Why are some SPEAR HEADS so LONG?
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- čas přidán 7. 06. 2024
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Why are some historical and ethnic spear heads so much longer than seems necessary?
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#spear #medieval #african
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the longerer, the more stabbier, you never know when you might have to stab a whale or elephant!
At what point does a spear end and a sword staff/glaive/etc begin? A Viking hewing spear from the Kult of Athena has a 16 inch blade. Naginatas from the KoA have a 20 inch blade. LK Chen has a Han Dynasty Sha swordstaff with a blade that is 24-31 inches long. Scandinavians made spears and pikes from swords (whether it was actually a sword, who knows?).
Even if a dagger or spear of 7 or or 8 inch's is ample to fatally wound that doesn't mean it takes the target down instantly.
Many dagger or spear blade went to about 12 inches which wound skewer an opponent though making an entry & exit wound leading to far more blood lose.
Lose a litre or 2 & your ability to stay conscious much less aware is greatly diminished.
The Roman Pugio was 7 to 11 inch's in blade that every Roman soldier carried even in the Auxiliaries troops as you want any random combatant to be very lethal threat on the cheap a 7 to 12 inch blade is best till precision fire arms came about.
People harp on about swords but most never used them as a long dagger others much the same with more versatility at a fraction of the cost while far easier to carry.
Padding under armoured harness & the fact that if shallow wound they will hang around longer is simple fact.
The average chest & torso thickness is 5 inches, + armour & padding 2-3 inches + anything parrying in the way even hand another inch being 8 or 9 inches to get though to the other side.
Realistically you need a 7 inch blade against a person in armoured harness but only 3 inch will do work but the longer it is in the less time the opponent will have to try & take you with them.
8 to 9 inches may be optimal length for a fighting blade but I could understand why someone would want an inch or 2 more as a tip can chip.
You do lose length on a blade in service sharpening in time so 9 inches or 10.
Better to have an inch or 2 extra then not?
The Romans were far more savvy then people give them credit.
They used minimum required & added a touch just to make sure.
Just imagine how many times a Roman legionaries Pugio must have been sharpened in the 20 years service if they made it to retirement.
I'd imagine an inch or 2 would have been lost to the blade.
These mova globes always look so cool, but advertising on this site has gotten to the point where I expect to hear they're made of orphan skulls or something horrible like that 😅
As long as they dont have the 9 dash Line, its fine
Armed with his girthy shaft and long head, Sir Lïgma Bøhner penetrated every enemy he faced. Every warrior has heard the old "6 inches is perfect" lie, but Bøhner knew that in order to truly blow out the back of your opponent, you must drive deep.
Alright. You win.
@@muffincutting6020 🤣
He was most famous in his 90 minute skirmish with Biggus Dickus, who utilized his megoblatta longipennis to spread his germ
Lmao. *dips fictional hat* g'day sir!
"Anything beyond five of six inches is useless." Schola Gladiatoria
"As I explained in the video, which I linked down below."
I wonder how CZcams permitted that video...
That's not what my girlfriend says.😂😂😂
@@allendowning470You can rest safe now that research has shown that the average size range is 10-15 cm, depending on the country. Just ask her whether she'll play those odds 😂
@@dr.victorvs Gonna KMS...
@@dr.victorvsnow depending on the country I can be superior to the entire media of that country. Neat
Admit it, you did it just for the innuendo.
12:51
My thought as well…..
Wouldn't be a Scholagladiatoria video without any.
i mean he is right, more than 5 or 6 inches of penetration isn't needed most of the time
Context
walks into a house full of swords and sees a globe.
"Wow! What's that?"
😂
“If you’re worried about people grabbing your shaft “ .. Matt Easton
Always a legitimate concern (or wish?)
@@n0tthemessiah it certainly is. (Yes it is??) hahah.
You should always lubricate the shaft for those occasions.
I shall take this advice the next time I go to Thailand.
I worry CONstantly
Anybody else notice the axe in the background just chilling there, rocking back and forth gently?
That axe is living its best life
Lol. Gives real Final Destination vibes
It’s bored. It’s thirst for blood remains unslaked.
I believe that there’s a Byzantine account of John II Komnenos showing his lance to a visiting Crusader lord. The Crusader was extremely impressed by the length and girth of the weapon. Indeed, he doubted that he could manage such a mighty lance. John II’s stature and prowess was most impressive to all who saw it.
(I’m not even joking, some 12th century scribe actually wrote this)
Further proving that innuendo, intentional or accidental, transcends time itself.
T.rexes were secretly around during the medieval period and the longer spearheads were actually for hunting them. They tasted so good they were hunted to extinction.
I've heard they tasted like chicken, but with a texture like beef.
@@Asertix357 Makes sense.
One of the top ten dinosauruses
I think they called them dragons back then 😅
The Icelandic sagas mention 'hewing spears', presumably long-bladed spears suited to making cuts.
Proto-glaives and proto-halberds. The Norse sure loved their polearms.
@@tykjpelk yeah but why though? It's like every culture has preferred weapons and tactics. Scandinavians love hit and run tactics, risky endeavors like raids or conquering a weakened country. Polearms fit well into it because you don't let your opponent come close but you have the ability to kill him with one powerful strike (kind of like raids). Also they're famous for their extremely polite societies, and now while they're being invaded by foreigners, they actively seek to not engage in any conflict.
On the other hand italians always loved republics, closest combat possible and shorts swords/daggers from principes to arditi.
There's definitely a genetic inherent component in there.
@@hulking_presence Not necessarily genetic, but more _memetic_. The Norse lived mostly in small-scale communities. Combat was typically between these communities. It isn't until later that you begin to see larger population centers, and they are founded on trade. They have to conserve arable land for agriculture and in southern regions, woodland, wood being a critical resource. So, their tactics are small-scale tactics, raids mostly. This tactical stance recognizes the small populations engaged in the dispute and limits casualties, since a battle won at a high cost of lives could lead to extinction for both communities involved. The sagas give good descriptions of this, along with emerging large unit encounters.
The social survival needs dictate tactics more than individuals. More over, for larger, non-literate societies, the storage of social information (who "we" are, what "we" think is the correct thing to do, etc.) is collective, with individuals storing social knowledge redundantly in individual heads. Lose the heads and the information stored in them that tells "us" who "we" are is gone. The smaller the community, the fewer heads it can spare without losing coherence.
@@hulking_presenceSeems like a simultaneously over-broad and yet far too simple explanation for the stated principle. The stated principle in itself also needing to be categorized in such a way as to be comparable between groups of people over geography and time period.
Pretending we have a solid group of Vikings, from a particular time, using a particular set of weapons they favor, I suspect their typified government and warfare are only one portion. That there would be any number of potential reasons outside of that, that actually dictated the form of warfare they engaged in, and how they understood it. There is also a give and take as far as those things go. Feedback. One thing changes another, and then that changes the original and at least two other things.
But then, that’s getting into anthropology in actuality, not armchair history.
@@hulking_presence ffffuck off with your fascist pseudoscience eugenics, chud.
“This is not a spear. THIS is a spear”.
Sir crocodile Dundee
That’s not a spear. It’s a spoon
I think there's a significant reason why the Maasai Spear you showed at 10:03 was thrown with the large tip in the back, and that reason is Aerodynamics. The large tip of the spear also acts as a tail fin when thrown with the smaller tip pointing forwards. This way the center of pressure is far to the back so it flies straight even if it was thrown imperfectly.
I 100% agree and intended to make the same comment while watching this video.
0:58 i think you wanted to say with a shield
You didn't know about the plethora of historical documents that show the superiority of dual-wielding spears over using a sissy shield? More spear means you can kill more people, simple logic.
Dual wielding spears is underrated
@@TheBarserhilarious!
@@TheBarser Björn Rüther has a video where he dual wields Landsknecht pikes so who knows lmao
Kuddos to Matt for going 17 plus minutes with a straight face!
Yeh, definitely props to him. I don't think I could go at this for 17 plus minutes without blowing my composure even under under the best of circumstances. Really takes some stamina, that.
His mental discipline is highly commendable.
that maasai spear is awesome. it makes sense to throw with the narrow end because it basically becomes a dart with weighted fletching. i can also imagine it being used like a halberd where they use the narrow end to thrust and parry with, then when there's an opening they bring the blade down in an overhead strike
Reminds me of the Swedish sword-spear. Gotta wonder where one begins and where one ends.
Also worth checking out are Omi-yari from Japan. They can get very long and were good at cutting. João Rodrigues writes: “…while a [wakizashi] will part a man’s head from his neck, and a lance will do the same, for their blades are such that they not only wound with a thrust but also cut like swords.” ~1604
Edit: just remembered Matt already made a video on Japanese spear types
A long spear blade may deter your opponent to try and grab the shaft?
Yes, it can protect you from being forced into a swordfight if the enemy is coming too quickly.
This is probably the most pun/innuendo filled video on CZcams. Wonderfully entertaining 😂
I thought it was a normal amount for Matt until the 12:32 sequence...
And some of the comments are right up there also! 😂
There's this person comparing english wrenches and they have names like "Wang" "John" and the like and when he said "i brought my friend Tim's 2 inch wang..." I started laughing so hard.
Well I heard girls prefer a guy with a long spear.
Watch the lockpicking lawyer’s 1 April videos.
A long spear head has a built in back up weapon. If the shaft is broken, you still can use the spear head as a short sword.
Thought the same thing.
I’ll say it then!…So the massai penetrated bodies with their shafts
-What, only five inches?
-Oh you’ll feel me!
Long Kiss Good Night
The Contus (Eastern Roman Lance of the Clibanarii Cataphracts), the Nezak (Sasanian Lance of the Persian Aswaran Cataphracts), both Lances are similar, 3.6-4m in length & had a blade length of 23-37cm (9-15 in). They were an evolution of the Parthian Kontos, they were used two-handed & they were capable of cleaving 2 men in half.
Later the Easter Romans used the Kontarion single-handed & couched under the armpit.
The Kontarion of the Eastern Roman Skutatos (plural Skutatoi, infantry spearmen) had a length of 3.5-4.2m (usually 4m) and a blade length of 45 cm (18in). It was used with a shield.
Later the Kontarion was lengthened to 4-6m (called the Long Kontarion) and it was used with a strapped shield.
I need a longer spearhead to help compensate...
I was literally thinking that question last week playing Bannerlord!
Mount and spear: lancelord
I am a simple man and cannot lie - I love my cataphract lances long.
@@sitrilko i prefer using a 2-handed sword myself, there's a tier 4 blade with the longest reach
One reason might be ease of repair. If you have a 12 inch spear head that breaks in half you just have to regrind the tip and then you have a standard sized spear head.
A spear walked into a bar, the barman asked, "so why the long head?"
“I’m glad you asked, and the answer is: context!” Proceeds to rant at the bartender for 10 minutes about various spear design.
I have 2 african spear heads that are ridiculously large, the bigger one is 74 cm long with the socket, just the bladed part is about 57 cm. Weight is around 750 grams.
The other one is around 450 gram, and 50 cm with socket. Only thing I can imagine they are good for is large game, like buffalo and elephants, giraffe etc.
I think I remember a sword vs spear fight in _Dragonslayer._ The protagonist, armed with the spear, defends himself from one of the King's men.
These type of head spears are massive and very cool
I had heard that the back end of a Maasai spear was used when practicing throwing it because throwing it with the front end would damage the actual spear head.
Basically a lawn dart with a sword instead of fins on the back, so I could see the spike end being intended for all throws, and the sword end being for close combat
The Cold steel Samburu spears According to lynn is used that way.
I think this is 100% incorrect.
Throwing this spear with the sword end first would be TERRIBLE as the huge bladed sword part would make the sword steer off course extremely easy.
It would act as a wing and increase the most minute imperfection in the throw by VERY much.
With the sword part at the back on the other hand, it would reduce the effect of imperfections in the throw.
Just as you see with arrows and darts.
Most of their throws would have been up close (at one time you could find a video of the Maasai doing a lion hunt on CZcams) also I was told this when I bought my lion spear at a Maasai village in Tanzania from one of the Maasais who lived there.
And if one is hunting a lion they would want the end that causes the most internal damage to be used and the back end with the spike would fall towards the ground and maybe dig into the ground to prevent the lion from coming at you.
This is the first time I've seen an ad on a youtube video that I've actually been interested in! I want one of those globes!!! Thanks Matt.
My guess at 11:02. The angel of the opponent relative to you. it is far shorter to reach the heart thrusting horizontal through the chest than down through the clavicle or up through the pelvis.
Polearm videos are always super informative.
Matt's guessing game:
- Long edged head harder to grapple.
- Looks mean and scary.
- Secondary tool function doing camp life cutting chores.
..... that's all I've got.
Dragons! sometimes you need longer blades...
A video about huge shafts, big heads and penetration... and it's sponsored by some fancy balls? I mean wow guess you went all out on this one! {Edit: With regards to the Masaii spear the blade might act as a rudimentary set of flights? The Sudanese example the design of that head looks rather functional as an axe as well as a thrusting weapon if not more}
Been waiting for this one.
Regarding the Fairbairn-Sykes knife that you briefly mentioned, I recently saw a training video that Fairbairn did, and it struck me that although his knife seems optimized for the thrust, he relies very little on that. He uses it only to kill, but not to wound, and only when confident that he's already won. He emphasized the cut much more. In this and overall, he fights with a knife in a way very consistent with some styles of Jian swordsmanship.
Suddenly, I'm again in the back oc the classroom in 8th grade snickering with my lads.
Thank you for the video! Love long-bladed spear heads!
1) changes to balance in relation to the other dimensions of the arm like the shaft
2) changes within the dynamics of a bind
Thank you for the video
Great discussion - as always. Timely too. I just got a long spear head and butt cap and I have two poles differing in length so I can do some experimenting and now I have a better idea of what to take into consideration. Thank you. Cheers!
I can see binding the edge of a shield with the wing and using leverage and the long head to get "around" a shield.
The swinging axe in the background is mesmerizing xD
The little smirk as he says "some spearheads are longer than others" lol.
with the Massai spear: longer spear-head -> longer fletching (more stable flight) when you throw it with the thin, pointy end... your counter-balancing should apply not only in defending against the spear, but also in using the spear for defense against heavier weapons, such as daneaxes, polearms, muskets with bajonets etc.
Fun speculation based on your last point--another possible reason for having a large head on a spear or pollarm is that it gives you a bigger surface to decorate.
well don, and informative!!!
An additional factor can sometimes be ease of penetration, especially against padded armors, as a sharp head will aid in cutting its way through the fibers on its way in to open a channel, and the slope of the edge essentially determines how aggressive that slicing action is. As the blade length increases, if blade width at the base is held constant there will be more units of edge length engaged in creating the cut, and the material's resistance is essentially divided by those units of edge length. This isn't a major reason for ALL spears, of course, because so much depends on the specific geometry and context of use, but I believe it plays a conscious role in the design of some long-bladed spear heads.
The long point cross barred spear looks quite a bit like my grandfather's boar spear. It was about eight or ten feet long with a shaft of black locust. The cross bar was to keep the animal from running up the shaft before it died. That could be embarrassing. To my knowledge he never killed a boar with it, but he did kill a black bear with it once. Said he would never do it again, and never elaborated as to why. The metal parts are still around here somewhere. All the wood got burned up in a barn fire about seventy-five years ago.
A spears convienient pointingness and length makes it go further into the enemy helps keeping a healthy distance ;) Regarding the Pilum, right, right all that it does, at some point they did make Pilii with only the Tip hardened, and a led weight attached which when thrown due to enlarged mass would penetrate deeper, though due to not beeing hardened, the Neck of the spear when stuck to a shield or hit a hard surface would bend, this would make it hard to impossible to be thrown back towards the legionaries. I have seen such originals, and earlier fully hardened Pilii as well. The connection between a Pilums head and it's shaft is made in a way, it easily can be disasembled and reequiped with a new metal top part, when salvaged from Battlefield. A spear can have so many functions, it is a fascinating tool for battle.
5:10, I was not paying attention and believed it was a round shield on a table until he pick it up. 😆
I like the idea of a short sword, that I can attach to a long shaft and make a spear out of. When I got my cold steel boar spear, the first thing I did before I attached it to the shaft, was swing it around like a sword and then I twirled the shaft around without the spear on it. I thought, “WOW, the versatility of having a sword and a staff and then making a spear out of the two was awesome.” It made perfect sense to me. If I were a mercenary, looking for someone, I wouldn’t want to be as high profile in some situations, like approaching an unknown village, where my a spear point may give me away. I like the idea of approaching a situation like that low profile; with a dagger, short sword, or a spear point I could have neatly tucked away at my side, out of sight and approach the place with what appears to be a simple walking stick.
Since the boar spear was a common hunting tool in many areas, would VERY few if any at all react on you carrying a boar spear.
In all areas where boars and bears roamed, a hunter would carry the boar spear together with his bow and at least some sort of knife as well, often a rather large knife.
@@The_Judge300 boar spears are still sometimes used in Germany on wounded boars being held by dogs (which rules out shooting). I have two myself. Of course a large 20-26cm knife is used most often these days but sometimes a spear is just safer.
I haven't yet watched the video. Some years ago, I read that the lugs on spearheads were for dueling with spears. Imagine two warriors going at each other, trying to stab and cut while not being stabbed and cut, catching each other's spears on the lugs, until someone gets in the winning blow. (The lugs were usually about as wide as the spearheads, so they were useless at preventing the spearhead going in too deep.)
Have you seen Kentucky Ballistics recent video on medieval weapons vs modern armor? Any chance of you doing a similar video with 'real' medieval weapons?
I have thanks! I think a few other youtubers are already on the case, though from what I could see, there were some issues with those 'tests'... but it was just for fun, so I don't see the need to be too critical :-)
@@scholagladiatoria I've been wanting someone in the sword community to do that kind of thing. While modern armor stops bullets, I think that it's lack of coverage is its main problem. An archer would have multiple targets available that would be absolutely catastrophic. Thanks for all you do for us!
@@darrinrebagliati5365: Modern Kevlar is basicly a modern material made cloth/ fabric. Weapons penetrating a Gambeston , Rondell dagger for example, also penetrate a Kevlar only vest, especially those, worn under civilian Dress.
@@brittakriep2938 yes and no. Kevlar is a 'plastic' fiber weave that takes a hard impact well. Have you ever seen an arrow vs kevlar? Or did you know that a sandbag will stop a bullet but an arrow will go through it and still have enough energy to injure someone on the other side? Also, just look at the vital areas NOT covered by a kevlar vest.
@@darrinrebagliati5365 A person with a gun has those same unarmored targets, and would be more accurate at longer ranges.
Would increasing the length of the spear tip allow for a more acute tapper?
Great video as usual, but i feel like there were a couple things hinted at about wide heads that could be explored more.
Wide heads could be specifically for decreasing overall penetration.Going too deep is a problem because its that much harder to retrieve you weapon.
It's absolutely true that anything over 6 inches isn't going to add much lethality, but 6 inches from a Sudanese spear is going to be way more lethal than one with a small head. Its also going to cut more muscle and be more debilitating.
A wide head gives way more opportunity for push cuts when the point didnt quite hit the mark.
Cheers
Having a long blade and heavier spear head can also help when using the spear in a quaterstaff like fashion.
The wide 1 handed strike showed by Meyer or other powerful strikes that require lots of space have truely trumendous power, increasing that power with a long cutting blade with some reasonable heft makes for a truely fearsome weapon as it's gaining some amazing power for open field scenarios but stays as versatile as any spear with the benefits of a long blade.
Skallagrim showed how a good quaterstaff strike with proper technique can just blow a head appart, I'd be curious to see what a so called hewing spear does when used like this.
When it comes to cutting the shaft reason, there is a woodcut?/engraving I forget which where in formation some of the guys in armor have short goose wing axes specifically to do that so 100% on the more metal. (Image was landsknecht pikemen and halberdiers vs light armored infantry with full armored fellows with the goose wings behind large shields)
I agree with your points, and I would also mention, that longer blade (or rather, edge) means it's easier to land a chop, especially against a moving target. With a short blade, you are more likely to hit the target just with your shaft. I'd also highlight that longer blade brings advantages, some disadvantages, but the additional cost and complexity is substantial, hence why we don't tend to see these on every single Joe's shaft, when the conventional head does just fine.
They still hunt Boar with Winged spears in some areas of the southern states of the USA. Stopping the hog from running up the shaft and goreing the hunter.
And in Europe. My local gun shop also sold boar spears.
A very educational and interesting video thank you and I love the spear. I only know about 20 technique's but I would like to know more have a good evening .
juat came from the knife video, and saw the comment about spear heads.
that community responce is just awsome
The innuendo was strong with this one.🤣
the maasai spear was awesome
Oh, I remember a comment talking about why spear heads were generally short because they didn't need to penetrate deep.
That was in the length doesn't matter for stabbing vid, didn't expect you to have this video ready so fast, well done!
That last point has me thinking of the rapier like bronze age swords found in Ireland, impractical but perhaps very impressive in a chieftains hands before subordinates.
I whish to see more martial arts about the brazilian indigenous people and learn more about their tecnics of your weapons today and in the past like spear, maces, sticks, clubs in the same next size of the european weapons
Dudes shooting basically tree trunks with massive bows using their feet is cool as hell
"Io son la nobelle arma per nome lança:
Principio de bataia è sempre mia usança.
E chi me guarda cum mio penone ardito
De grande paura deuenta smarito:
E se a lo principio el mio debito faço,
Azça spada e daga io cauo de impaço."
"I am a noble weapon, Spear by name:
In the beginning of battle I am always used.
And whoever watches me with my dashing pennant
should be frightened with great dread.
For if in the beginning I make my due,
Axe, sword, and dagger will I upset."
- Introduction to the chapter on the spear from the combat treatise "Fior di Battaglia"("Flower of Battle") by Fiore dei Liberi (c. 1410).
Could a somewhat shallow cut in the shaft cause the spear to break next time it thrusts into something resistive?
Interesting point on the balance, I assumed that as a primary thrusting weapon you'd want them to be balanced more towards the middle.
I think another reason might be shortening the shaft, which is less rigid than the head? But that raises the question of whether to make the blade longer or the socket deeper. A tube seems stronger as structural support, but would probably be thinner. Not sure how their weight-per-length compares.
Ещё пара причин:
1. крылом цепляешь щит и как раз до шеи достать можно
2. резать сухожилия на ногах
3. если, а это было часто, древко ломается, то у тебя в руках остаётся почти меч
4. колющая техника очень проста, её применяли в основном новобранцы из крестьян. Нужно было что-то очень простое и это колоть. Чем дальше мастерство, тем сложнее: движение вперёд копьём, вверх резать, вниз, вправо, влево. В атаке и плотном строе не всегда удобно колоть, надо резать того, кто по сторонам.
Would you do a video on Gatka, i would really like to learn the fighting style and the weapons used in Gatka
Balance could also be a consideration for throwing spears. A more tip heavy spear is easier to throw accurately.
Absolutely fantastic... But what if glave for example was made as a universal weapon. Can be used as a polearm on long shaft and as o one handed falchion without a shaft for tight spaces or climbing the walls on ladders?
It's not the length but rather how you use it that matters.
Possible reason: fencing-like motions like weaving or pivoting around a guard.
With the balance being closer to the head, would it be easier to carry over long distances with it over your shoulder? I'm sure it wouldn't be a primary concern, but every bit helps.
I've read that one function of the pilum was to be heavy. The point was small and penetrated well, then stuck in the shield. Two or three pila sticking out make a Gaulish shield too heavy to maneuver.
I bought The Iliad as an audiobook and parts of it sounded like autopsy notes in Silent Witness. Entry points, angle, organs damaged and exit points. Even cause of death sometimes like exsanguination. Some was arrows but the Achaeans (wow, I spelled it right) used spears a lot.
0:58 I assume you mean using it with a shield while one handed. The viking spirit on the background was also a bit annoyed by this, because it started swinging it's ax XD
Can you do a video on why the spontoon took over the halberd. Or a video on fighting tactics for a sergeant or nco spontoon or halberd
In 19th century halberds had been used by nightwatchmen, perhaps also palace soldiers. Halberds dissappeared from battlefield in 17th century. At least in Germany.
@@brittakriep2938 I mean as in the American revolutionary war and napoleonic Wars
@@LouieHodgson-sg4nu : In those time periode some some officers polesrms, yes , but in napoleonic wars , this ended. After a longer time of decline, in napoleonic era lances had a comeback for cavallry. Other polearms? In late years of napoleonic era, 1813, for some reserve units ( Landwehr/ Landsturm) pikes had been used again in german language countries. But: In Prussia for the Landwehr had been not enough muskets, so many units Had mixed weaponry, more pikes ( and even axes) than muskets. But as this units got moee muskets, captured or given by british or russian allies, the pikes had been replaced. Also in Württemberg in 1813 short pikes had been introduced for the four Rural Regiments. Those units had only half the size, consisted of elderly men and Had been not intended as frontline troops, only as guards, escorts, guides, patrol and Police. Palace soldiers and policemen also often Had polearms too, and of course semiregular/ emergency units.
The massi spear being thrown haft-first makes me wonder if the bladed end can function as an arrow's fletching.
The Viking edas tell us about ætgirar, or hewing spears, used to thrust and cut.
12:52 As a very sexy man, I can confirm that this is a very common problem.
One possible extra reason for the long blade on the Massai spear: if you throw it with the "shank" end forawrd, that blade should act like a feather on an arrow, thus stabilizing the flight path.
I wonder if having a long spearhead could also be useful when the shaft breaks. You'll be left with a makeshift short sword rather than a dagger.
And when you have not enough Iron/ steel? There are regions being poor of resources, or poor persons, in former times Iron/ Steel was often expensive.
@@brittakriep2938sounds like a THEM problem
First off, thank you very much in regards to the timing & content of this video as for the last week I have been working on the Critical Hits & Wounds booklet for the role-playing game I am writing :)
(I will not mention the name unless Matt asks as this is *his* show, not mine).
For me the number one reason would be for attacking large creatures like ogres, giants, and even dragons (real life equivalent being horses, elephants, and unfortunately whales historically). The second would be for the cuts including pull & push cuts. Also the wider blades for larger wounds against unarmored opponents. All very appropriate for fantasy weapons as well, but you covered all those already before the request to stop the video and guess.
So, trying to guess off the top of my head the other reasons for a long head on a spear may be:
a) parrying other weapons & spears
b) reduce ability of opponents to lop the end off or avoid the edge?
Now I will go watch and see what the ones you figured out are :)
Yay! over 50% anticipated! :)
I had thought about "intimidation" but only listed two, so still 50% ;)
I remember playing as a kid, grabbing was one of the main reasons I didn't like the idea of using a spear. Probably why I like the idea of glaives or staffswords.
Worth noting that while the length of the spearhead can add extra potential for penetration, the increased *mass* you'd expect accompanying such a head has advantages that it will supply to that end, as well, for similar reasons to those which cause that same mass to make it harder to deflect and more potent in a slash.
As a Turkish person i found this quite weird. Sipahis would carry at least 3 weapons, a kilij, spear and bow/javelin. After facing knights maces became quite common as well so 4 weapons often. And ofc they had a round shield as well, carrying so many weapons on their horses weren't much of deal but Janissaries were also same often carrying 3 weapons. Kilij was a must then mace/spear/bow/javelin etc as they preferred and also even a round shield, it is entirely different than trying to improve a single weapon like this long spear head concept. I wonder why it was, perhaps because our army was always standing and training constantly so they could specialize in multiple weapons. Sipahis were returning home during peace time like levies but they weren't farmers etc. They were still serving as local security forces so it wasn't much different than a standing army.
If you want to see a long head on a spear google whaler’s lance. The head will frequently exceed five feet in length (over 1.5 meters) extending past the shaft.
My guesses:
1.Longer spearheads are probably useful for handling when you close the grip towards the head for finer control without having too much unwieldy staff left over dangling behind you.
2. Longer spearhead gives you better leverage control when locking the weapon, e.g. for winged spears.
3. Not sure about this one but maybe the longer head helps stabilize the spearhead connection to the haft by giving you more metal to work with without unbalancing the weight distribution too much?
So what you're saying is that some people just really want to show off how impressive their shaft is, making it harder to grab and handle.
10:20 it looks like it only has the tang thing.
That "Winged Spear" is usually called a "Saufeder" in Germany, literally a "pigs feather", used in the past (and sometimes today) for hunting wild boars. The wings are a guard that is supposed to stop the overpenetration and keeping the boar at bay should you not kill it with the first thrust, since an angry wild boar is nothing you want right up in your face. And as per usual, people often thought that if it kills a boar, it will kill a human so it ended up on battlefields as well.
Yours is incomplete though. The shaft should be textured with a leather cover to increase your grip, since the wings might stop the point from going deeper into the boar but not from the spear being run out of your hand.
Also I have a Windlass hewing spear head, when not mounted on its shaft, the head which is a reproduction of a Norwegian find, is large enough to be used as a sword.
And there are archeological finds of birch bark spearhead shieths from the same period as this spear.
thanks
13:39 I’d bet that even one cut could be bad because it makes it vulnerable to snapping on thrusts
The short hand answer is that long bladed spears are a superior (or equal) alternative to a two-handed sword or Zweihander for every use other than chopping. The winged spear type used in the second or third rank of a shield wall would be deadly.
Objections to do with resistance aside, I read that the broad-bladed Berber/Arab 'azagaya, ' whether used as lance or javelin, was effective in rupturing mail links and causing lethal internal injury. Was there any basis for that assertion? (no quotations to hand)
what type of historical spear head will make the best dagger when not hafted on a wooden shaft