In response for the need to bring down mounted combatants and cavalry the halberd came into play somewhere between the 14th and 15th centuries. It is a two-handed axe with the head of the blade mounted on a wooden shaft usually about 4 to 6 feet long. It was a versatile weapon as it could compete with all sorts of aggression from weapons of all types and designs from sword to pike.
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The long reach of the halberd allowed the wielder quick access to his opponent. It was particularly useful for catching mounted swordsmen off their horse. The pole-axe was actually designed with a sort of hook in it that could grip a horseman and wrestle him down to the ground and finished off with the sharp curved front axe blade.
Normally rising above the axe head sat a long pointed spear for using the halberd more like a pike or spear. A halberdier had many different options when charging an opponent because of the built in variety of his weaponry.
For defense purposes the wooden shaft of the halberd was usually reinforced with steel or iron, making it incredibly effective for defending against swords or other slashing implements. It was also possible to attach a sharp point at the end of the shaft so as to be able to use both ends of the halberd in battle and attack efficiently.
In the 14th century the Swiss army took up the Halberd as one of their primary weapons. It is still common for their soldiers to carry the halberd as decoration much like the United States soldiers will sometimes carry a small sword or rapier. In the Vatican it is the prized weaponry of the Swiss Guard and has been used as the weapon of choice for royal bodyguards for a long time.
The weapon was often carried by officers up until the late 18th century or so. A mixed squad of Swiss halberdiers and pike man was a nightmare for a group of knights on horseback and they were capable of tearing through most any other infantry divisions as well.
The halberd would be the main offensive weapon, used for all primary combat, but once the enemy was in close combat it was difficult to wield. The size of the pole-arm made it unmanageable in tight spaces and once an opponent got close enough to be out of the range of a downward strike from the axe it was difficult to defend them. The Swiss and the German armies solved this problem by carrying small side-arm daggers with them. They would use the halberd until it was no longer logical and then arm themselves with a short sword and finish the job.
Close combat was notoriously unnecessary with the halberd though. An expert halberdier could end a fight with a single blow from his weapon or decapitate his opponent with a sweeping strike.
As the halberd became more refined the blades and the pole-arm would often be ornamented with engravings or finished with works of art. As the weapon slowly made its way out of the battle field and into museums and weapons collector’s living rooms it became an exquisite piece of violent art.
The halberd was the answer to the knight riding horseback and sadly faded away as the technology of warfare went long range and away from brutal pole-arms. Even though it retains a noble respect as the signature of royal authority in some countries the halberd is often a forgotten relic of war.
If you’re interested in learning how to use a halberd it would be a good idea to first pick up a long bo. The techniques and maneuvers of the long bo are incredibly similar to that of the halberd and it wouldn’t be as dangerous because there is no axe head. Once you master the pole-arm, move on to the sharper things in life.
