Glaive

A glaive is a polearm featuring a single-edged blade mounted on the end of a long wooden or composite shaft. The blade is typically broad and designed for cutting, with a pointed tip suitable for thrusting. In some designs a small secondary feature such as a guard or hook may be present, but unlike the halberd the primary characteristic is the single-edged blade on a long shaft. The weapon was used with emphasis on cutting blows while maintaining reach.

Historically, the glaive appeared in Western Europe during the late medieval to early modern periods and attained particular prominence in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was employed by infantry for versatile combat, capable of cutting through armor gaps, parrying or trapping an opponent’s weapon, and delivering thrusts. The glaive was more common in certain regions, including parts of France and Italy, and coexisted with other polearms such as the partisan and the halberd. By the 18th century, advances in firepower and the adoption of bayonets led to the decline of traditional glaive usage in military forces, though it continued to appear in ceremonial contexts and martial arts traditions.

In combat, the glaive is read as a long-reach weapon suited to both slashing and puncturing. Techniques emphasize using the length of the shaft for control, employing overhead cuts, diagonal cleaving, and precise thrusts, sometimes with the blade’s edge leading and other times with the tip. Modern interest in the glaive resides mainly in historical reenactment, European martial arts study, and fantasy literature and media.

The term derives from the French glaive, from Latin gladius, meaning sword.