Bec de Corbin

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A bec de corbin is a type of pole weapon that was popular in medieval Europe. The name is French for 'crow's beak' literally. As a warhammer it bore striking resemblances to the Lucerne hammer, consisting of a modified hammers head and spike mounted atop a long pole. Unlike the Lucerne hammer, the bec de corbin was used primarily with the 'beak' or fluke to attack instead of the hammer head. The hammer face balancing the beak was often blunt instead of the multi pronged Lucerne, and the beak tended to be stouter; better designed for tearing armor. Also the spike mounted on the top of head was not nearly as long and thin as in the Lucerne. Bec de Corbin occasionally becomes a catch all for any type of warhammer, such as a maul or a horseman's pick.

A similar name bec de faucon (meaning 'falcon's beak') refers to a related weapon called a pollaxe or more specifically to the hook on its reverse side.

[edit] External links

• Spotlight: The Medieval Poleaxe, by Alexi Goranov