Shepherd's axe
This article needs additional citations for verification. (June 2019) |
The shepherd's axe is a long thin light axe of Eurasian origin used in past centuries by
Appearance
A shepherd's axe is a light axe with a long and straight wooden shaft, often with a metal butt. The length of the shaft is usually slightly more than 1 metre. The shafts were usually engraved as their owners had plenty of time for crafting.
A small metal head-piece is sharp on one side while the other side is flat and can be used as a hammer. The head-piece is formed to fit comfortably into the hand so the shepherd's axe could be used as a walking stick.
Today's shepherd's axes are mostly decorative, some having golden or silver head-pieces (mostly brass, iron, chromed iron, wood or aluminum – it is rare that any axe head would be made of solid gold or silver). Many are considered works of art (esp. those made up to the 1960s by highlanders). They were skillfully stamped/adorned according to ancient tradition. The main motifs were the sun, stars (whirl), comets, tree of life, flowers, trees such as fir or spruce, and various geometric designs. Some smiths used many different, elaborated stamps.
History and usage
The first written mention of the shepherd's axe comes from Emperor
In the 9th century,
In
In
Many people of the
Present-day usage
At present, shepherd's axes are still made and sold as souvenirs and for decorative purposes. They are also still used in many traditional dances. Occasionally they may be seen in the
Gallery
-
Klemens Bachleda holding a ciupaga
-
Juraj Jánošík holding his valaška
-
Imre Thökölyholding a modified fokos
-
Opryshok Vasyl Bayurak holding bartka
-
Depiction of bartka by Severyn Obst (1882)
References
- ISBN 978-0-559-52429-5.
A fokos is an instrument with the head resembling that of a tomahawk, and may be used as a walking stick
- ^ "Odzemok (1*) – Slovakia". Folkdance Footnotes. 2019-02-15. Retrieved 2023-04-30.
- ^ a b c d Magyar Demokrata, 2009-09-04, in Hungarian
- ^ a b Honfoglalás kori fokosok, balták és bárdok Archived 2020-02-02 at the Wayback Machine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Zsolt Petkes, in Hungarian
- ^ Reychman, J. (1971). Peleryna, ciupaga i znak tajemny. p. 68.