Head axe

The head axe, also known as headhunter's axe, is a battle axe of the Cordilleran peoples of the Philippines specialized for beheading enemy combatants during headhunting raids. They are distinctively shaped, with a concave or straight thin blade and an elongated backward spike on the upper corners of the poll. Their native names and designs varied by ethnic group, ranging from axes with curving slender designs to heavy axes with short heads and straight edges. Head axes, like most other pre-colonial bladed weapons of the Philippines, were also utilitarian. They were also used for cutting trees, clearing undergrowth, or even cutting hair. Smaller hatchet-like versions were used by women for agricultural work.