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| [[Image:Axt Handwerk.jpg|thumb|300px|Axe]]
| | #REDIRECT [[Hatchet]] |
| {{otheruses}}
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| The '''axe'''<ref name="spelling">Although ''ax'' is an accepted variant spelling in the [[United States]], like ''archeology'' (as opposed to [[archaeology]]) it is rarely if ever used; ''axe'' appears first in dictionaries, and the variant would be considered odd by any other anglophone.</ref> (occasionally ''ax'') is an ancient and ubiquitous [[tool]] that has been used for [[millennia]] to shape, split and cut wood, [[harvest]] [[timber]], as a [[weapon]] and a [[ceremonial]] or [[heraldic]] [[symbol]]. The axe has many forms and specialized uses but generally consists of an axe head with a [[handle]], or helve.
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| The earliest examples of axes have heads of [[rock (geology)|stone]] with some form of wooden handle attached (hafted) in a method to suit the available materials and use. Axes made of [[copper]], [[bronze]], [[iron]] and [[steel]] appeared as these technologies developed.
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| The axe is an example of a [[simple machine]], as it is a type of [[wedge]], or dual [[inclined plane]]. This reduces the effort needed by the wood chopper. It spilts the wood into two parts by the pression.
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| Most modern axes have steel heads and wooden handles (typically [[hickory]]) although [[plastic]] or [[fiberglass]] handles are not uncommon. Modern axes are specialized by use, size and form. Hafted axes with short handles designed for use with one hand are often called hand axes but the term hand axe refers to axes without handles as well. [[Hatchet]]s tend to be small hafted axes often with a [[hammer]] on the back side.
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| Axes were frequently used in combat as they were easy to make.
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| ==History==
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| [[Image:Axe of iron from Swedish Iron Age, found at Gotland, Sweden.jpg|thumb|[[Iron age]] axe head from [[Gotland]]]]
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| [[Image:Godefroi 4.jpg|thumb|[[Godfrey of Bouillon]] holds a Pollaxe]]
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| [[Image:Old axes.jpg|thumb|A collection of old Australian axes]]
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| Early stone tools like the [[hand axe]] were probably not hafted. The first true hafted axes are known from the [[Mesolithic]] period (ca. [[6000 BC]]), where axes made from antler continued to be utilized in the [[Neolithic]] in some areas. Chopping tools made from [[flint]] were hafted as [[adze]]s.
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| Axes made from ground stone are known since the Neolithic. They were used to fell [[tree]]s and for woodworking. Few wooden hafts have been found, but it seems that the axe was normally hafted by wedging. [[Birch-tar]] and raw-[[hide]] lashings were used to fix the blade. Since the late Neolithic ([[Michelsberg culture]], [[Cortaillod culture]]) very small axe blades of a rectangular shape became common. They were hafted with an [[antler]] sleeve. This prevented both the splitting of the haft and softened the impact on the stone blade itself.
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| The earlier Neolithic axe blades were made by first knapping and then grinding a stone. By late Neolithic times, sawing (wooden [[saw]]s and sand) became common. This allowed a more efficient use of the raw material. In [[Scandinavia]], Northern [[Germany]] and [[Poland]] axe blades made from knapped and polished [[flint]] were common.
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| From the late Neolithic onwards ([[Pfyn-Altheim culture]]s) flat axes were made of [[copper]] or copper mixed with [[arsenic]]. Bronze axes are found since the early [[Bronze Age]] (A2). The flat axe developed into [[palstaves]], flanged axes and later winged and socketed axes. The so-called "[[Battle-axe people]]" of [[3rd millennium BC]] Europe has been suggested to correspond to early [[Proto-Indo-Europeans]], ancestors of the later [[Celt]]ic and [[Germanic tribes]]. Axes also were an important part in the Chinese weaponry.
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| The [[PIE|Proto-Indo-European]] word for "axe" may have been ''pelek'u-'' ([[Greek language|Greek]] ''pelekus'' πέλεκυς, [[Sanskrit]] ''parashu'', see also [[Parashurama]]), but the word was probably a loan, or a Neolithic [[wanderwort]], ultimately related to [[Sumerian language|Sumerian]] ''balag'', [[Akkadian language|Akkadian]] ''pilaku-'' (see also [[Labrys]]).
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| Late Neolithic 'axe [[Factory|factories]]', where thousands of ground stone axes were roughed out are known from [[Great Britain]] (for example [[Great Langdale]] in [[Cumbria]]), [[Ireland]] ([[Lambay Island]], [[Porphyry]], [[Rathlin Island]] and [[Tievebulliagh]], porcellanite) Poland ([[Krzemionki]], [[flint]]), [[France]] ([[Plancher-les-Mines]], Vosges, [[pelite]], [[Plussulien]], [[Brittany]], meta-[[dolerite]]) and [[Italy]] (Val de'Aoste, [[omphacite]]. The distribution of stone axes is an important indication of [[prehistoric]] [[trade]]. [[Thin-section|thin sectioning]] is used to determine the provenance of ground stone axe blades.
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| Stone axes are still produced and in use today in parts of [[Irian Jaya]], [[New Guinea]]. The [[Mount Hagen]] area was an important production centre.
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| ==Symbolism, ritual and folklore==
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| At least since the late Neolithic, elaborate axes (battle-axes, T-axes, etc.) had a [[Religion|religious]] significance as well and probably indicated the exalted [[status]] of their owner. Certain types almost never show traces of wear; deposits of unshafted axe blades from the middle Neolithic (such as Somerset Levels in Great Britain) may have been gifts to the [[god]]s.
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| In Minoan Crete, the [[double axe]] (labrys) had a special meaning. Double axes date back to the Neolithic as well. In [[1998]], a [[double axe]], complete with an elaborately embellished haft, was found at Cham-Eslen, [[Canton of Zug]], [[Switzerland]]. The haft was 120 cm long and wrapped in ornamented birch-bark. The axe blade is 17,4 cm long and made of [[antigorite]], mined in the [[Gotthard]]-area. The haft goes through a biconical drilled hole and is fastened by wedges of antler and by birch-tar. It belongs to the early [[Cortaillod culture]].
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| [[Image:ETAlogo.jpg|thumb|100px|In the [[ETA]] symbol, the axe symbolizes strength.]]
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| In the [[ancient Rome|Roman]] ''[[fasces]]'', the axe symbolized the [[authority]] to execute and were often used as symbols for Fascist Italy under Mussolini.
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| In [[folklore]], stone axes were sometimes believed to be [[thunderbolt]]s and were used to guard buildings against [[lightning]], as it was believed ([[Rumor|mythically]]) that [[lightning]] never struck the same place twice. This has caused some skewing of axe distributions.
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| [[Steel]] axes were important in [[superstition]] as well. A thrown axe could keep off a [[hailstorm]], sometimes an axe was placed in the [[Crop (agriculture)|crops]], with the cutting edge to the skies to protect the [[harvest]] against bad [[weather]]. An upright axe buried under the [[sill]] of a house would keep off [[witches]], while an axe under the bed would assure [[male]] [[offspring]].
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| [[Basque people|Basques]] and [[Australians]] have developed variants of [[rural sports]] that perpetuate the traditions of log cutting with axe. The Basque variants, splitting horizontally or vertically disposed logs, are generically called ''aizkolaritza'' (from ''aizkora'': axe).
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| ==Parts of the Axe==
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| The axe is comprised of two primary components, the axe ''head'', and the ''haft''.
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| The '''Axe Head''' is typically bounded by the ''bit'' (or blade) at one end, and the ''poll'' (or butt) at the other, though some designs feature two bits opposite each other. The top corner of the bit where the cutting edge begins is called the ''toe'', and the bottom corner is known as the ''heel''. Either side of the head is called the ''cheek'', which is sometimes supplemented by ''lugs'' where the head meets the haft, and the hole where the haft is mounted is called the ''eye''. The part of the bit that descends below the rest of the axe-head is called the beard, and a ''bearded axe'' is an antiquated axe head with an exaggerated beard that can sometimes extend the cutting edge twice the height of the rest of the head.
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| The '''Axe Haft''' is sometimes called the handle. Traditionally, it was made of a resilient hardwood like hickory or ash, but modern axes often have hafts made of durable synthetic materials. Antique axes and their modern reproductions, like the [[Tomahawk (axe)|tomahawk]], often had a simple, straight haft with a circular cross-section that wedged onto the axe-head without the aid of wedges or pins. Modern hafts are curved for better grip and to aid in the swinging motion, and are mounted securely to the head. The ''shoulder'' is where the head mounts onto the haft, and this is either a long oval or rectangular cross-section of the haft that's secured to the axe head with small metal or wooden wedges. The ''belly'' of the haft is the longest part, where it bows in gently, and the throat is where it curves sharply down into to the short ''grip'', just before end of the haft, which is known as the ''knob''.
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| ==Forms of Axes==
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| ===Axes designed to cut or shape wood===
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| [[Image:Axt zum spalten1.jpg|thumb|Splitting axe]]
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| *'''Felling axe''' — Cuts across the grain of wood, as in the felling of trees. In single or double bit (the bit is the cutting edge of the head) forms and many different weights, shapes, handle types and cutting geometries to match the characteristics of the material being cut.
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| *'''Splitting Axe''' — Used to split with the grain of the wood. Splitting axe bits are more wedge shaped. This shape causes the axe to rend the fibres of the wood apart, without having to cut through them, especially if the blow is delivered with a twisting action at impact.
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| *'''[[Broad axe]]''' — Used with the grain of the wood in precision splitting. Broad axe bits are [[chisel]]-shaped (one flat and one bevelled edge) facilitating more controlled work.
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| *'''[[Adze]]''' — A variation featuring a head perpendicular to that of an axe. Rather than splitting wood side-by-side, it is used to rip a level surface into a horizontal piece of wood.
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| ===Axes as weapons ===
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| ====Mêlée====
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| for a more complete list, see [[List of Mêlée weapons]]
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| [[Image:Axes01.jpg|thumb|200px|Replicas of battle axes]]
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| *'''[[Battle axe]]''' — In its most common form, an arm-length weapon borne in one or both hands. Compared to a [[sword]] swing, it delivers more cleaving power against a smaller target area, making it more effective against armor.
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| *'''[[Tomahawk (axe)|Tomahawk]]''' — practically synonymous with the [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]], its blade was originally crafted of stone. Along with the familiar war version, which could be fashioned as a throwing weapon, the pipe tomahawk was a ceremonial and diplomatic tool. A similar type of axe is the African [[nzappa zap]].
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| *'''[[Valaška]]''' — used by [[Slovaks|Slovak]] shepherds, it could double as a [[walking stick]].
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| *'''[[Ono (weapon)|Ono]]''' — a [[Japanese people|Japanese]] weapon wielded by ''[[sōhei]]'' warrior monks.
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| ====Pole Arm====
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| *'''[[Halberd]]''' — a [[spear]]like weapon with a hooked poll, effective against mounted [[cavalry]].
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| *'''[[Pollaxe|Pole axe]]''' — designed to defeat [[plate armor]]. Its axe (or hammer) head is much narrower than other axes, which accounts for its penetrating power.
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| *'''[[Danish axe]]''' — A long-handled weapon with a large flat blade, often attributed to the [[Viking]]s.
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| ====Ranged====
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| *'''[[Throwing axe]]''' — Any of a number of [[ranged weapon]]s designed to strike with a similar splitting action as their [[Mêlée weapon|Mêlée]] counterparts. These are often small in profile and usable with one hand.
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| *'''[[Hurlbat]]''' — An entirely metal throwing axe sharpened on every auxiliary end to a point or blade, practically guaranteeing some form of damage against its target.
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| *'''[[Francisca]]''' or '''[[Franks|Frankish]] axe''' — a shaftless throwing weapon, the name of which became that of its people and its nation, [[France]].
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| ===Axes for other uses===
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| [[Image:Firefighter with axe.jpg|thumb|[[Firefighter]] with a fire axe]]
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| [[Image:Fire Axe.JPG|thumb|right|250px|A fire axe.]]
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| *'''[[Firefighter]]'s axe''' or '''fire axe''' — It has a pick-shaped pointed poll (area of the head opposite the cutting edge). It is often decorated in vivid colors to make it easily visible during an emergency.
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| *'''[[Pulaski (tool)|Pulaski]]''' — An axe with a [[mattock]] blade built into the rear of the main axe blade, used for digging ('grubbing out') through and around roots as well as chopping. In addition to the [[McCloud (tool)|McCloud]] (a tool similar to a hoe/rake combination), the pulaski is an indispensable tool used in fighting [[forest fire]]s, as well as trail-building, brush clearance and similar functions.
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| *'''[[Maul]]''' — A splitting implement that has evolved from the simple 'wedge' design to more complex designs. Some mauls have a conical 'axehead'; compound mauls have swivelling 'sub-wedges', among other types; others have a heavy wedge-shaped head, with a [[sledgehammer]] face opposite.
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| *'''[[Zax (tool)|Zax]]''' or '''slater's axe''' — An axe for cutting roofing [[slate]], with a long point on the poll for punching nail holes, and with the blade offset laterally from the handle to protect the worker's hand from flying slate chips.
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| [[Image:Travellers' Axe - Project Gutenberg eText 14861.jpg|frame|left|Climbing axes from circa 1872]]
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| *'''Climbing axe''' or '''ice axe''' — A number of different styles of [[ice axe]] are designed for ice [[climbing]], and, though less used today than in previous times, for rock work, especially in enlarging steps used by climbers.
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| In the illustration to the left, from an [[1872]] "Art of Travel" publication, figure 1 represents a light axe or [[Pickaxe|pick]] which has the great advantage of lightness and handiness, with a single blade, or [[adze]], suited to step-cutting and with a small hammer-head at the back which balances the pick, and is useful in inserting pegs into rock and ice. Figure 2 represents a travellers' axe, slightly heavier than the first, and which, at least at the time, was recommended as adapted for mountain work of all kinds.
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| ==Trivia==
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| * Stone axes are quite efficient tools; using one, it takes about 10 minutes to fell a [[hardwood]] [[ash tree]] of 10 cm diameter, one to two hours for an ash of 30 cm diameter. (Modern comparison: 25 cm [[softwood]] [[white pine]], standing chop, under two minutes with a 3.5 kg competition felling axe.){{Fact|date=February 2007}}
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| ==See also==
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| *[[Battle axe]]
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| *[[Labrys]]
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| *[[Sagaris]]
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| *[[Fasces]]
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| *[[Hatchet]]
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| *[[Machado]]
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| *[[Battle axe people]]
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| *[[Throwing axe]]
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| *[[Francisca]]
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| *[[Hurlbat]]
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| *[[Nzappa zap]]
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| *[[Tomahawk (axe)|Tomahawk]]
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| ==Literature==
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| ===Neolithic axes===
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| *W. Borkowski, Krzemionki mining complex (Warszawa 1995)
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| *P. Pétrequin, La hache de pierre: carrières vosgiennes et échanges de lames polies pendant le néolithique (5400 - 2100 av. J.-C.) (exposition musées d'Auxerre Musée d'Art et d'Histoire) (Paris, Ed. Errance, 1995).
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| *R. Bradley/M. Edmonds, Interpreting the axe trade: production and exchange in Neolithic Britain (1993).
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| *P. Pétrequin/A.M. Pétrequin, Écologie d'un outil: la hache de pierre en [[Irian Jaya]] (Indonésie). CNRS Éditions, Mongr. du Centre Rech. Arch. 12 (Paris 1993).
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| ===Superstition===
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| H. Bächtold-Stäubli, Handwörterbuch des deutschen Aberglaubens (Berlin, De Gruyter 1987).
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| ==Sources==
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| * Section about types of axes is based on a [[Quicksilver Wiki]] article at [http://www.metaweb.com/wiki/wiki.phtml?title=A_Glossary_of_Terms_For_Traditional_Timber_Framing_(Timberbee)] under the terms of the [[Wikipedia:Text of the GNU Free Documentation License|GNU Free Documentation License]].
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| ==Notes==
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| <references />
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| [[Category:Axes|*]]
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| [[Category:Lithics]]
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| [[Category:Archaeological artefact types]]
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| [[Category:Woodworking hand tools]]
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| [[Category:Blade weapons]]
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| [[Category:Primitive weapons]]
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| [[Category:Ancient weapons]]
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| [[Category:Medieval weapons]]
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| [[Category:Survival skills]]
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| [[ang:Æcs]]
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| [[ar:فأس]]
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| [[ast:Hachu]]
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| [[bg:Брадва]]
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| [[ca:Destral]]
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| [[cs:Sekera]]
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| [[da:Økse]]
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| [[eo:Hakilo]]
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| [[eu:Aizkora]]
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| [[hr:Sjekira]]
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| [[io:Hakilo]]
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| [[id:Kapak]]
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| [[is:Öxi]]
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| [[it:Scure]]
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| [[he:גרזן]]
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| [[lt:Kirvis]]
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| [[mk:Секира]]
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| [[ms:Kapak]]
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| [[ja:斧]]
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| [[no:Øks]]
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| [[nn:Øks]]
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| [[pl:Topór]]
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| [[pt:Machado]]
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| [[ru:Топор]]
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| [[simple:Axe]]
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| [[sk:Sekera]]
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| [[sl:Sekira]]
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| [[sr:Секира]]
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| [[sh:Sjekira]]
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| [[sv:Yxa]]
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| [[th:ขวาน]]
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| [[zh:斧]]
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| [[de:Äxte und Beile]]
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| [[fi:Kirves]]
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| [[fr:Hachette]]
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| [[nl:Bijl]]
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