as one of the elements of complex composite weapons, led to significant confusion in terminology.

The warhead of the hammers was a cylinder or parallelepiped with one pointed end. It was shaped like a beak and could have different lengths. The other end was shaped like a hammer; its working surface could be smooth or have several teeth. There were different ways of attaching the warhead to the shaft: using a rope, a stopper, etc. With the flat part it was possible to stun the adversary, break his bones, or knock him out of the saddle. However, the main striking element of the hammer, of course, was the beak. With its help it was possible to pierce almost any armor, because the entire force of the blow fell on one point.

The shaft of the war hammer was usually made of wood, but metal handles are also known. Often the wooden shaft was bound with metal. The length of the shaft varied widely, depending on the historical period, country, and the characteristics of the use of a particular weapon.

There is a very common misconception about a war hammer as something heavy and very massive. This is wrong. One-handed samples of these weapons usually weighed 1-2 kg. Hammers had many advantages over other types of bladed weapons, however, they also had very serious disadvantages.

The development of protective equipment has led to a significant decrease in the effectiveness of edged weapons. The sword was not very effective against chain mail armor, and with the advent of armor it began to turn into an attribute of status. The war hammer had a much higher center of gravity than the sword, and, in addition, all the power of the blow was concentrated in one small point. Therefore, in order to pierce heavy armor with a war hammer, it was not necessary to have any extraordinary physical strength. In terms of its punching properties, it was superior to a mace, because the weight of the hammer was better balanced.

This weapon also has one more advantage: the war hammer does not get stuck in the enemy’s armor or shield. And this problem was very serious: after a not very successful blow, you could simply remain unarmed. Almost any bladed weapon gets stuck in a wooden shield, but not a hammer or mace. They do not so much pierce as they break through the barrier, leaving a fairly wide hole in it. If you had the necessary skill and sufficient physical strength, it was generally possible to split the enemy’s shield with a hammer.

The hammer had another important advantage over the sword: it was much cheaper. At the medieval level of development of metallurgy, making a long and strong blade was a whole story. Steel was scarce and of poor quality. A strong blow could easily damage the blade and render the weapon unusable. And it was not always possible to correct such defects with the help of a grindstone. In principle, it is impossible to break a war hammer; the damage that it could receive during use did not in any way affect the combat effectiveness of this weapon. In addition, for the manufacture of the warhead of the hammer it was possible to take steel that was not of the highest quality.

However, hammers also had disadvantages that prevented the widespread use of these weapons.

For example, it is very difficult to repel enemy blows with a hammer: a warrior without a shield, armed with a hammer, had little chance of survival. In addition, this weapon was inconvenient in close formation.

Hammers can be divided into several main groups:

• Short hammer. This is a one-handed weapon that appeared in Europe around the 10th century. The short hammer was used by both infantrymen and horsemen. He was very effective in close combat. Around the 13th century, the short hammer became a favorite weapon of the cavalry. It was often called knightly or cavalry. The short hammer had a length of 60-80 cm, its warhead weighed about half a kilogram. The flat striking surface opposite the beak could have a monogram or some kind of figure. When struck, they were imprinted on the enemy’s body. Short hammers were well known in Rus'; they were called “klevets” or “chasers”. Such weapons were loved by the Zaporozhye Cossacks (kelep, kelef) and the famous Polish “flying” hussars. The hammer was often supplemented with a hatchet;
• Long or long-shafted hammer. Such hammers had a shaft of considerable length, from 1.2 to 2 meters. This weapon became extremely popular in the late Middle Ages, from about the middle of the 14th century. Outwardly, the long hammer strongly resembled a halberd, but unlike the latter, its warhead was usually type-built and not solidly forged. In addition to the hammer itself, it could include a variety of elements: a pike, an ax, hooks. Such weapons received separate names - polex, Lucerne hammer. The lower end of the shaft could bear a sharpened metal tip, which could also be used in combat. Some types of poleaxes had a protective guard on the shaft - a rondel. The long-shaft hammer was a purely infantry weapon that could be used very effectively against cavalry in close formation;
• Throwing Hammer. There were also throwing hammers; their shape was similar to modern sports equipment.

Story

Man began making hammers back in the Stone Age, and during this era they were mainly used as weapons. Although, the hammer is very good because of its versatility; you can use it to hit a bear on the back of the head and do something around the house. It is clear that at that time the warhead was made of stone. The hammer could have been the butt of a battle axe.

After humans began using metals, hammer heads began to be made first from bronze, and then from iron. Hammers were not very popular during the period of antiquity, although they were widely used as a blacksmith's tool. The Assyrians have references to war hammers; the Scythians used similar weapons.

The hammer was the oldest and favorite weapon of the Germanic tribes. The Teutons not only used the hammer in battle or for everyday purposes, they endowed it with sacred properties. Later they adopted other types of weapons from neighboring peoples, but never abandoned the hammer. Until the 11th century, hammers were distributed mainly in the territory of modern Germany, but with the improvement of protective equipment, these weapons began their victorious expansion across the European continent.

Starting from the 13th century, hammers increasingly became the standard weapons of infantrymen. And this is not surprising. Previously, the foot warrior was armed with a spear, sword and bow, but such weapons were insufficient against a heavily armed enemy. And the war hammer had excellent “armor-piercing” characteristics. In addition, the hammer could be turned into a universal weapon by adding an ax or pike to it.

Moreover, the knights, who had previously considered hammers to be weapons of the mob, paid attention to these weapons. And already in the 14th century, a short one-handed hammer became a typical weapon of knightly cavalry. Moreover, it was so popular that the hammer soon became a real symbol of the military elite - over time, like the mace, it became an attribute of the military leader.

This is not to say that only cavalrymen used hammers. In the 14th century, this weapon became increasingly popular among infantry. And not only. In 1381, the rebels of Paris very effectively used hammers with lead heads, very reminiscent of ordinary sledgehammers with long handles. The infantry hammer developed along the path of increasing the length of the shaft and complicating the warhead of the weapon. Very soon a point at the end, hooks, and a hatchet were added to its design. Already in the 15th century, the war hammer was very similar to a halberd. Around this time, the polex appeared - a hybrid of an axe, spear and hammer. This weapon was very popular, it was used not only on the battlefield, but even in tournaments. The so-called Lucerne hammer, which had a length of up to two meters, a lance at the end and a double-sided hammer, dates back to the same period. One of its sides - the beak - could have a significant length, and the second was made in the form of a toothed hammer.

The widespread use of firearms led to the almost universal abandonment of heavy armor. Along with them, war hammers also became a thing of the past. Already in the 17th century, this weapon practically lost its combat significance and turned into a certain attribute that emphasized the status of its owner.

The war hammer is one of the most ancient types of bladed weapons, which was used mainly for close-range combat. It was first produced in the Neolithic era. The hammer is a dual-use weapon, used in both blacksmithing and warfare. In the second case, he is capable of inflicting terrible deforming and breaking blows on the enemy.

General information

As mentioned earlier, the hammer appeared in the Neolithic. Initially it had a stone top. Quite often, it served as a butt in ceremonial stone or Over time, this crushing weapon was improved, and in the Middle Ages they already used ordinary iron forge hammers mounted on a long handle. They were somewhat reminiscent of a mace, which delivered blows that not only stunned but also deformed armor.

The most famous representative of this weapon is Mjollnir - the mythical hammer of the god of storm and thunder Thor. It became a truly religious symbol, a heraldic emblem and amulet for all Scandinavians. However, until the 11th century. Such weapons were used mainly by the Germans alone.

Spreading

The war hammer was most widely used by horsemen starting in the 13th century. Its rapid spread was facilitated by the appearance of reliable knightly armor and armor. Swords, maces, axes and any other weapons used in those days for close combat were no longer effective against them. All of them turned out to be ineffective. That is why more and more new variants of the same war hammer began to appear. Its varieties include any pole weapon with a knob, which on one side looks like a hammer, and on the other can have the appearance of a straight or slightly curved blade, beak, faceted spike, etc.

The very name “hammer” suggests the presence of at least one of the above elements of the combat head. The weapon retains this name even when there is no actual hammer on it. The most common was considered a hammer, which had an upward point and, in addition to it, short spikes, which were often located directly on the striking part of the butt or on the side of it. The beaks could pierce armor plates or tear chain mail. The hammer was used to stun the enemy or deform his armor.

Lucernhammer

This is a type of bladed weapon that appeared in Switzerland around the end of the 15th century. It was in service with infantrymen of many European countries until the end of the 17th century. This medieval weapon was a chained shaft up to 2 m long, at one end of which there was a warhead in the form of a pointed pike, and at its base a hammer. Usually it was made double-sided. The impact toothed part of the hammer served to stun the enemy, and the hook part resembled a sharp beak. Considering its purpose, we can say that it belonged to a polearm with shock-crushing action.

It is believed that the reason for the appearance of the Lucerne hammer was the hostilities that took place between the Swiss infantry and the German cavalry. The fact is that the riders had fairly high-quality armor, against which traditional halberds were powerless, since they were not able to penetrate the iron shell of the rider. It was then that the need arose for a new weapon that could penetrate enemy armor with relative ease. As for the pike, it helped the infantrymen effectively repel enemy cavalry attacks. The Lucerne hammer turned out to be so good that over time it managed to completely replace halberds.

Short-pole weapon

Similar hammers, with a handle no longer than 80 cm, appeared in Europe in the 10th century. They were used exclusively in hand-to-hand combat and were often armed with horsemen. But such weapons began to be used everywhere in cavalry only after 5 centuries. The short shafts of both eastern and European hammers were very often made of iron and equipped with a special handle for gripping with one or two hands.

The war hammer on the opposite side of the beak could have a fairly diverse striking surface, for example, spiked, conical, smooth, pyramidal, topped with a monogram or some kind of figurine. The last two were used to imprint themselves on the armor or body of the enemy.

Longshaft Hammers

In the XIV century. This weapon gained the greatest popularity. It had a long handle up to 2 m and in appearance resembled a halberd. The only difference was that the warhead of the hammers was not solidly forged, but assembled from several separate elements. In addition, they almost always had a pike or spear at the end. It is also worth noting the fact that these medieval weapons did not always have a beak on the back of the hammer. Instead, an ax was sometimes attached, which could be either small or quite impressive in size. Such an unusual weapon was called a polex.

The striking part of the hammer in long-shaft weapons was varied: smooth, with small teeth, with one or more short or long spikes, and even defiant inscriptions. There were also variants of weapons where the combat head consisted only of hammers, trident beaks or blades, and ended on top with an unchanged pike. Long-shafted weapons were used primarily by foot soldiers to fight against enemy cavalry. Sometimes knights also found use for them when they dismounted.

Its first examples appeared in the 16th century. and were distinguished by great diversity, but they were all united by a common feature - they necessarily contained certain elements inherent in war hammers. The simplest of them had handles, inside which a sword was placed. Such blades often had some additions in the form of under-shafts - special stands for firearms or crossbows.

Weapons such as fire stocks were much more complex. In addition to a hammer with hatchets and claws, they were also equipped with long blades up to one and a half meters in length. They could be extended either automatically or fired from the top of the handle. There were also crickets, which were a combination of hammers with pistols or guns.

Eastern analogues

Klevtsy with short shafts were used not only in European armies, but also in the East. For example, in India a similar war hammer was called a fakir's staff or driven, in Afghanistan and Pakistan - lohar, in Persia - tabar. This weapon was very similar to the European one, because it had the same division of the hammer into four spikes. Just like the Lucernehammer.

It must be said that the Klevets lasted much longer in the East than in Europe, since they were in great demand both among the military and the civilian population. They were especially popular in the Indo-Persian region and even had the same name - “crow’s beak”. Combined weapons were also made in India. There were also analogues in China and Japan.

Butt

After the loss of combat use of klevtsy, in Poland they began to issue special laws prohibiting the civilian population from carrying them, even in the form of canes and staves. Instead, another version of the hammer appeared - the butt or butt. It could easily be recognized by its iron, silver or brass knobs and beaks strongly bent towards the shaft, often wrapped in a ring. There were also specimens in which only the sharp tip was bent or they had an unusually shaped bend. In addition, the opposite end of the handle, up to 1 m long, was also bound in butts. It was mainly worn by

As you know, the butt was originally intended for self-defense, but over time it became clear that this weapon was more dangerous than the klevt. Previously, during a fight with the enemy, a saber could cut the face, head or arm, and the spilled blood would somehow calm down the heated warriors. Now, when a person was hit with a butt, no blood was visible. Therefore, the attacker could not immediately come to his senses and struck harder and harder over and over again, inflicting fatal injuries on his victim. It must be said that the Polish nobles who carried these weapons did not spare their subjects too much, and often punished them with beatings, and sometimes killed them.

Surrender of positions

Over time, the hammer (a weapon of the Middle Ages) lost its former popularity, and it began to be used only as an attribute of various military ranks. This was the case in Italy, Germany and other European countries. The robber and Cossack atamans followed their example. Quite often, screw-in dagger blades were placed in the handles of these weapons.

Hello, dear readers! Today we will talk about one interesting type of edged weapon - war hammer. This weapon is historically extremely epic and cannot be ignored! For quite a long time I was going to publish a series of articles on this topic, but it didn’t work out. Now a beginning has been made and I think that you will definitely see a continuation of this topic. Now let's move directly to our guest today.

So, Is a war hammer a melee weapon or a tool of creation?

- one of the most ancient types of bladed weapons, which are of the crushing and throwing type at the same time. Man used it back in the Neolithic period, when he realized that God had endowed him with not too long arms and rather weak capabilities. The war hammer constantly accompanied man throughout the Bronze Age, and continues to accompany us today not only as a combat or ceremonial weapon, but also as a production tool.

The very first samples war hammers the pommel was made of stone, then it was replaced by metal.

A war hammer can safely be called multifunctional:

• its butt (shaft, handle) was used to stun the enemy with a blow to the head,
• , the striker or the sharp triangular part of the pommel made it possible to damage the armor of warriors;
• the long spike in the middle was indispensable for delivering a direct blow to the chest, stomach and groin.

Design and manufacture of a war hammer

Today we can safely consider war hammer among the most popular types of bladed weapons, endowed with crushing force. Depending on the type of weapon, the shaft could be short or long (from 100 cm). The thickness also varied. It was made of wood or metal. The high strength of the shaft made it possible to use it both for combat operations and for protection against enemy attacks. At the same time, it can be considered a rather vulnerable part of the hammer, unlike the .

Klevets or striker, i.e. the warhead of the hammer, stone or metal, was made in the form of a solid parallelepiped or cylinder with one pointed end. His margin of safety was enormous. Attaching to the shaft was carried out in different ways. It could be a rope, a stopper, etc. They also produced all-metal war hammers.

War hammer - replica

Nowadays, making such a weapon is not difficult. To do this, you only need wood and a solid piece of metal or stone, as well as the ingenuity of a craftsman and carpentry tools. In my time war hammer dubbed the “bird” weapon due to its appearance striker. When making it, you should adhere to exactly this appearance, i.e. on one side, sharpen the striker like a bird's beak.

Classification and types of war hammers

If we talk about existing and existing classifications of war hammers, then they can be conditionally divided into two categories.

These are products for:

• melee,
• throwing weapon.

Every people inhabiting the earth has war hammer was presented in one form or another. This was especially popular steel arms, to one degree or another resembling a crow's beak, in the late era.

Among the representatives of war hammers are:

• a sample presented in New Caldonia, which was essentially endowed with a point;

• weapon aborigines of australia, made in the form of a stone blade connected to a wooden handle using hot resin;

• Italian war hammer 15th and 16th centuries with a wooden handle, a square striker, an octagonal beak;

• French war hammer 15th century with oak handle, blunt striker, faceted beak;

• New Zealand Maori currents with a blade made of jade and secured to the shaft with a cord;

• "crow's beak"- an artifact of the Bronze Age period, found in Sweden, which is a dagger blade mounted on a bronze handle (it also had ritual significance);

• the war hammer of a medieval European horseman - a wrought iron rod screwed to the shaft with copper wire;

• bavarian war hammer 15th century with a wooden shaft half clad in iron;

• Indian pounded made of steel with a silver-plated shaft;

• protective Japanese Kusarigama- kama yari core, attached to the handle by means of a chain;

• war hammer with brass and silver of the tribes that inhabited the borders between present-day Afghanistan and Pakistan;

• steel combat hammer of the Hindus and Persians with gold notching and velvet-covered handles;

• a 16th century war hammer found in southern Germany, and many others.

Hammer in symbolism

It was not only a type of edged weapon. Since the beginning of civilized times, it has served as a symbol of all-crushing strength and power. However, this symbolism is twofold, since the hammer is also instrument of creation, and not just destruction.

Either way, as a weapon it truly represented brute force. For many peoples, the hammer was recognized as a symbol of evil. Myths connect it with thunder, but here, too, the symbolism was manifested in two ways: thunder is one of the signs of an approaching thunderstorm, and, therefore, a symbol of fertility.

It is an invariable attribute of the gods not only of war or the elements, but also of crafts. Master Hephaestus from Greek mythology and Vulcan from Roman were always depicted with a hammer - the personification of creative possibilities. With the help of a hammer and other tools, Hephaestus forged Achilles for the best warrior of Troy flame armor, helmet, shield and other elements of his impenetrable equipment.

God Thor from Germanic-Scandinavian mythology used a stone hammer known as Mjollnir, both as a productive tool and as a destructive weapon. In Japan, the hammer was a tool of the god of prosperity and became a symbol of wealth and successful gold mining.

The hammer, as a bladed weapon in Rus', has been used in all centuries. The ambivalent attitude towards him has survived to this day. The Soviet symbolism of creation, which included the hammer and sickle, is known to everyone - here's the hammer.

This is also a hammer, but not a combat one (in most cases)

So this one is like this war hammer, not simple as it seems at first glance. This steel arms has a lot of varieties, which we will definitely talk about more than once in the following articles. Therefore, do not forget to join our

We have already discussed in general terms what the adventurers are armed with. Now let's think about whether this is reasonable. There is no point in listing all possible fantasy weapons, it is too long, and most of the names with pictures are taken from real prototypes. Therefore, we will only go through traditional problems for the genre.

War Hammer

It has already been said that real war hammers have nothing to do with fantasy sledgehammers. But this is a very important point. Let's first think about the tasks and capabilities of a fantasy sledgehammer. The task would seem obvious: to transfer a huge amount of kinetic energy. The Fantasy Sledgehammer is designed to stop an opponent in one powerful blow, knocking them to the ground despite protective equipment and attempts to block - only dodging can help against this monstrous weapon.

Great. Now a little bit of physics. The density of the steel is known, it is approximately 7.8 g/cm 3 . It is clear that no one will make a fantasy sledgehammer from lightweight materials, the whole point is lost. Let's decide on the dimensions of the warhead. If you take some paladin hammer from Warcraft as a source, then things get really bad. Therefore, let's try to control ourselves and consider that the warhead really corresponds in size to an ordinary standard brick - this is not too provocative. That is, 250x120x65 mm. The weight of steel bricks of such dimensions is slightly more than 15 kg.

Now, mentally or realistically, try to hang a 15-kilogram weight plate on the barbell, grab the opposite end of this barbell and try how it feels. Let me give you a hint: a real two-handed sword, which is also not so easy to handle, rarely weighs more than 4 kg. At the same time, the balance of a two-handed sword provides significantly greater control. Just lifting 15 kg is nothing complicated. But 15 kg at the far end of the bar, taking into account the rule of leverage, will turn into something completely unliftable.

That is, an ordinary person, even a very strong one, cannot handle a fantasy sledgehammer. Being able to raise and lower it while simulating a strike is not that difficult, but it is completely unrealistic to maintain a sufficient frequency of strikes in combat. However, maybe such a weapon is suitable for some mythical creatures with enormous power? Well, you can make anything up, but why does a mythical creature need such a healthy fool? If a creature is strong enough to use a fantasy sledgehammer, then give it a regular two-handed sword, which it will spin like a weightless cane, creating a whirlwind of all-crushing slashes - this is much more impressive and reasonable.

What exactly is a war hammer? This is a specialized weapon for piercing heavy armor. It does not weigh very much, like an average sword - from 1 to 1.5 kg. The balance is, of course, different, the mass is concentrated in the warhead area, although not as extreme as in the case of a fantasy sledgehammer. The combat part itself has little in common with a fantasy sledgehammer. On one side, usually perceived as the back, the material is generally reduced along a cone to a point - this is a peck, a punch, a combat pick, and so on. The optimal shape for making a hole of sufficient depth in the armor. An accurate blow with such a kicker can pierce any helmet.

On the other side, the front, there is a shorter and somewhat wider hammer. They don’t pierce, but pierce and stun - surprisingly, such a modest piece of metal on a not particularly long shaft is enough to have that same terrible stopping effect. You can try to take an ordinary household hammer and place it on a meter-long shaft, and then hit it somewhere - just be careful, the shaft may break. So, you will immediately feel the effect, even if the target is a piece of concrete.

Often, although not always, the front of a war hammer ends not with a flat surface, like a utility hammer, but with several pyramids, like a meat hammer. The point is to concentrate the impact force on a small surface, that is, to increase pressure on the target. With such a hammer, like a hammer, you can pierce armor, but it will not get stuck in the hole made, although it will not penetrate so deeply. Judging by its popularity, it’s a fairly convenient compromise.

Blunt weapons such as warhammers gained popularity with the development of plate armor and close-fitting chain mail.

Unlike Mjollnir, the legendary hammer of the mythical Norse god Thor, the real war hammer was a brutal and effective weapon. The development of the war hammer began around the mid-14th century and was a response to the development of combat protection - the emergence of plate armor. The appearance of chain mail made such weapons as the battle ax and mace relevant. But when armor began to be made from forged steel plates, which had a smooth surface against a blow from a sword, the view on crushing weapons was revised.

A means of overcoming the new armor

Advances in the field of armor have led to the improvement of weapons to combat it. The longer shaft made it possible to hold it in both hands and provided the weapon with greater destructive power and a more powerful blow. The simple metal ball and faceted maces changed to massive iron flanged knobs with projections that became increasingly pointed over time. These innovations were designed to deal devastating blows to helmets and armor. But armorers forged surface-hardened steel for armor. The result was excellent. Tempered steel was essentially as hard as the blade of a sword or axe, meaning that a single blow—perhaps the only chance of hitting a target in the heat of battle—was more likely to do no harm than to pierce it. Armor owners have gained greater survivability.

The hammer, as the main tool of manual labor, had ancient origins, but, like the axe, it quickly became the weapon of the early peasants. A large mallet, war hammer or sledgehammer - the latter made of wood or lead - began to be used on the medieval battlefield. The real war hammer first appeared in the late 14th century, as evidenced by handwritten illustrations and battle histories of the time. Discovered mass graves of those killed at the Battle of Visby in 1361 revealed many skulls with small square punctures that could only have been made by early war hammers.

Similarly, at the Battle of Rosebeek, in 1382, well-helmeted Flemish peasants were defeated by a superior French royal force and paid a heavy price. As the great French chronicler Jean Froissart noted: “So loud was the clanging of swords, axes, maces and iron hammers on those Flemish helmets that nothing could be heard except the noise.”

By the early 15th century, the iron head of the hammer was two inches square, and was attached to a 25-inch shaft, like a battle ax or mace. It was primarily a rider's utility weapon, with a leather strap tied to the base of the shaft so that it could be carried in the saddle (the war hammer had a better chance of delivering a full blow in a sweeping downward motion). Its reduced surface area is made for a more concentrated impact. The hammer could not penetrate the best armor or helmets, but could make a dent in them, allowing the person in the armor to be temporarily stunned by causing vibrations within the helmet upon impact. This was usually followed by several more quick blows, but the strong first blow was often enough to cause stunning.

Progress in war hammer design

The appearance of piercing elements was a logical continuation of the development of the hammer design. Most war hammers of the late 14th century had an extension at the opposite end of the head in the form of a short thick blade or spike - the so-called. beak. By the early 15th century, the beak, about 6 inches long, had lengthened and curved downward. This element also began to appear at the back of the battle axe, providing a second strike option for penetration, a quick swing to more vulnerable parts of the armor such as the neck or armpits, or even a strike against a lightly armored chestplate. A strong blow concentrated on a small surface can penetrate armor. The beak can also be used as a hook to grab armor, reins, or a shield.

Around 1450, the hammer was given a short vertical spike that could be turned towards weak points of the armor. Like the battle axe, the hammer's shaft was often reinforced with riveted metal pieces to prevent an opponent from cutting the weapon in half with a sword. Soon, all-metal handles became the standard for knightly axes, maces and hammers.

The war hammer was originally a knight's weapon, used against other mounted knights. But for the infantryman, already using a variety of long polearms, the lighter warhammer increasingly became the weapon of choice when fighting mounted warriors. The hammer's design continued to be refined - extending the handle for an even more effective blow to the helmet, adding a top spike gave the hammer a spear-like function: grabbing armor, reins, shields, or delivering a blow that could penetrate even heavy armor. Against mounted opponents, the weapon could be aimed at throwing the armored enemy to the ground, where he could be more easily defeated.

Lucerne Hammer and Crow's Beak (Bec de Corbin)

Differences between one- and two-handed hammers led to different developments of combat units. The Lucerne hammer originated in Switzerland, whose army proved its prowess with the halberd at the Battle of Sempach in 1386 against the Austrian imperial forces. The warhead was a long and thin pike at its base, divided into three or four serrated heads. The whole thing was mounted on top of a seven-foot bound shaft. The hammer provided several smaller impact points with greater impact. Its elongated shape made it very effective at hitting horsemen.

Another variation was bec de corbin, the old French “raven's beak.” Unlike the Lucerne hammer, the bec de corbin was used primarily for beak (spike) attacks. The hammer was usually blunt instead of a multi-toothed “alfalfa”. The beak was generally denser, longer, and better suited for tearing through armor, while the point was shorter so as not to interfere with the beak's purposes.

In the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York there is a helmet believed to have belonged to Joan of Arc, with a deep dent—almost a hole through it—on the left cheek, “the work of” bec de corbin.

The bec de corbin became a common name for other types of war hammers, like the bec de faucon, or “Falcon's beak.” Another variety was called a “rider's pick,” a type of cavalry war hammer with a long, downward-curved beak, similar to a miner's pick, but thinner. It was used as a means of penetrating thick armor or chain mail, but was relatively heavy, making it unwieldy and easily avoided. An interesting weapon that developed in parallel with the bec de corbin was the Persian and Indian war hammer, which was distinguished by a complex thick and sharp beak.

In Western Europe, the hammer continued to be a relatively popular auxiliary weapon in the 16th century, mainly for cavalry. During the same time period, the pike became the primary polearm weapon, while various forms of the warhammer - including larger varieties of the polex - were relegated to use by special guards. The increasing use of accurate and potentially armor-piercing ranged weapons from the late 15th and 16th centuries sealed the fate of armour.

By the beginning of the 17th century, in the choice between the speed and maneuverability of cavalry and heavy frontal armor, preference was given to the first option. An important reason for abandoning armor was that the likelihood of being hit by musket fire was low - even for the first rank of charging cavalry. The vast majority of standard gunpowder weapons were smoothbore, which greatly reduced accuracy. The war hammer, by that time no longer used for its original purpose, began to come back into fashion as a crushing weapon, used against armor, which in Western Europe tended to be lighter.

Polish Hussar Hammer

The situation with the war hammer in Eastern Europe was completely different. There, lighter armor was the norm, and the hammer became a popular auxiliary weapon for the light cavalry known as hussars.

By the end of the 16th century, the hussars had become a new, more flexible heavy cavalry force, using their signature 18-foot light lance as their main striking weapon. The total weight of the hussars' armor did not exceed 30 pounds.

The early Polish hussar hammer thrown from the saddle was of German and Italian design, with a long shaft. Two varieties were named in Turkish. The coin was a combination of a hammer on one side and an ax on the other. The najak, perhaps the most popular war hammer, had hexagonal heads balanced at the other end by a long, slightly drooping beak.

The Polish “butt” eventually became popular as a cane. Polish nobles carried war hammers like civilian swords, and apparently used them as such, for defense or in duels. As a consequence, privately owned war hammers were banned as too dangerous in 1578, 1601 and 1620. Although heavy fines were imposed for wearing them, except for military personnel, their use for the protection of civilians continued into the 18th century.