From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spear
Modern
reproductions of a medieval European spear and a series of javelins.
The heads are hand forged steel, the shafts are made from ash wood.
A
spear is a
pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of
wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with
fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to the shaft, such as
flint,
obsidian,
iron,
steel or
bronze.
The most common design for hunting or combat spears since ancient times
has incorporated a metal spearhead shaped like a triangle,
lozenge, or leaf. The heads of fishing spears usually feature barbs or serrated edges.
The word
spear comes from the
Old English spere, from the Proto-Germanic
speri, from a
Proto-Indo-European root
*sper- "spear, pole".
Spears can be divided into two broad categories: those designed for thrusting in
melee combat and those designed for throwing (usually referred to as
javelins).
The spear has been used throughout human history both as a hunting and fishing tool and as a weapon. Along with the
axe,
knife and
club,
it is one of the earliest and most important tools developed by early
humans. As a weapon, it may be wielded with either one hand or two. It
was used in virtually every conflict up until the
modern era, where even then it continues on in the form of the fixed
bayonet, and is probably the most commonly used weapon in history.
Origins
Spear manufacture and use is not confined to humans. It is also practiced by the
western chimpanzee. Chimpanzees near
Kédougou,
Senegal have been observed to create spears by breaking straight limbs
off trees, stripping them of their bark and side branches, and
sharpening one end with their teeth. They then used the weapons to hunt
galagos sleeping in hollows.
Prehistory
Archaeological evidence found in present-day
Germany documents that wooden spears have been used for hunting since at least 400,000 years ago, and a 2012 study from the site of
Kathu Pan in South Africa suggests that hominids, possibly
Homo heidelbergensis, may have developed the technology of hafted stone-tipped spears in Africa about 500,000 years ago. Wood does not preserve well, however, and Craig Stanford, a primatologist and professor of anthropology at the
University of Southern California,
has suggested that the discovery of spear use by chimpanzees probably
means that early humans used wooden spears as well, perhaps, five
million years ago.
Neanderthals were constructing stone spear heads from as early as 300,000
BP and by 250,000 years ago, wooden spears were made with
fire-hardened points.
From circa 200,000 BCE onwards, Middle
Paleolithic
humans began to make complex stone blades with flaked edges which were
used as spear heads. These stone heads could be fixed to the spear shaft
by gum or resin or by bindings made of animal sinew, leather strips or
vegetable matter. During this period, a clear difference remained
between spears designed to be thrown and those designed to be used in
hand-to-hand combat. By the
Magdalenian period (c. 15,000–9500 BCE), spear-throwers similar to the later
atlatl were in use.
Military
Ancient history
Africa
Europe
Greeks
Athenian warrior wielding a spear in battle
The spear is the main weapon of the warriors of
Homer's
Iliad.
The use of both a single thrusting spear and two throwing spears are
mentioned. It has been suggested that two styles of combat are being
described; an early style, with thrusting spears, dating to the
Mycenaean period in which the Iliad is set, and, anachronistically, a later style, with throwing spears, from Homer's own
Archaic period.
In the 7th century BCE, the Greeks evolved a new close-order infantry formation, the
phalanx. The key to this formation was the
hoplite, who was equipped with a large, circular, bronze-faced shield (
aspis) and a 7–9 ft (2.1–2.7 m) spear with an iron head and bronze butt-spike (
doru). The hoplite phalanx dominated warfare among the Greek City States from the 7th into the 4th century BCE.
The 4th century saw major changes. One was the greater use of
peltasts, light infantry armed with spear and javelins. The other was the development of the
sarissa, a two-handed pike 18 ft (5.5 m) in length, by the
Macedonians under
Phillip of Macedon and
Alexander the Great.
The pike phalanx, supported by peltasts and cavalry, became the
dominant mode of warfare among the Greeks from the late 4th century
onward until Greek military systems were supplanted by the Roman legions.
Romans
Re-enactor outfitted as a Late Roman legionary carrying a pilum
In the
pre-Marian Roman armies, the first two lines of battle, the
hastati and
principes, often fought with a sword called a
gladius and
pila, heavy javelins that were specifically designed to be thrown at an enemy to pierce and foul a target's shield. Originally the
principes were armed with a short spear called a
hasta, but these gradually fell out of use, eventually being replaced by the gladius. The third line, the
triarii, continued to use the
hasta.
From the late 2nd century BCE, all
legionaries were equipped with the
pilum. The
pilum continued to be the standard legionary spear until the end of the 2nd century CE.
Auxilia, however, were equipped with a simple hasta and, perhaps, throwing spears. During the 3rd century CE, although the
pilum continued to be used, legionaries usually were equipped with other forms of throwing and thrusting spear, similar to
auxilia of the previous century. By the 4th century, the
pilum had effectively disappeared from common use.
In the late period of the Roman Empire, the spear became more
often used because of its anti-cavalry capacities as the barbarian
invasions were often conducted by people with a developed culture of
cavalry in warfare.
Post-classical history
Muslim world
A Palestine Arab sufi ascetic carrying a short assegai in 1913.
Muslim warriors used a spear that was called an
az-zaġāyah.
Berbers pronounced it
zaġāya, but the English term, derived from the
Old French via
Berber,
is "assegai". It is a pole weapon used for throwing or hurling, usually
a light spear or javelin made of hard wood and pointed with a forged
iron tip.The
az-zaġāyah played an important role during the
Islamic conquest as well as during later periods, well into the 20th century. A longer pole
az-zaġāyah was being used as a hunting weapon from horseback. The
az-zaġāyah was widely used. It existed in various forms in areas stretching from
Southern Africa to the
Indian subcontinent, although these places already had their own variants of the spear. This javelin was the weapon of choice during the
Fulani jihad as well as during the
Mahdist War in Sudan. It is still being used by Sikh
Nihang in the
Punjab as well as certain wandering Sufi ascetics
(Derwishes).
Europe
After
the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the spear and shield continued to
be used by nearly all Western European cultures. Since a medieval spear
required only a small amount of
steel
along the sharpened edges (most of the spear-tip was wrought iron), it
was an economical weapon. Quick to manufacture, and needing less
smithing skill than a sword, it remained the main weapon of the common soldier. The
Vikings, for instance, although often portrayed with
axe or
sword in hand, were armed mostly with spears, as were their
Anglo-Saxon,
Irish, or continental contemporaries.
Infantry
Assyrian
soldier holding a spear and wearing a helmet. Detail of a basalt relief
from the palace of Tiglath-pileser III at Hadatu, Syria. 744–727 BCE.
Ancient Orient Museum, Istanbul
Broadly speaking, spears were either designed to be used in melee, or
to be thrown. Within this simple classification, there was a remarkable
range of types. For example, M. J. Swanton identified thirty different
spearhead categories and sub-categories in early Saxon England. Most medieval spearheads were generally leaf-shaped. Notable types of early medieval spears include the
angon, a throwing spear with a long head similar to the Roman
pilum, used by the Franks and Anglo-Saxons, and the
winged (or lugged) spear,
which had two prominent wings at the base of the spearhead, either to
prevent the spear penetrating too far into an enemy or to aid in spear
fencing.
Originally a Frankish weapon, the winged spear also was popular with
the Vikings. It would become the ancestor of later medieval polearms,
such as the
partisan and
spetum.
The thrusting spear also has the advantage of reach, being
considerably longer than other weapon types. Exact spear lengths are
hard to deduce as few spear shafts survive archaeologically but 6–8 ft
(1.8–2.4 m) would seem to have been the norm. Some nations were noted
for their long spears, including the Scots and the Flemish. Spears
usually were used in tightly ordered formations, such as the
shield wall or the
schiltron. To resist cavalry, spear shafts could be planted against the ground. William Wallace drew up his schiltrons in a circle at the
Battle of Falkirk in 1298 to deter charging cavalry; this was a widespread tactic sometimes known as the "crown" formation.
Throwing spears became rarer as the Middle Ages drew on, but survived in the hands of specialists such as the Catalan
Almogavars. They were commonly used in Ireland until the end of the 16th century.
Spears began to lose fashion among the infantry during the 14th century, being replaced by
pole weapons that combined the thrusting properties of the spear with the cutting properties of the axe, such as the
halberd. Where spears were retained they grew in length, eventually evolving into
pikes, which would be a dominant infantry weapon in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Cavalry
Cavalry
spears were originally the same as infantry spears and were often used
with two hands or held with one hand overhead. In the 12th century,
after the adoption of
stirrups and a high-cantled saddle, the spear became a decidedly more powerful weapon. A mounted knight would secure the
lance by holding it with one hand and tucking it under the armpit (the
couched lance technique)
This allowed all the momentum of the horse and knight to be focused on
the weapon's tip, whilst still retaining accuracy and control. This use
of the spear spurred the development of the
lance as a distinct weapon that was perfected in the medieval sport of
jousting.
In the 14th century, tactical developments meant that knights and
men-at-arms often fought on foot. This led to the practice of
shortening the lance to about 5 ft (1.5 m).) to make it more manageable. As dismounting became commonplace, specialist pole weapons such as the
pollaxe were adopted by knights and this practice ceased.
Asia
Chinese
Spears were used first as hunting weapons amongst the ancient Chinese. They became popular as infantry weapons during the
Warring States and
Qin
era, when spearmen were used as especially highly disciplined soldiers
in organized group attacks. When used in formation fighting, spearmen
would line up their large rectangular or circular shields in a
shieldwall manner. The Qin also employed long spears (more akin to a
pike) in formations similar to Swiss pikemen in order to ward off
cavalry. The Han Empire would use similar tactics as its Qin
predecessors. Halberds, polearms, and dagger axes were also common
weapons during this time.
Spears were also common weaponry for Warring States, Qin, and Han
era cavalry units. During these eras, the spear would develop into a
longer lance-like weapon used for cavalry charges.
There are many words in Chinese that would be classified as a spear in English. The
Mao is the predecessor of the
Qiang. The first bronze
Mao appeared in the
Shang dynasty. This weapon was less prominent on the battlefield than the
ge (
dagger-axe).
In some archaeological examples two tiny holes or ears can be found in
the blade of the spearhead near the socket, these holes were presumably
used to attach tassels, much like modern day
wushu spears.
A bronze spear, notice the ears on the side of the socket.
In the early
Shang, the
Mao appeared to have a relatively short shaft as well as a relatively narrow shaft as opposed to
Mao in the later Shang and
Western Zhou period. Some
Mao from this era are heavily decorated as is evidenced by a
Warring States period
Mao from the
Ba Shu area.
In the Han dynasty the
Mao and the
Ji (戟
Ji
can be loosely defined as a halberd) rose to prominence in the
military. Interesting to note is that the amount of iron Mao-heads found
exceeds the number of bronze heads. By the end of the Han dynasty (
Eastern Han) the process of replacement of the iron
Mao had been completed and the bronze
Mao had been rendered completely obsolete. After the Han dynasty toward the
Sui and
Tang dynasties the
Mao used by cavalry were fitted with much longer shafts, as is mentioned above. During this era, the use of the
Shuo (矟) was widespread among the footmen. The
Shuo can be likened to a pike or simply a long spear.
After the Tang dynasty, the popularity of the
Mao declined and was replaced by the
Qiang (枪). The Tang dynasty divided the
Qiang
in four categories: "一曰漆枪， 二曰木枪， 三曰白杆枪， 四曰扑头枪。” Roughly translated the
four categories are: Qi (a kind of wood) Spears, Wooden Spears, Bai Gan
(A kind of wood) Spears and Pu Tou Qiang. The Qiang that were produced
in the Song and Ming dynasties consisted of four major parts: Spearhead,
Shaft, End Spike and Tassel. The types of Qiang that exist are many.
Among the types there are cavalry Qiang that were the length of one
zhang
(eleven feet and nine inches or 3.58 m), Litte-Flower Spears (Xiao Hua
Qiang 小花枪) that are the length of one person and their arm extended
above his head, double hooked spears, single hooked spears, ringed
spears and many more.
There is some confusion as to how to distinguish the Qiang from the Mao, as they are obviously very similar. Some people say that a Mao is longer than a Qiang, others say that the main difference is between the stiffness of the shaft, where the Qiang would be flexible and the Mao
would be stiff. Scholars seem to lean toward the latter explanation
more than the former. Because of the difference in the construction of
the Mao and the Qiang, the usage is also different, though there is no definitive answer as to what exactly the differences are between the Mao and the Qiang.
Indian society
Spears in the
Indian society
were used both in missile and non-missile form, both by cavalry and
foot-soldiers. Mounted spear-fighting was practiced using with a
ten-foot, ball-tipped wooden lance called a
bothati, the end of
which was covered in dye so that hits may be confirmed. Spears were
constructed from a variety of materials such as the
sang made completely of steel, and the
ballam which had a bamboo shaft. The
Rajputs
wielded a type of spear for infantrymen which had a club integrated
into the spearhead, and a pointed butt end. Other spears had forked
blades, several spear-points, and numerous other innovations. One
particular spear unique to India was the
vita or corded lance. Used by the
Maratha army, it had a rope connecting the spear with the user's wrist, allowing the weapon to be thrown and pulled back. The
Vel is a type of spear or lance, originated in
Southern India, primarily used by
Tamils.
Japan
Ukiyo-e print of a samurai general holding a yari in his right hand
The
hoko spear was used in ancient Japan sometime between the
Yayoi period and the
Heian period, but it became unpopular as early
samurai often acted as
horseback archers.
Medieval Japan employed spears again for infantrymen to use, but it was
not until the 11th century in that samurai began to prefer spears over
bows. Several polearms were used in the Japanese theatres; the
naginata was a glaive-like weapon with a long, curved blade popularly among the samurai and the
Buddhist warrior-monks, often used against cavalry; the
yari was a longer polearm, with a straight-bladed spearhead, which became the weapon of choice of both the samurai and the
ashigaru (footmen) during the
Warring States Era;
the horseback samurai used shorter yari for his single-armed combat; on
the other hand, ashigaru infantries used long yari (similar with
European
pike) for their massed combat formation.
Philippines
A Filipino warrior holding a Sibat (spear) in the Boxer Codex.
Filipino spears (
sibat) were used as both a weapon and a tool throughout the
Philippines. It is also called a
bangkaw (after the
Bankaw Revolt.),
sumbling or
palupad in the islands of
Visayas and
Mindanao.
Sibat are typically made from rattan, either with a sharpened tip or a
head made from metal. These heads may either be single-edged,
double-edged or barbed. Styles vary according to function and origin.
For example, a sibat designed for fishing may not be the same as those
used for hunting.
The spear was used as the primary weapon in expeditions and
battles against neighbouring island kingdoms and it became famous during
the 1521
Battle of Mactan, where the chieftain
Lapu Lapu of
Cebu fought against Spanish forces led by
Ferdinand Magellan who was subsequently killed.
North America
Mesoamerica
As advanced
metallurgy was largely unknown in
pre-Columbian America outside of
Western Mexico and South America, most weapons in
Meso-America were made of wood or
obsidian. This did not mean that they were less lethal, as obsidian may be sharpened to become many times sharper than steel. Meso-American spears varied greatly in shape and size. While the Aztecs preferred the sword-like
macuahuitl for fighting, the advantage of a far-reaching thrusting weapon was recognised, and a large portion of the army would carry the
tepoztopilli into battle.
The tepoztopilli was a pole-arm, and to judge from depictions in
various Aztec codices, it was roughly the height of a man, with a broad
wooden head about twice the length of the users' palm or shorter, edged
with razor-sharp obsidian blades which were deeply set in grooves carved
into the head, and cemented in place with
bitumen or plant resin as an adhesive. The tepoztopilli was able both to thrust and slash effectively.
Throwing spears also were used extensively in Meso-American warfare, usually with the help of an
atlatl.
Throwing spears were typically shorter and more stream-lined than the
tepoztopilli, and some had obsidian edges for greater penetration.
Native American
Typically, most spears made by Native Americans were created with
materials surrounded by their communities. Usually, the shaft of the
spear was made with a wooden stick while the head of the spear was
fashioned from arrowheads, pieces of metal such as copper, or a bone
that had been sharpened. Spears were a preferred weapon by many since it
was inexpensive to create, could more easily be taught to others, and
could be made quickly and in large quantities.
Native Americans used the
Buffalo Pound
method to kill buffalo, which required a hunter to dress as a buffalo
and lure one into a ravine where other hunters were hiding. Once the
buffalo appeared, the other hunters would kill him with spears. A
variation of this technique, called the
Buffalo Jump,
was when a runner would lead the animals towards a cliff. As the
buffalo got close to the cliff, other members of the tribe would jump
out from behind rocks or trees and scare the buffalo over the cliff.
Other hunters would be waiting at the bottom of the cliff to spear the
animal to death.
Modern history
Europe
German reenactors of pikemen
The development of both the long, two-handed
pike and
gunpowder in Renaissance Europe saw an ever-increasing focus on integrated infantry tactics. Those infantry not armed with these weapons carried variations on the pole-arm, including the
halberd and the
bill. Ultimately, the spear proper was rendered obsolete on the battlefield. Its last flowering was the half-pike or
spontoon,
a shortened version of the pike carried by officers and NCOs. While
originally a weapon, this came to be seen more as a badge of office, or
leading staff by which troops were directed. The half-pike, sometimes known as a boarding pike, was also used as a weapon on board ships until the 19th century.
At the start of the Renaissance, cavalry remained predominantly lance-armed;
gendarmes
with the heavy knightly lance and lighter cavalry with a variety of
lighter lances. By the 1540s, however, pistol-armed cavalry called
reiters
were beginning to make their mark. Cavalry armed with pistols and other
lighter firearms, along with a sword, had virtually replaced lance
armed cavalry in Western Europe by the beginning of the 17th century.
Hunting
One of the earliest forms of killing prey for humans, hunting game with a spear and
spear fishing
continues to this day as both a means of catching food and as a
cultural activity. Some of the most common prey for early humans were
mega fauna such as
mammoths which were hunted with various kinds of spear. One theory for the
Quaternary extinction event
was that most of these animals were hunted to extinction by humans with
spears. Even after the invention of other hunting weapons such as the
bow the spear continued to be used, either as a projectile weapon or
used in the hand as was common in
boar hunting.
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Types
- Barred spears: A barred spear has a crossbar beneath the blade,
to prevent too deep a penetration of the spear into an animal. The bar
may be forged as part of the spearhead or may be more loosely tied by
means of loops below the blade. Barred spears are known from the Bronze
Age, but the first historical record of their use in Europe is found in
the writings of Xenophon in the 5th century BC. Examples also are shown in Roman art. In the Middle Ages, a winged or lugged war-spear was developed (see above), but the later Middle Ages saw the development of specialised types, such as the boar-spear and the bear-spear. The boar-spear could be used both on foot or horseback.
- Javelin
- Harpoon
- Trident
Modern revival
Spear
hunting fell out of favour in most of Europe in the 18th century, but
continued in Germany, enjoying a revival in the 1930s. Spear
hunting is still practiced in the United States. Animals taken are primarily wild
boar and
deer, although trophy animals such as cats and big game as large as a
Cape Buffalo are hunted with spears.
Alligator are hunted in
Florida with a type of
harpoon.
In myth and legend
Symbolism
The
Celts would symbolically destroy a dead warrior's spear either to prevent its use by another or as a sacrificial offering.
In classical Greek mythology
Zeus'
bolts of lightning may be interpreted as a symbolic spear. Some would
carry that interpretation to the spear that frequently is associated
with
Athena, interpreting her spear as a symbolic connection to some of Zeus' power beyond the
Aegis once he rose to replacing other deities in the
pantheon. Athena was depicted with a spear prior to that change in myths, however.
Chiron's wedding-gift to
Peleus when he married the nymph
Thetis
in classical Greek mythology, was an ashen spear as the nature of
ashwood with its straight grain made it an ideal choice of wood for a
spear.
The Romans and their early enemies would force prisoners to walk
underneath a 'yoke of spears', which humiliated them. The yoke would
consist of three spears, two upright with a third tied between them at a
height which made the prisoners stoop. It has been suggested that the arrangement has a
magical origin, a way to trap evil spirits. The word
subjugate has its origins in this practice (from Latin
sub = under,
jugum = yoke).
In Norse mythology, the god
Odin's spear (named
Gungnir)
was made by the sons of Ivaldi. It had the special property that it
never missed its mark. During the War with the Vanir, Odin symbolically
threw Gungnir into the Vanir host. This practice of symbolically casting
a spear into the enemy ranks at the start of a fight was sometimes used
in historic clashes, to seek Odin's support in the coming battle. In
Wagner's opera
Siegfried, the haft of Gungnir is said to be from the "World-Tree"
Yggdrasil.
Other spears of religious significance are the
Holy Lance and the
Lúin of Celtchar, believed by some to have vast mystical powers.
Sir James George Frazer in
The Golden Bough
noted the phallic nature of the spear and suggested that in the
Arthurian legends the spear or lance functioned as a symbol of male
fertility, paired with the
Grail (as a symbol of female fertility).
The Hindu god of war
Murugan is worshipped by
Tamils in the form of the spear called
Vel, which is his primary weapon.
The term
spear is also used (in a somewhat archaic manner) to describe the male line of a family, as opposed to the
distaff or female line.
Legends
- Amenonuhoko, spear of Izanagi and Izanami, creator gods in Japanese mythology
- Gáe Bulg, spear of Cúchulainn, hero in Irish mythology
- Gáe Buide and Gáe Derg, spears of Diarmuid Ua Duibhne which could inflict wounds that none can recover from
- Green Dragon Crescent Blade, a guan dao wielded by General Guan Yu in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms
- Gungnir, spear of Odin, a god in Norse mythology
- Holy Lance, said to be the spear that pierced the side of Jesus
- Octane Serpent Spear of Zhang Fei (Yide) from the Three Kingdoms period in China
- Spear of Fuchai, the spear used by Goujian's arch-rival, King Fuchai of Wu, in China
- Spear of Lugh, named after Lugh, a god in Irish mythology
- Trident, a three-pronged fishing spear associated with a number of water deities, including the Etruscan Nethuns, Greek Poseidon, and Roman Neptune.
- Trishula, a three-pronged spear wielded by the Hindu deities Durga and Shiva
- Vel, a flattened broad tipped spear used by the Hindu deity Murugan
- Rhongomyniad, or simply 'Ron', the spear of King Arthur according to British tradition.
- Vasavi Shakti, spear of the Indian thunder god Indra, and given to the hero Karna in the Marabharata
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