Spear

A spear is a long tool made from a shaft, often of wood, with a pointed head. This point can be the sharpened end of the shaft itself, like in fire hardened spears, or it can be made of tougher materials such as bone, flint, obsidian, copper, bronze, iron, or steel attached to the shaft. Today, most spears used for hunting or fighting have metal heads shaped like a triangle, diamond, or leaf. Fishing spears usually have several sharp points.

Spears can be used in two main ways: for pushing in close combat, like with lances and pikes, or for throwing as a distance weapon, known as javelins.

Humans have used spears for a very long time, for hunting, fishing, and fighting. Along with the club, knife, and axe, the spear is one of the oldest tools made by early humans. It could be held with one or two hands and was used in battles for many years. Even today, a small version called a bayonet can be attached to the end of a long gun.

Early humans made the first spears from wood and hardened the tips by burning them. By 15,000 BC, people used wooden and bone spear-launchers to throw spears farther. These special tools were sometimes decorated with carvings of animals.

Etymology

The word spear comes from an old English word spere. This word has roots in an old German language, from a word called speri. Even older, it comes from a very old root *sper-, which means "spear" or "pole".

Origins

Spears have been used for a very long time, even by animals. Chimpanzees near Kédougou, Senegal make spears by breaking tree limbs, taking off bark and branches, and sharpening one end with their teeth. They use these spears to hunt small animals called galagos that sleep in tree hollows.

Humans have used spears for hundreds of thousands of years. The Clacton Spear from about 400,000 years ago and the Schöningen spears from around 300,000 to 200,000 years ago show that wooden spears were used for hunting. The Lehringen spear from about 120,000 years ago, made by early humans called Neanderthals, was found near the bones of a large elephant, suggesting it was used for hunting big animals.

From around 200,000 years ago, humans began making stone tips for spears, attaching them to wooden shafts using natural materials like gum or animal sinew. During the Magdalenian period (about 15,000–9500 BC), people started using tools similar to the later atlatl to throw spears farther.

Military

Europe

Classical antiquity

Ancient Greeks

The spear was the main weapon for warriors in Homer’s Iliad. Both a single thrusting spear and two throwing spears are mentioned. It seems there were two fighting styles: an early one with thrusting spears, and a later one with throwing spears.

In the 7th century BC, the Greeks created a new infantry formation called the phalanx. The key soldier in this formation was the hoplite, who carried a large bronze-faced shield and a long spear with an iron head and bronze tip. This phalanx dominated Greek warfare from the 7th to the 4th century BC.

The 4th century brought changes. Light infantry called peltasts, armed with spears and javelins, became more common. The Macedonians developed a very long spear called the sarissa, used by soldiers under Phillip of Macedon and Alexander the Great. This pike phalanx, supported by peltasts and cavalry, became the main way of fighting for Greeks until Roman legions took over.

Ancient Romans

In early Roman armies, the first two lines of soldiers often used swords and heavy javelins called pila to throw at enemies and damage their shields. Originally, one group of soldiers used a short spear called a hasta, but this was replaced by swords. The third line kept using the hasta.

From the late 2nd century BC, all Roman soldiers were given a pilum, a type of spear that became standard until the end of the 2nd century AD. Other soldiers had a simple hasta and maybe javelins or darts. During the 3rd century AD, though the pilum was still used, soldiers often had other types of throwing and thrusting spears. By the 4th century, the pilum was no longer common.

In the later Roman Empire, spears were used more often because they were good against cavalry, which was common in invasions by groups that were skilled at riding and fighting.

Medieval period

After the Western Roman Empire fell, spears and shields were still used by almost all cultures in Western Europe. Spears were affordable because they needed only a small amount of steel, and they were quick to make. They were the main weapon for ordinary soldiers. The Vikings, Anglo-Saxons, Irish, and others were mostly armed with spears. Spears evolved into lances, and they became a key part of many battle tactics. Spears were often used to form defensive blocks, and they were effective against cavalry trying to break through.

Infantry

Spears were designed either for close fighting or for throwing. There were many types of spearheads. Most medieval spearheads were leaf-shaped. Notable early types include the angon, a throwing spear with a long head similar to the Roman pilum, and the winged spear, which had wings at the base to prevent deep penetration or help in fighting. The thrusting spear had the advantage of reach, being longer than other weapons. Spears were usually used in tight formations, like shield walls or schiltrons. To stop cavalry, spear shafts could be planted in the ground. William Wallace used a circle formation at the Battle of Falkirk in 1298 to block cavalry charges. Thomas Randolph used a similar circle at the Battle of Bannockburn, while Robert the Bruce used a rectangular formation.

Throwing spears became less common as the Middle Ages progressed but were still used by specialists like the Catalan Almogavars. They were common in Ireland until the end of the 16th century.

Spears began to fall out of favor among infantry in the 14th century, replaced by polearms that combined the thrusting of spears with the cutting of axes, like the halberd. When spears were still used, they grew longer, eventually becoming pikes, which were a main infantry weapon in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Cavalry

Cavalry spears were originally the same as infantry spears. In the 12th century, after stirrups and high-cantled saddles were introduced, the spear became a more powerful weapon. A knight could secure the lance under the armpit to focus all the momentum of the horse and knight on the tip of the weapon. This led to the development of the lance as a distinct weapon, perfected in the sport of jousting.

In the 14th century, knights often fought on foot, leading to shorter lances for better handling. As dismounting became common, knights adopted polearms like the pollaxe, and the practice of using lances from horseback declined.

Introduction of gunpowder

The development of long pikes and gunpowder firearms in Renaissance Europe led to more integrated infantry tactics. Soldiers not armed with these weapons used polearms like the halberd and the bill. At the start of the Renaissance, cavalry mainly used lances; heavy knights with heavy lances and lighter cavalry with various lighter lances. By the 1540s, pistol-armed cavalry called reiters began to appear. Cavalry with pistols and other firearms, along with swords, replaced lance-armed cavalry in Western Europe by the early 17th century.

Eventually, the spear became obsolete on the battlefield. Its last major use was the half-pike or spontoon, a shorter version carried by officers. Originally a weapon, it became more of a symbol of authority. The half-pike, also called a boarding pike, was used as a weapon on ships until the late 19th century.

Middle East

Modern era

Muslim warriors used a spear called the az-zaġāyah. It was a polearm used for throwing or hurling, usually a light spear or javelin made of hard wood with a forged iron tip. The az-zaġāyah was important during the Islamic conquest and later periods, well into the 20th century. A longer version was used as a hunting weapon from horseback. It was widely used across regions from Southern Africa to the Indian subcontinent. This javelin was the weapon of choice during the Fulani jihad and the Mahdist War in Sudan. It is still used by some wandering Sufi ascetics.

Asia

China

In Chinese martial arts, the Chinese spear or qiang is known as the "king of weapons". It is one of the Four Weapons, along with the gun (staff), the dao (single-edged blade), and the jian (double-edged blade).

Spears were first used as hunting weapons by ancient Chinese people. They became popular as infantry weapons during the Warring States and Qin era, when spearmen were highly disciplined soldiers in group attacks. When used in formations, spearmen would line up their shields. The Qin also used long spears in formations to ward off cavalry. The Han Empire used similar tactics.

Spears were also common for cavalry units during the Warring States, Qin, and Han eras. During these times, the spear evolved into a longer lance-like weapon for cavalry charges.

There are many Chinese words for types of spears. The Mao is the predecessor of the Qiang. The first bronze Mao appeared in the Shang dynasty. This weapon was less common on the battlefield than the ge (dagger-axe). Some Mao from the Shang and Western Zhou periods had small holes or ears on the blade near the socket, likely used to attach tassels.

In the Han dynasty, the Mao and the Ji (halberd) became prominent. More iron Mao heads were found than bronze ones. By the end of the Han dynasty, iron Mao had replaced bronze Mao completely. After the Han dynasty, during the Sui and Tang dynasties, Mao used by cavalry had much longer shafts. During this time, the Shuo (a type of pike or long spear) was common among foot soldiers.

After the Tang dynasty, the Mao declined and was replaced by the Qiang. The Tang dynasty divided the Qiang into four categories: Qi Spears, Wooden Spears, Bai Gan Spears, and Pu Tou Qiang. The Qiang from the Song and Ming dynasties had four main parts: Spearhead, Shaft, End Spike, and Tassel. There were many types of Qiang, including cavalry Qiang, Little-Flower Spears, double hooked spears, single hooked spears, ringed spears, and more.

There is some confusion about the difference between the Mao and the Qiang. Some say a Mao is longer than a Qiang, while others say the difference is in the stiffness of the shaft, with the Qiang being flexible and the Mao stiff. Scholars tend to support the latter explanation.

Despite becoming less common, spears were still used by the Qing Army in the late 19th century. During the First Sino-Japanese War, 40% of Imperial soldiers did not have rifles or muskets. Spears and other close weapons were also widely used by the Boxers during their rebellion.

During the Warlord Era, the army of warlord Sun Chuanfang had units armed only with spears to oppose Chiang Kai Shek’s Northern Expedition until he could import more rifles. The Chinese Red Army guerrillas often used spears against Japanese occupation forces during the Second Sino-Japanese War, while some Japanese puppet government troops had to use bamboo spears. During the Chinese Civil War, both Communist and Nationalist forces used spears, with the latter mostly due to Chiang’s refusal to supply local commanders with rifles to prevent potential rivals from raising well-armed militias.

India

Spears are known as Bhala in Indian languages. In Indian society, spears were used both in throwing and non-throwing forms, by both cavalry and foot soldiers. Mounted spear-fighting was practiced using a 300 cm wooden lance called a bothati, with the end covered in dye to confirm hits. Spears were made from materials like sang (completely steel) and ballam (bamboo shaft).

The Arab presence in Sindh and the Mameluks of Delhi introduced the Middle Eastern javelin into India.

The Rajputs used a type of spear for infantrymen that had a club integrated into the spearhead and a pointed butt end. Other spears had forked blades, several spear-points, and many other innovations. A unique spear from India was the vita or corded lance.

Used by the Maratha Army, it had a rope connecting the spear to the user’s wrist, allowing the weapon to be thrown and pulled back. The Vel is a type of spear or lance from Southern India, primarily used by Tamils.

Sikh Nihangs sometimes carry a spear even today. Spears were used in conflicts and training by armed paramilitary units like the razakars of Nizams of Hyderabad State as late as the second half of the 20th century.

Japan

The hoko spear was used in ancient Japan between the Yayoi and Heian periods but became unpopular as early samurai often fought as horseback archers. Medieval Japan used spears again for infantry, but it was not until the 11th century that samurai began to prefer spears over bows. Several polearms were used in Japanese theaters; the naginata was a glaive-like weapon with a long, curved blade popular among samurai and Buddhist warrior-monks, often used against cavalry; the yari was a longer polearm with a straight-bladed spearhead, which became the weapon of choice for both samurai and ashigaru (footmen) during the Warring States Era. Horseback samurai used shorter yari for single-armed combat, while ashigaru infantries used long yari for massed combat formations.

Philippines

Filipino spears (sibat) were used as both weapons and tools throughout the Philippines. They are also called a bankkaw, sumbling, or palupad in the islands of Visayas and Mindanao. Sibat are typically made from rattan, with a sharpened tip or a metal head. These heads may be single-edged, double-edged, or barbed. Styles vary by 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 neighboring island kingdoms and 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.

Africa

South Africa

The assegai, a light spear or javelin made of wood and pointed with iron or fire-hardened tip, was the most common weapon used throughout Africa before the introduction of firearms. The Zulu, Xhosa, and other Nguni tribes of South Africa were known for their use of the assegai. Shaka of the Zulu invented a shorter stabbing spear with a 30 cm shaft and a larger, broader blade one foot long, known as the iklwa or ixwa, after the sound heard when it was withdrawn from a wound. The traditional spear was not abandoned but was used to attack enemy formations from a distance before closing in for close-quarters battle with the iklwa. This tactical combination originated during Shaka’s military reforms. This weapon was typically used with one hand while the other held a cowhide shield for protection.

Egypt

Like most armies of their period, Ancient Egyptian forces relied on the spear. In battle, spearmen were armed with a bronze-tipped spear (dja) and shield (ikem), used in formations similar to Greek and Roman forces. Before the Hyksos invasion, wooden spears were used, which were prone to splintering, but the new population brought innovations in bronze technology. Unlike other cultures at the time, the Egyptians did not treat their javelins as disposable, using them for both thrusting and throwing.

The Americas

West Mexico and South America (Pre-Colombia)

As advanced metallurgy was largely unknown in pre-Columbian America outside of Western Mexico and South America, most weapons were made of wood or obsidian. This did not make them less lethal, as obsidian can be sharpened to be many times sharper than steel. Meso-American spears varied greatly in shape and size. While the Aztecs preferred the sword-like macuahuitl clubs for fighting, the advantage of a far-reaching thrusting weapon was recognized, and a large portion of the army carried the tepoztopilli into battle. The tepoztopilli was a polearm, roughly the height of a man, with a broad wooden head about twice the length of the user’s palm or shorter, edged with razor-sharp obsidian blades set in grooves carved into the head and cemented with bitumen or plant resin. The tepoztopilli could both thrust and slash effectively.

Throwing spears were also used extensively in Meso-American warfare, usually with the help of an atlatl. Throwing spears were typically shorter and more streamlined than the tepoztopilli, and some had obsidian edges for greater penetration.

Native Americans

Most spears made by Native Americans were created from materials found in their communities. The shaft of the spear was usually made from a wooden stick, while the head was fashioned from arrowheads, pieces of metal like copper, or sharpened bone. Spears were a preferred weapon because they were inexpensive to make, could be taught to others easily, and could be made quickly 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, involved a runner leading the animals towards a cliff. As the buffalo got close to the cliff, other members of the tribe would scare the buffalo over the cliff. Other hunters would wait at the bottom of the cliff to spear the animal to death.

Hunting

Hunting with a spear has been an important way for people to catch food for a very long time. Early humans used spears to hunt large animals like mammoths. Even after other weapons like the bow were invented, people still used spears for hunting animals such as bears and boars.

Types of spears include barred spears, which have a crossbar to prevent the spear from going too deep into an animal, javelins, harpoons, and tridents.

Spear hunting became less common in many places in the 1700s, but it is still practiced today in some areas. People in the United States often hunt animals like wild boar and deer with spears. In water, people also use special weapons called spearguns for sport fishing.

Gymnastics

In ancient Greece, athletes practiced throwing the spear as part of their training and games.

In myth and legend

Symbolism

A spear can stand for strength and power.

The Celts would break a warrior’s spear after they died, either to keep others from using it or as a special gift.

In stories from ancient Greece, the lightning of the god Zeus is sometimes seen as a kind of spear. The goddess Athena is often shown with a spear. In Norse stories, the god Odin has a spear called Gungnir that never misses its target. Warriors would sometimes throw a spear to ask for help from the gods before a battle.

The spear of the Hindu god of war Murugan is called Vel, and it is very important in worship.

The word spear can also mean the family line that comes from a father, instead of a mother.

Legends

• Amenonuhoko, spear of Izanagi and Izanami, creator gods in Japanese mythology
• Gáhe Bulg, spear of Cúchulainn, hero in Irish mythology
• Gáhe Buide and Gáhe Derg, spears of Diarmuid Ua Duibhne
• Green Dragon Crescent Blade, a large spear 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 touched Jesus
• Pelian Spear, a spear that only Achilles could use, passed from his father Peleus, made by Chiron from an ash tree on Mount Pelion.
• Rhongomyniad called Ron (“spear”) in stories of King Arthur.
• Serpent Spear used by General Zhang Fei in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms
• Spear of Fuchai, the spear of Goujian’s rival, King Fuchai of Wu, in China
• Spear of Lugh, named for Lugh, a god in Irish mythology
• Trident, a three-pointed spear linked to water gods such as the Greek Poseidon and Roman Neptune.
• Trishula, a three-pointed spear held by Hindu gods Durga and Shiva
• Vel, a flat-tipped spear used by the Hindu god Murugan