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Axes-In-New-France-Part-3-Casse omahawks are a ART & quintessential part of ARTISANS North American history ∏ Axes in New France: Tand culture, as one was added to every frontiersman’s kit. In New Part 111 Casse-têtes France these light hand-held axes were considered no less important. Because it was found that lighter (French Tomahawks) hatchets could be more conveniently carried by an individual than an by Kevin Gladysz & Ken Hamilton k Contributors actual axe while traveling in the dense forest or participating in Images k (Left): Detail of a print showing a Native carrying a hand- the ever increasing, now offensive held hatchet or casse-tête through his belt, featured in 1738 edition of “petite guerre” (war party wilderness Avantures du Sr. C. Le Beau, avocat en parlement, ou, Voyage curieux fighting), especially during the et nouveau parmi les sauvages de l'Amérique septentrionale… which was written by the adventurer and traveller Claude Le Beau, sent to Canada colonial wars beginning in 1689, a in 1729 and returning to Europe two years later. Le Beau stated: “The smaller Canadian blacksmith-made Natives had different kinds [of wooden clubs]. They usually wore them version eventually developed but attached to their belts (sash). But since Europeans began trading with them, they abandoned all these weapons to take advantage of ours, whose was still loosely based on traditional 1 construction seemed more spiritual, in order to harm.” imported French axe patterns. Images k (Above): One of the only known presumed French casse-tête from a very tightly dated (Below): Shown here is a late 1690s Canadian militiaman on snowshoes These not only gradually replaced French Site, and likely used by one of the 150 soldiers garrisoned at Fort Gaspereau. Note that the carrying a hatchet through his sash. From Claude-Charles Bacqueville the imported small axe as a belt poll on this axe head is flattened and its blade slightly bent out of shape while the straight bottom of de La Potherie’s Histoire de L'Amerique septentrionale … written in the blade and the wide “triangular” shape, and eye height, might help further verify this as a French 1702 but not published until 1722. Bacqueville de la Potherie, who was accessory, but at the same time, the style axe. Excavated at Fort Gaspereau (1751-1756), Baie Verte, New Brunswick. (Parks Canada. controller of the Marine and of the fortifications in Canada, arrived in French Canadians also gave it a new Artifact number: 1E2G1-18. Photograph: Kevin Gladysz). Nouvelle-France in 1698 and remained there until 1701. local nick-name more befitting their ultimate use during this new era of colonial wilderness warfare: the and sword on long range, offensive which to walk through the woods “casse-tête” which can be translated wilderness campaigns against the as they are useless against axes that as meaning “head breaker.” English settlements. For example, we wear, the Natives having the one report written in the late 1670s strength to throw these axes at 30 Although the light-weight casse- by a friend of L’Abbé de Gallinée pas (paces), and with so much skill tête served foremost as a utilitarian (an explorer and missionary to the that ordinarily the axe's head lodges tool to perform menial wilderness Natives) described how the Iroquois itself in the head of the one with 2 tasks, it was clearly thought of as would throw what were probably whom they are dealing.” a striking weapon by the French casse-têtes at the enemies’ heads: th and Natives (and occasionally as “We do not wear any swords in In the early 18 century, the a throwing weapon), because it this country, as much by the fact French residing in Canada almost increasingly replaced the bayonet that they are bothersome with universally adopted the word “casse-tête” to identify a small, common hatchet. This ironic term was a direct analogy to the Native war clubs, which were all too familiar to the Image (Bottom of Opposite Page) k Taken from Bacqueville de La French because of their long Potherie’s Histoire de l'Amerique Septentrionale, written in 1702 but not involvement in the Iroquois th published until 1722, depicting a wooden club termed casse-tête. wars of the 17 century. 6 JOURNAL of the EARLY AMERICAS VOLUME ii ISSUE vi k DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013 7 probably the one who best describes Images (Above, Right) k Line drawings Origin of the term casse-tête representing details from images contained in From A Wooden Club To A the evolution of the casse-tête going the Codex Canadensis dating to the late 17th Hatchet from representing a wooden club century. These otherwise identical hatchets The old French word “casse-tête” which can be translated to modern day to a hatchet: “Since these people are depicted in two different Native images English as meaning “head/skull cracker” or “head breaker,” derives directly At the dawn of the 18th century, have substituted wood casse-têtes from the Codex, each of whom carries a from the North-American Native use of a war club. Because there were hatchet in one hand. Take note of the tapered French published works relating for hatchets, which they have given several regional styles and/or tribally identifiable aspects of these clubs,3 we profile of the handles suggesting that the to the French colonies of North the same name, the battles are handles may have been inserted from the top should not be surprised that each Indian Nation had a name for various clubs 9 America started using the term bloodier.” down. Likely decorated (painted) for war, in their own language or dialect, although most commonly used Native terms each of these weapons is given a different casse-tête to designate a small iron today are from one of the Algonquian dialects, which translated, originally Algonquian name in the text next to the name axe as opposed to a wooden club. It is highly likely that the term of the two respective Native figures. The referred to a wooden, ball-headed war club. The Baron of Lahontan, an After nearly 80 years of wilderness “casse-tête” may have even been “Noupimingdach irriniouck” (i.e. Nippising esquire who visited Canada where he traveled extensively in the 1680s and warfare, the French adaption of in common use in Canada for man/men) carries a “Ouakacoual hache de early 1690s, stated: “ : This word signifies club. The Natives guerre” which combines the French “hache Casse-tête the Algonquian word and their quite some time because the term call it Assan Oustik, that is to say, that Assan means ‘break’ and Oustik de guerre” (battle axe) with what is clearly association of an iron casse-tête appears to be seen on fur trade an Algonquian word for axe where the word means ‘head’.4 Thus these two words mean ‘head-breaker’.” Although with a war-club are both un- inventory lists at Montreal as early “Ouakacoual” is similar to an “axe” in modern “assan” translates as a “stone,” and “Oustik” means “head,” in most 16 17 mistakable and understandable. as 1685 to reference a hatchet, or Ojibwa, for example, “waagaakwad” or “wakakwad” which implies something that is bent or Algonquian dialects,5 these two words nevertheless imply a “head-breaker.” crooked (i.e., “waagaa”),18 probably referring to the curved edge of the casse-tête. The “Hiroquois” Even by 1703 in his Nouveau voyage a very small axe, since that very Both Lafitau6 and Charlevoix7 describe in detail what these clubs originally (i.e., An Iroquois and apparently a Seneca) carries a hatchet with the name, “Attouge ache de aux isles de l'Amérique, Labat, who year a trade merchandise statement guerre” (Similar to the Iroquoian, Mohawk word for and axe or hatchet, “Ah-do-genh”)19 with the looked like. is writing about Guadeloupe, an included what appears to be a addition of the French words ([h]ache de guerre), meaning “battle axe.” It does not seem to be a “tomahawk,” an Algonquian term which implies a “cutting tree instrument,” which can similarly, island in the former French West quantity of 15 “cassetestte”(casse- for example, be seen in the Abenaki words for a sabre (i.e., “temig8ettehigan”), Indies, records the following: têtes) priced at 2 livres each, listed axe (i.e., “temahigan”) and beaver (i.e., “temakk8e”), because of his cutting teeth.20 Although the term frequently hand (like a Native war club). It is “However, in example of these along with a number of other axes.12 (Line drawing by Ken Hamilton.) translates to a striking or cutting therefore understandable why both Canadian gentlemen, he has had Significantly, some twelve years implement in many Algonquian terms are derived from an Indian made a small axe that he fitted with later, the inventory of a Montreal almost as though the writers felt “small battle-axes or casse-têtes” Native dialects, curiously, the war-club. Carried by a number of a cane handle measuring three pieds merchant included 100 small axes they needed to further clarify or (petites haches d’armes ou cassetêtes) 8 French in colonial North America individuals, the casse-tête would in length, that they call casse-tête.” valued at 25 sols, 28 “cassetestes” explain this term to their European priced at 1 livre each were listed never adopted the Proto- become a distinctive category of The Jesuit priest and teacher Pierre- valued at 40 sols a piece, and one readers by using comparatives. to be stowed aboard the ship La Algonquian word “tomahawk” weapon over time, with several François-Xavier de Charlevoix, who brand new large axe esteemed at What is clear is that most of these Gironde bound for Louisiana.15 13 throughout the colonial wars, notable variations (a particular blade published in 1744 a few volumes 6 livres on the same list, clearly French synonyms all seem to even though most of their allies shape, added spike or pipe etc…), on the history of New France, is indicating these were different reference small single-hand-held The term casse-tête, which was used were Algonquian speaking.
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