Ahlspiess
Encyclopedia
The Ahlspiess was a thrusting spear
developed and used primarily in Germany
and Austria
from the 15th to 16th centuries. The ahlspiess consisted of a long thin spike of square cross section measuring a meter (39 inches) or more in length, mounted to a round wooden shaft and secured with a pair of langets extending from the socket
. The length of the shaft ranged from 1.6 to 1.8 m. (5 - 6 feet), and located at the base of the spike was a rondel guard (a circular metal plate) to protect the hands. Large numbers of these weapons have survived and are kept in the arsenal
and Museums
of Vienna
as well as the Metropolitan Museum of Art
.
Some ahlspiesse have thicker spikes which are round and much shorter than the usual form. These are seen in 14th century illustrations suggesting that they may have been the precursors of the longer type which came later. These shorter forms are also known by the Italian
term candeliere which refers to a round candlestick of the period that had in the center a small pricket or spike that held the candle in place. An excavated and partially restored candeliere is present in the collection of the castle
of Grandson
in Switzerland
. There were also forms of the ahlspiess which lacked a rondel guard and these were known as breach pikes.
The ahlspiess is depicted in numerous pieces of medieval art
, including a scene from the Très Belles Heures, a French
religious Book of Hours
of around 1400. Another is portrayed in a woodcut
from the Nuremberg Chronicle
of 1493, depicting the Red Sea
drowning Pharaoh's
army which is shown carrying a variety of staff weapons including halberd
s, flails
and military fork
s as well as an ahlspiess. A third is from the emperor
Maximilian's
book Der Weisskunig of the early 16th century in an illustration entitled The Battle Against the Blue Company and is shown being carried by a Swiss soldier
.
The ahlspiess was used in other countries as well, including England
, and was a popular weapon along with the pollaxe
in tournament
foot combat among armoured
knight
s.
Spear
A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head.The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to the shaft, such as flint, obsidian, iron, steel or...
developed and used primarily in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
from the 15th to 16th centuries. The ahlspiess consisted of a long thin spike of square cross section measuring a meter (39 inches) or more in length, mounted to a round wooden shaft and secured with a pair of langets extending from the socket
Socket
Socket may refer to:In mechanics:* Socket wrench, a type of wrench that uses separate, removable sockets to fit different sizes of nuts and bolts...
. The length of the shaft ranged from 1.6 to 1.8 m. (5 - 6 feet), and located at the base of the spike was a rondel guard (a circular metal plate) to protect the hands. Large numbers of these weapons have survived and are kept in the arsenal
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, issued to authorized users, or any combination of those...
and Museums
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
of Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
as well as the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
.
Some ahlspiesse have thicker spikes which are round and much shorter than the usual form. These are seen in 14th century illustrations suggesting that they may have been the precursors of the longer type which came later. These shorter forms are also known by the Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
term candeliere which refers to a round candlestick of the period that had in the center a small pricket or spike that held the candle in place. An excavated and partially restored candeliere is present in the collection of the castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
of Grandson
Grandson, Switzerland
Grandson is a municipality in the district of Jura-Nord Vaudois in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.During the Burgundian Wars, Charles the Bold was defeated near here in the Battle of Grandson on 2 March 1476.-History:...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. There were also forms of the ahlspiess which lacked a rondel guard and these were known as breach pikes.
The ahlspiess is depicted in numerous pieces of medieval art
Medieval art
The medieval art of the Western world covers a vast scope of time and place, over 1000 years of art history in Europe, and at times the Middle East and North Africa...
, including a scene from the Très Belles Heures, a French
French literature
French literature is, generally speaking, literature written in the French language, particularly by citizens of France; it may also refer to literature written by people living in France who speak traditional languages of France other than French. Literature written in French language, by citizens...
religious Book of Hours
Book of Hours
The book of hours was a devotional book popular in the later Middle Ages. It is the most common type of surviving medieval illuminated manuscript. Like every manuscript, each manuscript book of hours is unique in one way or another, but most contain a similar collection of texts, prayers and...
of around 1400. Another is portrayed in a woodcut
Woodcut
Woodcut—occasionally known as xylography—is a relief printing artistic technique in printmaking in which an image is carved into the surface of a block of wood, with the printing parts remaining level with the surface while the non-printing parts are removed, typically with gouges...
from the Nuremberg Chronicle
Nuremberg Chronicle
right|thumbnail|240px|Fifth dayThe Nuremberg Chronicle is an illustrated Biblical paraphrase and world history that follows the story of human history related in the Bible; it includes the histories of a number of important Western cities. Written in Latin by Hartmann Schedel, with a version in...
of 1493, depicting the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
drowning Pharaoh's
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
army which is shown carrying a variety of staff weapons including halberd
Halberd
A halberd is a two-handed pole weapon that came to prominent use during the 14th and 15th centuries. Possibly the word halberd comes from the German words Halm , and Barte - in modern-day German, the weapon is called Hellebarde. The halberd consists of an axe blade topped with a spike mounted on...
s, flails
Flail (weapon)
The flail is a hand weapon derived from the agricultural tool.The handle is attached to the striking part of a weapon by a flexible chain or cord...
and military fork
Military fork
A fork is a pole weapon which was used in war in Europe between the 15th and 19th centuries. Like many polearms, the military fork traces its lineage to an agricultural tool, in this case the pitchfork....
s as well as an ahlspiess. A third is from the emperor
Emperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
Maximilian's
Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian I , the son of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor and Eleanor of Portugal, was King of the Romans from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1493 until his death, though he was never in fact crowned by the Pope, the journey to Rome always being too risky...
book Der Weisskunig of the early 16th century in an illustration entitled The Battle Against the Blue Company and is shown being carried by a Swiss soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
.
The ahlspiess was used in other countries as well, including England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and was a popular weapon along with the pollaxe
Pollaxe
The pollaxe is a type of European polearm which was widely used by medieval infantry. It is also known by the names poleaxe, pole-axe, pole axe, polax, and Hache ....
in tournament
Tournament
A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
foot combat among armoured
Armour
Armour or armor is protective covering used to prevent damage from being inflicted to an object, individual or a vehicle through use of direct contact weapons or projectiles, usually during combat, or from damage caused by a potentially dangerous environment or action...
knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
s.