xiphias: (Default)
[personal profile] xiphias
So, when I was at Boskone, I chatted with one of the people from the Higgins Armory Sword Guild (the folks that translate Medieval and Rennaisance European martial arts manuals and work out how people actually used all those pretty pretty pointy thingies). I do this a fair bit, because their work is just that cool.

He was saying that they were working with a manual which had instructions for use of a poleaxe thinggummy -- one of those things, about as tall as a person, with an axe on one end, and pointy bits in various other useful places. Like, for instance, a butt-spike -- a pointy bit on the bottom end of it.

Apparently, one of the things which this manual suggests you do with your poleaxe is, if you get into close quarters with your opponent, just jam the butt-spike right down through their foot, pinning their foot to the ground so they can't get away. Then you just keep thwapping them in the face with the axe part. As many times as you want. He made appropriate miming gestures. It was, basically, hillarious.

When I told this to Lis, she said, "It's kind of like the Three Stooges! But with more death and bleeding!"

(no subject)

Date: 2005-02-28 12:34 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sinboy.livejournal.com
IIRC, most pole arms were used in ranks, not as individual fighting weapons. Polearmsmen wore short swords for the close quarters stuff.

(no subject)

Date: 2005-02-28 12:42 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] xiphias.livejournal.com
They were DESIGNED to be used in ranks. But, well, the manuals recognize that "the way that things are used when things work well" and "the way that things are ACTUALLY used when everything goes to hell" are two different things, and that, if you intend to survive the latter situation, it's a really good idea to have some training in it. Having a short sword, or, more commonly, a long knife, for the close-quarters stuff is nice, but, well, if someone gets inside, you need to deal with him NOW, not after you drop your polearm and draw your knife. Therefore, if you intend to survive, you want to be able to use your polearm as a staff, as a dagger, as a shortaxe, and so forth.

(no subject)

Date: 2005-02-28 12:43 am (UTC)
bluepapercup: (Default)
From: [personal profile] bluepapercup
Gross, maybe, but still neat, and very efficient.

(no subject)

Date: 2005-02-28 04:26 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] hfcougar.livejournal.com
I'm glad the butt-spike was not what I thought it was, especially given the text of your cut tag.

I still can't get anyone to play the game where the man stands in a pit and the woman beats him with a sock full of rocks.

(no subject)

Date: 2005-02-28 04:43 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] xiphias.livejournal.com
Given that, in the Talhoffer manual, that ends with the death of the man three times, and the death of the woman twice, I can sort of see why. . .

(no subject)

Date: 2005-02-28 04:41 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rmjwell.livejournal.com
For bonus points say "Nyuk! Nyuk! Nyuk!" on the shield line.

November 2018

S M T W T F S
     123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
252627282930 

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags