Spear
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A spear is an ancient weapon, used for hunting and war. It consists of a shaft, usually of wood, with a sharpened head. 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. The most common design is of a metal spearhead, shaped somewhat like a dagger, and made entirely for thrusting. Some spears used casters or casting devices such as the atlatl.
Spears of different designs were used for close combat and for throwing. One of the most famous throwing spears is the pilum used by the Romans.
The spear is a pole weapon, and may be seen as the ancestor of such weapons as the lance, the halberd, the naginata and the pike. Also the bayonet may, when mounted on a rifle, be considered a type of spear.
More than a weapon, a spear may be a symbol of power. In the Chinese martial arts community, the Chinese spear (qiāng 槍) is popularly known as the "king of weapons". Wotan's spear (called Gungnir) is of ashwood, made from the "World-Ash" Yggdrasil, and it is remarkable that Chiron's wedding-gift to Peleus when he married the nymph Thetis at a wedding attended by all the Olympians, was precisely an ashen spear.
One spear of religious significance is the Spear of Destiny, an artifact believed by some to have vast mystical powers.
A difficult distinction in spear history comes when trying to identify a lance. Early spears were often of 'poor' construction and made for throwing. In time spears became better build and stronger with steel tips. In Europe spears eventually became heavy and were used for mounted cavalry rather than for throwing. Although the term lance comes from Latin, it became associated with these longer, heavy spears and their many variations. Thus most who study medieval weaponry will distinguish between a spear (for throwing) and a lance (a kind of spear that was not thrown). Most scholars today would classify aboriginal weapons (such as those of the New World) as spears despite being reffered to as lances.
Types of spears
Spears that are often concidered lances include:
- Aunurgith
- Awl pike
- Barchi
- Boar spear
- Bohemian ear spoon
- Chimbane
- Contus
- Dung
- Falarica
- Footman's lance
- Hasta
- Jousting lance
- Kadji
- Magari yari
- Mon-Gil Mon-Gil
- Ox tongue
- Plancon a picot
- Rummh
- Sangu
- Sarissa
- Spontoon
- Sudis
- Su yari
- Taru
- To-ono
- Yari
Some spears that are not usually concidered lances:
- Angon
- Assegai
- Ballam
- Bandang
- Bhala
- Bilari
- Budiak
- Cateia
- Chimbane
- Contus
- Do-War
- Egchos
- Enhero
- Fal-feg
- Falarica
- Framea
- Gravo
- Golo
- Granggang
- Hak
- Harpoon
- Hinyan
- Hoko
- Huata
- Irpull
- Ja-Mandehi
- Jaculum
- Jarid
- Javelin
- Jiboru
- Kasita
- Kamayari
- Kan-Shoka
- Kannai
- Kapun
- Kiero
- Kikuki
- Koveh
- Koy-yung
- Koyuan
- Kujolio
- Kuyan
- Laange
- Lance-Ague
- Lama-pe
- Mandehi liguje
- Mahee
- Makrigga
- Makura Yari
- Mkukt
- Mongile
- Mongoli
- Mu-Rongal
- Nage-Yari
- Nandum
- Nerau
- Paralyser
- Patisthanaya
- Pelta
- Pill
- Pillara
- Pilum
- Sang
- Sangkoh
- Sanokat
- Saunion
- Shail
- Shanen kopaton
- Siligis
- Short spear(or common spear)
- Simbilan
- Sinan
- Sligi
- Soliferrum
- Spiculum
- Su Yari
- Sudanese lance
- Tahr Ruan
- Tao
- Tawok
- Telempang
- Tepoztopilli
- Te yari
- Tirrer
- Tjunkuletti
- Tombak
- Tschehouta
- Tumpuling
- Wainian
- Wallunka
- Wi-Valli
- Zagaye
Spear is the original Japanese name of the Pokémon Beedrill. de:Speer et:Oda ja:槍 nl:Speer pl:Włócznia sl:Kopje fi:Keihäs sv:Spjut
