Bardiche

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A bardiche or long poleaxe is a type of polearm that was used during times of war in medieval and renaissance Europe, especially in Eastern Europe and Russia. It consisted of a blade very much like a 'tall' axe head mounted on a pole. Usually it was attached to the pole via two sockets: one at the top of the pole and one lower, on the bottom of the blade. While the blade was very long for an axe (usually over 2 feet (60 cm)) the shaft was one of the shortest of all polearms; rarely did it exceed 5 feet (1.5 m) in length. It relied more on the weight of its heavy blade to do the damage than a swing from a long pole. This makes the bardiche more similar to the Danish axe in some respects than a true polearm. Depending on the design of the particular weapons in question, at times a bardiche may greatly resemble a voulge.

In Russia and in Poland this weapon was used to rest handguns upon when firing. It was standard equipment for the Streltsy corps (foot, mounted and dragoons) and also for the Polish infantry.

[edit] References in Popular Culture

The weapon was the namesake of Fate Testarossa's intelligent device in Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha; in regular attack form, the device indeed resembles a bardiche.

[edit] See also

• Pollaxe
• Warhammer
• Lochaber Axe (similar, but with a rear-mounted hook for dismounting Cavalry)