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A glaive, sometimes spelled as glave, is a type of pole weapon, with a single-edged blade on the end, known for its distinctive design and versatile combat applications. There are many similar such as the war scythe, the Japanese naginata, the Chinese guandao (yanyuedao), the Korean woldo, and the Russian sovnya.
A glaive typically consists of a single-edged blade approximately 45 centimeters long affixed to a pole measuring about 2 meters. The blade is secured in a socket-shaft configuration, akin to an axe head, as opposed to having a tang like a sword or naginata. Some variations of glaive blades were even forged with a small hook on the reverse side to better engage mounted opponents, earning them the name "glaive-."
In the 1599 treatise "Paradoxes of Defence" by English gentleman George Silver, the glaive is described as being used in a manner similar to other polearms like the quarterstaff, half pike, bill, halberd, voulge, and partisan. Silver considered this class of polearms superior to all other hand-to-hand combat weapons.
The Morgan Bible, also known as the Maciejowski Bible, features illustrations of two-handed glaives used on horseback, showcasing their historical application in mounted combat.
The contemporary term for this weapon may have been "faussart," which referred to various single-edged weapons related to the scythe, alongside terms like falchion, falcata, or fauchard, all derived from the Latin term for "scythe."
Historical records suggest that the glaive may have originated in Wales and remained a national weapon until the late 15th century. There is a mention of a warrant from the first year of Richard III's reign, dated 1483, for the production of "two hundred Welsh glaives," further highlighting its historical significance in weaponry.
Glaives were used by infantry and could be particularly effective against mounted opponents, as they could target the horse or rider. These weapons were employed in various historical conflicts, from the medieval European battlefields to the Far East.
The weapon has made appearances in numerous fantasy and historical fiction works, cementing its place in popular culture. It is frequently associated with knights and medieval warriors in contemporary portrayals of chivalry.
Around the same time, it also began being used as a poetic word for sword.OED s.v., section 3, lists examples in this meaning from . In Modern French, glaive refers to short swords, especially the Roman .
The term "glaive" is used in the science-fiction/fantasy film Krull to refer to a thrown weapon, similar to the shuriken, chakram, or mambele, which can return to the thrower, much like a boomerang. Glaive has been used to describe this fictional type of weapon in films, video games, such as Warframe, Dark Sector and Bloons TD 6, and other fantasy media since. had its own Gelfling holy relic the "Dual-Glaive" which was itself a double-bladed weapon also more akin to a sword.
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