Ciupaga (Podhale Axe-Staff)
Small axe with a long wooden haft carried by the highlanders (górale) of the Polish Tatra mountains as a walking staff, herding tool and dance prop. The ciupaga's haft is often carved, and highlanders strike it on the floor in the energetic zbójnicki dance; it accompanies the shepherd's life of the Podhale region and is a recognised emblem of Tatra highland culture. Its head resembles an ice-axe, with a short blade on one side and a rounded butt on the other, and it serves as a climbing stick, a lever, and a defence against wolves and bears. The wooden haft, up to a metre long, is a canvas for