and thrust his spear through the planks, mortally wounding the axeman. King Stephen of England famously used a Danish axe at the Battle of Lincoln 1141. While one account says after his sword broke, another says he used his sword only after his axe broke. Richard the Lionheart was often recorded in Victorian times wielding a large war axe, though references are sometimes wildly exaggerated as befitted a national hero: Richard is, however, recorded as using a Danish Axe at the relief of Jaffa. Geoffrey of Lusignan is another famous crusader associated with the axe. Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland, famously killed Henry de Bohun at the Battle of Bannockburn with a single blow of his axe. The blow was so powerful it split de Bohun's helmet and skull open and snapped the shaft of the axe. Depictions of the axe show a standard battle axe, however, not a Dane Axe. In the 14th century, the use of axes is increasingly noted by Froissart in his Chronicle, with King John II using one at the Battle of Poitiers in 1356 and Sir James Douglas at the Battle of Otterburn in 1388. Bretons were apparently noted axe users, with Bertrand du Guesclin and Olivier de Clisson both wielding axes in battle. In these cases, it is uncertain whether the weapon was a Danish axe, or the proto-pollaxe. See also Broadaxe Long-bearded axe Sparth Viking Age arms and armour Viking halberd References Further reading "A Warrior with a 'Danish Axe' in a Byzantine Ivory Panel"—Article by Peter Beatson in Gouden Hoorn: Tijdschrift over Byzantium/Golden Horn: Journal of Byzantium 8(1) (2000) External links Axes Medieval blade weapons Military history of Denmark Military history of Norway Military history of the United Kingdom Weapons of Denmark Weapons of Norway Weapons of the United Kingdom Viking warfare Germanic weapons