Thefrancisca (orfrancesca) was athrowing axe used as a weapon during theEarly Middle Ages by theFranks, among whom it was a characteristic national weapon at the time of theMerovingians (about 500 to 750 AD). It is known to have been used during the reign ofCharlemagne (768–814).[1]Although generally associated with the Franks, it was also used by otherGermanic peoples of the period, including theAnglo-Saxons; several examples have been found inEngland.[2]
The termfrancisca first appeared in the bookEtymologiarum sive originum, libri XVIII byIsidore of Seville (c. 560–636) as a name used inHispania to refer to these weapons "because of their use by the Franks".[citation needed]
The historianGregory of Tours (c. 538–594) in hisHistory of the Franks uses twoLatin terms for the Frankish axe:securis andbipennis.
The régime ofVichy France used the image of a stylised double-headedfrancisque as part of its iconography (comparefasces).
The francisca is characterized by its distinctly arch-shaped head, widening toward the cutting edge and terminating in a prominent point at both the upper and lower corners. The top of the head is usually either S-shaped orconvex with the lower portion curving inward and forming an elbow with the short woodenhaft.[1][2] Sometimes the head is more upswept, forming a wider angle with the haft. Most franciscas have a round or teardrop-shaped eye designed to fit the tapered haft, similar toViking axes. Based on the measurements of modernreplicas, the francisca had a haft length of around 40–45 cm (16–18 in) and a 10 cm (3.9 in) cutting edge[3][4] with an average weight of around 600 g (21 oz; 1.3 lb).[1] Based on the surviving heads of franciscas recovered atBurgh Castle andMorning Thorpe in countyNorfolk, England,[2] the length of the head itself measured 14–15 cm (5.5–5.9 in) from the edge to the back of the socket.
TheByzantine historianProcopius (c. 500–565) described the Franks and their use of throwing axes:
...each man carried asword andshield and an axe. Now the iron head of this weapon was thick and exceedingly sharp on both sides while the wooden handle was very short. And they are accustomed always to throw these axes at one signal in the first charge and thus shatter the shields of the enemy and kill the men.[2]
Procopius makes it clear that the Franks threw their axes immediately beforehand-to-hand combat with the purpose of breaking shields and disrupting the enemy line while possibly wounding or killing an enemywarrior. The weight of the head and length of the haft would allow the axe to be thrown with considerable momentum to an effective range of about 12 m (39 ft). Even if the edge of the blade were not to strike the target, the weight of the iron head could cause injury. The francisca also had a psychological effect in that, on the throwing of the francisca, the enemy might turn and run in the fear that another volley was coming.[2]
Some sources, strangely, describe the francisca as both the "main weapons" of the Frankish infantry around the time of Clovis and also describe the francisca as being a fierce melee weapon.[5]
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