The Dane Axe – Tactical or Personal Weapon  by Mick Knibbs

The Dane Axe is generally a large headed axe (Cutting edge up to 22”) mounted on a long shaft and used two handed, sweeping left to right. This makes the weapon useable by the strongest and skilled warriors only. As a personal weapon it is cumbersome and difficult to use in very close quarters, and not easily transported around during normal peaceful activities.

            Given the weapons limitations why would it be of use at all? To answer this we must look at the weapons role on the battlefield. I believe the weapon was used on two separate levels, firstly the physical, and secondly the psychological. The physical impact of the weapon is well documented as it easily cut through shield, armour, man, and in some cases horse. The primary tactical use was both the destruction of your opponents shield wall, and also the ability to use a few Dane axe armed men to pin down a much greater number of your opponents unit. Destroying the shield wall was possible due to the length of the weapon, the wielder could strike the shield wall from outside of sword and axe range. Spears could be easily cut through, and would be attacking the axe man at the limits of their thrusting range. Once the axe man had made the initial hole in the wall, his own shield wall could then exploit the gap.

            The psychological effects can also be split into two, firstly the man; when you are in a shield wall, you are shoulder to shoulder giving mutual support. The axe man does not have this support because he needs room to use this weapon. His supporting shield wall is about 10 feet behind him and are themselves unwilling to get too close to him for fear of being hit. Let’s view the Dane axe man from the defending shield wall, a man in the open with no visible defence, swinging a big lump of metal on the end of a stick, is advancing towards you, do you think;

a)      Sucker, dead man walking, easy meat.

b)      If that hits me I’m dead, and he can hit me first.

c)      Is that the time? I must be off!

I personally would go for b/c as anyone who would advance in such a manner is either very confident in his abilities, or a madman.

Secondly; The weapon itself looks mean and nasty when stationary, but when seen in the hands of a skilled warrior, swinging the axe in such a way that he could strike anyone within a 10 foot radius, it becomes an awesome, almost hypnotic pendulum of destruction.

            In conclusion I would say the Dane axe is very much a tactical weapon, rather than a personal weapon.