Falx-like weapon in "Les Coutumes de Toulouse" -- myArmoury.com

Emanuel Nicolescu

Hello,

I am new to this wonderful forum. I collect ethnographic edged weapons, but am also greatly interested in the study of Ancient and Mediaeval arms.

I have come accross some illustrations from a 13th century French court manuscript, known as Les Coutumes de Toulouse. They depict a weapon that resembles very closely a Dacian falx. That such a weapon would ahve reached France is intriguing but unlikely, and it might instead be a unique chopper weapon in the same vein as the blades in the Maciejowski Bible: http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=927

Would anyone have any information or comments regarding this strange weapon?

Best regards,
Emanuel

Lafayette C Curtis · Posted: Sun 18 Mar, 2007 1:14 am Post subject:

That looks rather like a gloroified billhook, plus a longer handle...

Emanuel Nicolescu · Posted: Sun 18 Mar, 2007 5:22 am Post subject:

Hmm, after some more search, the fascine knife also pops up. As said in previous discussions, it's interesting to see these agricultural implements adapted and used by knights.

Lafayette C Curtis · Posted: Sun 18 Mar, 2007 6:05 pm Post subject:

Precisely. A fascine knife is a billhook by another name. Give it a longer handle, and you get the thing in the pictures.