Oh, oh! It's my time to shine here! I came exactly from the place from where the agricultural tools from which this weapon is a derivate is! The Roncola, or Ronca, is up to today a kind of "fat" small sickle, pretty similar to what you can see on the top of this bill, mostly used to clean bushes and small branches. This weapon took it's name from that tools BUT... BUT where i grown up, in the outskirt of Arezzo, we call it a PENNATO. Pennato it's a dialect word that come from Penna, which could be transted in Pen or Feather (we use the same word in italian because you know, people used feathers as pen!). By extension the world PENNA means something pointy (like a pen) so PENNATO is actually an adjective to decribe a pointy object. So, while Roncola or Ronca is a fat short sickle still used all over italy, near Arezzo the ronca has a point going up where the curve of the sickle begins, exactly like this bill! And it's still called differently for that specific trait. Adding to that, while reading the chronicles from Villani about the campaldino battle (11 june 1289, Florence vs Arezzo) he was talking about the weird Arezzo's long axes, and while describing them he was litterlay talking about a Pennato mounted on a staff which is pretty identical to the bill in this video with the exceptions of the two smaller points on the side. This is entirely a speculation but I'm quite sure we can guess that when this bill became widespread people called it roncola because it was a more known name but the origins of this weapon may be from thay period in the Tuscany wars before Florence egemony. Up to today the only place you can find a pointy roncola is around Arezzo.
I know it's more "modern history tv" -side, but have you considered doing a video about the use of standards/flags? Seems that carrying one for a unit would be a pretty important job. I've heard that in the napoleonic era as well as ancient roman era these "standard barriers" might also be protected by a handful of assigned or picked soldiers. In the modern military these items are only carried on parade and I've known soldiers who don't even know what their unit flag looks like. I remember seeing one in a glass cabinet and wondering what the ugly thing was.... it was my unit flag at the time.
Your "flags" are the Colours, every regiment had two, the Regimental and the Kings/Queens Colour .which were carried into battle as rallying points. In the very early days, when regiments were raised by individual noblemen, there would only have been one of their own design often showing their own arms but this was regularised as the Army slowly became more "professional". The Colours were carried by the Ensigns, the most junior officers. The Colours were protected by a bodyguard of the most senior sergeants - which is why an infantry staff sergeant is referred to as a Colour Sergeant. The word flag does them no justice, they are embroidered heavy silk and weigh an absolute ton. In the old days they were huge, 6ft 9in by 6ft [39 square feet, now reduced to 11.25 ] I have no idea how they handled them in the wind and weather. They are stored in big heavy leather tubes called "boots", and having had to boot the Colours myself I can tell you that manhandling the modern ones is no small job. The Trooping The Colour we see on the TV is a relic of the Colours being regularly passed through the ranks so everyone could recognise "their" Colours.
I've spend a lot of time watching history/medieval/HEMA videos, and I can't remember seeing that spike is reenforced on this type of a billhook. You learn something every day (or just are reminded of it) :-D
Just a correction, Matt. A billhook is an agricultural/forestry tool, not a sickle or a scythe which are used for harvesting or mowing, but a tool for clearing brush (shrubs, small trees and branches). Used basically like a kukri or machete. The military bill almost certainly originates as a billhook put on the end of a long shaft.
the billhook is basically a sort of machete. Even more obvious, scythes and sickles had edges that thinned out extremely to the cutting edge, to cut through the grass and weeds, the billhook was (and IS, you can still get new ones today) sturdier for use in the thickets
with the title "Original RENAISSANCE ITALIAN BILL " my brain 100% read it as Original RENAISSANCE fair ITALIAN BILL. I thought what is he doing looking at larping weapons?
Lovely video. I learned a lot. This hands-on approach gives a much more clearer picture of what the weapon was like than arms catalogues, no matter how detailed they are. Please keep 'em coming.
Its interesting that Bills Are not Common here in Bohemia even tho a lot of tools were weaponized during husite wars. And actually, some kind of Bill/machete was used to cut bushes if i am not misstaken. But they actually prefered halbers for some Reason.
Here in Southern Germany there's also a similar tool for cutting bushes (and firewood), still in use basically. The 'Hippe' (probably had also like a bazillion names in different districts). Like a bill, minus the pointy bits and one handed. And I'm pretty sure we're in 'halbert county' too
Ever since I first saw BraveHeart I've wanted a Bill/Pike. But knowing me Ive made one out of pvc, hot glue and a pen. Better for everyone. Being older now and a little smarts some sizes of the tool would help me create one of my own. That being said, thanks for the post.
Did somun’ say choppa? Also, what is the conclusive difference between a “lug” and a “fluke”? Is it form (hooked/straight, longer/shorter, cross-section, purpose, location on weapon, etc.), an evolution of terms/language, what weapon it’s attached to, or just an element with multiple terms?
Bills derive from billhooks. Billhooks have been diverging frol sickles in the bronze age. Sickles and scythes have diverged in the iron age. When these bills/ronca came around, billhooks had been in use for two millennia already, and you find precursor of such shapes at the end of the Roman era. During the Italian Renaissance, it got slender and more specialized, but you still see the essential features of a 5th century billhook here. Even the rectangular socket used to be the norm, even in tools, initially in just semi-closed, or "strapped", sockets.
To me, this one looks like it was designed for a haft that was hexagonal in cross-section. I had read that hexagonal cross-sections were sometimes used for polearm hafts, but until today, I never really understood how they could be comfortable to use. It turns out, I want imagining them wrong. One of the flat faces is on the forward and rear sides. I'd been imagining one of the corners being in those positions instead.
I guess this makes me a sort of idiot, but up until the "Point, blade, blade, blade" I'd never really considered how much of a weapon a billhook is. Much more of a Kill Bill than a lollipop-coloured shepherd's crook for going humpty-dumpty on knights when they got a little too high on their horses.
I obviously have no way to prove it, but my imagination went to someone returning to the Isle of Wight after fighting and deliberately turning this weapon into something handheld by removing the shaft,langets, and front spike to use in clearing the farm/brush.
Would really love to know how thick the flat part is. Looks no more than 3mm at best, which is making me worry about a possible bend if a less than perfect strike was made with or on it...
Fascinating as always. Thank you, Matt. I've read that bills remained in service well into the pike and shot/ Early Modern period. Do you have any insight on how mixed units of bills, pikes and shot were structured and fielded?
I recently finished up writing and teaching a unit on Marozzo and Manciolino's Ronca for my home club. One interesting thing I noticed was that I couldnt find the specific word "Ronca" used by anyone other than these two authors. "Roncone" seems to be the label applied to these weapons by museums. Any thoughts on this discrepancy of language? Is it just a matter of old language, or a regional dialect, or something else? A thing I found funny was Marozzo's plate for the Ronca showing a completely dofferent type of weapon (some type of glaive) which cannot perform some of the techniques he talks about due to the lack of front hook.
"Roncone" is used specifically for the weapon. Means "Big Ronco" ( or "Ronca"). "Ronca" is an archaic form, not so used today. "Roncola" is the modern synonymous; a typical agricultural tool.
The sharp part between the point and the back point is really puzzling to me as a maker (in the making). It feels like this sharp section would very rarely meet the target without the backpoint or longpoint touching first. The reinforced long point would also hinder cutting with this part. This design choice is weird to me, I see little advantage to it, and I see how it might weaken the point, and how having a thick spine might allow for a shallower edge angle on the other (more likely to chop) side.
They look cool, but I don't understand their design: 1) They must be a pain to make compared to glaives and simple halberds. 2) They look far more fragile than the latter 3) Having such a long head with langets makes them impossible to heat treat in probably most medieval forges, as you need extra big forges with very precise temperature control and above all homogeneous temperature. This makes them even a challenge for backyard smiths today... 4) Sharpening them must rival the complexity of a Jumonji Yari. You can't use stone wheels because the spikes will get in the way and the inside curve is also impossible to grind with a wheel. If I had to arm a militia or army, I would probably ask the smiths to make a glaive and forge weld an iron bar across it for striking and pulling and call it a day. Much cheaper, faster to make, and more reliable...
Why are the points so thin? Won't they get damaged first time you hit something? Like if you whack with the blade/hook but miss and strike with the tip it must bend or rip?
Expected price: 150-200 GBP. That's a while lot more attainable than the 20,000 GBP for the longsword on the last video! I'd love to have this on my wall! It's there an approximate age of the shaft? 19th c? 20th?
Call me crazy but the fact that the ONE langet(sp?) on the bottom doesn't seem sufficient enough to support such a large weapon head with so little shaft inside of it. No wonder it's broken off.
@billberg1264 well yeah, you're obviously right but I think you get the point. This thing Was designed to do everything you want to do depending on the Situation. I'm by the way very honored to talk about that with somebody who actually has "bill" inside of his name 😄✌️
I enjoy seeing these authentic polearms, the real workhorses of the battlefield. Aside from bows, crossbows and arquebuses/muskets, of course.
Oh, oh! It's my time to shine here! I came exactly from the place from where the agricultural tools from which this weapon is a derivate is!
The Roncola, or Ronca, is up to today a kind of "fat" small sickle, pretty similar to what you can see on the top of this bill, mostly used to clean bushes and small branches. This weapon took it's name from that tools BUT...
BUT where i grown up, in the outskirt of Arezzo, we call it a PENNATO. Pennato it's a dialect word that come from Penna, which could be transted in Pen or Feather (we use the same word in italian because you know, people used feathers as pen!). By extension the world PENNA means something pointy (like a pen) so PENNATO is actually an adjective to decribe a pointy object.
So, while Roncola or Ronca is a fat short sickle still used all over italy, near Arezzo the ronca has a point going up where the curve of the sickle begins, exactly like this bill! And it's still called differently for that specific trait.
Adding to that, while reading the chronicles from Villani about the campaldino battle (11 june 1289, Florence vs Arezzo) he was talking about the weird Arezzo's long axes, and while describing them he was litterlay talking about a Pennato mounted on a staff which is pretty identical to the bill in this video with the exceptions of the two smaller points on the side.
This is entirely a speculation but I'm quite sure we can guess that when this bill became widespread people called it roncola because it was a more known name but the origins of this weapon may be from thay period in the Tuscany wars before Florence egemony. Up to today the only place you can find a pointy roncola is around Arezzo.
The ronca is one of the two italian tools-turned-weapons I truly love. The other being the beidana. Just lovely stuff
I know it's more "modern history tv" -side, but have you considered doing a video about the use of standards/flags? Seems that carrying one for a unit would be a pretty important job. I've heard that in the napoleonic era as well as ancient roman era these "standard barriers" might also be protected by a handful of assigned or picked soldiers. In the modern military these items are only carried on parade and I've known soldiers who don't even know what their unit flag looks like. I remember seeing one in a glass cabinet and wondering what the ugly thing was.... it was my unit flag at the time.
Your "flags" are the Colours, every regiment had two, the Regimental and the Kings/Queens Colour .which were carried into battle as rallying points. In the very early days, when regiments were raised by individual noblemen, there would only have been one of their own design often showing their own arms but this was regularised as the Army slowly became more "professional".
The Colours were carried by the Ensigns, the most junior officers.
The Colours were protected by a bodyguard of the most senior sergeants - which is why an infantry staff sergeant is referred to as a Colour Sergeant.
The word flag does them no justice, they are embroidered heavy silk and weigh an absolute ton.
In the old days they were huge, 6ft 9in by 6ft [39 square feet, now reduced to 11.25 ] I have no idea how they handled them in the wind and weather.
They are stored in big heavy leather tubes called "boots", and having had to boot the Colours myself I can tell you that manhandling the modern ones is no small job.
The Trooping The Colour we see on the TV is a relic of the Colours being regularly passed through the ranks so everyone could recognise "their" Colours.
I've spend a lot of time watching history/medieval/HEMA videos, and I can't remember seeing that spike is reenforced on this type of a billhook.
You learn something every day (or just are reminded of it) :-D
That would be my chosen battlefield weapon. I've always preferred the Italian over the English.
The Ronca is absolutely my favourite polearm!
Just a correction, Matt. A billhook is an agricultural/forestry tool, not a sickle or a scythe which are used for harvesting or mowing, but a tool for clearing brush (shrubs, small trees and branches). Used basically like a kukri or machete. The military bill almost certainly originates as a billhook put on the end of a long shaft.
the billhook is basically a sort of machete. Even more obvious, scythes and sickles had edges that thinned out extremely to the cutting edge, to cut through the grass and weeds, the billhook was (and IS, you can still get new ones today) sturdier for use in the thickets
...and the hook on the blade is useful in "braiding" branches when shaping a hedge.
It's one of my favourite hand tools.
The sight of billhooks always fills me with a background rage. No idea why.
Mr. Prosser from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy also did not understand. He was, unknown to him, a direct male-line descendant of Genghis Khan.
Got stabbed by one in a past life.
Your ancestors might know
with the title "Original RENAISSANCE ITALIAN BILL " my brain 100% read it as Original RENAISSANCE fair ITALIAN BILL. I thought what is he doing looking at larping weapons?
He did have some nice things to say about foam swords. Mostly that they're a lot of fun.
So this is an Italian Bill, a "Guglielmo"?
I would argue that the English Bill is an English Ronca, a "Roncow" or something like that with added weird letters.
I ordered the Arms and Armor replica as a self-gift for my bday/Christmas and I'm so stoked for it to get here
That’s a good idea
Love this weapon
"The English bill was fine!"
- G. Silver
Lovely video. I learned a lot. This hands-on approach gives a much more clearer picture of what the weapon was like than arms catalogues, no matter how detailed they are. Please keep 'em coming.
Its interesting that Bills Are not Common here in Bohemia even tho a lot of tools were weaponized during husite wars. And actually, some kind of Bill/machete was used to cut bushes if i am not misstaken. But they actually prefered halbers for some Reason.
Here in Southern Germany there's also a similar tool for cutting bushes (and firewood), still in use basically. The 'Hippe' (probably had also like a bazillion names in different districts). Like a bill, minus the pointy bits and one handed.
And I'm pretty sure we're in 'halbert county' too
Forgotten Polearms
He even disassembled the bill 🤩😄
Ever since I first saw BraveHeart I've wanted a Bill/Pike. But knowing me Ive made one out of pvc, hot glue and a pen. Better for everyone. Being older now and a little smarts some sizes of the tool would help me create one of my own. That being said, thanks for the post.
Very nice. I like Bills, if I was a medieval soldier or knight I would choose a spear or Bill as my weapon.
Did somun’ say choppa?
Also, what is the conclusive difference between a “lug” and a “fluke”? Is it form (hooked/straight, longer/shorter, cross-section, purpose, location on weapon, etc.), an evolution of terms/language, what weapon it’s attached to, or just an element with multiple terms?
I really like this series of vids
collab woth windlass to reproduce one?
arms and armor seems lile only production option
Bills derive from billhooks. Billhooks have been diverging frol sickles in the bronze age. Sickles and scythes have diverged in the iron age. When these bills/ronca came around, billhooks had been in use for two millennia already, and you find precursor of such shapes at the end of the Roman era. During the Italian Renaissance, it got slender and more specialized, but you still see the essential features of a 5th century billhook here. Even the rectangular socket used to be the norm, even in tools, initially in just semi-closed, or "strapped", sockets.
looks almost as terrifying as my electricity bill
I'm just a bill, yes I'm only a bill, and I'm sittin' here up on Tower Hill . . .😂
I'm surprised the socket is so short.
There's langets missing, they count as part of it
Does Bill know you've got his Italian?
stabby stabby, cutty cutty, choppy choppy - what a weapon.
To me, this one looks like it was designed for a haft that was hexagonal in cross-section. I had read that hexagonal cross-sections were sometimes used for polearm hafts, but until today, I never really understood how they could be comfortable to use. It turns out, I want imagining them wrong. One of the flat faces is on the forward and rear sides. I'd been imagining one of the corners being in those positions instead.
"It has to be thick in order to be strong."
-Matt Easton, 2024.
my favorite. the more weapons on one stick, the better
You get the bill, I'll cover the taxi 🚕
I guess this makes me a sort of idiot, but up until the "Point, blade, blade, blade" I'd never really considered how much of a weapon a billhook is. Much more of a Kill Bill than a lollipop-coloured shepherd's crook for going humpty-dumpty on knights when they got a little too high on their horses.
Pretty cool piece of history.
I obviously have no way to prove it, but my imagination went to someone returning to the Isle of Wight after fighting and deliberately turning this weapon into something handheld by removing the shaft,langets, and front spike to use in clearing the farm/brush.
Warfare back then must have looked like a slasher movie set on a farm 😂
Looks a lot like a fishing/whaling implement once the long pole is off. Mean and business-like.
Would really love to know how thick the flat part is.
Looks no more than 3mm at best, which is making me worry about a possible bend if a less than perfect strike was made with or on it...
Fascinating as always. Thank you, Matt. I've read that bills remained in service well into the pike and shot/ Early Modern period. Do you have any insight on how mixed units of bills, pikes and shot were structured and fielded?
As italian, I'll be glad to send ALL of my bills to anyone interested for free. Cheers 🍺
I've always thought this would make a cool bayonet shape. Thoughts?
8:26 So you're saying that any noble with one of these might be called an edgelord.
One with a pointed argument
I don't know, but surely many armies and soldiers would be edging with this weapon
I recently finished up writing and teaching a unit on Marozzo and Manciolino's Ronca for my home club. One interesting thing I noticed was that I couldnt find the specific word "Ronca" used by anyone other than these two authors. "Roncone" seems to be the label applied to these weapons by museums. Any thoughts on this discrepancy of language? Is it just a matter of old language, or a regional dialect, or something else?
A thing I found funny was Marozzo's plate for the Ronca showing a completely dofferent type of weapon (some type of glaive) which cannot perform some of the techniques he talks about due to the lack of front hook.
"Roncone" is used specifically for the weapon. Means "Big Ronco" ( or "Ronca"). "Ronca" is an archaic form, not so used today. "Roncola" is the modern synonymous; a typical agricultural tool.
The Glaive is commonly referred as "Falcione" in Italy. More like a Falchion on a pole.
If you have such a spike shouldn't the stress point be the flat metal below? I bet that a hard impact will bend or break it there...
The sharp part between the point and the back point is really puzzling to me as a maker (in the making).
It feels like this sharp section would very rarely meet the target without the backpoint or longpoint touching first. The reinforced long point would also hinder cutting with this part.
This design choice is weird to me, I see little advantage to it, and I see how it might weaken the point, and how having a thick spine might allow for a shallower edge angle on the other (more likely to chop) side.
They look cool, but I don't understand their design:
1) They must be a pain to make compared to glaives and simple halberds.
2) They look far more fragile than the latter
3) Having such a long head with langets makes them impossible to heat treat in probably most medieval forges, as you need extra big forges with very precise temperature control and above all homogeneous temperature. This makes them even a challenge for backyard smiths today...
4) Sharpening them must rival the complexity of a Jumonji Yari. You can't use stone wheels because the spikes will get in the way and the inside curve is also impossible to grind with a wheel.
If I had to arm a militia or army, I would probably ask the smiths to make a glaive and forge weld an iron bar across it for striking and pulling and call it a day. Much cheaper, faster to make, and more reliable...
So there's more than one "Wallace Collection" of weapons in England??😃
Why are the points so thin? Won't they get damaged first time you hit something?
Like if you whack with the blade/hook but miss and strike with the tip it must bend or rip?
To penetrate armour.
What are the measurements and the weight?
Bravissimo 🤌🤌🤌
Expected price: 150-200 GBP. That's a while lot more attainable than the 20,000 GBP for the longsword on the last video! I'd love to have this on my wall! It's there an approximate age of the shaft? 19th c? 20th?
Yeah, as cool as swords are, I really like seeing these polearms, and they'd be a great display piece, which many people would not really recognize.
Any chance of reviewing a Scorpion ?
I've always been more partial to the Jeff
You could convert that into useful hedge laying tool. Spikes are too big
Says €42... must be a new bill 😊
That's not William Wallace! William Wallace is 7 feet tall!
Like this if you read the video title and heard that iconic Kill Bill 3 trumpet toot 🎺
Call me crazy but the fact that the ONE langet(sp?) on the bottom doesn't seem sufficient enough to support such a large weapon head with so little shaft inside of it. No wonder it's broken off.
The Isle of Wight is not a "little" island for someone from Sweden. :)
We have many more tiny islands than you Brits!
It's a swiss army knife on a Spike 😂
You say that, but the Swiss were more into halberds.
@billberg1264 well yeah, you're obviously right but I think you get the point. This thing Was designed to do everything you want to do depending on the Situation. I'm by the way very honored to talk about that with somebody who actually has "bill" inside of his name 😄✌️
Any thoughts on why it was in the ground? Hiding it from a ban?!
Fallen from a dead hand
Your channel is like an oasis in the world of content. Keep on making us happy with your work!🏵👢😚
Ah, the bill...
Looks crude and cheaply made.
Is actually a well-optimised feat of military engineering.
Your videos are always full of creativity and originality. Thank you for the inspiration!🧭🏹🐶
Wenn ich so viel Selbstvertrauen hätte wie der Typ in diesem Video, wäre ich schon Präsident🧡