Norwegian battle axe

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.

A Norwegian peasant axe.

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 and eternal King 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.

Gallery

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  The former coat of arms of Telemark county between 1970-2019 showing a rising peasant axe.
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  Norwegian axe from Gudbrandsdalen, ca. 1654
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See also

• Dane axe
• Shepherd's axe
• Bearded axe
• Pike pole