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Athrowing axe is a weapon used fromAntiquity to theMiddle Ages by foot soldiers and occasionally by mounted soldiers. Usually, they are thrown in an overhand motion in a manner that causes the axe to rotate as it travels through the air.
Axe throwing is a sport in which the competitor throws anaxe at a target,[1] attempting to hit the bullseye as near as possible like that of thearchery. Axe throwing is an event held in most lumberjack competitions. A skilled axe thrower will rotate the throwing axe exactly once throughout the flight so that the sharpened edge of the head will penetrate the target. Throwing axes are becoming popular among outdoor enthusiasts as a throwing tool.
Thefrancisca is a throwing axe associated with theFranks[2] in the 3rd century CE. Its design was also used by other Germanic peoples of the period including theAnglo-Saxons. The francisca is characterised 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 or convex with the lower portion curving inward and forming an elbow with the short wooden haft. Sometimes the head is more up-swept, 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. Thetomahawk, a similarNew World throwing weapon, experienced some influence by the francisca in theFrench territories. Tomahawk throwing competitions still take place today.
A hurlbat (or whirlbat, whorlbat) is the term used for a type of weapon with unclear original definition. Older reference works refer to it largely as a type of club, either held in the hand or possibly thrown. Modern usage appears to refer to a type of throwing-axe.
The Nzappa zap is a weapon from theDemocratic Republic of the Congo that is one of the more unusual-looking throwing axes. The Nzappa zaps sometimes had an iron head with two or three human faces. The handle had the shape of a club with a round upper part. The head is attached to the club via struts, giving the weapon its unique design. These axes were either thrown short distances or wielded inhand-to-hand combat.