Blunt Medieval Humor: The FIST HAMMER
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- Опубликовано: 9 сен 2024
- Sometimes what looks like a fantasy weapon from a movie or video game actually comes straight from real-life history. A warrior who couldn't decide whether to stab or bludgeon enemies could simply say "why not both?" and grab one of these bad boys.
In terms of function it's the same as any other war hammer with a blunt striking surface on one end and a beak / pick on the other, but it's a more elaborate (and humorous) shape. Let's take a look at this rare type!
I even got a practice version for a first-hand practical test, so there will be sparring footage as well. This is where I got it by the way:
hemasupplies.c...
Fisted war hammer reproduction by Windlass Steelcrafts
www.kultofathe...
Other relevant videos:
The Pros & Cons of Bludgeons (Maces, Hammers, Sticks, Etc)
• The Pros & Cons of Blu...
5 Odd Historical Blades That LOOK Like Fantasy
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** Sources **
Swordifsh's research thread on the Ethnographic Arms & Armour forum:
www.vikingsword...
todsworkshop.c...
A Rare 19C Indian Fakir Crutch
www.oriental-ar...
www.helgot.com...
Hans Talhoffer
wiktenauer.com...
wiktenauer.com...
** Music credits **
Outtakes:
"Spinning Tavern" by Inspector J
opengameart.or...
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license (CC BY 3.0)
"Medieval: Battle" by Random Mind
opengameart.or...
CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain
Outro:
"Highland Storm" by The Slanted Room Records
theslantedroom...
Used with artist's permission
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If you like this video, check out these other ones too:
The Pros & Cons of Bludgeons (Maces, Hammers, Sticks, Etc)
ruclips.net/video/WQEx4nhhQ6w/видео.html
5 Odd Historical Blades That LOOK Like Fantasy
ruclips.net/video/5X8ytmjvNg4/видео.html
5 Historical Weapons That Look Like Fantasy
ruclips.net/video/pJDrjWfzsVA/видео.html
Yes, Gunblades Are Real, BUT...
ruclips.net/video/hRXj4o_fZHc/видео.html
True
About the bronze vs steel head: bronze is also heavier and some added mass won't hurt on a hammer. As well as being more durable in "some" regards than steel. And when compared with casted iron, it is also generally better for this purpose as that would be more brittle, while also prone to rust.
But correct me if I'm wrong.
Suontaka sword?
Hi Skall, just a couple of things to add:
1. Tod does make a sick reproduction of a fisted hammer as well, listed as: Fist Hammer/War Hammer on his website.
2. Your friend with the long sword seemed to have the advantage the whole time, esepcially when you were with the smaller shield/buckler. Did you attempt closing in by using ur shiled and working him from up close, and if yes did that work? I always wonder about how maces were used exactly, were they a secondary weapon kind of thing, for when you were deep in the melee, similar to a short sword or a dagger. Or were they a weapon that you would use as your "primary", purposely not choosing a spear or other longer weapon. Also were "macemen" really a thing? I find it unlikely, I see the mace more as a back up weapon for a spear or bow, but hey, what do I know 😁
Is it just me or does the shield not seem to be much use?
"But like......what if we could hold a hand holding a knife?"
"Bro that's sick"
@@J.S.M-zo2bw fr fr
"Now make it give my enemies the finger"
@@Juan_Duran "trust me your kids will love it"
This, but with 15 times more grammar, and you've got medieval thought patterns
The rule of cool has always been part of what we're all about. There wasn't any real advantage to WHY people dd it. They thought it looked cool and found that they COULD do it.
They were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.
OK they TOTALLY should, but they did not thinked...
You also lose the spike on the top which is very useful for grappling range fights where you don't have time to swing.
I'm thinking of a way to incorporate that into the design, cross guard on the dagger maybe?
@@BM-13_KATYUSHA Big-ass middle finger would probably look hilarious
@@BM-13_KATYUSHA not to worry citizen, we can incorporate the spike back in by making the hand flip the bird.
@@jurtheorc8117 and give it very sharp fingernails!
It doesn't have to be what Fisto said in the comic.
It's what Fisto said in my heart.
after he fisted it, of course
That is a very hands-on weapon.
To be honest, i found the joke to be kinda blunt
@@philipearakaki Some people are hammered other people are spiked.
When you are told to go battle armed
@@maccurtis730 it's nailed, spiky and blunt ends look together like a nail.
For a weapon related to hands, it's not very handy
This is one of my favorite history pieces.
There is also a mace with "Please reconsider" engraved into the head.
More info on this mace please.
I've also seen in documentaries that it is fairly common to find roman projectiles that have sayings amounting to "take this" and other challenges on them, sometimes as part of the casting if they're lead.
@@CanCan-op3bu Its in a display case in some museum. Couldn't find the image link :(
@@ckl9390And even in the modern day troops will paint/draw taunts on their guns and vehicles.
Just goes to show you things change very little
@@ckl9390imagine getting killed by a stone with “catch” engraved on it.
Oh the humiliation!
If I were a villain I'd pick this as my weapon of choice, I just like how it implies that you have so little respect for your opponents that you made a hand on a stick just to stab them so you don't have to stab them yourself. Plus it's kinda cool.
So a twisted version of the glove slap, don't even want blood on your hands
Middle finger dagger
Perfect weapon for if Sauron had a little brother, who also was a Necromancer
i dunno, i’d be worried that people would be trying to kill be just to get my cool weapon
If the villain is the "hands off" manipulative type who prefers to use minions to do the fighting (but is still capable when necessary), it would also be a metaphor for using someone else's hand to fight you.
Weapons styled like this have a sort of 'intimidation factor' that goes above fear.
"Oh god what if I lost to THAT weapon?"
That kind of intimidation. The one that inspires fake confidence and lots of stress.
Like dudes out there in the shit with waifu stickers on their AK
Like with these derp-faced helmets?
@@scottwatrous or Hello Kitty themed pink ARs.
“Medieval memes” sounds like a good vein of comedy to explore in weapons and armor.
And those flying snails people drew attacking knights! Can't forget the giant murder snails
@@Amy_the_Lizard And rabbit the terrific rabbit that chews off knights' heads.
Cod pieces in medieval armor.
I actually need to use walking sticks to get around and one of the canes I have has a Freemason Hammer topper. So it's basically a War Hammer than I can legally walk around with. I also have a Shepherds Axe, though I went for an all wooden one as a metal topper one looks too blatantly weapon like. Though I have them mostly as fun things to own and rarely use them for walking around, I typically use a cane with a more comfortable grip.
My cane is aluminum for the same reason
Are stuck masons a thing or the counterpart to freemasons are paid masons?
I have a 500g Jo which i made myself. stained and oiled in. Its quite a fun little stick. You can really put the creative energy into it. It is also very useful for self defense and preserving energy when you are walking.
Love the Sherpherds axe, so elegant
@@philipearakaki Stuck Masons? Did you mean Stonemasons?
My favorite part was when Skall said "It's Fistin' time!" and then fisted all the baddies.
I agree.......... It's Fistin' time
Definitely one of the videos ever uploaded to youtube.
Hey being fisted doesn't mean that you're a bad guy.
@@aaftiyoDkcdicurak unless you got some weird skull fetish
ayo.....
7:34 after that hit the gopro's definitely feeling it. Give that lil guy a helmet for sparring!
That and the bruises shown the previous sickles video really go a long way to display how seriously those plastic swords can hit, let alone metal ones...
Yeah, the thrust to the chest at the end was actually a lot harder than it looked... It actually ended sparring (and filming) that day
@@EladarImm I could very clearly hear the force in one of the swings too, when they pulled their blade free of skall's sickles and swung all the way around, there was a very clearly audible "THOMP" when it hit skall, i would have been shocked if that didn't hurt
The music during the sparring bit is super dope, gives real AoE:2 vibes as well.
I’m pretty sure it’s Heroes3 music.
Might be wrong, though.
@@justcallme_tom There are credits in the video description.
But also kinda king's field (though less absjrd)
I wonder if anyone ever made a version with the middle finger up for a top-spike.
Gold!
Well, I know what shape I am going for if I ever get a warhammer made!
LOL
Was it a vulgar thing to do back then?
An Italian version might have two.
@@Pyxis10 I don't know how far back the gesture goes, at least Götz von Berlichingen was known for using it - so it might have been a well known/used thing back then.
6:20 I recall in the Icewind Dale game series there being a mace called "the Clenched Fist" that looked kind of like one of these, only without the dagger part. It was enchanted so once per day the fist would open and produce a single gold piece of currency.
The late 15th century never ceased to blend stunning aesthetic with weapons. It is both creative and destructive. The symbolism within weapon is a brilliant statement
Truly excellent sparing at the end! You were incredibly efficient with your strikes. Were you using axe techniques? I noticed your movement got very tight and confident when you switched to the large shield
I 100 % want one of these, but it really needs one modification. Middle finger that's sharpened into a nice little poke-y part :D
I really enjoy the video format you've been doing lately. Something relatively short and interesting followed by a brief bit of cool sparring footage. I like all of your videos but you've really hit a roll recently. Thank you for all your hard work :)
I'm pretty sure that I've seen an Indian version with a bronze fist holding an Indian dagger. The dagger was real! This means that it could cut in hooking or pushing moves. It also came with a small hammer surface on the other side. It's weird that the very same peculiar weapon was invented at least twice...
history we are taught in school is false
Those merchant fellas got around..
@@nareik8017 that's less of a joke than you probably meant. Woodz steel travelled all the way from India to Germany and ancient Roman coins found their way to Samurai...
Still, I think that in this case, it's probably coincidental, whereas Kukri might be based on a European weapon...
Not neccessarily twice pre bronze age collapse from norway to india were connected via robust trade routes and travel wasnt uncommon
“…at least twice.”
If I had a nickel for every time you saw a bronze fist holding a dagger, I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice.
The "weapon ban walking stick" was very funny. There was siliqr thign in Poland where used to use "nadziak" warhammers as walking sticks. They had a bad traditions of using it against eachother on local parliment meatings which resulted in banning them (killing eachother with sabers was fine though, i quess) The nobels found a solution and bended the spike into slimeshell like shape which made it not a warhammer anymore, therfore legal.
Saber can leave wounds that only seem to look nasty, while hooked hammers on the contrary leave wounds that are worse then they look. If my memory serves me well in Ploand they have send nobles on gallows just for having rapiers, for the same reason. BTW it looks a bit strange to kill anyone in parlament, c'mon you are in Poland declare private war on the neighbour you don't like, the Articles of Heinrich allow that.
Yep, sounds like European lore
Funnily enough the fist could have middle finger straight for additional spike as well as telling enemy what you think about him.
You just know someone in history has made a version of these with the middel finger sticking out and a hugh claw on that finger to use as a top spike. 🤣 There is no way in hell that doesn't exists cause it actuely makes sense. Also would they litterly just pick a dagger without a hilt and put the fist around it or how are these made?
Was thinking this same thought. Great minds think alike, but fools seldom differ.
I don't know how they would have faced the middle finger signal in all medieval history but the idea of this weapon is something to keep in mind when I become real good with metallurgy lol
@@riograndedosulball248 Well, flipping people off got invented in response to the hundred year war, and these things were most popular in the 15th century, so flipping people off was established by then. Originally you used the middle and index finger for it though, so in theory you'd have two spikes, which is a little unnecessary, but if you're the kinda person to commission a fist hammer in the first place you might still do it anyway
@@Amy_the_Lizard nice to hear even the symbolisme would have made sense to them. I just thought that mechanicaly having a middel
finger sticking made sense and they would have done it for that reason. Now we can bassicly be nearly 100% sure atleast someon must have done this. 🤣
@@Amy_the_Lizard what if instead we had the hand do the devil horns sign?
Interesting how much protection and vectors of defence a bigger shield can give to a short weaapon.
I would really like to see a modern reproduction, with the raised middle finger acting as a forward spike! 😜
I remember watching a "Samurai Jack" episode where he fought humanoid monkeys that held a tournament in which fist hammers were used.
People have always done this with weapons. There are countless examples of firearms made today that are more for ascetics and fun than actual use, even though they still work if pushed into the task. Just because we are making something to kill people with does not mean we have to give up our sense of style, ha.
Lol ascetics. Not often will you find an ascet using a weapon. An ascetic weapon would be the fists I guess since they rely on the bare minimum.
@@HolyPineCone you gotta give people the correct word if you're gonna laugh at the sentence they inadvertently made up.
Aesthetics
I absolutely love that design.
You could also make some fist maces.
I have had conversations with people about mall ninja weapons being an ancient, not new, phenomena. I've actually had people tell me point blank that these kinds of weapons never existed until recently. Rule of Cool is universal and timeless.
The fun thing about it that at some points of history someone was actually serious when he made such a weapon, because nobody did it before and thus nobody would know how the effectiveness would be.
it's always interesting seeing and finding out about odd, rare or less well known weapons from throughout history. I'd love to see your take on a cheroot cane.
I really like the music you choose for the sparring section; lots of different layers make it very interesting to me. Ratchet and Clank but tribal.
Bronze is heavier than iron and apart from being easier to cast the hand , the extra weight adds to the momentum.
How is bronze heavier? It's part tin, a very light metal!!!
@@ssunfish It's mostly copper which is more dense than iron. Though I'm not sure it's an advantage when a steel head can be much harder and simply made bigger.
@@ssunfish Tin in it's β form is marginally lighter than iron.
@@ssunfish Bronze is made of tin and copper ,it's about 10% denser than steel.
I like the walking stick that’s totally a weapon.
Yeah, tell it to the security guards every time I try to get into the court house with my actual aluminum and brass cane, for actual walking, though.
I love unusual stuff like this and collecting them. That koa repro is looking very interesting right now haha
If only rap had been invented earlier, then I'm pretty sure we'd have seen maces in the form of an open hand, just because some knight wanted to boast that he pimp-slapped all his opponents during that battle.
And here I'm surprised that actual fist shaped mace isn't common (I'm sure they exist, but too much of a niche to survive the rough world history)
@@victoriazero8869 if they only were to dig more in germany... Who knows what marvels of medieval memes we'd find
At the risk of sounding like an "um ackshually" guy...rap may have existed as long as human language. It's amazing! Hip-hop is a genre that keeps the technique alive.
"Just one question. Why?"
"You want to buy it?"
"Yeah"
"That's why"
Basically every designer ever
it might be interesting to know that there is a one handed Chinese martial art weapon that's almost exactly the same , except its a Chinese Brush ( as in brush used for writing ) holding in the palm with the brush tip acting as the spike and usually made of steel instead and used in pairs
Also come in long polearm version just search using the term 撾 or 判官筆. The former a broad term depicting weapon with a hand / fist profile including claws , the latter specific to the one handed " a fist clutching a brush " kind of spike / war hammer
Unlike the depicted , thus weapon is actually common in its days in China
Hmm, I guess that the Chinese had their own version of the "pen is mightier than the sword" saying?
@@WJS774 It's even more metal, as the name 判官筆 means "Judge's pen", possibly referring to the ten judges of the dead in Chinese folklore. In essense, it's implying "time to face your judgement".
I was looking in the comments for someone to talk about judges brushes
"I really want to write a poem about an epic fight! You there! Yes, you! I need ink for my poem and your face looks like an inkwell to me!"
Like most trends, I suspect these started with one guy who did it for laughs amongst his buddies, and then they all wanted one too, and the joke spread from there. Because some things may change, but in-jokes are forever.
*Speaking to the Hangman*
"It was not my hand that stabbed that man!"
*Peasants speaking amongst each other " Ya know, he kinda has a point there"
Hangman: Exacally! A point! *releases floor door*
Love the medieval humor here.
Both the war hammer/war pick and dagger is OP humor.
The obvious solution to fix the lack of spike pointing upwards compared to a conventional war hammer would be to make the hand do a middle finger and use that as a thrusting spike.
Such an imaginative design. And still kind of classy. Reminds me of these scepters with a hand on them used by royalty.
So even medieval people had meme weapons. That's cool. 😎
That's how they got high damage against armor, but also high crit chance, like a dagger. They exploited the medieval server they lived in.
Seeing some hammer sparring is such a rare treat.
I knew these existed for a long time but it was cool to use one in Vermintide 2, albeit with only one end.
Loving the sparring bonus footage!
RIP gopro
Loved the historcial background and the sparring scenes. Keep 'em coming, Skal. Cheers.
can you imagine assembling the best athletes in the world puting them in armor at age 7 and then training 6 hours a day with multiple battles peppered in until 30 or so? The level of mastery is something we simply cant conceive. Modern MMA has been around for what 30 years and its evolved tremendously. The ammount of information we have lost is staggering.
As a professional athlete I would advise you to be lighter on your feet and lose - everything is so rigid and "telegraphed". The fighting is like watching two immoble blind people trying to dispatch a swarm of bees. still love you Skallagrim!
Been training with this for nearly half a year now and I gotta say I love it! Used it both as a one handed hammer and as a polearm, everyone I’ve done harnischfechten with hates it and I 100% see why hammers are banned in buhurt/IMFC. That spike is evil at grabbing behind the knee and pulling people into a shoulder check
It gave me joy to hear you mention Tod's Workshop! I enjoy his RUclips channel for the same reasons I enjoy yours: the subject matter and the personal passion you guys bring with you!
that warhammer gives its wielder +100 charisma
you know i don't know that i care for full videos of sparring, but i quite enjoy a little bit of sparring at the end with the weapon spoken about in the video.
I've been liking your recent videos quite a lot. Keep it up!
When you have a bonus to fist weapons, but wanna actually do damage at end game.
I'm Pobortza's complete lack of surprise that German term is straightforward description of the thing.
Well, i really enjoyed this vid. I like it beign separated in two parts; the info and the sparring just for fun. Liked the music too.
Now we only need evidence for hammers, that hold sword hilts with the striking end being a pommel for the medieval memery to come full circle.
Lol, a warhammer with the striking head modeled after a cross guard topped with a hilt and the handle painted to look like a smallsword blade so it looks like he goes into battle murderstriking everyone
Congrats you made me laugh the most i had all week with that intro bit.
I really like the concept of doing a weapon video and combining it with sparring🖤
*Master Smith "Why have you created this?"
*Appreciate "For the ye old lols."
I find this interesting since this weapon is in vermintide 2 and thought it was just a warpick with a interesting theme to it since this universe already has weapons like those, some even shown in skall's video with the screaming dwarf weapons.
Cool to see it actually was a real weapon.
“What do you mean i’m cheating… this is just a dagger with a fancier handle than yours. You’re just jealous”
Skall takes a hit: "Are you not entertained?" Me: "Always". :)
0:45 Ah yes the punchie stick. For when your arms just aren't long enough for an actual fist to the face.
The actual fight with new weapons is very fascinating! However I hope you stay safe and don't get injured!!
I like the sparring with blunt weapons, not something you see often. quarterstaff versus sword would be cool! Or a jo or bo. Rattan potentially.
There's a reason you don't see it often. Blunt weapons don't need spikes or blades to kill you, and any well fashioned stick can kill a king. So a staff at normal weight is battle ready, with little room to pull punches.
@@alexzander7386 Yeah that is something ive encountered. It takes training to even spar train with blunt weapons. Ive seen some videos do it where they stop as they are about to hit, looks difficult stopping the staff as it closes in. Not for newcomers to hema that is for sure. Though my interest still resides within me.
"Okay guys, this is a fist only fight."
"Say no more."
I like the looks of these kinds of weapons.
These hammers are just gigantic flexes. First from the nobleman who can afford an extra detailed weapon just to abuse it later and second from the blacksmith that puts so much detail into his work although it adds nothing on the functionalities side.
It was actually a wooden stake holder for vampire slaying. Cant get too close to them bitey boys
Socially distanced vampire slaying was my first thought lol
this sparring was awesome, like the shield "door", him pulling you shield to then attack!
i'ts quite cool that two out of three of the warhammer "variations" are skins for the weapon in Mordhau. props to the research team
I'm vaguely reminded of a series of staves or similar pole weapons used in the 36th Chamber of Shaolin film. One of the abbots in charge of a chamber's instruction has a series of such staves with metal hands fashioned on one end. The hands came in many positions.
In your sparrings with such recordings => so much good moves which would look awesome in films.
Thanks a lot for inspiration!
One detail I'd love to see in a modern reproduction is the upwards pointing end of some warhammers being the fist's middle finger.
One of my favorite weapon designs comes from the videogame Icewind Dale 2, it's a mace, but the head is shaped like a closed fist.
Love the music on the sparring at the end :)
Greedfall's tier 2 two-handed hammers have this design. I didn't realize it was an actuel real-life design until I saw this video.
Awesome sparing, really like it.
What surprised me is that no surviving record exist on the fist shaped mace, because it was such an obvious and hilarious weapon idea and I'll be shocked if no one in medieval times think of this.
The natural evolution of that would be "hand holding a dagger while giving the middlefinger" or hand doing the heavy metal gesture
"I heard you like rondel daggers so I put a rondel dagger on your mace."
"I didn't stab him, my hammer grabbed that knife when I wasn't looking."
That looks cool ASF!! Looks like a Bec de Corbin.
Btw you were losing until you got the viking shield, your friend is a good addition.
I like watching the sparring, cause I imagine I can use it to describe fight scenes in my books better. :)
Google and my memory are failing me this morning so I couldn't find the name, but there's a 70's martial arts film where one of the villains fights with a club shaped like a human figure with its hands pointed above its head... that visual always stuck with me
Wish I was as skilled as you and had others to practice with. An elegant dance of death
Thank goodness for you Skal. RUclips is really drying up for me. I am inundated with millionaires bragging about how they became a millionaire. Teasing you with how they did it and tell you nothing. You on the other hand give real content. Quality content
It's always nice to have an extra hand.
I loved this video! Gotta love the German way of naming things. Squid? No, that's an ink-fish 😂
I love stuff like this. It really shows how people back then were not all business and practicality.
They still had humour and liked to joke around, even if people in old paintings tend to look really stern. Medieval memes, as you say.
They sure are awesome looking! Thanks for enduring the pain for us to understand how deadly these items can be.
A cool GOT war hammer for the Nights Watch would be a crows head with a sharpened beak.
I have follow you since you made the video about Kurgans Sword so about 8 years. Now a days i watch your video from time to time. But i tired to drop in regularly. It makes me glad that you still are around and making videos.
I started to watch your channel because of the sword testing and knife reviews. now a days i highly appreciate if you do a blog or just a update about what's happening. Lately i get a little bit of the old feeling from your videos. Maybe it's because i drop in more often. I don't know.
Anyway wish you all the best both with the channel and your personal life. Hope you are still around and making videos in another 8-10 years
Another top quality video! Greatly enjoyed
I love those things. I first noticed them in Medieval II: Total War.
I really enjoy the sparring, that's good content to see and get a feel for the thing being discussed.
I remember LotR: War in the North had a warhammer/warpick like this, and I always thought it was a really cool design.
Neat to see theyre actually real.
There's I-don't-remember-what RPG campaign where PCs find an old dragon tooth and they're supposed to be able to use it as a super undestructible weapon. I would make this kind of weapon with it, instead of a dagger! ^^
-Oi~ give me a hand, will ya?
*throws the fist hammer*
The sparring at the end was so fuckin cool
Thank you for this video, didn't know this existed til now