12 Historical Spears That Make A Point

Greek city-states fought each other often. They sometimes joined forces against a bigger danger. The mighty Persian Empire invaded twice. They sent them away twice because Greek infantry was superior.

TheGreek hoplitesthese soldiers were among antiquity's toughest. The spear the Greeks used was thedoryThe Greek spear had more reach than the Persian version. It let multiple rows of infantry fight together in a phalanx. Its light but sturdy design kept the Greeks in the fight for a long time.

The 7-foot spear featured an iron head balanced by a bronze butt spike (pictured, left). Persian light infantry simply couldn't match them.They were simply outmatched..

During theSengoku jidaiJapanese clans fought for over a century during the ("Warring States period"). Most fighting involvedashigaruThese were peasant soldiers armed with yari. The yari's tip held up well and took many shapes (many were simple straight blades, but others had cross-sections to the point). Katō Kiyomasa owned the yari pictured, one of the mostrenowned samuraiof that time.

Kiyomasa showed skill as a warrior; he won a single combat match to change a battle's course. He was also a great hunter. While campaigning in Korea, he hunted tigers during his free time.hunting tigersUse a spear instead of a katana for battlefield glory or a good pelt.

ThehalberdThe halberd was the weapon for German and Swiss armies in the Middle Ages. Its three-headed edge gave it much use. It acted like an axe to hack, a pike to thrust, and a beak to pierce armor. Mercenary Landsknechte favored this weapon.LandsknechtecompaniesUnlike a long pike, one halberdier could still fight well with a single halberd.

Even as firearms and pikes became the main weapons, halberds remained a backup tool for some time.

They fell out of use near the 16th century. Today, the Vatican’s Swiss Guard still carries them as a ceremonial weapon.Swiss Guard.

The English bill lacked the recognition of the longbow for medieval arms, but it remained a reliable staple for English armies. The bill came from anagricultural toolthe same name. The bill was a cheap weapon that offered good reach and versatility that longer polearms often missed.

At theBattle of Flodden, the English won against a Scottish army using pikes. The battle began well for the Scots; the left flank broke through theEnglish rightThe Scots infantry broke cohesion on uneven, slippery ground in the center. English billmen slaughtered the Scots in huge numbers. Scottish King James IV died among the dead by the battle's end.

The English bill's brutal efficiency caused this to be one of the worst defeats a Scottish army ever suffered.

Swiss soldiers are known for neutrality and versatile knives today. Back in the Middle Ages, they were some of the best soldiers money could buy.

The 15th century saw this development.The Swiss learned from a defeat against the Milanese. They realized the halberd needed replacement, so they switched to the pike. By the early 1500s, over two-thirds of Swiss troops used pikes. Their discipline and courage made them sought-after mercenary armies in Europe.The Swiss learned from a disastrous defeat against the Milanese that the halberd had to go. They switched to the pike. By the early 1500s, more than two-thirds of Swiss troops used pikes. Their discipline and courage made them sought-after mercenary armies in Europe.

As firearms grew more common in fighting, pikes kept an important role. The pike played a role.The Spanish Tercios combined pikemen with arquebusiers for devastating effect in the early modern period. Pikemen protected soldiers during the long reloading time for arquebusiers. Pikemen also fought opposing pikemen in close combat.Combined pikemen and arquebusiers struck with devastating effect during the early modern period. Pikemen offered defense during the long reloading time for arquebusiers, and they sometimes fought opposing pikemen in close combat.

Alexander the Great was a highly accomplished general. He owed much of this to the military reforms his father put in place.Philip II of MacedonPerhaps the most important change involved the Macedonian phalanx.Macedonian phalanx.

Macedonians fought with 20-foot pikes instead of spears. The sarissa was much longer than the Greek dory and needed two hands to use correctly. Many pikes offered protection, not just the light armor and small shield on the left arm.

The first rows formed an impenetrable wall. Back rows angled up to deflect incoming missiles. The Macedonian phalanx was 256 men working together. It was unbreakable from the front. Alexander used the phalanx to pin down the enemy (the anvil) while his cavalry struck the killing blow (the hammer).

The sarissa served in a typical manner.Alexandrian showWhen the king crossed the Hellespont between Europe and Asia, he held a sarissa high. He declared he would conquer the Persian Empire with it. Alexander the Great needed the sarissa to conquer the Persian Empire.

The guandao is a Chinese polearm dating to the Song Dynasty. The historical 14th-century novel The Romance of the Three Kingdoms gives an earlier date.The Romance of the Three Kingdoms The Romance of the Three Kingdoms gives an earlier date.. The book claims the legendary Chinese general and warrior Guan Yu.Guan YuGuan Yu supposedly wielded one in the 3rd century BCE. Yu’s “Green Dragon Crescent Blade” supposedly weighed about 40 lbs and required near superhuman strength to use.

This weapon remains in use. The Qing Dynasty used it to condition soldiers, not for fighting. Today, it serves as a war weapon again because of a 1996 treaty with India.A 1996 treaty involved India.This treaty bans firearms or explosives in a specific border area.

The naginata is both a sword and a polearm. Its name means “mowing down sword,” but unlike katanas, the naginata worked well against mounted troops.

People debate the naginata’s exact origins. The weapon really took shape during the Genpei War.Genpei War.(1180-1185). Warrior monks used its reach and cutting power effectively.Warrior monks., onna-musha., and samurai alike.

People think the spear’s era ended by the late 19th century, especially against modern guns. That was not true. At Isandlwana, a Zulu force armed with spears defeated a modern British army in 1879. The Zulu military used fast movement to surround and close the distance. At close range, the iklwa’s design canceled out any British tech advantage.Isandlwana., a Zulu force mostly armed with spears overwhelmed a modern British army in 1879. The Zulu military used rapid movement to circle and close the distance. At close range, the iklwa design canceled out British technological advantages.

The Iklwa’s design came from reforms started by Shaka Zulu.Shaka Zulu.Shaka Zulu made the Zulu a more efficient and brutal fighting force. Before Shaka, sub-Saharan African warfare involved indirect, ritualized fighting with long throwing spears (assegai). Shaka introduced a shorter, roughly two-foot stabbing spear for close combat. Tactical changes and iron discipline made the Zulu a serious threat.

The Chinese ji blends a spear and a dagger-axe. It is called a halberd, though it does not look like the European version. The ancient model seen here was used during the Eastern Zhou dynasty.Eastern Zhou.The Eastern Zhou dynasty showed a clear mix of the ge (dagger-axe) and spear. Later models put a crescent blade on one or both sides of the shaft.

Lü BuLü Bu.. His Fangtian Huaji (“heavenly halberd”) cut down many foes and stabbed many supposed allies.

The fauchard was a European polearm used from the 11th to the 17th centuries. Derived from a war scythe, the fauchard became more complex and ornate over time.

At the Combat of the Thirty, one knight wielded a fauchard.wielded a fauchard., according to this source:

Hucheton Clamaban fought with a fauchard.

That cut on one side, hooked on the other.

By the 17th century, the fauchard became a ceremonial weapon for palace guards. The later design became much too heavy.It was much too heavy.Use this effectively in a fight. Its beautiful engravings show your assassins you were worth the trouble.

The spetum was a European spear. It had unique features. A spearhead with projections sat atop the 6- to 8-foot pole.These projections sat on either side of its base.The side blades cut and slashed. They also deflected blows well.

Long weapons pose a problem. Carrying them outside of combat is a pain. Later spetum designs could fold.The spetum could fold.This makes them like Renaissance switchblades. Or should we call them switchspears?

If your guard carried these, you stayed safe either way.You stayed safe and you looked stylish.