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For other uses, see Spear (disambiguation).
Hunting spear and knife, from Mesa Verde National Park.
Hunting spear and knife, from Mesa Verde National Park. Mesa Verde National Park is a US National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Montezuma County, Colorado, United

A spear is a pole weapon used for hunting and war, consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a sharpened head. A pole weapon or polearm is a close combat Weapon in which the main fighting part of the weapon is placed on the end of a long shaft typically of Wood Hunting is the practice of pursuing Animals for Food, Recreation, or Trade. War is an international relations Dispute, characterized by organized Violence between National Military units Wood is hard fibrous lignified structural tissue produced as secondary Xylem in the stems of Woody plants notably trees but also shrubs The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be of another material fastened to the shaft, such as obsidian or bronze. Bamboo is a group of Woody perennial Evergreen Plants in the True grass family Poaceae, subfamily The most common design is of a metal spearhead, shaped like a triangle or a leaf.

Spears were one of the most common personal weapons from the late Bronze Age until the advent of firearms. A firearm is a Tool that projects either single or multiple Projectiles at high velocity through a controlled explosion They may be seen as the ancestor of such weapons as the lance, the halberd, the naginata and the pike. The term lance has become a catchall for a variety of different Pole weapons based on the Spear. Naginata (なぎなた 薙刀 is a Pole weapon that was traditionally used in Japan by members of the Samurai class A pike is a Pole weapon, a very long thrusting Spear used two-handed and used extensively by Infantry both for attacks on enemy foot soldiers and as One of the earliest weapons fashioned by human beings and their ancestors, it is still used for hunting and fishing, and its influences can still be seen in contemporary military arsenals as the rifle-mounted bayonet. A rifle is a Firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves ("rifling" cut into the barrel walls A bayonet (from French baïonnette) is a Knife - Dagger - or spike-shaped Weapon designed to fit on or over the muzzle

Spears can be used as both melee and ballistic weapons. Spears used primarily for thrusting tend to have heavier and sturdier designs than those intended exclusively for throwing. Two of the most noted throwing spears are the javelin thrown by the ancient Greeks and the pilum used by the Romans. The pilum (plural pila) was a heavy javelin commonly used by the Roman army in ancient times The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial

Contents

History

Spear manufacture and use is also practiced by the Pan troglodytes verus subspecies of the Common Chimpanzee. The Common Chimpanzee ( Pan troglodytes) also known as the Robust Chimpanzee, is a great ape. Chimpanzees near Kédougou, Senegal were observed to create spears by breaking straight limbs off of trees, stripping them of their bark and side branches, and sharpening one end with their teeth. Kédougou is a town in southeastern Senegal at 1256 degrees N Senegal (le Sénégal officially the Republic of Senegal, is a country south of the Sénégal River in western Africa. They then used the weapons to hunt galagos sleeping in hollows. Galagos, also known as bushbabies, bush babies or nagapies (meaning "little night monkeys" in Afrikaans) are small Nocturnal [1]. Orangutans have also used spears to fish after observing humans fishing in a similar manner. The orangutans are two Species of great apes known for their intelligence long arms and reddish-brown hair [2].

Archeological evidence documents that wooden spears were used for hunting 400,000 years ago. [3] However, wood does not preserve well. 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. The University of Southern California (commonly referred to as USC, SC, Southern California, and incorrectly [4]

By 250,000 years ago wooden spears were made with fire-hardened points. From 80,000 years ago humans began to make complex stone blades, which were used as spear points. By 50,000 years ago there was a revolution in human culture, leading to more complex hunting techniques.

Usefulness

The utility and longevity of the spear as a universal personal weapon rises from several factors, including versatility, cost efficiency, ease of use and effect.

A spear was a relatively low cost weapon or tool compared to other weapons available in pre-industrial societies. Pre-industrial society refers to specific social attributes and forms of political and cultural organization that were prevalent before the advent of the Industrial Revolution In this period, when metals and the ability to work them were expensive, the spear was seen as "cost effective". The steel required for a sword, for example, would be sufficient to make several spear heads. A spear not only takes less metal, but does not require the same quality of material, the same amount of time, or the same level of skill to manufacture; the result is still a weapon of potentially lethal effect.

A spear is relatively easy to use. Again, in comparison with other weapons in the periods of the spear's widest use, a spear requires less training and practice to wield effectively (though not necessarily expertly), notably for formation use since its thrusting techniques minimize disruption to teammates on either side. Modern experiments by reenactors have shown that a group of people can be trained to use spears in an effective shield wall as militia in a few weeks of part-time training.

Spears vary greatly in function depending upon the length of the shaft, weight of the point, and location of the grip. Short spears, like those developed by the Zulu, were used for single combat in close proximity. Most short and mid-length spears were also used for throwing; in fact, the Roman pilum was specifically built to stick in and foul a target's shield. Greek long pikes, on the other hand, were used in large battle formations, called phalanges (sg. phalanx), to keep the opponent at a distance. With the rise of heavily armored knights in the medieval age, spear shafts began to be reinforced to be planted against the ground and halt charging cavalry. The lance, a form of spear gripped at the base and wielded with one hand, was also developed to be used from horseback. Though cavalry spears had been used before, the lance was made popular by the medieval sport of jousting.

In addition to being a cheap, relatively easy to wield weapon that could be quickly manufactured and used in large numbers, often at a considerable distance from the target, a spear in experienced hands is fast and lethal.

Spear Handling

Spears, although apparently simple weapons, have a remarkable variety of wielding methods. Some are listed here from most passive to most active motions.

  1. Holding the spear or bracing it against the ground, the enemy impales himself.
  2. The spear is thrust out with the arms alone.
  3. The spear is held stiffly, and the thrust is delivered by stepping forward.
  4. The spear is thrust out with the arms while stepping forward with one or both feet.
  5. The front hand releases as the back hand and back foot move forward to perform a long thrust.
  6. The spear is slid through the front hand, propelled by the back hand. The forward foot steps forward and the back circles the body out of the line of thrust.
  7. The spear is thrown, often at a run, releasing when the opposite foot to the throwing arm is forward.
  8. The spear is held couched under one arm, allowing a swinging motion as well as a powerful thrust.
  9. The spear is swung, causing the tip of the blade to slice open the foe's flesh. The spear can then be brought around in a stabbing motion.

This versatility led to the continued use of spears, in the form of pikes, for many years even after the invention of firearms. A pike is a Pole weapon, a very long thrusting Spear used two-handed and used extensively by Infantry both for attacks on enemy foot soldiers and as

Symbolism

More than a weapon, a spear may be a symbol of power. The musical instrument is spelled Cymbal. A symbol is something --- such as an object, Picture, written word a sound a piece In the Chinese martial arts community, the Chinese spear (Qiang 槍) is popularly known as the "king of weapons". Kung fu and wushu are popular terms that have become synonymous with Chinese Martial arts. The following is a partial list of Martial arts weapons. Bow and Arrow Crossbow Longbow Qiang ( is the Chinese term for Spear. Due to its relative ease of manufacture the spear in many variations was ubiquitous on the pre-modern Chinese battlefield In ancient Greece it was a yoke of spears that had to be borne when submitting to an enemy. The term ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca Surrender is when Soldiers, nations or other combatants stop fighting and become Prisoners of war, either as The Celts would symbolically destroy a dead warrior's spear to prevent their use by another. Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts

Livy records that the Romans and their early enemies would force prisoners to walk underneath a 'yoke of spears', which humiliated them. Titus Livius (traditionally 59 BC &ndash AD 17 known as Livy in English, was a Roman historian who wrote a monumental history of Rome It has been surmised that this was because such a ritual involved the prisoners' warrior status being taken away. In the early Roman armies the first two lines of battle, the hastati and principes, fought with swords, while the elite triarii who formed the final line fought with spears. Hastati (Singular Hastatus) were a class of infantry in the armies of the early Roman Republic who originally fought as Spearmen, and later as Swordsmen Principes (Singular Princeps) were Spearmen, and later Swordsmen, in the armies of the early Roman Republic. Gladius is a Latin word for Sword. Early ancient Roman swords were similar to those used by the Greeks Triarii (Singular Triarius) were Spearmen in the armies of the early Roman Republic.

Odin's spear (called Gungnir) was of ashwood, made from the "World-Tree" Yggdrasil, and it may be remarkable that Chiron's wedding-gift to Peleus when he married the nymph Thetis at a wedding attended by all the Olympians, was an ashen spear (although this could be coincidental, as the nature of ashwood with its straight grain made it an ideal choice of wood for a spear). Odin (ˈoʊdɪn from Old Norse Óðinn) is considered the chief god in Norse paganism. In An ash can be any of four different tree genera from four very distinct families; most commonly in a combined form (e In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil ( Old Norse Yggdrasill, ˈyɡˌdrasilː the extra -l is a Nominative case marker is the World In Greek mythology, Chiron or Cheiron ("hand" was held as the superlative Centaur among his brethren In Greek mythology, Pēleús (Πηλεύς was a hero who was already known to Homer. This article is about the Greek sea nymph Thetis should not be confused with Themis, the embodiment of the laws of nature but see the sea-goddess Tethys.

Also in Greek Mythology Zeus' bolts of lightning can be interpreted as a symbolic spear, and some would carry that into the spear that is frequently associated with Athena, interpreting her spear as a symbolic connection to some of Zeus' power beyond the Aegis. ATHENA was an Antimatter research project that took place at the AD Ring at CERN.

Another spear of religious significance was the Spear of Destiny, an artifact believed by some to have vast mystical powers. The Holy Lance (also known as the Spear of Destiny, Holy Spear, Lance of Longinus, Spear of Longinus or Spear of Christ) is the name

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 Golden Bough A Study in Magic and Religion is a wide-ranging comparative study of Mythology and Religion, written by Scottish anthropologist Sir

Types of spears

Spears which are not usually thrown

  • Rummh

Spears usually thrown

  • Angon
  • Assegai
  • Ballam
  • Bandang
  • Bhala
  • Bilari
  • Budiak
  • Cateia
  • Chimbane
  • Cirit
  • Contus
  • Do-War
  • Egchos
  • Enhero
  • Fal-feg
  • Falarica
  • Framea
  • Gravo
  • Golo
  • Granggang
  • Hak
  • Hinyan
  • Hoko
  • Huata
  • Irpull
  • Ja-Mandehi
  • Jaculum
  • Jarid
  • Javelin
  • Jiboru
  • Kasita

Famous Spears

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ Jill D. Zhang Fei (?-221 AD was a military general of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of China. The Three Kingdoms period ( is a period in the History of China, part of an era of disunity called the Six Dynasties following immediately the loss of China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National A pole weapon or polearm is a close combat Weapon in which the main fighting part of the weapon is placed on the end of a long shaft typically of Wood Darts are missile Weapons designed to fly such that a sharp often weighted point will strike first An arrow is a pointed Projectile that is shot with a bow. It predates recorded history and is common to most Cultures. A Lajinaa was a small Spear used mostly by Spaniard Pirates who raided trade ships in the gulf coast An atlatl (from Nahuatl ahtlatl; in English pronounced or) or spear-thrower is a Tool that uses Leverage to achieve greater velocity The Spear together with the sword, the Longsax and the Shield was the main equipment of the Germanic warriors during the Our knowledge about arms and armour of the Viking age ( 8th to 11th centuries Europe is based on relatively sparse archaeological finds pictorial representation The term lance has become a catchall for a variety of different Pole weapons based on the Spear. A pike is a Pole weapon, a very long thrusting Spear used two-handed and used extensively by Infantry both for attacks on enemy foot soldiers and as Pruetz1 and Paco Bertolani, Savanna Chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes verus, Hunt with Tools", Current Biology, March 6, 2007
  2. ^ [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/technology/technology.html?in_article_id=562236&in_page_id=1766&ito=1490 Orangutan attempts to hunt fish with spear, April 26, 2008
  3. ^ Lower Palaeolithic hunting spears from Germany. Events 1079 - Omar Khayyám completes the Iranian calendar. 1454 - Thirteen Years' War: Delegates of Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1467 - The miraculous image in Our Lady of Good Counsel appear in Genazzano, Italy. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Hartmut Thieme. Letters to Nature. Nature 385, 807 - 810 (27 February 1997); doi:10. 1038/385807a0 [1]
  4. ^ Rick Weiss, "Chimps Observed Making Their Own Weapons", The Washington Post, February 22, 2007

External links

The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D Events 1495 - King Charles VIII of France enters Naples to claim the city's throne Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.

Dictionary

spear

-noun

  1. A long stick with a sharp tip used as a weapon for throwing or thrusting, or anything used to make a thrusting motion.
  2. A sharp tool used by fishermen to retrieve fish.
  3. (ice hockey) an illegal maneuver using the end of a hockey stick to strike into another hockey player

-verb

  1. To penetrate or strike with, or as if with, any long narrow object. To make a thrusting motion that catches an object on the tip of a long device.
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