• The Dances of Podhale (Poland)

• Joseph Needham
• Journal of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, Vol. 3, No. 2 (Dec., 1937), pp. 117-119

“Universal Geography: Or a Description of All Parts of the World, on a New Plan, According to the Great Natural Divisions of the Globe; Accompanied with Analytical, Synoptical, and Elementary Tables” By Conrad Malte-Brun

Published by Wells and Lilly, 1828

The peasantry form the great mass of the people, their costume is well fitted for a cold climate and a pastoral life. The guba, a large woollen cloak, defends them against the inclemencies of the season; and the kalpak or felt cap, which is now worn by horsemen and even by kings, still .retains among the peasants its ancient Tartar or Finnic shape. A wallet hangs from the shoulder, and every man carries the valaska, a small hatchet with a long handle, an instrument which they wield dexterously.* No alteration has perhaps taken place in the dress of the Ionium* or peasants since the time they fought in the armies of Attila.

Dracula
By Bram Stoker

…the Cszeks with their white, and the Slovaks with their colored sheepskins, the latter carrying lance-fashion their long staves with an axe at the end.

Adventures and Anecdotes of the South Army of the Emperor of Austria, During the Late Hungarian Campaign: Narrated by Eye-witnesses
By John William Warre Tyndale
Published by R. Bentley, 1850

He was no less famous as a marksman than as a
rider, and his ” poor fellows” were equally well
trained ; but, besides fire-arms, they had their
Fokos and the Bleiknopf peitsche, or half- whip, half-
lasso, whose services we have elsewhere mentioned.

Besides these
arms, they carry a kind of whip, with an iron bullet
of about a pound weight attached to the end of the
string; and with this half- whip, half-lasso sort of
weapon, they can sorely puzzle their adversary.

(Still looking for a good image of this weapon that has the weighted end….this is a good pic but lacks the wicked iron piece.)

The hatchet-headed walking-sticks were then put in requisition — I do not know whether I have mentioned before, that all the peasants of the north of Hungary carry sticks armed at the top with a small hatchet-head, which I had previously considered only as an ornament, or to be used in defence, but which were now more usefully employed — and a dozen similar trees were soon felled and added to the fire, raising a glorious blaze, which set wind and snow at complete defiance.

The peasantry form the great mass of the people, their costume is well fitted for a cold climate and a pastoral life. The  guba, a large woollen cloak, defends them against the inclemencies of the
season ; and the kalpak or felt cap, which is now worn by horsemen, and even by kings, still retains among the peasants its ancient Tartar or Finnic shape. A wallet hangs from the shoulder, and every man carries the valaska, a small hatchet with a long handle, an instrument which they wield dextrously.”

the catalog reads: No.1489 – India Battle Axe. Blade engraved on both sides. Edge of blade has brass cover to protect the sharpness, Wood shaft with tigerstripe grain. VG. $17.50

circa 1950’s…i think that was the date on the cover before it got torn off and vanished. On pg 190 thrown amidst the Indian arms section is a very interesting mountain axe wiith a very narrow waisted blade and a srong back/top spike. Looks to me to be either Polish or Slovak in origin but those are just guesses based on other examples I have seen. THis one is still mighty unique IMO.

More on Janosik (named spelled diffent each time I run across it!) and his mighty magical axe!

His strength was unparalleled, and
the supernatural axe he possessed made him
quite unconquerable. Whenever it was flung,
it hit the aim, and then returned into the hands
of Yanoshik, as the iron to the magnet.

Yanoshik listened awhile, then stepped into the
room, mixed in the talk, and advocated the poor
peasant, who had to toil and to pay, whilst the
Svabs lived at his expense. The soldiers, at
first with words, but soon with hands too,
opposed the Slovak, whom they found a sturdier
man than they were wont to encounter. But
fifty to one, there was a chance. The Slovak,
nevertheless, proved a fair match to the game.
Leaning with his back against the wall, his short
axe hit all around. Like the balloon of a schoolboy,
it always rebounded into the hands of
Yanoshik, who flung itagain right and left without
once missing his aim. All in the room was
turned topsy-turvy ; cracked bottles, benches
and tables thrown and broken, covered the floor,
and soon a dozen of the combatants were
stretched senseless : the others bewildered at the
supernatural weapon of their adversary, took to
their heels, and never stopped till at dawn they
reached their officers, who attended the feasts
and balls usual in St. Nicholas during the
quarterly county meeting.