Spear & Jackson - 34cm Cordless Rotary Lawnmower - 24V

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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 150cm (5ft) to make it more manageable. [33] As dismounting became commonplace, specialist pole weapons such as the pollaxe were adopted by knights and this practice ceased. [34] Introduction of gunpowder [ edit ] German reenactors of pikemen

One of the gymnastic exercises performed by the ancient Greeks was the throwing of a spear, referred to as ἀκυντισμός. [59] In myth and legend [ edit ] Symbolism [ edit ] The Norse god Odin, carrying the spear Gungnir on his ride to HelCrossley-Holland, Kevin (1982). The Norse Myths. London: Penguin. pp.51, 197. ISBN 978-0-14-006056-0. 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. [63] In Wagner's opera Siegfried, the haft of Gungnir is said to be from the "World-Tree" Yggdrasil. [64] Verbruggen, J. F. (1997). The Art of Warfare in Western Europe in the Middle Ages (2nd.ed.). Woodbridge: Boydell Press. pp.184–5. ISBN 978-0-85115-630-9. Statue of the Hindu God of War, Murugan, holding his primary weapon, the Vel. Batu Caves, Malaysia. Medievalists.net (2020-01-09). "The Ten Most Important Weapons of the Middle Ages". Medievalists.net . Retrieved 2023-05-10.

Pant, Gayatri Nath (1970). Studies in Indian Weapons and Warfare. Army Educational Stores. pp.158. 281 . Retrieved 14 August 2021. 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. E. A. Livingstone, ed. (2006). Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Oxford Reference. ISBN 978-0-19-861442-5 . Retrieved 2017-01-09.Spear hunting fell out of favour in most of Europe in the 18th century, but continued in Germany, enjoying a revival in the 1930s. [57] Spear hunting is still practiced in the United States. [58] Animals taken are primarily wild boar and deer, although trophy animals as large as Cape Buffalo have been hunted with spears. Alligators are hunted in Florida with a type of harpoon. Morris, Paul (September 2000). " 'We have met Devils!': The Almogavars of James I and Peter III of Catalonia–Aragon". Anistoriton. 004 . Retrieved 2009-08-04. 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.

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. This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 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 megafauna 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 and sling, the spear continued to be used, either as a projectile weapon or used by hand, such as in bear hunting and boar hunting.Connolly, Peter (1981). Greece and Rome at War. London: Macdonald Phoebus. p.89. ISBN 978-0-356-06798-8. 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. [60] It has been suggested that the arrangement has a magical origin, a way to trap evil spirits. [61] The word subjugate has its origins in this practice [ citation needed] (from Latin sub = under, jugum = yoke [62]). The Celts would symbolically destroy a dead warrior's spear either to prevent its use by another or as a sacrificial offering. 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. [41] Pruetz, Jill D.; Bertolani, Paco (2007). "Savanna Chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes verus, Hunt with Tools". Current Biology. 17 (5): 412–417. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2006.12.042. PMID 17320393. S2CID 16551874.