Halberd

A halberd (also called halbard or halbert) is a two-handed polearm that was used a lot from the 13th to 16th centuries. It has an axe blade on top with a sharp spike, and it is placed on a long stick. Some halberds also had a hook or a sharp point on the back of the axe blade. This hook helped soldiers grab enemies who were on horses and also protected soldiers who used guns, like musketeers.

The halberd was usually about 2 to 2.5 metres long, which is about 6.6 to 8.2 feet. People who fought with halberds were called halberdiers or halbardiers. The name "halberd" comes from old German words: halm, meaning "handle," and barte, meaning "battleaxe." These words came together to make helmbarte. Sometimes, the word "halberd" is also used to talk about an old weapon from the Bronze Age in Western Europe. That older weapon had a blade fixed to a pole at a right angle.

History

The halberd was first mentioned around the year 1200 by a German poet. It was used as a weapon by Swiss soldiers in battles, like the Battle of Morgarten in 1315. It was easy to make and very useful in fights.

Later, the Swiss added longer spears to their army, but still used halberds for close fighting. Over time, the halberd became less common as guns were used more. By the 1600s, it was mostly used by leaders to help keep soldiers in line. Today, it is still used in special ceremonies, like by the Swiss Guard in the Vatican.

The development of the halberd

The word helmbarte began appearing in German texts from the 13th century. At first, the halberd looked a lot like other broad axes used across Europe, such as bardiches. By the late 1300s, it started to change, with the top of the blade turning into a sharper point for thrusting.

Some people mistakenly call this shape a voulge or a Swiss voulge, but there is no proof these names were ever used for it. There were different versions of these weapons, some with spikes on the back and some without. In the early 1400s, the design changed to include sockets in the blade instead of hoops. This new design made back spikes a regular part of the halberd.

Similar and related polearms

Main article: Polearm

Here are some weapons that are like the halberd. The bardiche was a big two-handed battle axe used in Eastern Europe. The bill looked like a halberd but had a hooked blade. The Ge or dagger-axe was a Chinese weapon with a dagger-shaped blade on a spear. The fauchard had a curved blade on a long pole and was used in Europe long ago. The guisarme was a medieval weapon on a long pole, and later versions had a small spike on the back. The glaive had a large blade on the end of a long pole. The guandao was a Chinese weapon with a heavy curved blade and a spike at the back. The ji combined a spear and dagger-axe in one weapon. The kamayari was a Japanese spear with extra blades. The Lochaber axe was a Scottish weapon with a heavy blade on a pole, like early halberds. The naginata was a Japanese weapon with a long blade on a wooden shaft. The partisan was a large spear with extra parts on the sides to block sword attacks. The poleaxe had an axe or hammer head and a spike on top, used to fight against armoured knights and soldiers. The ranseur was a polearm with a spearhead and a cross hilt. The spontoon was a fancy pike with extra blades. The voulge was a simple blade on a wooden shaft. The tabarzin was a type of battle axe from the Middle East. The war scythe was a scythe blade attached vertically to a shaft. The Welsh hook was similar to a halberd and came from an old forest tool. The woldo was a Korean polearm with a crescent-shaped blade, used as a symbol by the Royal Guard. And Yue was a Chinese axe with a long shaft.