Talk:Battle axe

Where on earth did that funky picture come from? Can't someone find a photo of the real things?

"No historical examples of North European double headed axes exist (in the eastern Mediterrean the Labrys was known), though they are ubiquitous to fantasy and fiction writings and movies."

but also

"Battle axes sometimes had two heads (one on each side) or a spike on the top and the opposite side of the blade."

can anyone clarify?

The double headed axe is mainly a product of modern fantasy mythology. They would have been much too heavy and unwieldy to be practical, and certainly could not be thrown as well as a Frankish axe. The Labrys appears to be more of a religious item than a military weapon. The association of the Labrys with Lesbians is unfortunate, mainly because was largely a religious ceremonial item. But then, perhaps a Homer expert knows better.Scott Adler 13:02, 24 March 2007 (UTC)

This article seems to be settling down, but was originally subject to some radical changes, and was never written in a cohesive way, rather several authors added a line or two, often contraticing from one line to the next. Several highly questionable statements (axes weighing 30+ lbs, et al)were removed a bit at a time. Some popped back up and were redacted. This article needs an in depth overhaul by one qualified author.

Why no mention of the Franks?

The Franks were the only nation to specialize specifically in the battle axe rather than the sword and spear combination. Why are they omitted?Scott Adler 13:02, 24 March 2007 (UTC)

Movie Photo

Don't get me wrong, I think the lovely lady with the axe is very pretty, I just don't like seeing movie ads on pages which are not related. Can someone bust out the tuxpaint and make a battle axe picture?

Mjollnir?

Stone axes have been in use since at least the 3rd millennium BC, see Battle-axe people (see also Mjollnir).

I am deleting the link to Mjollnir, as it is unrelated to this article (Mjollnir was a hammer, not an axe, and you can see so yourself on the article: Mjollnir)

--Loki Laufeyson 02:32, 7 May 2006 (UTC)

More detail

This article looks like it's the beginnings of an overview, but I'd really like to see more detail: average lengths and weights of typical axes would be wonderful, as well as usage styles (one handed/two handed). I'm just thirsting for more details. The article on the Dane axe is good, but why is there nothing about anything for 1-handed battle axes (as the picture appears to be of)? The Jade Knight (talk) 07:41, 10 March 2009 (UTC)

Even a single decent semi-scholarly article would be great. The Jade Knight (talk) 07:43, 10 March 2009 (UTC)

opening picture

Frisian folk hero Pier Gerlofs Donia wielding his battle axe

The opening picture, that of Pier Gerlofs Donia with his "axe", does not depict what most battle axes look like. I don't think the weapon he is holding even exists. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.35.206.74 (talk) 19:01, 17 March 2009 (UTC)

The weapon Donia holds in the image is 'NOT' a battle axe, it is a ploughshare. The picture illustrates a well-known story about Donia killing Dutch mercenaries with his plough (which is seen in the background). The image has therefore no place on a page about battle axes. I replaced it with the earlier image of real battle axes.Paaskynen (talk)

Apparent Typo in top entry ...

... Axes designed for warfare ranged ... such as the Danish axe or the sparth axe. Anytime longer than 4000.5 m [I would think this should read "Anything longer than 1.5 m"] ... would arguably fall more into the category of polearms. Jornadigan (talk) 18:01, 28 February 2010 (UTC)

Battle Axe used as an insult

Would someone please comment on how this term became coined as an insult, namely "old battle axe." I've heard it used a couple of times recently and am wondering if it simply refers to age (as in someone very old) or has a more significant meaning.76.248.149.162 (talk) 04:22, 17 September 2010 (UTC)John Anderson, CT.

Non-distinction

From the into:

They produced several varieties, including..."bearded" axes...and "skeg" axes...

"Skeg" is an Old Norse word that means "bearded". Therefore, the sentence is making a non-distinction. I am rewriting it as required. 12.233.146.130 (talk) 21:02, 10 October 2011 (UTC)

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