[Dashiell Harrison]

Hi All,

I'm curious if anyone has done any research (either historical or practical) on throwing axes.

The Franks are, of course known for specialized throwing axes, but I can't find much reference to them after that until the 16th century when Burgau passes an ordinance in 1534 banning Jews from carrying throwing axes around town.

There's also talk of people throwing axes in Viking Sagas, and Bartholomäus Sastrow (1520-1603) talks about someone having thrown an axe at his dad, but I don't think any of those axes are described as being specialized throwing weapons.

Other than that I can't seem to find much mention of axes as thrown weapons in Europe.

The fact that the throwing axe as a weapon pops up in the Germanic lands in both the 9th and 16th centuries is certainly intriguing and makes me wonder if there was some kind of contiguous axe-throwing tradition spanning the intervening centuries.

Anyone have any thoughts on the matter?

[Philip Renne]

EDIT EDIT:
Deleted my initial reply based on faulty memory and being overall unhelpful to the question.

There's a woodcut with wurfkreuz (not exactly axes but..) being used in conjuction with large shields/pavises around the time of Emperor Maximilian I.

Here's a link to the picture I was referring to, it did have something to do with Maximilian but idk if The White King was the book it came from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Freydal_Repro1882_Tafel_019.jpg

[M. Nordlund]

Here are 2 threads on the hurlbat/werpbaerden/worpbaarden/wurfbarden
http://myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=8729
http://myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.25531.html

It is mentioned a few times in historical documents as being requiered armament or as being illegal to use or even carry within certain cities or towns in the area around where the netherlands and germany meet today if I remember correctly.

there is a mention of them on this site but I cannot translate it and google translate is not much help ithink it is about how soliders should be armed.
http://www.reichsaufgebot.de/vergangene-veran...stordnung/