Picture of a fantastic 1700-1800 Danish or Norwegian Axe The Norwegian farmer was to defend the country against external enemies. There are therefore many such peasant axes. We know axes from the Viking Age and the migration period. While weapon axes went out of fashion in the rest of Europe, it was still in use in Norway until around 1800. The peasant ax had lost its role in war, but was an important social symbol of the free Norwegian peasant.