Wikipedia

Tomahawk

(Redirected fromTomahawk (axe))
For other uses, seeTomahawk (disambiguation).

Atomahawkis a type of single-handedaxeused by the manyIndigenous peoples and nationsofNorth America.It traditionally resembles ahatchetwith a straight shaft.[1][2]In pre-colonial times the head was made of stone, bone, or antler, and European settlers later introduced heads of iron and steel. The term came into the English language in the 17th century as anadaptationof thePowhatan(VirginianAlgonquian) word.

Pipe tomahawk
Modern commercial tomahawk

Tomahawks were general-purpose tools used byNative Americansand later the European colonials with whom they traded, and often employed as a hand-to-hand weapon. The metal tomahawk heads were originally based on aRoyal Navyboardingaxe (a lightweight hand axe designed to cut throughboarding netswhen boarding hostile ships) and used as a trade-item with Native Americans for food and other provisions.[1][2]

Etymology

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The name comes fromPowhatantamahaac,derived from theProto-Algonquianroot*temah-'to cut off by tool'.[3]Algonquiancognates includeLenapetəmahikan,[4]Malecite-Passamaquoddytomhikon,andAbenakidemahigan,all of which mean 'axe'.[5][6]

History

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Tomahawk, Oglala, Lakota, Sioux (Native American), late 19th-early 20th century,Brooklyn Museum
Nez Percetomahawk

TheAlgonquian peoplecreated the tomahawk. Before Europeans came to the continent, Native Americans would use stones, sharpened by a process of knapping and pecking,[7]attached to wooden handles, secured with strips ofrawhide.The tomahawk quickly spread from theAlgonquian cultureto the tribes of the South and the Great Plains.

Native Americans created atomahawk’s poll,the side opposite the blade, which consisted of a hammer, spike orpipe.These became known as pipe tomahawks, which consisted of a bowl on the poll and a hollowed out shaft.[8]These were created by European and American artisans for trade and diplomatic gifts for the tribes.[9]

Composition

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Inlaid tomahawk pipe bowl, early 19th century,Brooklyn Museum

The tomahawk's original designs were fitted with heads of bladed or rounded stone or deer antler.[3][10]

A pipe tomahawk dating to the early 19th century

According to Mike Haskew, the modern tomahawk shaft is usually less than 2 ft (61 cm) in length, traditionally made of hickory, ash, or maple.[1][2][11]The heads weigh anywhere from 9 to 20 oz (260 to 570 g), with a cutting edge usually not much longer than four inches (10 cm) from toe to heel.[2]The poll can feature a hammer, spike, or may simply be rounded off, and they usually do not have lugs.[1][2]From the 1800's onward, these sometimes had a pipe-bowl carved into the poll, and a hole drilled down the center of the shaft for smokingtobaccothrough the metal head.[2]Pipe tomahawks are artifacts unique to North America, created by Europeans as trade objects but often exchanged asdiplomatic gifts.[1]They were symbols of the choice Europeans and Native Americans faced whenever they met: one end was thepipe of peace,the other an axe of war.[1][2][11]

In colonial French territory, a different tomahawk design, closer to the ancient Europeanfrancisca,was in use by French settlers and local peoples.[11]In the late 18th century, the British Army issued tomahawks to their colonial regulars during theAmerican Revolutionary Waras a weapon and tool.[12]

Modern use

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Tomahawks are useful in camping and bushcraft scenarios. They are mostly used as an alternative to a hatchet, as they are generally lighter and slimmer than hatchets. They often contain other tools in addition to the axe head, such as spikes or hammers.[13]

Traditional form tomahawk

Modern, non-traditional tomahawks were used by selected units of theUS armed forcesduring theVietnam Warand are referred to as "Vietnam tomahawks" to inflict injury.[14][15]These modern tomahawks have gained popularity with their reemergence byAmerican Tomahawk Companyin the beginning of 2001 and a collaboration with custom knife-makerErnest EmersonofEmerson Knives, Inc.[14]A similar wood handle Vietnam tomahawk is produced today byCold Steel.[14]

Many of these modern tomahawks are made ofdrop forged,differentially heat treated, alloy steel.[16]The differential heat treatment allows for the chopping portion and the spike to beharderthan the middle section, allowing for a shock-resistant body with a durable temper.[16]

Tomahawk throwing competitions

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Franciscaforged in modern Tomahawk shape design from cannon steel from theLeopard Ibattle tank

Tomahawk throwing[17]is a popular sport among American and Canadian historical reenactment groups, and new martial arts such as Okichitaw have begun to revive tomahawk fighting techniques used during the colonial era.[18]Tomahawks are a category within competitiveknife throwing.Today's hand-forged tomahawks are being made by master craftsmen throughout the United States.[14][19]

Today, there are many events that hosttomahawk throwing competitions.[20]

The tomahawk competitions have regulations concerning the type and style of tomahawk used for throwing. There are special throwing tomahawks made for these kinds of competitions. Requirements such as a minimum handle length and a maximum blade edge (usually 4 in [100 mm]) are the most common tomahawk throwing competition rules.[20]

Military application

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A US Army soldier throws a tomahawk as part of the Top Tomahawk competition at Forward Operating BaseSpin BoldakinKandahar,Afghanistan.

Tomahawks were used by individual members of theUS ArmyStrykerBrigade in Afghanistan, the172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Teambased atGrafenwöhr(Germany), the 3rd Brigade,2nd Infantry Divisionout ofFort Lewis,a reconnaissance platoon in the 2d Squadron 183d Cavalry (116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team) (OIF2007–2008) and numerous other soldiers.[14][16]The tomahawk was issued a NATO stock number (4210-01-518-7244) and classified as a "Class 9 rescue kit" as a result of a program called the Rapid Fielding Initiative; it is also included within everyStrykervehicle as the "modular entry tool set".[14][16]This design enjoyed something of a renaissance with US soldiers inIraqandAfghanistanas a tool and in use in hand-to-hand combat.[21]

Law enforcement

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The tomahawk has gained some respect from members of various law enforcement tactical (i.e. "SWAT" ) teams. Some companies have seized upon this new popularity and are producing "tactical tomahawks". These SWAT-oriented tools are designed to be both useful and relatively light. Some examples of "tactical tomahawks" include models wherein the shaft is designed as a Pry Bar.

Modern tomahawk fighting

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There are not many systems worldwide which teach fighting skills with the axe or a tomahawk to civilians.

In the 20th and 21st century, tomahawks have been prominently featured in films and video games (e.g.Dances with Wolves;Last of the Mohicans;The Patriot;Jonah Hex;Prey;Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter;[22]Bullet to the Head;Red Dead Redemptionand itssequel,andAssassin's Creed III),[23][24]leading to increased interest among the public. Tomahawks are among the weapons used in the Filipino martial artescrima.[25]

Manufacturers

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Modern tomahawk manufacturers include:

See also

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References

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  1. ^abcdefHaskew, Mike (2003-09-01). "Pipe Hawks".Blade.30(9): 26–34.
  2. ^abcdefgHaskew, Mike (2006-09-01). "Star-Spangled Hawks Take Wing".Blade.33(9): 30–37.
  3. ^abCutler, Charles L. (2002).Tracks that Speak: The Legacy of Native American Words in North American Culture.Boston:Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.p.139.ISBN0-618-06509-1.
  4. ^"tëmahikàn".Lenape Talking Dictionary.RetrievedOctober 27,2012.The Lenape roottəmə-means 'to cut off' and the suffix-hikanforms the names of tools
  5. ^Hranicky, William (1 April 2009).Material Culture from Prehistoric Virginia.AuthorHouse.p. 56.ISBN978-1-4389-6661-8.
  6. ^Jahr, Ernst Håkon;Broch, Ingvild (1996).Language Contact in the Arctic: Northern Pidgins and Contact Languages.Walter de Gruyter.p. 295.ISBN978-3-11-014335-5.
  7. ^"History and Origins of the Tomahawk".Tomahawk History.3 June 2021.Retrieved10 June2021.
  8. ^Shannon, Timothy J. (2005)."Queequeg's Tomahawk: A Cultural Biography, 1750-1900".Ethnohistory.52(3).Gettysburg College:589–633.doi:10.1215/00141801-52-3-589– via The Cupola: Scholarship at Gettysburg College.
  9. ^"Tomahawk History".Hawk Throwing.Retrieved22 July2014.
  10. ^Taylor, Colin F. (2001).Native American Weapons.Norman, Okla.:University of Oklahoma Press.p. 30.ISBN0806133465.Retrieved2012-11-17.The wooden ballheaded club at this time was also generally referred to as a 'tomahawk'
  11. ^abcHaskew, Mike (2004-09-01). "Legends and Lore Through the Spike Tomahawk".Blade.28(9): 12–19.
  12. ^Dick, Steven (2002-05-01). "Frontier Hatchets still On Duty".Tactical Knives.10(5): 43–47.
  13. ^Fadala, Sam (2006).The Complete Blackpowder Handbook.Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. p. 348.ISBN0-89689-390-1.[permanent dead link‍]
  14. ^abcdefSteele, David E. (September 2005). "Wedged Edges at War".Blade:12–19.
  15. ^"Marines Stuck On Tomahawk"(PDF).The Pittsburgh Press.February 25, 1968. p. 2. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on August 25, 2006.RetrievedJuly 14,2008.
  16. ^abcdEmerson, Ernest(2007). "The Modern Tomahawk".American Handgunner:15.
  17. ^"How to Throw a Tomahawk".Hatchets and Axes.February 23, 2011.RetrievedMay 3,2011.
  18. ^Taillon, Joan (September 1, 2004)."Toronto martial arts group visits North Korea".The Aboriginal Newspaper of Ontario.Vol. 3, no. 8. p. 2.RetrievedJuly 20,2008.
  19. ^"Tomahawk Makes Front Page News in San Francisco"(PDF).Mountaineer-Herald. January 25, 1968. p. 8. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on August 22, 2006.RetrievedJuly 14,2008.
  20. ^ab"Tomahawk Throwing Competitions".Awesome Axes.January 1, 2022.
  21. ^Tillett, David (April 15, 2003)."Lethal Weapon:Historic Tomahawk Returns to the Battlefield with Some U.S. Troops".ABC News.RetrievedJanuary 24,2007.
  22. ^Grahame-Smith, Seth(March 2, 2010).Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter.New York:Grand Central Publishing.p. 336.ISBN978-0-446-56308-6.OCLC458890478.
  23. ^Assassin's Creed III - Strategy Guide.Game Guide. October 28, 2015. p. 125.ISBN9781621545316.
  24. ^Altson, John; Lee, Bob (January 29, 2013).The Id from Eden.John Altson. p. 89.ISBN9781482021271.
  25. ^McLemore, Dwight C. (2010).The Fighting Tomahawk.Boulder, Colorado: Paladin Press. p. 27.ISBN978-1-58160-729-1.
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