Norwegian battle axe

Weapon

The Norwegian battle axe, also called Norwegian peasant militia axe, Norwegian peasant axe or peasant battle axe (Norwegian: bondeøks or bondestridsøks), is a tool and weapon from Norway, which was an important part of the Norwegian national defense in the 1600s.

Description

The axe has great symbolic worth in Scandinavia, and appears in the coat of arms of Norway and as a symbol of Saint Olav, the patron saint of Norway. The peasant axe has a mostly straight shaft with a distinct curve towards the blade.^[1] The blade is crescent-shaped blade and single-edged. It is assumed that the axe is a further development of the Viking axe, also known as the Danish axe. The shape of the shaft favors a cutting effect from the blade. Peasant axes were often highly decorated and had a high status in the Norwegian culture as a symbol of the free farmer.