Halberd - a weapon of changeable fate

Perhaps the most unusual halberd was shown to us in the cinema - in the film "The Kingdom of Crooked Mirrors" (1963) based on the fairy tale by V. Gubarev. Its "clumsy" part was made in the form of a parrot and looked not only fabulous, but also very stylish! Frame from the film "The Kingdom of Crooked Mirrors"

Let our servants, taking halberds,
They will clear the way for the prisoners of the slaves.
Let them announce again that all
The hosts must, under pain of death
Keep your henchmen at home. Every
С weapons let it be at the threshold
For disobedience to all to answer.
"Sir Thomas More", William Shakespeare

History weapons. The well-known weapons historian Vendalen Beheim writes in his “Encyclopedia of Weapons” that the word halberd comes from the German Helm (helmet) and Barte (axe beard), but then, they say, it got into other languages ​​​​and was accordingly distorted, turning into a halberd. Be that as it may, but since the beginning of the XIV century it has already been known in the usual spelling for us. In the battles of Morganten (1315) and Sempach (1386), it was the halberd, which was in service with the Swiss infantry, that brought them victory. It turned out that this hybrid of a spear and an ax is very effective against armor that appeared at that time from metal plates superimposed on chain mail. The ax - chopped, the tip of the spear - pricked, and the hook on the butt made it possible to pull the riders off the horse, hooking them on the patched clothes. An extensive collection of halberds is in the Metropolitan Museum of New York, and we will get to know her today. Although, of course, not with all of its samples, because there are more than ... 200 of them!

Swiss halberd 1375-1400 from Freiburg. Length 213,9 cm; tip length 45 cm; weight 2409,7 g

Swiss halberd 1380-1430 Length 194,9 cm; warhead length 31,8 cm; weight 2040 g

Note that the halberd, unlike the spear, was a rather metal-intensive weapon and therefore was quite expensive. In addition, she had a rather large weight, which just allowed the warrior armed with her to crush any armor. At the same time, like any other weapon, the halberd was constantly changing. Moreover, it changed both in time and in space, since halberds in different countries were not similar to each other, differing in both shape and size. For example, the German and Italian halberds were very different.

Some halberds were quite primitive. For example, this Swiss halberd from about 1400 is 199,39 cm long.

In the XIV-XV centuries. it was the halberd that was the most common weapon in the infantry, and halberdiers were found in all European armies. But at the end of the XNUMXth century, when the German landsknechts were armed with a long spear, the halberd had to give up its position somewhat. Now only the most experienced warriors began to use it, and it also became the distinctive weapon of junior officers.

Illustration depicting halberdiers from the book "The Theater of All Peoples and Nations of the Earth with their various clothes and decorations, both ancient and modern, painstakingly depicted in nature." Lucas d'Heer, Second half of the XNUMXth century Ghent University Library

Papal guard with a halberd. Rome, Vatican. Author's photo

As such, it served the entire XNUMXth century, but in the XNUMXth century it almost completely disappeared as a weapon. But on the other hand, both in the days of peace and in war, the halberd was for a long time the weapon of the Life Guards, guarding the person of the Austrian emperor. And the Swiss Guard of the Vatican is still armed with halberds.

Here is how, for example, the Italian halberd of 1500-1525 looked like. Overall length 235,6 cm, warhead length 54,9 cm

Swiss halberd around 1510-1520 Overall length 190,4 cm; warhead length 42,8 cm; weight 2750 g

Considering the halberds of different times and nationalities, it is easy to see that, having been born precisely as a military weapon, the halberd eventually became less and less suitable for combat use. The Renaissance period, which gave it very elaborate forms, especially influenced the shape of the halberd.

Italian halberd ca. 1530. Total length 221,6 cm; warhead length 62,3 cm; weight 2381,4 g

For some reason, already at the beginning of the XNUMXth century, a very long awl-shaped tip appeared on Italian halberds, and all other parts greatly decreased in size, including the ax blade, which also acquired the shape of a reverse full moon. That is, it was more convenient to stab with such a halberd than to chop, but the sharp hook on its warhead remained practically unchanged. Weight, respectively, also decreased.

Italian halberd 1550. Overall length 223,1 cm; warhead length 61,3 cm; weight 1730 g

Italian halberd with a frightening moon-shaped ax handle, ca. 1575. Overall length 265,4 cm; warhead length 93 cm; weight 3883,9 g. It is clear that such a halberd simply could not have any combat value

German halberd ca. 1590. Decorated with an engraving depicting a winged Valkyrie with a sword and horn. Total length 203,8 cm; warhead length 24,9 cm; weight 1298,4 g

In general, halberds have really turned into works of weapons art. They began to make slotted blades and hooks, decorate with niello and gilding, engrave patterns, coats of arms and images. It is clear that, according to the finish, their price also increased, so that from a mass weapon, the halberd gradually turned into a prestigious weapon, which is now being made by special order.

German halberd ca. 1600. Total length 238 cm; warhead length 63,5 cm; weight 2810 g

Flemish halberd c. 1620. Overall length 236,3 cm; warhead length 56,2 cm; weight 1640 g

Since now the personal guards of Western European sovereigns are increasingly armed with halberds, in addition to the rich decoration, the image of the coat of arms of one or another royal person is placed on the halberds, for example, as on the halberd of the Austrian Archduke Ferdinand II ...

Halberd of the guard of the Archduke Ferdinand II of Austria (1578–1637, Emperor from 1619). Dated 1598. Made in Germany. Total length 252,7 cm; warhead length 61,6 cm; weight 2750 g

Some of the halberds on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art have an absolutely amazing history. Or related to important historical events. For example, this one...

Halberd of Prince Karl Eusebius of Liechtenstein (1611–1684). The pommel of the halberd, consisting of an ax blade with a strongly concave cutting edge, a wide double-edged stabbing blade with a strong median ridge, and a hook bent down, is almost completely covered with etched ornamentation. On one side of the ax blade are engraved the coats of arms of the princes of Liechtenstein, and on the other side an oval medallion with the emblem of a hand wielding a hammer striking a pointed anvil, the personal badge of Charles Eusebius, Prince of the Empire and regent of the House of Liechtenstein, and the inscription VIRTUTE ELUDITUR ICTUS ("Thanks to virtue he avoids punches). The hook bears the date "1632". The coat of arms and monograms are surmounted by the crown of the Prince of the Empire. The angles between the three blades - the ax tip and the hook - are decorated with decorative points. The sleeve has a square section and is attached to a tetrahedral shaft with four side langets. The Liechtenstein family coats of arms are depicted on the ax blade. The Princes of Liechtenstein are an old Austrian family; their family castle (now destroyed) is located near Vienna. From the 1627th to the 1613th century, they collected vast possessions in Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia (now the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland). Prince Karl (died 1623), father of Prince Karl Eusebius, whose monogram is engraved on this halberd, annexed the Silesian Duchy of Troppau in 1656 and the Duchy of Jägerndorf in 1712. The son of Charles Eusebius, Johann Adam Andreas (1708–1719), acquired Vaduz in 230,17, which in 62,23 received the status of a principality and is now the principality of Liechtenstein. Overall length 3374 cm; warhead length XNUMX cm; weight XNUMX g

Halberd of the Swiss Guard of Johann George II of Saxony (r. 1656-1680), 1680 Germany. Length 220,98 cm

It is interesting that halberds were produced in rather large quantities in America, on the territory of the British colonies. Such was the strength of tradition and the strength of the opinion that "this is necessary", although it is difficult to imagine that at least one of the colonists would go on an expedition against the Indians, taking a halberd as a weapon. On the other hand, archaeologists have repeatedly found such a weapon as a bill, which is nothing more than one of the varieties of a halberd, during excavations on the territory of Jamestown in Virginia, which suggests that it was ... used!

American halberd, ca. 1620 State of Connecticut. Overall length 221 cm; warhead length 46,4 cm; weight 1743,5 g

German halberd 1650-1700 Overall length 206,4 cm; warhead length 38,1 cm; weight 1275,7 g

Painting by the Dutch artist Jan Alberts Rotius (1624–1666): “The Company of Captain Sein Koninka”, 1649. Another group portrait of the Dutch militias. It also perfectly depicts two halberds at once. Westfries Museum

There were many varieties of halberds. Moreover, Vendalen Behaim also refers to them a rather strange weapon called rancona, which he considered a kind of Italian halberds ...

The combat part of the rancona of 1500 consists of a long double-edged piercing-chopping blade with a cutting edge on one side, turning into a strongly curved hook, and on the back side having a sharp spike sticking out at a right angle. Two short spikes at the base of the blade serve as a guard. The reverse side is stamped with a simple ornament of dots and crescent lines. It is believed that such a weapon was developed on the basis of an agricultural tool - a hook, with which a farmer cut unnecessary branches from his fruit trees. It was especially popular in the countries of Western Europe, where it was one of the equivalents of a halberd. In England, he was called "bill", and there was even such a cry as "bills and bows", that is, a call to arm spearmen and archers. It appears to have been one of the few polearms used by the Spanish conquistadors and early English colonists in the New World. Dimensions: length 247,7 cm; warhead length 88,9 cm; weight 2182,9 g

Comments

[Ezekiel 25-17]

A beautiful weapon is always pleasing to the eye: thanks to the author.

[Ross xnumx]

A piercing-chopping weapon with a hook (hook, in the manner of a gaff) could be a formidable alternative to other types. These are melee weapons, and with the advent of bows and arrows, they no longer serve their original purposes. And hatchets in the form of crescents (parrots) have a clearly decorative and ceremonial significance ...
Curious information. Thank you, Oleg Vyacheslavovich!

[mmaxx]

It seems you messed something up. The halberd is a fairly recent invention. And just only the development of firearms made the halberd (and everything else) meaningless. And not immediately.
For some reason, no one came up with a simple idea: to shoot the Swiss or Landsknechts with bows.

[Ross xnumx]

Quote: mmaxx

It seems you messed something up. The halberd is a rather late invention.

Yes, I got carried away with fantasies and oriental tales:

The halberd was in service with the infantry of a number of armed forces of European states from the XNUMXth to the XNUMXth century, becoming most widespread in the XNUMXth-XNUMXth centuries as an effective weapon against well-protected cavalry.

To be honest, the pressure jumped and only now I saw how I renamed Vyacheslav Olegovich Oleg Vyacheslavovich ...
Well, yes, kind and more attentive users will forgive me for my mistakes.

[kalibr]

Quote: ROSS 42

renamed

This is such a traditional renaming of mine that I have long been accustomed to it!

[Engineer]

For some reason, no one came up with a simple idea: to shoot the Swiss or Landsknechts with bows.

When Murten tried, it did not work.
The battle is not a relatively static phalanx. She is more maneuverable, can attack quickly, can fight on rough terrain, and is able to engage in combat right from the march.

[AlAvis]

The halberdiers were used in the same order of battle with the musketeers, covering them during reloading and when attacking cavalry. The halberd became obsolete only with the advent of perfect flint locks.

[Mikhail3]

Quote: ROSS 42

These are melee weapons, and with the advent of bows and arrows, they no longer serve their original purposes.

Oh-oh-oh ... Actually, the bow and arrows are much older than any cold man, except for a spear with a stone tip and a knotted club. How nice to read the opinion of a connoisseur!

[Plane_Junkers]

parrot halberds look more like a reed

[kalibr]

Berdysh did not have a spear tip. These have!

[novel66]

And the guards, the guards, where are they ??
And, yes, thank you very much, it's nice in the morning about the vanity

[kalibr]

Quote: novel xnumx

And the guards, the guards, where are they ??

Are there guisarmes here too? And what will be the volume?

[novel66]

For reading with pleasure, the volume is welcome

[3x3zsave]

In my opinion, if we are considering the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, it would be more reasonable to appeal not to Baheim, but to Dean Bashward.

Thank you, Vyacheslav Olegovich!

[kalibr]

So practically the first THREE directions on the left of this scheme are taken. But Beheim seemed more comfortable to me ...

[hohol95]

In the Russian Empire, halberds and espantons were taken out of service in October 1811.

[Senior seaman]

Quote: hohol95

In the Russian Empire, halberds and espantons were taken out of service in October 1811.

were in service with the police until 1856

[sergej_84]

The well-known weapons historian Vendalen Beheim writes in his “Encyclopedia of Weapons” that the word halberd comes from the German Helm (helmet) and Barte (axe beard), but then, they say, it got into other languages ​​​​and was accordingly distorted, turning into a halberd.

Behaim was too lazy to look through all the options, using the seventeen-volume Deutsche Wörterbuch of the Brothers Grimm. The edition itself, of course, is unique - the first volume appeared in 1852, and the last - in 1961. Moreover, the oldest part, which Behaim used, was edited and changed in the 60s and 70s.
The Mittelhochdeutsches Handwörterbuch (Middle High German Dictionary) by Matthias Lexer gives a different version.

original name helmbarte is a combination of Middle High German halm, helm - handle и beard - axe, battle ax, that is, "an ax with a (long) handle."

By the way, the halberd appeared not from scratch, but as a modification of an earlier weapon - rossschinder - "horse flayer", Italian Bill or Roncone. In the article, this weapon is presented as rancona.

Here it should be noted that weapons with the same name from different historians who tried to create its classification look different.

[sergej_84]

In continuation of the previous comment (whose editing time has expired).
The German weapons expert Auguste Demmin attributed this weapon to the roncone.

[kalibr]

Both Baheim and Bashward have this thing called runka.

[sergej_84]

Both Baheim and Bashward have this thing called runka.

In the literature, you can find the names ranseur, roncone, spetum.

[Kote Pan Kokhanka]

Reminds me of a gladiator's trident

[Vasily I]

It would be interesting to compare with Chinese "analogues".

[kalibr]

Quote: VasilyI

It would be interesting to compare with Chinese "analogues".

Yes, but they are hard to find.

[irontom]

But what about the development of the Ge-Ji slander? In general - a spear with an ax.

[kalibr]

At VO I had several articles on ancient Chinese weapons based on the books of the English historian Pierce. You can search through a search engine. There it was.

[tlauicol]

I read somewhere that the evolution of the clumsy beak of a halberd into a moon-shaped beak is not for useless beauty, but the development of penetrating abilities of weapons

[Lynx2000]

Regarding the Italian varieties of halberds:

I heard that in the late Middle Ages, during the Renaissance in the navy
boarding halberds were used, the hook on the butt was much longer.
Since the Italian city-states, they also had maritime republics, not only
merchant fleet, but also the military, then most likely there was the use of such weapons.

Few people now own this type of weapon. :

[sergej_84]

Regarding the Italian varieties of halberds

This weapon was called roncone in Italy, rossschinder in Germany, italian bill in England, la roncone or ronco in France. Halberd was not called anywhere.

I heard that in the late Middle Ages, during the Renaissance in the navy
boarding halberds were used, the hook on the butt was much longer.

Similar weapons were used in the XIX century. Only it is rather a boarding ax "with elements of a halberd."

English boarding axe, 1812.

French boarding ax. About 1780.
The "heard" argument sounds good in the "news" or "analytics" section of this site. In the "history" section, it is appropriate under Samsonov's articles.

[Lynx2000]

Quote: sergej_84

French boarding ax. About 1780.
The "heard" argument sounds good in the "news" or "analytics" section of this site. In the "history" section, it is appropriate under Samsonov's articles.

Currently, there are many experts in edged weapons, they are developing classification systems, according to their appearance, methods of application, etc.
Some refute others, therefore, as a non-specialist, I have the right to express my opinion, especially in the case when the copy I cited in the photo, along with others, is indicated in the source as types of Italian halberds. The Italians from the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance had a good fleet.
Is it in this section that in order to express your opinion (not academic) you need access at least in the status of C.I.N.?!
Boarding axes have been well known since the 18th century, which was facilitated by the development of the sailing fleet and the era of transoceanic travel, the presence of such a tool / weapon in the equipment of a sailboat is necessary.
Regarding halberds, their transformation and use in the navy, I expressed my opinion that the presence of a strong long pole with a long hook can be effectively used during boarding, at the time of the dumping of ships, to begin with, as an emphasis when approaching (sailboats did not have fenders and power belts then), then hooking overboard and holding, also striking (chopping, stabbing) with a halberd from your deck ...

[sergej_84]

Is it in this section that in order to express your opinion (not academic) you need access at least in the status of C.I.N.?!

In this section, everyone can express their opinion, which is why it is good. But when expressing your opinion, it is desirable, among other things, to indicate the source of information, that's all. Agree that the source "heard somewhere" does not look very convincing.

[Lynx2000]

Quote: sergej_84

In this section, everyone can express their opinion, which is why it is good. But when expressing your opinion, it is desirable, among other things, to indicate the source of information, that's all. Agree that the source "heard somewhere" does not look very convincing.

OK. You did not understand my idea that the polearm, under the general terminology - "Halberd", was universal, which was used in the infantry and the navy.
(We had an instructor in hand-to-hand combat and physical training, comrade senior warrant officer, a former marine, a fan of "cold weapons"). Moreover, I did not intend to try to shine with the knowledge of a bunch of European names of weapons similar in purpose and fencing techniques.
Regarding boarding weapons, he wrote about the halberd about the period before the widespread use of gunpowder (ship artillery and personal riflemen), and used boarding halberds (longer than infantry), pikes and axes in close combat.
Article by I.P. Sukhanov "Pole weapons of the ships of the Russian fleet".

You yourself mentioned the name of the weapon from the derivative, if the halberd is literally a handle (shaft) + ax (axe) later supplemented with a spearhead. Currently, as I understand it, there is no specific classification by type of halberd. I understand that there is a classic (German type) halberd, consisting of a curved (concave) blade of an ax (axe), a hook (thorn) on the butt and a tip. Halberds made, for example, in Italy, as you can see from the shape of the tip snout, evolved from ronca (English bill its copy on the shaft but not roncone) a wide utility knife. Italian master blacksmiths did not have a strict technical task for the manufacture of halberds according to the German type.

Regarding fencing techniques roncone (large ronca), in the book "New Work" by Achille Marozzo, if I'm not mistaken, reprinted from the middle of the 16th century. about the techniques of fencing, in a separate chapter he talks about the fight with a ronka:
This is a very recognizable Italian polearm, also referred to as the "Italian halberd". The weapon really looks like a halberd, but you don't need to call it that.
Ronca (roncone) is not some completely unique weapon. From the point of view of fencing, this is the same halberd. A. Marozzo ends the chapter on fighting with the ronca thus: "Here ends the ways (of combat) with Ronca one on one, and know that these actions with the ronca can be performed with both a halberd and a spear. I see few differences, and after considering the above, I give one game for these three weapons described above: i.e. ronca, halberd and spear".

Vendalen Behaim in the "Encyclopedia of weapons (Guide to weapons science. Weapons in historical development) in the section" Halberd ", the silhouette of Roncone refers to the type" Italian halberds ".

M. Mallet "The Transformation of War, 1494-1530" / "Italy and the European Powers - the Consequences of the War 1500-1530", notes:
"The black detachments of Geldern, one of the most prestigious contingents of landsknechts, who fought on the side of the French at Marignano (1515), consisted of 12 thousand pikemen, 2 thousand arquebusiers, 2 thousand swordsmen and 1 thousand halberdiers."
They were in the second line, they were not a significant part of the detachments. On engravings and miniatures, in the hands of halberdiers, various configurations of tips are visible, but I believe that their presence in the same battle formation allows us to judge the same tactics of use:

Miniature from "Vigil on the Death of King Charles VII (1483)"

Engraving "Swiss halberdiers of the 15th century."

Engraving "Landsknechts on a campaign"

[sergej_84]

Here is the class! Such comments and such commentators are welcome!

[Aviator_]

And what about the guards under our Alexei Mikhailovich, Tsar Quietest, with what did they sit in the booths, not with halberds, by any chance?

[hohol95]

https://culture-wikireading-ru.turbopages.org/culture.wikireading.ru/s/16125
guards
Daily life in Moscow. Moscow Policeman, or Essays on Street Life
Kokorev Andrey Olegovich
“The look of the guards themselves was amazing,” noted N.V. Davydov, describing Moscow in the middle of the XNUMXth century, “they were dressed in gray Cossacks, soldier’s cloth, with something, it seems, red on the collar, they wore a helmet with a knob that ended not with a point, as on real military helmets, but with a round ball. At the belt they had a cleaver, and in the hands of the watchman, if he was on duty, he held a halberd, exactly the same as they equip the medieval army of extras depicting in theatrical performances. This weapon, at first glance and especially from a distance, seemed terrible, but in reality it was very heavy and inconvenient for any use, embarrassed, of course, the walkers, who did not have the strength and bearing of medieval landsknechts, and they often stayed without a halberd, leaving it or his booth or leaning against the fence.
The habit of leaving the symbol of power unattended once had rather unfortunate consequences for the guards. In the early 30s. 12th century Ober-Police Chief Tsynsky, one night bypassing police posts, scored 25 halberds in a sleigh, which were leaning against the booths. The law enforcement officers themselves at that moment were sleeping peacefully instead of tirelessly vigilant and calling out to night passers-by: “Who is coming?”[XNUMX]."

[Senior seaman]

Under Alexei Mikhailovich - archers with reeds, and guards with halberds - this is Nikolai Pavlovich of blessed memory))

[hohol95]

Russia. Budochnik. 19th century.
"Tseuchgauz" 19.2000.
"Secret report of the III Department of the Own E.I.V. Chancellery on the mood in the capital dated May 9, 1858.

“Already last year, when theft and robbery in St. Petersburg reached incredible courage and impudence, a rumor spread here about the government’s intention to seriously take up the reform of the city executive police, i.e. for the complete destruction of not only useless, but even harmful in all respects here are guards and replacing them with walking guards, like those in Paris and London.
At the same time, they notice that for the best arrangement of this innovation, it is imperative to give this guard a completely different look, even in appearance, and, so to speak, uproot from the inhabitants of St. Petersburg, especially from the common people, the memory of the watchmen - this contemptuous caste of people .. ."

[Aviator_]

for the complete destruction of not only useless, but even in all respects harmful watchmen here and replacing them with walking guards, like those in Paris and London.

It's clear. Patrol service. On the go, you won’t fall asleep very much, but in the booth - that’s it.

[Kote Pan Kokhanka]

Quote: Aviator_

for the complete destruction of not only useless, but even in all respects harmful watchmen here and replacing them with walking guards, like those in Paris and London.

It's clear. Patrol service. On the go, you won’t fall asleep very much, but in the booth - that’s it.

Seriously, the teaching staff of both the police and the police is the ideological heir to the internal guard created in 1811. The first documentary mention of guard service appeared in 1938 in the Regulations on the Metropolitan Police. Guards appeared in Soviet Russia in 1925.
So PPSP is a modern recreation - for guards.

[Aviator_]

So PPSP is modern recreation - alarm clocks.

Reincarnation. And recreation is a complex of recreational activities carried out in order to restore normal health and performance. A typo, however, Vladislav. Here, a booth can be called a recreation for a watchman, and with the establishment of a walking guard, recreation disappeared along with the booths.

[Roman Efremov]

In the last photo - isn't it a guisarma ?????????
As for the "halberds" of the guards, most likely they were pierced, taken out of service at the beginning of the 19th century. But certainly not European classic halberds!

[Michael_Zverev]

No, they were not pierced, iconographic sources clearly show that they were axes on a long shaft, in the XNUMXth century often even without a spear point.

[raemore]

Some beautiful designs...
What did the Russian have?

[Roman Efremov]

Quote: Mikhail_Zverev

No, they were not pierced, iconographic sources clearly show that they were axes on a long shaft, in the XNUMXth century often even without a spear point.

What is the authenticity of these drawings? Have examples of "halberds" been preserved?

[Michael_Zverev]

The drawings are made from life, at a time when this weapon was in service. Some samples have also been preserved, for example, in the Perm Museum of Local Lore and the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin

[Roman Efremov]

It turns out - they specially made tens of thousands of such axes, which are no good for anything else? Some stupidity!
Interestingly, at least one guard used it for its intended purpose - hacked to death the villain?

[Altmann]

The purpose of the halberd was to stab and drag. If the opponent deflected the jab, then he could still be thrown to the ground with a hook and hit from behind in unprotected parts of the body. It was also possible to pull the rider off the horse with a hook. The ax was capable of cutting through armor. The halberd reaches its peak around 1470, when it is used en masse as an infantry weapon (Swiss and Hussites). In the 16th century, the halberd was used as a common weapon of the city guard. At this time, the warhead of the halberd becomes smaller, and its tip lengthens. Like other edged weapons, the halberd was replaced by firearms in the 16th century. The placement of other wooden weapons - pikes - contributed to its displacement.

After 1525, the halberd becomes more of a decorative military weapon. The halberds of Elizabeth I, for example, were beautifully crafted, but were not suitable for combat. They were used by the Royal Guard for representative purposes only. Halberds are still used by the smallest and oldest army in the world - the Swiss guard guarding the Vatican.