A medieval pole weapon with a variety of blade configurations, including axes, hooks, and spikes, used for combat against armored opponents.
From Old French 'gisarme' or 'guisarme', possibly derived from Germanic roots. The exact origin is uncertain, but the weapon was documented extensively in medieval military records.
A gisarme was a Swiss or German specialty weapon designed specifically to deal with heavily armored knights—the hooks could catch armor and the spikes could pierce gaps. Essentially, medieval armies were doing an arms race to counter plate armor innovations, creating ever-more specialized weapons.
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