Braveheart a Lie? Hollywood Debunked! Real Highlanders Battled With Lochaber Axe

Contrary to Hollywood portrayals, Highlandside. The spear tip could penetrate chain armour,
warriors did not fight with large two-handedsomething a blade would otherwise be fairly
swords, nor did they us the immense Lochaberuseless against. Rarely seen in photographs and
Axe portrayed in museums and photographsmuseum pieces, this spear tip was a critical
today. Though making a wonderful cinematiccomponent of many designs, oft overlooked by
experience, the facts bear little resemblance tohistorians.
their movie-based counterparts.The blade edge, typically a crescent, 12 to 18
The Lochaber Axe was a weapon first used ininches in length, was effective against unarmoured
the late 16th Century, and which gained notorietytroops, weak areas in an armoured opponent, and
through famous battles such as the Battle offor disabling horses, thus turning its rider into a
Aldearn in 1645, Battle of Bothwell Bridge in 1690,foot soldier. In many incarnations of the Lochaber
Battle of Dunbar in 1650, Battle of Inverlochy inAxe, the blade tip was very pointy, thus obviating
1645 and the Battle of Kilsyth in 1645. Its name isthe need for a spear tip on the opposite end.
a composite of Lochaber, and axe. It was widelyWhen not used against the horse itself, the blade
employed up until the advent of firearms.was effective at cutting and slashing the legs of
Lochaber, from the Gaelic Loch Abar, is a regionthe rider, rendering him incapacitated.
in the West Highlands of Scotland. The large andThe hook backing to the blade had two purposes.
rather sparsely populated region surrounds FortIn the event of a siege, it could be used to scale
William, and has been home to various Highlandwalls. However, its most common employment
Clans throughout the past millennium.was to dismount cavalry. As a rider approached,
An axe, generally used for splitting wood, cuttingthe Highlander would step back, hook the rider,
it, and further shaping it, is composed of a headpull him off the mount, and once on the ground
and a handle, or helve. Axes are often portrayedslice with the blade.
in and around tombs and religious facilities, havingThe shaft, incorrectly reported by many sources,
special significance in heraldry and religion. Axeswas in fact not 7 or 8 feet in length. As some
were originally used in farming and modified inhistorians have pointed out, the weapon would
many ways to function as weapons, includinghave been to large and unwieldy to be effective
some with two opposite cutting edges and othersin combat, particularly when used by a man of 5
a single edge attached to long poles.feet in height. Highlanders were not 7 feet tall,
The Lochaber Axe was the primary weapon ofresembling Conan, Goliath, or other gargantuan
Scottish Highlanders, particularly when facingheroes. Instead, they were slight, quick, and
cavalry. Knowing they were on foot, and wouldhardy. The warriors needed a weapon that could
be in combat against armoured, mountedmake use of their dexterity, and to do so it
enemies, the Highlanders knew they needed aneeded to fit their size. The average Lochaber
weapon which could effectively combat thoseAxe had a shaft of 4 to 5.5 feet in length.
three components. Clan warriors needed a way toAny depiction of a Lochaber Axe having a 7 foot
dismount a rider and be able to penetrate armourshaft is either grossly incorrect or represents a
to defeat them.ceremonial weapon, never intended for combat.
The four key components of the Lochaber AxeThe shaft itself was typically made of ash or
include the shaft, or helve, a fine pointed spear tipother durable wood and the girth of a pitchfork,
on one end, and a blade with hook its oppositefor easy grip and handling.