June 13th is National Ax Throwing Day. Before I delve into throwing axes, I would like to talk about old axes.
I have the book ‘Indian Axes and Related Stone Artifacts” by Lar Hothem, 2001. This book goes into identifying Indian axes.
I also have this actual stone axe. I went with a friend who was cleaning out an old house, and we found this axe. Believe it was discovered in Northern Illinois. I have added it to several other artifacts, and many books that I have on Indians, their cultures, and petroglyphs. My father took me when young, to visit various petroglyph sites in Wisconsin. He was immensely interested in Indian history; spent much of a summer in his youth in New Mexico living with, and studying Western Indians.
But now back to axe throwing. I have a wooden target in my back yard for tossing Axes. They were given to me for my birthday one year, and have used them a lot. We have had some good competitions and fun with them.
Can’t say that I am really good tossing axes, nor is my son. One summer day last year, my son was entertaining his cousin, and they decided to throw some axes. After a few tosses, my son threw an axe that bounced back and hit him in his lower leg, by the shin. Made a nice cut, little over an inch long. The cousin’s eyes got big, and he studdered “bbbetter call an ambulance…”
“No.” said my son calmly. “This is a pretty sick opportunity. I have a first aid kit put together, and I bought some sutures, but have never used them. I think I will try today.” He held a towel to his wound, got the first aid kit, and cleaned the bleeding cut. He then matter-of-factly, put five stitches in his leg, while his cousin meekly, perhaps queasily, watched. When my son later told my wife and me the story, and saw our looks of disbelief, he added that he thought the cut was not too deep, so why not. Not a bad little scar, either.
“What doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger.” -Nietzsche
Librarytomes 