The low ceilings of most homes would seem to negate the swinging motions of a poleaxe.

Better would be a short spear, or an ahlspiess.

:\ I'm sort of... well... frustrated at how this conversation keeps returning to the subject of swinging around the polaxe over ones head and the undesirable outlook modern folk have for using such measures as axe-play to defend the home. First of all , the butt-spike of the axe can be used as a weapon, too, and often was a central aspect of it. Second, trying to reflect on how one's own interaction with such a situation as this would play out does not give insight as to how the people of the past, as the influences a modern person has in their mind are of a nature unique to modernity, and would most likely not even be close to what the days of olden were like.
I think most historical martial arts weapons, like the polaxe, are no less effective now than in their heyday: the difference now is that the challenges in modern combat changed, and have exceeded the importance of solving the challenges of, say, knightly duels and the problems associated with them.
However, the nature of a home defense situation, even today, actually does involve a great deal of close confines in which a "hache" could be well worth using, like if a gunman is at the door or something along those lines. Melee could make a profound difference at that point for the defender's benefit.

THANK you, Daniel for bringing this back to my original focus.

I am thinking strictly historical, and I'm thinking of larger, multi generational households or manors of some means, such as nobility or merchants. I'm thinking of having the weapons for outside use to defend the door, but the entry would be a large-enough ante-chamber, designed to welcome guests of status, so that some fighting could be contained there. I thinking of the threat coming from feuds and occasionally gangs hired by rivals, or even small peasant mobs riled by the aforementioned rivals. I'm thinking that the weapons at the door would be for keeping the threat at bay, while others went to the proper armoury, and sent for help from nearby allies.

Thank you Kyle for adding historical context to the Paston letters. This fits the impression I had from the Oakeshott quote, and gives me more historical references to follow.

Thanks also to Neil. I had more time to appreciate reading your post this time around (how did I miss that?), and was very interested in reading historical details regarding the Paston manor, and the disputes surrounding it. Obviously, three or four pole axes were not enough to stop a force of a thousand!

i would also contend that, such larger households and manors woiuld also perhaps provide a defensive focal point in the case of a raid sine they often have a stronger construction and are the residences of the more well to do people and often the most martially trained. in that village area assuming there isnt a castle or fort nearby

What makes people believe a sword to be more apt at home defense? Have you looked at your Sword and Buckler plays lately? Have you looked at the langmessers? But certainly the chopping and hacking hammer motions of a hatchet would be small?

You're telling me that you have enough space to accelerate a sword or axe but not enough to generate force with a weapon just as shar?

Slide your hand up and you can now use a pollaxe just as well as you can any one handed weapon, the only difference is that your two handed grip gives you more leverage and a stronger thrusting weapon. Really, a close quarter battle in a tight space will look the same wether you use a sword or a two handed weapon. Except that the two handed weapon gives you a stronger thrust, a better push and an overall more powerful presence.

There is an absolutely beautiful video out there discussing the weapon system of medieval armament. Anything you can do with a pollaxe, you can do with a quarterstaff, a longsword, an arming sword and a dagger. A pollaxe, especially with a shortened handle, would be ideal for home defense in its time, be it inside or outside.

Regarding the placement of weapons in racks or on the wall: Maybe it was not purely intended for home defense but more for showing off. As many said the hall which is present in most medieval houses was the public space. From wills we learn that this room was often decorated with wallcloths and cabinets for displaying metal pots and pans even in the poorest households. It stands to reason that weapon owning people would chose to display weapons they owned or perhaps even used.

I think it's really the "wow factor" folks wanted to achieve by having a weapon or even a sallet displayed in their house.

I agree that many modern weapons enthusiasts overlook the effectiveness of hafted weapons. I sure did for many years. I think they'd make the best entryway weapons, since they require so much less maintenance than a sword, and they would be better suited for use by servants in an emergency.

I see the possibility for both showing off the weapons, or perhaps for sending the message to visitors that they are in a safe place. The former idea fueled my original inquiry about ornate pollaxes created for entryways more than for tournaments. At this point, I don't expect to find a definitive answer, but the original idea still appeals to me.

The history behind the Paston letters definitely doesn't support this idea as much as I had hoped. Eric W. N.'s post fits with something I thought I remembered seeing either pictured or reproduced somewhere. Regarding the prevalence of violence, I'm sure it would come and go with the politics and stability of rule. Italy sounds like a good place for such weapons racks. Italians also produced some fantastically ornate hafted weapons.