War hammer

War hammer
Indo-Persian war hammer, heavy iron head with a hammer in front, a 4.5-inch (11 cm) curved spike on the other side, cut channel decorations, hard wood shaft
Type	Impact weapon or polearm
Place of origin	Europe and the Middle East
Service history
In service	Medieval
Specifications
Head type	Hammer, sometimes an additional spike
Haft type	One- or two-handed

A war hammer (French: martel-de-fer, "iron hammer") is a weapon that was used by both foot soldiers and cavalry. It is a very old weapon and gave its name, owing to its constant use, to Judah Maccabee, a 2nd-century BC Jewish rebel, and to Charles Martel, one of the rulers of France. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the war hammer became an elaborately decorated and handsome weapon.^[1]

The war hammer was a popular weapon in the late medieval period. It became somewhat of a necessity in combat when armor became so strong that swords and axes were no longer able to pierce and ricocheted upon impact. The war hammer could inflict significant damage on the enemy through their heavy impact without the need to pierce the armor.^[2]