Lochaber axe: Difference between revisions

[[Image:Edinburgh Castle Great Hall Pole Weapons.jpg|thumb|[[Pole weapon|Polearms]] and [[basket-hilted sword]]s in the Great Hall of [[Edinburgh Castle]]. The polearm on the right is a Lochaber axe; the other two are [[halberd]]s.|400x400px]]▼

The '''Lochaber axe''' ([[Scottish Gaelic|Gaëlic]]: tuagh-chatha) is a type of [[poleaxe]] that was used almost exclusively in [[Scotland]]. It was usually mounted on a staff about five feet long.<ref>Logan p. 312</ref>▼

The Lochaber axe is first recorded in 1501, as an "old Scottish batale ax of Lochaber fasoun".<ref name="W1-195197">[[#W1|Waldman (2005)]] pp. 195&ndash;197.</ref>▼

The weapon is very similar to the [[Jedwart stave|Jedburgh axe]], although the crescent blade of the former is larger and heavier than that of the latter.<ref name="W1-195197"/> The Lochaber axe took many incarnations, all of them having a few elements in common. It was a heavy weapon, used by infantry for a defense against cavalry and as a [[pike (weapon)|pike]] against [[infantry]]. Like most other [[polearm]]s of the time, it consisted of two parts: shaft and blade. The shaft was usually some five or six feet (1.5 or 1.8 m) long, and mounted with a blade of about 18 inches (45&nbsp;cm) in length which usually resembled a [[bardiche]] or [[voulge]] in design. The blade might be attached in two places and often had a sharp point coming off the top. In addition a hook (or ''cleek'') was attached to the back of the blade. A butt spike was included as a counterweight to the heavy axe head. Langets were incorporated down each side of the shaft to prevent the head from being cut off.{{citation needed|date=May 2015}}▼

==Use==▼

In hand-to-hand combat, the axe, in common with other polearms such as the [[halberd]], has a spike on the end, to be used on close combat in a thrusting motion. The axe on the side, coupled with the long pole, delivered a powerful blow to infantry or dismounted cavalry.{{citation needed|date=May 2015}}. The example in the Edinburgh Great Hall Museum shows a substantial rear-facing hook, for catching/pulling.▼

For lochaber axes used by the [[city guard]]s of [[Edinburgh]], the hook is almost level with the top of the staff, making them useless as a means to catch a moving object. These hooks, however, may have been used to hang the weapons in the guard room.<ref name="W1-195197"/>▼

==References==▼

*{{cite book |last=Waldman |first=J |year=2005 |title=Hafted Weapons in Medieval and Renaissance Europe: The Evolution of European Staff Weapons between 1200 and 1650 |series=History of Warfare (series vol. 31) |publisher=[[Brill Publishers|Brill]] |publication-place=Leiden |isbn=90-04-14409-9 |ref=W1 }}▼

*{{cite book |last=Logan |first=James |year=1831 |title=The Scottish Gaël: Or, Celtic Manners, as Preserved Among the Highlanders, Being an Historical and Descriptive Account of the Inhabitants, Antiquities, and National Peculiarities of Scotland; More Particularly of the Northern, Or Gaëlic Parts of the Country, where the Singular Habits of the Aboriginal Celts are Most Tenaciously Retained |series= |publisher=[[Smith, Elder & Co.]] |publication-place= |isbn= |ref=L1 |location=London|pages=|page=|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n0MDAAAAYAAJ|volume=1}}▼

[[Category:Polearms]]▼

[[Category:Blade weapons]]▼