Atomahawk is a type of single-handedaxe used by the manyIndigenous peoples and nations ofNorth America. It traditionally resembles ahatchet with a straight shaft.[1][2]
The name comes fromPowhatantamahaac, derived from theProto-Algonquian root*temah- 'to cut off by tool'.[3] Alternative sources state that it derived from the Algonquian wordotomahuk (“to knock down”).[4]
Algonquian cognates includeLenapetəmahikan,[5]Malecite-Passamaquoddytomhikon, andAbenakidemahigan, all of which mean 'axe'.[6][7]
The term came into the English language in the 17th century as anadaptation of thePowhatan (VirginianAlgonquian) word.[citation needed]
Before Europeans came to the continent, Native Americans would use stones, sharpened by a process of knapping and pecking,[8] attached to wooden handles, secured with strips ofrawhide. The tomahawk was created by theAlgonquian people. It quickly spread from theAlgonquian culture to the tribes of theSouth and theGreat 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.[9] These were created by European and American artisans for trade and diplomatic gifts for the tribes.[10]
In pre-colonial times the head was made of stone, bone, or antler, and European settlers later introduced heads of iron and steel.
Tomahawks were general-purpose tools used byNative Americans and 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 Navyboarding axe (a lightweight hand axe designed to cut throughboarding nets when boarding hostile ships) and used as a trade-item with Native Americans for food and other provisions.[1][2]
The tomahawk's original designs were fitted with heads of bladed or rounded stone or deer antler.[3][11]
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][12]
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]
European traders brought with them metal axe-heads, which Native Americans and white settlers alike adapted into their tomahawk designs.[13]
From the 1800s onward, these sometimes had a pipe-bowl carved into the poll, and a hole drilled down the center of the shaft for smokingtobacco through 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][12]
In colonial French territory, a different tomahawk design, closer to the ancient Europeanfrancisca, was in use by French settlers and local peoples.[12] In the late 18th century, the British Army issued tomahawks to their colonial regulars during theAmerican Revolutionary War as a weapon and tool.[14]
Many of these modern tomahawks are made ofdrop forged, differentially heat treated, alloy steel.[15]
The differential heat treatment allows for the chopping portion and the spike to beharder than the middle section, allowing for a shock-resistant body with a durable temper.[15]
The tomahawk competitions have regulations concerning the type and style of tomahawk used for throwing.
Today's hand-forged tomahawks are being made by master craftsmen throughout the United States.[16][17]
There are special throwing tomahawks made for competitions such as theWorld Axe Throwing League. Requirements such as a minimum handle length and a maximum blade edge are dictated by each organizing body of competition in its rules.[18]
Some companies produce "tactical tomahawks" marketed as SWAT oriented tools. Some designs include multiple uses wherein the shaft is designed as apry bar.
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.[19]
These modern tomahawks have gained popularity with their reemergence byAmerican Tomahawk Company in the beginning of 2001 and a collaboration with custom knife-makerErnest Emerson ofEmerson Knives, Inc.[16] A similar wood handle Vietnam tomahawk is produced today byCold Steel.[16]
Tomahawk throwing[20][18] 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.[21]
Modern, non-traditional tomahawks were used by selected units of theUS armed forces during theVietnam War and are referred to as "Vietnam tomahawks" to inflict injury.[16][22]
Tomahawks were used by individual members of theUS ArmyStryker Brigade in Afghanistan, the172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team based atGrafenwöhr (Germany), the 3rd Brigade,2nd Infantry Division out ofFort Lewis, a reconnaissance platoon in the 2d Squadron 183d Cavalry (116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team) (OIF 2007–2008) and numerous other soldiers.[16][15]
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 everyStryker vehicle as the "modular entry tool set".[16][15]
This design enjoyed something of a renaissance with US soldiers inIraq andAfghanistan as a tool and in use in hand-to-hand combat.[23]
Tomahawks are among the weapons used in the Filipino martial artescrima.[24]
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;[25]Bullet to the Head;Red Dead Redemption and itssequel, andAssassin's Creed III),[26][27] leading to increased interest among the public.[citation needed]
The Lenape roottəmə- means 'to cut off' and the suffix-hikan forms the names of tools
The wooden ballheaded club at this time was also generally referred to as a 'tomahawk'
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