What type of axe was famously used by Harold's housecarls?

Harold’s housecarls famously fought with the Danish axe, a large two-handed battle axe associated with elite Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon warriors. At Hastings, these professional soldiers formed the core of the English army.

The Danish axe had a broad, powerful blade and a long haft, allowing a trained fighter to strike at infantry, shields and mounted opponents. Its reach and force made it particularly effective from behind or within the English shield wall. Contemporary and later accounts emphasise the danger it posed to Norman cavalry, whose horses could be brought down by heavy blows.

Housecarls were full-time royal or aristocratic soldiers, better armoured and more experienced than most members of the fyrd, the local levy. They generally wore mail shirts and helmets and carried shields, though using the axe with both hands meant that their formation and protection depended heavily on the surrounding shield wall.

The Danish axe does not mean every English soldier at Hastings carried one. Many fyrdmen used spears, javelins or other weapons, while some housecarls also carried swords. The axe is the weapon most strongly associated with Harold’s elite household troops.