Ancient battle club 5. The club is a deadly weapon of ancient warriors for close combat
Mace - a weapon with ancient history. It appeared back in the Stone Age and represented transitional form from the simplest club to a combat mace. The club belongs to the group of impact-crushing edged weapons and, with the proper strength and dexterity, is deadly weapon. Modern varieties clubs are still used today.
Combat club - general view and classification
To make the club, the hardest wood that was available in the area where the warriors lived was chosen. The club could be made in several ways:
- The simplest way to make this weapon was to young tree was pulled out by the roots, and its butt served as a striking element. The presence of knots was welcomed, as this made it possible to further injure the enemy. Naturally, before use, the club was processed to give it a more convenient shape;
- Another way to make a club was to make a deep cut on the tree trunk, closer to the butt, into which a stone was inserted. A few years later, the tree with the ingrown stone was cut down. Where there was a stone, a thickening formed, which served as a striking element;
- More modern designs of this weapon were simply cut out from hardwood. The striking part was strengthened with various linings, rings and even small spikes.
The blows delivered by these weapons had enormous power, since the parameters of the club were quite impressive. The weight of the club could reach 12 kilograms, and its length – 1.2 meters. Of course, only a real hero could wield such a weapon, so average weight the club did not exceed 6 kg, with a length of up to a meter.
The top of any club was always 3-5 times thicker than its handle. Sometimes the top of the club could be stone or iron, but more often it was simply bound with metal.
There were also lighter clubs, which were sometimes used for throwing. Such weapons were most often used by horsemen. The club was usually thrown at the fleeing enemy, since for the rider it was a backup weapon, which was used in case of loss of the main one. In addition, blows with a light club stunned enemies, allowing them to be captured.
IN ancient Rus' There was a two-handed version of the club - oslop. This particular option differed in length and weight. Such a weapon could only be wielded by a warrior with enormous physical strength. Oslop's blows knocked opponents down, causing severe injuries. Oslop was often used against horsemen. The length of this club allowed it to work on safe distance from the rider, and blows to the horse were guaranteed to knock it off its feet.
The difference between a club and a mace
The standard club is a short-shafted weapon. Many people, seeing a club for the first time, may confuse it with a mace. Indeed, often these two types of weapons are very similar to each other. The main difference between them is that the mace is compound weapon, since it consists of a handle on which the impact element is attached (using an eye). The club is always made from a single piece.
Often the club was wrapped in leather, and spikes were inserted into the top, which could be made from thick nails. To do this, it was necessary to drill holes in the pommel (otherwise the nails could simply split the club) and not drive the nails into them completely, from which the heads were then chopped off or ground off.
War clubs of various times and peoples
In Africa, light clubs of the local Maasai tribe, called “rundu,” are still used. This baton is used in local throwing competitions and is also sold to tourists as a souvenir. Its striking part stands out sharply and is made in the shape of a ball, often with a specific nose in the shape of a bird’s beak.
The heaviest versions of the club can be considered the Russian oslop and its Japanese counterpart, the tetsubo war club. Unlike the oslop, which was the weapon of the commoners, the tetsubo was not averse to being used by the samurai. On the contrary, the Japanese warrior who mastered the technique of using tetsubo enjoyed great respect, as he simply possessed bearish strength.
There was also a lighter Japanese club, which was called a kanabo. This club was often used by heroes of Japanese legends.
In general, the use of a club is often found in legends. It was she who was the weapon of the Greek heroes Hercules and Theseus. Even King William the Conqueror of England was often depicted with a light club in his hands.
Indian clubs have an interesting shape North America. Some of them were similar to the flintlock guns of the early settlers. The impact part of these batons was similar to a butt. Typically, the striking edge of these clubs was crowned with flat spikes made of silicon or obsidian.
Another interesting type of club was among the Dakota Indians. It was the so-called “flexible club”. It was made from a bundle of willow twigs tied together. A heavy round or oval stone was attached to the end of this club.
Medieval warriors in Europe and Asia used iron clubs with a faceted cross-section of the striking part. Due to the edges, the club easily split heads. Wooden clubs in that era were used by peasants and robbers. This weapon It was extremely popular because it was easy to manufacture and had crushing power.
Fencing schools in Europe and Asia used wooden clubs as training weapons. Among ordinary townspeople and peasants, the club was popular as a weapon for spectacular fights. Many peasants in medieval Europe masterfully wielded a wooden club.
Although the knightly class despised wooden clubs, knights often participated in peasant tournaments. For the peasants, the knight's participation in their fun meant not only fun, but also mortal danger. The fact is that trained knights fought with all their might, and if the peasant won, then often the proud feudal lord was waiting for him after the tournament with a sword in his hand.
Knights sometimes also used wooden clubs in their tournaments, but only when their opponents were ignoble people.
Carpathian shepherd's club
IN Carpathian Mountains oh you can still meet interesting option clubs. This weapon is about two meters long, but has a thickness of about 4 centimeters in diameter. The upper part of the club is bent in the shape of an arc, and the striking part has significant growths on four sides. These growths were obtained due to cuts that were made while the tree was still growing. The upper part of the tree was tied in the shape of an arc. After a few years, when the tree trunk reached the required length, it was cut down and processed.
Such a club was called “gzrlyga”. The hook on one of its parts served to hook the animal by the legs, and the striking part could stun even a seasoned wolf. In addition, a gerlyga could be used to fight off robbers. Local old-timers say that many shepherds used to own such a club, who often used it to resolve conflicts among themselves. Unfortunately, the technique of fighting with a gerlyga is now known only to a few, and they are no longer able to repeat some techniques of the fighting technique due to old age.
Maces of the peoples of Oceania, Melanesia and the islands of the Fiji archipelago
The club as a weapon has been known since ancient times. According to some sources, clubs appeared five million years ago, according to others - in the Stone Age. They represented a transitional form from the simplest clubs to combat maces. Clubs are classified as impact-crushing edged weapons. In the hands of a warrior with the appropriate strength and dexterity, they can be a formidable, deadly weapon. Some types of clubs are still used today.
Combat club: types and characteristics
Usually, to make a club, it was necessary to select the most hard wood, which was available in the area where the warriors lived.
Maces were made in different ways. For example, a young tree was uprooted, and its parts adjacent to the root served as impact elements. The knotty nature of the tree contributed to greater injury to the enemy. It is clear that before use the club was treated to make it more convenient to use.
In addition, an incision was made on the tree trunk, in the area of the butt, and a stone was inserted into it. Years later, the tree with the stone settled in it was cut down. In the area of the ingrown stone, a fillet was formed, which served as a striking element.
Samples of newer weapons were cut from solid tree species. The striking part was strengthened with the help of a wide variety of linings, rings and even small spikes.
The blows caused by this weapon had enormous force, and the weapon itself was quite impressive. The mass of the clubs reached up to 12 kg, and their length was 1.2 meters. It is clear that only a true strongman could have such a weapon, as a result of which the average mass of the clubs did not exceed 6 kg, and the length - one meter.
The tops of any clubs were always several times thicker than their handles. Sometimes the tops of the clubs could be stone or iron, but more often they were bound with metal.
There were also lighter clubs, sometimes used for throwing. These weapons were most often used by riders. Clubs were thrown, as a rule, at fleeing enemies. Since the horsemen had them as a backup weapon, they were used when the main weapon was lost. With the help of blows from light clubs it was possible to stun the enemy and take him prisoner.
On the territory of ancient Rus' there were two-handed versions of clubs - oslops. Actually, these options differed in their length and weight. Such weapons could only be carried by warriors with remarkable physical abilities. The enemy sometimes fell dead or was seriously injured from blows from the oslops. Oslops were often used against riders. Long clubs made it possible to operate them at a safe distance from the riders, and by striking a horse it was possible to knock it off its hooves.
Differences between clubs and maces
Typical clubs were short-shafted weapons. When ignorant people see clubs for the first time, they often confuse them with maces. And in fact, these different types weapons are extremely similar to one another. Their main difference is that maces are combined weapons. Because they consist of handles to which impact elements are attached. Whereas clubs are always made from solid pieces of wood.
Often the clubs were wrapped in leather, and spikes were installed on the tops. Usually thick nails acted as spikes. For this purpose, holes were drilled at the top so that the nails could split the clubs. But the nails themselves were not driven in completely; their heads were then chopped off or ground off.
War clubs of the peoples of the world
Some African peoples still use light clubs. For example, the Maasai tribes call them "rundu". These clubs are usually used in tribal throwing competitions. In addition, they are sold to tourists as souvenirs. Their striking parts are clearly visible and are shaped like balls. They often have specific noses in the shape of a bird’s beak.
Some of the heaviest types of clubs are considered to be Russian oslops, as well as Japanese war clubs - tetsubo. Oslops were used as weapons by commoners, while even samurai did not disdain to use tetsubo. Besides, Japanese warriors Those who mastered the technique of using tetsubo were greatly respected because they possessed simply incredible strength.
There were also lighter Japanese clubs called kanabo. These clubs were often used by legendary Japanese heroic figures.
Maces are often found in folk tales. In fact, they were masterfully wielded by the Greek heroes Hercules and Theseus, and English king William the Conqueror was depicted with a light club in his hand.
The clubs of North American Indians had original forms. Some of them resembled the flintlock guns that the first settlers had. The impact parts of these clubs were more like butts. As a rule, the striking edges of these clubs were crowned with flat silicon or obsidian spikes.
The Dakota Indian tribe possessed so-called “flexible clubs.” They were made from bundles of willow that were tied together. Heavy stones of round or oval shapes were attached to the ends of these clubs.
Medieval European and Asian warriors had clubs made of iron with faceted sections of striking parts. Thanks to these edges, the clubs easily split skulls. Wooden clubs of that time were used by commoners and robbers. Clubs were extremely popular because they were easy to make and had enormous strength.
In European and Asian fencing schools, wooden clubs were used as weapons for training fights. Among the common people, clubs were popular as weapons in spectacular fights. In addition, many commoners of that time managed to masterfully wield wooden clubs.
Knights despised wooden clubs, although they often took part in tournaments of commoners. For the former it was fun, but for the latter it was a deadly event.
However, knights occasionally used wooden clubs in tournaments, but only when they fought with ignoble people.
Carpathian shepherd's clubs
On the territory of the Carpathian Mountains, even today you can find one interesting variety club This is a long weapon, almost two meters long, with a thickness of approximately four centimeters. The upper parts of the clubs are bent in an arched shape, and the striking parts have significant growths on four sides.
The presence of such growths was due to incisions. They were made on growing trees. The upper parts of the trees were tied in an arched manner. Years later, when the tree trunks reached the required parameters, they were cut down and processed.
Such clubs are called “gerlygs”. Hooks on one of their parts were used to hook animals by the paws. Whereas shock units could stun even seasoned wolves. Moreover, with gerlygs it was possible to quite successfully fight off robbers. According to local old-timers, many shepherds had such clubs.
The shepherds themselves often used these clubs to resolve conflict situations in your environment. To date, almost no one knows the gerlyg fighting technique, and it is almost lost. However, there is information that there are still some “adepts” who master this technique, and there are practically only a few of them. But they are already so old that they simply will not be able to demonstrate at least some techniques.
Modern clubs
Modern versions of clubs are often found in the homes or cars of many Russians - these are, naturally, baseball bats. It is known that a game so popular in the United States has not taken root in our country. However, the baseball bat itself has taken root very well. In the early nineties, they were often used by racketeers, hooligans and simply criminal elements, and today law-abiding citizens are often armed with baseball bats.
From mace to "Bulava" - Russian weapons always caused fear and trepidation among enemies.
"Sword-of-a-hundred-heads-off-shoulders"
True or fairy tale, but Russian heroes could cut an enemy in half along with a horse with a sword. It is not surprising that there was a real “hunt” for Russian swords. However, unlike a sword obtained from an enemy in battle, a blade taken from a mound never brought good luck to its owner. Only wealthy warriors could afford to forge a sword. The most famous, for example, in the 9th century was considered the blacksmith Lutoda. The master forged high-quality damask steel unique swords. But mostly swords were made by foreign craftsmen, and the most popular were Carolingian swords, the blade of which was predominantly steel blades welded onto a metal base. Warriors of modest means armed themselves with cheaper all-iron swords. The blade of the weapon had fullers running along it, which lightened its weight and increased its strength. Over time, the swords became shorter (up to 86 cm) and a little lighter (up to a kilogram), which is not surprising: try cutting for about 30 minutes with a one and a half kilogram meter sword. True, there were especially hardy warriors who wielded a two-kilogram sword 120 cm long. The weapon was placed in a sheath upholstered in leather or velvet, which was decorated with gold or silver notches. Each sword received a name at “birth”: Basilisk, Gorynya, Kitovras, etc.
“The sharper the saber, the quicker the deal”
From the 9th-10th centuries, Russian warriors, mainly horsemen, began to use a lighter and more “agile” saber, which came to our ancestors from the nomads. TO XIII century the saber “conquers” not only the south and southeast of Rus', but also its northern borders. The sabers of noble warriors were decorated with gold, niello, and silver. The first sabers of Russian warriors reached a meter in length, their curvature reached 4.5 cm. By the 13th century, the saber extended by 10-17 cm, and the curvature sometimes reached 7 cm. This curvature made it possible to deliver a glancing blow, which left longer and deeper wounds. More often, sabers were all-steel; they were forged from carburized iron blanks, after which they were subjected to repeated hardening at very high temperatures. complex technology. Sometimes they made non-monolithic blades - they welded two strips or welded one strip into another. By the 17th century, sabers of both domestic and imported origin were in use. However, our masters looked up to foreigners, primarily the Turks.
"Stunning Impact"
The flail appeared in Rus' in the 10th century and firmly held its position until the 17th century. More often the weapon was a short belt whip with a ball attached to the end. Sometimes the ball was “decorated” with spikes. The Austrian diplomat Herberstein described the flail of Grand Duke Vasily III this way: “on his back, behind his belt, the prince had special weapon- a stick slightly longer than the elbow, to which a leather belt is nailed; on its edge there is a mace in the form of some kind of stump, decorated on all sides with gold.” The flail, with its mass of 250 grams, was an excellent light weapon, which turned out to be very useful in the thick of battle. A deft and sudden blow to the enemy’s helmet (helmet), and the road is clear. This is where the verb “to stun” takes its origins. In general, our warriors knew how to suddenly “amaze” the enemy.
“Ax head, shake your gut”
In Rus', the ax was used primarily by foot warriors. On the butt of the ax there was a strong and long spike, often curved downwards, with the help of which the warrior easily pulled the enemy off the horse. In general, the ax can be considered one of the varieties of axes - a very common chopping weapon. Everyone owned axes: princes, princely warriors, and militias, both on foot and on horseback. The only difference was that foot soldiers preferred heavy axes, and horse soldiers preferred hatchets. Another type of ax is the reed, which was used to arm the infantry. This weapon was a long blade mounted on a long axe. So, in the 16th century, the archers rebelled with just such weapons in their hands.
“If there was a mace, there would be a head”
The parent of both maces and clubs can be considered the club - ancient Russian weapon « mass destruction" The club was preferred by militias and rebellious people. For example, in Pugachev’s army there were people armed only with clubs, with which they easily crushed the skulls of their enemies. The best clubs were made not just from any tree, but from oak, or, at worst, from elm or birch, and the strongest place was taken, where the trunk turned into the roots. To enhance the destructive power of the club, it was “decorated” with nails. Such a club will not slip! The mace represented the next “evolutionary stage” of the club, the tip (top) of which was made of copper alloys, and lead was poured inside. The difference between a club and a mace is the geometry of the pommel: a pear-shaped spiked weapon in the hands of heroes is a mace, and a weapon with a cubic pommel, “decorated” with large triangular spikes, is a mace.
“The fighters’ hand is tired of stabbing”
A spear is a universal, military-hunting weapon. The spear was a steel (damask) or iron tip mounted on a strong shaft. The length of the spear reached 3 meters. Sometimes part of the shaft was forged in metal so that the enemy could not cut the spear. It is interesting that the tip could reach half a meter in length; there were cases of the use of an entire “sword” on a stick, with the help of which they not only stabbed, but also chopped. Horsemen also loved spears, but they used a different method of fighting than medieval knights. It should be noted that the ram strike appeared in Rus' only in the 12th century, which was caused by heavier armor. Until this moment, the riders struck from above, having previously swung their arms strongly. For throwing, the warriors used sulitsa - light spears up to one and a half meters long. The Sulitsa, in its damaging effect, was something between a spear and an arrow fired from a bow.
“A tight bow is a dear friend”
Wielding a bow required special virtuosity. It was not for nothing that the Streltsy children trained day after day by shooting arrows at tree stumps. Archers often wrapped a rawhide belt around their hand, which allowed them to avoid significant injuries - an awkwardly released arrow would take with it an impressive piece of leather and meat. On average, archers shot at 100-150 meters; with great effort, the arrow flew twice as far. In the middle of the 19th century, during excavations of a mound in Bronnitsky district, they found the burial of a warrior, in whose right temple an iron arrowhead was firmly lodged. Scientists have suggested that the warrior was killed by an archer in an ambush. The chronicles describe the amazing speed with which the archers fired their arrows. There was even a saying “Shoot like making a strand” - the arrows flew with such frequency that they formed a solid line. The bow and arrows were an integral part of the allegory of speech: “Like an arrow dropped from a bow,” which means “quickly went away,” when they said “like an arrow from a bow,” they meant “straight.” But the “singing arrow” is not a metaphor, but a reality: holes were made on the tips of the arrows, which made certain sounds in flight.