Bill (weapon)

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A common variety of bill. Variants may have projections on the back of the main blade.

The bill was a polearm used by infantry in Europe in the Viking Age by Vikings and Anglo-Saxons as well as in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. It was a national weapon of the English, but was also common elsewhere, especially in Italy. Derived originally from the agricultural billhook, the bill consisted of a hooked chopping blade with several pointed projections mounted on a staff. The end of the cutting blade curves forward to form a hook, which is the bill's distinguishing characteristic. In addition, the blade almost universally had one pronounced spike straight off the top like a spear head, and also a hook or spike mounted on the 'reverse' side of the blade. There were many types of bill. English bills tended to be relatively short, with broad chopping heads, while Italian bills (ronche) often had very long thrusting points. The English distinguished between several varieties of bill, including the black, brown, and forest bills, but the differences between them are currently not fully understood.

George Silver, writing in 1599, stated that the (military) black bill should be 5 or 6 feet long, while the (possibly civilian) forest bill should be 8 or 9 feet long.

The bill is similar in size, function and appearance to the halberd, differing mainly in the hooked blade form. Other terms for the bill include English bill, bill hook or bill-guisarme.

One advantage that it had over other polearms was that while it had the stopping power of a spear and the power of an axe, it also had the addition of a pronounced hook. If the sheer power of a swing did not fell the horse or its rider, the bills hooks were excellent at finding a chink in the plate armour of cavalrymen at the time, dragging the unlucky horseman off his mount to be finished off with either a sword or the bill itself. These characteristics also made it effective against heavily armoured infantry, dragging them into the melee or exploiting the weak points in their armour. The small point found on the trailing edge of some bills was useful for puncturing armor as well -- concentrating the force of the blow onto the point.

During the 16th Century when most European states were adopting the pike and arquebus, the English preferred to stick with the tried and tested combination of bill and English longbow that had been so successful during the Hundred Years' War, the Wars of the Roses and in constant conflicts with the Scots. Even in the Elizabethan period bills were still common with levies sent to fight the Scots. The Battle of Flodden Field (1513) was a classic match between Continental-style Pikes formations (Scots) and Billmen (English).

Pole weapons and Mortuary Swords in the Great Hall of Edinburgh Castle. These similar weapons are presented for comparison. On the left are two halberds, and on the right a Scottish Lochaber axe.