Atomahawk is a type of single-handedaxe used by the manyIndian peoples and nations ofNorth America. It traditionally resembles ahatchet with 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 anadaptation of thePowhatan (VirginianAlgonquian) word.
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 name comes fromPowhatantamahaac, derived from theProto-Algonquian root*temah- 'to cut off by tool'.[3]Algonquian cognates includeLenapetəmahikan,[4]Malecite-Passamaquoddytomhikon, andAbenakidemahigan, all of which mean 'axe'.[5][6]
TheAlgonquian people created 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 culture to 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]
The tomahawk's original designs were fitted with heads of bladed or rounded stone or deer antler.[3][10]
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 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][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 War as a weapon and tool.[12]
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]
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.[14][15] 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.[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 beharder than the middle section, allowing for a shock-resistant body with a durable temper.[16]
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]
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.[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 everyStryker vehicle as the "modular entry tool set".[14][16] This design enjoyed something of a renaissance with US soldiers inIraq andAfghanistan as a tool and in use in hand-to-hand combat.[21]
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.
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 Redemption and 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]
Modern tomahawk manufacturers include:
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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