2095 War Spear
2095) A RARE GOTHIC WAR SPEAR CIRCA 1450WITH MASSIVE HEAD, STRONG MEDIAL RIDGE, AND OCTAGONAL SHAFT WITH TWO LANGETS:
Introduction: Almost all surviving Gothic spears are rusted ground finds. This one is one of the few I have had that is not! Even with the advent of the gun, staff weapons were used as a third line of weapons even up to the 19th century in Europe. As a result, they had to be battle-ready, and staff weapon hafts (wooden poles) were replaced 1 to 4 times during their working life because use and age can dry, crack, and bend the haft, rendering it useless. Staff weapons had to be ready for use at a moment’s notice (see pages 119 and 353 in my book).
Spears are highly effective weapons. Spears were mass-produced for the infantry with low-carbon steel so they would not break on impact. When an army disbanded or a war ended, unadorned spearheads had no sentimental or artistic value. As a result, they were treated as raw scrap metal. Over the centuries, people melted down spearheads and reforged them into everyday agrarian tools like plowshares, scythes, nails, or knives.
The spear was essential to Medieval and Renaissance warfare for 8 reasons.
1) When properly used and deployed, the spear has a significant advantage related directly to its length. A spear haft can range from 5 feet to 16 feet long. The spear lets the user stay out of reach of many shorter weapons, such as swords. This reach advantage lets the man-at-arms attack effectively without needing to defend himself.
2) Spears were notoriously effective at stopping the cavalry charge, which was one of the most devastating strategies of the Medieval and Renaissance periods.
3) Since spears were made in great part from wood, they were inexpensive and easy to manufacture, making them a practical choice to arm many men quickly at a low cost.
4) If the haft broke, the head could be reused on a new wooden pole. Because the head’s design was relatively simple, village blacksmiths could make them quickly and cheaply.
5) Spears are easy to use, requiring relatively little training to become competent in their use.
6) Spears require the use of multiple large muscles; therefore, the body fatigues more slowly than with some other weapons. Less fatigue in battle provides a substantial advantage during a pitched battle that could last days.
7) Since spears are long and provide leverage, they generate deep penetrating strikes.
8) Military formations with large numbers were easy to coordinate with the spear, thus maximizing an army’s effectiveness.
Description: Constructed with a quadrilateral spike leading to a winged head; a strong medial ridge; an octagonal, reverse-conical shaft with two langets (possibly shortened); and a shortened, slightly bent octagonal wooden haft, almost certainly a working-life replacement, since staff weapons were a third line of defense in Europe until the Victorian period.
Approximate lengths: Steel spear: 25.25 inches; total length: 66 inches.
Condition: Very good.
Provenance: An old Austrian collection.
Comparables: Spears of similar form are preserved in:
– The Historisches Museum, Bern.
– The Deutsches Historisches Museum, Berlin.
Discussion: The spear was likely one of the earliest human weapons. It was first developed to hunt animals during the Paleolithic era. In its most basic form, a spear is a sharpened stick. Eventually, people replaced the sharpened wooden tip with a stone spear point for more effective stabbing.
Spears evolved and varied, with larger spears used for stabbing and smaller, lighter ones for throwing. Spears became the ultimate weapon of war because they were effective and easy to learn to use properly. In the 1300s, the spear was known in German as the “langspiess” or in English as the long spear. As full-plate armor evolved, mail and cuir-bouilli were no longer used, and the spearhead also evolved to a deeper, penetrating quadrangular shape.
By the late Middle Ages, the spear had evolved into the pike. Pikes were first used by the armies of Alexander the Great in the ancient world but fell out of use for many centuries. The pike was an exceptionally long spear, measuring about 15 to 18 feet, with a sharp steel head for stabbing. Groups of pikemen used pikes in large numbers on the front lines. Pikemen would form a wall with their long pikes and effectively stop a mounted cavalry charge. The cavalry charge was the doomsday tactic of its time. Pikes were used primarily as a deterrent to cavalry. They were not effective combat weapons; they were clumsy and worked only at long range.
In Grimmelshausen’s Springinsfeld text of 1676, he states: “He who kills a pikeman that he could spare kills an innocent. A pikeman harms nobody that does not run into the pike by himself.” Pikemen held their ground, forming a wall of sharp pikes to prevent the oncoming charge of cavalry and infantry.
The Swiss, in particular, were known for their successful use of pikes. Pikes were used as late as the Napoleonic Wars, serving as a line of defense against musket-armed troops. It could be argued that pikes were used as early as the Macedonian phalanx, circa 359 BC. However, the golden age of pike warfare to stop a cavalry charge was from 1450 to 1675.
Conclusion: This is a weapon of European Gothic warfare. For a nominal price, you can add an important Gothic period historical weapon that greatly influenced battle outcomes. Very reasonably priced with free shipping for a quick sale. This is only the second one I have offered in 35 years in this good a condition.
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