Boar spear
Encyclopedia
A boar spear is a spear
used for boar hunting
. It is relatively short and heavy and has two "lug
s" or "wings" on the spearsocket behind the blade, which act as a barrier to prevent an injured and furious boar
from working its way up the shaft of the spear to attack the hunter.
The boar spear also became popular as a weapon of war, since the lugs can also be used to hook shield
s out of the way during combat, as well as preventing a spear thrust from going too far into a victim (particularly a charging horse), thus making it easier to quickly withdraw, and less likely to break. Boar spears remained in use as weapons until the early Middle Ages
, though it is still sometimes used in Germany
. In the 15th century, a variant with a longer shaft called a chiavarina was in use as a weapon of war.
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...
used for boar hunting
Boar hunting
Boar hunting is generally the practice of hunting wild boars, but can also extend to feral pigs and peccaries. A full-sized boar is a large animal armed with sharp tusks which it uses to defend itself. Boar hunting has often been a test of bravery....
. It is relatively short and heavy and has two "lug
Lug (knob)
A Lug is a typically flattened protuberance, a knob, or extrusion on the side of a vessel: pottery, jug, glass, vase, etc. They are sometimes found on prehistoric ceramics/stone-vessels such as pots from Ancient Egypt, Hembury ware, claw beakers, and boar spears.A lug may also only be shaped as a...
s" or "wings" on the spearsocket behind the blade, which act as a barrier to prevent an injured and furious boar
Boar
Wild boar, also wild pig, is a species of the pig genus Sus, part of the biological family Suidae. The species includes many subspecies. It is the wild ancestor of the domestic pig, an animal with which it freely hybridises...
from working its way up the shaft of the spear to attack the hunter.
The boar spear also became popular as a weapon of war, since the lugs can also be used to hook shield
Shield
A shield is a type of personal armor, meant to intercept attacks, either by stopping projectiles such as arrows or redirecting a hit from a sword, mace or battle axe to the side of the shield-bearer....
s out of the way during combat, as well as preventing a spear thrust from going too far into a victim (particularly a charging horse), thus making it easier to quickly withdraw, and less likely to break. Boar spears remained in use as weapons until the early Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, though it is still sometimes used 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...
. In the 15th century, a variant with a longer shaft called a chiavarina was in use as a weapon of war.
External links
- Sunrise River Custom Knives—Jim Casselman's account of a boar hunt with spears.