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I have never seen that kind of weapon, and I was unable to find anything similar from my reference books or from web search. I found a few drawings of roughly similar weapons, but they were just fantasy art.

However, I have seen several weapon illustrations which were based on badly framed photographs of real weapons (old RPG books and early PC games had several of these). For example, if you have a rack of weapons in a museum, and you take a photo from one end of the rack, the first two weapons may look like they were one weird-looking weapon.

In this case, the weapon looks like it was drawn from a photo which had a light mace in foreground, and a broken sword at background. Maybe.

Here is a picture from Upplandsmuseet (Uppsala, Sweden), with mannequins holding swordstaff and halberd.
The swordstaff has ~180 cm staff and  ~70 cm blade. The blade is attached to the staff with short socket and two langets.

About the speed-shooting video

Lars Andersen is not a professional historian or researcher, He is artist (painter) and trick-shooter who has very good skills. Some of his opinions about the history of archery might be too far-reaching, but nobody denies that he has very good skills in speed-shooting.

Apparently he started to experiment with speed-shooting techniques some ten years ago, and later on he started to make videos to show how the speed-shooting works in practice. The first YouTube I have seen was released around 2012. At that time there was some debunking videos trying to explain that the video was edited, but they went quiet very fast when other archers started to make similar speed-shooting videos.

About the debunking video

There are some things which might be either misunderstood or deliberately misrepresented in the debunking video. Apparently they just watched the latest YouTube video, and did not bother to check out what has happened before. Some of the "revelations" on this debunking video were actually explained in the 2012 video.

From the context, I would assume that the debunkers have not bothered to read the book "Saracen Archery, and English version and exposition of a Mameluke work on archery (ca. A.D. 136, With Introduction, Glossary and Illustration (1970)". Lars Andersen mentions this book as his source of inspiration in the 2012 video.

The speed-shooting is mentioned in Chapter 25 "Miscellaneous techniques and devices", Comment section 5 "Dexterity and Rate of Shooting", page 142. The section stars as: "In terms intelligible to the modern reader the standard of rapidity the author sets for the archer is the ability to discharge 3 arrows in about one and a half seconds."

In the debunking video, the last "question" was how the 1.5 seconds was measured. Unfortunately I don't have access to the original text (which was apparently very difficult to translate), but one way of measuring this kind of speed events was to drop a scarf from shoulder level, and launching three arrows before the scarf hits the ground.

In conclusion

Sorry about this long rant.
You should always be slightly skeptical about what you read, including what I just wrote.
However, you should also be slightly skeptical about the skeptic revelations.

PS: You can find a PDF version of the book by Googling for "Saracen Archery". I rather enjoyed reading the book, and there was a lot of material which was totally unknown to me. For example, Chapter 26 "On shooting with an arrow-guide (Mijrat)" shows the devices used to launch short arrows (something like crossbow bolts) using a normal bow.

Edit. Damn... my Freudian slips are getting through the spell checker. Thank you, crodio. 

The Vietnamese Glaive has quite interesting shape. Having a single "dogtooth" notch at trailing edge of the blade might allow some hook-and-pull and weapon-control manouvers, but the dogtooth is shallow enough to prevent blade from getting tangled with opponent.

At this point, we know that:

Amateur archaeologists found the grave using a metal detector, and the items were ~65 cm below ground. Fortunately the finders stopped digging after finding a axe-blade and spear point, and called professional archaeologist. It appears that there are more graves in the same area.

The skeleton was removed very carefully, and the whole head was still within a ball of dirt. The head will be uncovered vary carefully, so that it might be possible to recover facial features, etc.

The swordsman had been ~180 cm tall.
He had been buried around 1100 AD.
The grave contained two swords and other weapons (axe, spear).
The longer sword is ~120 cm long, and it has Latin inscription "In the name of the lord".
The shorter sword appears to be a viking sword from 900 AD (late viking era). It could have been a family heirloom.
It is possible that the viking sword has been recovered form earlier funeral pyre.
Currently both swords are being x-ray imaged to examine the inscriptions more closely. Both swords have some text.

theelder said:

... i though it was called bastard sword...

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We usually call a longsword as "bastard sword" if it has a bastard grip. In this grip type there is a sub-pommel in the middle of the grip, dividing the grip into front-hand and rear-hand sections. The sub-pommel prevents the front-hand from accidentally sliding down the grip if the sword is swung single-handed. The rear-hand section of the grip can also be narrower than the front-hand section.

Some sword-smiths call the front-hand section as "proper grip" and narrow rear-hand section as "the bastard of the grip".

The picture which Tork789 posted has a longsword with bastard grip.

theelder said:

... scimitars ... even though it's harder to parry with them

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I am not sure if parrying is much more difficult with curved blade than with a straight blade. Some of the parrying methods just appear to be slightly different. However, a curved blade has some interesting attack features.

I got a nasty surprise when I was first time sparring with a skilled opponent who used a sabre. When I parried a cut off-the-center, he rotated his wrist so that the curvature of his blade brought the blade tip back within my defence and trusted.

Some sabre models have sharpened false-edge so that the blade tip and first third of the blade is double-edged. This allows rotating the blade and draw-cutting while recovering from block or parry.

Here is a picture of a curved sword with sharpened false-edge.

Slawtering said:

Pollaxe/Bec De Faucon

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Damn. There was a glaring hole in my education. I had never seen a "Bec De Faucon", and the only similar-sounding weapon name I know was "Bec De Corbin". It took me a while to find what is the difference.

The word "bec de corbin" means the beak (or bill) of a crow. The crowbill is shaped so that it can penetrate into a target with little effort. This shape has been copied into various weapons, and is known as "crowbill pick". Crowbill pick is often seen as the peen of an axe or hammer, so the name "bec de corbin" can mean several different weapon types.

Here is a picture of a horseman's axe with crowbill pick peen.

Here is a picture of long-hafted hammer with thrusting spike, voided hammer poll and crowbill pick peen.
The hammer head (poll) has been lightened (voided) by grinding away a cross-shaped area from the center, leaving only 4 prongs.

"Bec De Faucon" means the beak of a hawk. Hawkbill pick resembles crowbill pick, but the upper edge of the pick has been drawn into a crest with concave sides. This forms a blade running along the upper edge.

Here is a picture of a long-hammer with thrusting blade, voided hammer poll and hawkbill pick peen. The right image shows the front-view of the pick.

I have seen a picture of a another type of pick with deeper hook where the lower edge had been drawn into a blade, but I do not know its name.

The English word "poll" means the face of a hammer, so "poll-axe" can mean "hammer-axe" or "long-axe with hammer peen".

Here is a picture of long-axe with thrusting spike, axe blade and hammer peen:

Conners said:

With the various weapon archetypes, what situation would make you prefer one over the other?

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Previously I used to prefer to use winged spear in mixed-weapon fencing, but now I prefer a partisan. Partisan proved to be even more versatile weapon than winged spear.

Proper partisan is ox-tongue spear with parrying lugs at the base of the blade. The blade has similar size and shape as a short sword. The rear of the blade is rounded so that it will not get tangled when blade is pulled back.

Note that the parrying lugs must be short and straight. This allows you to catch opponent's weapon with lugs, push it aside, and continue with attack. If you used a weapon with hooked lugs (as in ranseur or spetum) you would need to disengage by pulling back.

After firearms become common, sergeants and officers were still carrying Partisans as symbol of authority. In this use the partisan gained additional elements in the form of curls and hooks on the lugs and decorative piercings and etchings on the blade. The blade shape was also changed to give more room for decorations. This turned these arms into a display of craftsmanship rather than a fighting instrument.



The left partisan is fighting weapon, while the right one is a display item used in parades.

I the northern style of spear-fighting, we do not make cross-blocks with spear shaft. Attacks are parried with spear blade with parry-dodge-attack combinations. The lugs in a winged spear are used to control opponents weapon during parrying

The length of socketed spearhead varies between 30-60 cm. The shortest spearheads are for thrusting spears, while the longer ones are cut-and-thrust blades. When fighting with a proper war-spear, you have good half-meter of steel to parry with.

The spear shaft is made of suitable straight-gained hardwood, which is treated with oil or wax to keep it from drying and becoming brittle. The most common wood for spear-shaft appears to be European Ash.


Old Finnish: "Miekkaa yhellä, kirvettä kahella, keihästä kolmellä käellä. Kussa on suurin väki?"
English translation: "You hold sword with one hand, you hold axe with two hands, you hold spear with three hands. Which one is the strongest?"
(Holding spear with three hands means holding the spear with two hand and pushing shaft with your hip for extra leverage.)

... when the gastraphetes, an ancient Greek crossbow type, appeared.

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I had seen pictures of Greek belly-bow before, but had not examined them closer. After a closer look, I realized that the belly-bow has a sliding arrow-guide which resembles the "side-arrow guide" used in Middle-East to launch mini-arrows. That is, belly-bow is basically a crossbow consisting of bow, stock, sliding side-arrow guide, trigger and spanning rack.

Here are links to some Youtube videos which show both the belly-bow and side-arrow guides.

Greek gastraphetes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlxU6FUlNZU
Description of side-arrow guide: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-d5CyOi58U
Korean archers using side-arrow guide and mini-arrows: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJELZ0vYvV8

Historical European mail armor was usually made with riveted links, but they could also use solid punched links. The punched links are ring-washers cut from sheet metal using a hole punch (ring-blade chisel), and almost half of the links of a mail armor can be solid links.

Older Japanese mail armor was made using butted links, punched links and twisted links (similar to "split rings" used in key-chains), and links were woven in square pattern or hexagonal "flower" pattern. Later on, overseas traders introduced the stronger riveted mail and 4-in-1 flat weave pattern to Japan, and Japanese armorers began to produce this kind of "southern barbarian chain".

Magnus Birgersson, later known as "Magnus Ladulås"

The "Ladulås" means something like "Barn door lock" or "Food store lock".

One explanation for this nickname was that in Alsnön edict (1280) he allowed peasant to "lock up their barns".

Before the edict, travelling noblemen and bishops had the right to claim free food and shelter from any peasant house. In practise this meant that some nobles and bishops were constantly on a moving binge-drink, moving to next house when all available food and alcohol was consumed, and leaving the host family to starve. The Alsnön edict revoked this free upkeep right.

Edit: Damn. !!noice!! managed to mention this nickname just before I send this.

Archonsod said:

... it's impossible to shut down the CNS over the entire body instantaneously, so even if you kill them straight away they can still make a noise as the body undergoes various spasms, reactions and the like...

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Even a dead body can make sudden sounds if the body is handled so that air in the lungs is forced out. It was a bit weird feeling when an elk carcass snorted at me when I was loading it into a trailer.

The only instant incapacitation method taught in sentry removal training involved cutting through the spinal cord at the base of skull. This was done by thrusting a knife into the upper neck just under the hairline, or striking the same area with axe.

Some traditional sentry removal methods have become very difficult, since sentry is likely to wear a body armor. Modern body armors may include the anti-splinter layer, which is a titanium foil sandwiched between dyneema layers. It is just about impossible to get a blade through that.

The four winds hat, the traditional headgear of the Saami men.


Four winds hat has embroiled base which represents the colors of the Northern Lights. The top is a four-pointed star, which represents the four winds. The form and decorations of the hat vary depending on the place of origin and clan. The cloth is fulled close-woven wool.

Modern tourist-trinkets bear very little resemblance to the real four winds hat, and their materials, colors and decorations look ridiculous to those who know the original meanings.

Palaiologos said:

... Whats the propeller mechanism behind it? ...

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The LGH grapnel is a modified 22 mm BTU grenade body with spring-hooks. The grenade is launched by pulling it over the assault rifle muzzle brake (any rifle with NATO standard 22 mm muzzle brake), and firing a single shot. When used in this way, the assault rifle works in a similar way as a small spigot mortar.

In gas-operated rifles it is usually necessary to close the gas port valve before launching a BTU grenade (or this kind of grapple). If the gas port is left open, it is possible that case extraction starts before grenade has left the muzzle, and case is still pressurized. In this case the case may rupture, and propellant gases will exit violently backwards.

One major problem in bolt-action rifles was bolt jamming due to sand and dirt. When soldiers were dug-in during artillery barrage, the artillery shell explosions would kick up clouds of dust, sand, mud, etc. which would coat all equipment. In these conditions a bolt action rifle is prone to jamming when dirt gets between bolt and receiver frame during loading.

In some cases soldiers used to put their bolt-action rifles inside paper bags during artillery barrage, so that they would have clean and working rifles after the barrage ended.

Modern assault rifles are build so that breech-block carrier rides on guide rod or guide rails. This arrangement allows carrier to move without touching receiver walls, and small amount of dust or sand within receiver does not cause jamming.

For example, AK-style assault rifles use the gas piston and the return-spring guide rods as carrier guide rods. AR-18 uses dual return-spring guide rods, and G-36 has dual guide rails.

AR-15 -style assault rifles are build on closer tolerances and do not use the guide-rod arrangement. This  means that a small amount of dirt or sand within receiver frame may cause jamming, and the weapon requires constant cleaning.

It took me a while to dig trough my library, but I finally found weapon which might be called "flintlock repeater": The Mortimer multi-shot pistol which uses modified Lorenzoni system.

Normal Lorenzoni pistols. Crank is used to turn the drum breech so that it can be loaded from above.

Mortimer Multi-shot: a modified Lorenzoni with 7-shot magazine. Crank is on left side of gun and not visible in this photo.

At the rear of the barrel was a drum which was rotated with external crank. The drum hand two recesses, one for ball bullet and one for powder charge. The wooden pistol grip had hopper for bullets and reservoir for loose black powder.

The Mortimer multi-shot was loaded by pointing the barrel downwards, and turning the crank once. When the drum was rotated, one bullet would drop from the hopper into bullet recess at quarter-turn, and drop from recess into breech at half-turn later. In a similar way, black powder poured into the powder recess at half-turn, and at full-turn the powder recess was behind the breech, forming the firing chamber.

Mortimer multi-shot was dangerous weapon for the user, since there was a possibility that propellant gases would flow around the drum and ignite powered reservoir.

The pistol fired 12.7 mm lead balls at 135 m/s muzzle velocity. The grip held bullets and loose powder for 7 shots.

Source: Smith, Graham - Military Small Arms (1994)

Here is an example of an ancient western martial art: Kas-pin
http://www.martial-forums.com/forums/other-martial-arts/1746-kas-pin-martial-art-finland.html

In old times sword techniques were practised using "Flax knives" (also known as "Scutching knife" or "Dussack"; in Finnish it is called "Vidin").

Here is an image of loop-handled flax knife.

The "sickle" techniques can be applied with a common Billhook ("Vesuri" in Finnish).

The "Bear-spear" techniques can be a used with a rifle and bayonet, but are most effective when used with a winged spear.

The "Karttu" can be equipped with a thrusting spike, so it resembles a Flemish "Godendag".

One of the most exotic weapons I have seen is the "Urumi". It is a slashing weapon with flexible steel blade. The blade is so flexible that Urumi resembles more whip than sword.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urumi
http://thedarkblade.com/tag/urumi/

Another interesting one is "Vita" or "Tethered Javelin". It is a 1.5 m long throwing spear with 1.5 m rope attached to the end of the shaft. The other end of the rope has a wrist-loop. Vita is held with both hands, and when vita is thrown, it is instantly pulled back to thrower's hands whether it hit or missed.

Some information can be found at:
http://books.google.com/books?id=_o73NOjb4p4C&pg=RA1-PA151&lpg=RA1-PA151#v=onepage&q&f=false