Huge southeast european battle axe

[Victrix]

Originally Posted by kronckew

Many Húskarls from the British Saxons relocated post 1066 to the Varangian Guard, they paid well. And took their large Dane axes with them. The bayaux tapestry shows them decapitating horses with them. The drawing above shows a variety of axes, including what i think may be Swedish style Viking axes, the ones with the heads on a sharp bend at the business end of the haft. The others look like a mix of styles. I found another Varagian guard illustrated with s crescent bladed axe and rear spike, but no crosses cut in it... Might have picked it up in his travels from Hastings. Maybe a son or grandson had the cross cut in or ordered a new axe...also showing is a double bladed Byzantine axe wit two crosses... And a single bladed one with a sq. hammer poll...

The Turks ended them in 1453 when they finally made it thru the formidable walls - by treachery I hear - and the last eastern Roman Emperor put on his armour and at the head of his guard charged the incoming Turks slaughtering many before disappearing from history. They never found his body.

I’m not too familiar with Byzantine arms and armour. Archaelogical finds suggest that vikings serving Constantinople often used their personal arms (swords and axes), but I can’t rule out that they were also issued Byzantine arms and seems logical that this was the case especially for palace guard and parade duties. Care should be taken in considering provenance of historical items.