Polish Hussar Lance/Spear examples?

Jim McDougall · 8th November 2020, 11:45 PM

Well, I got to my 'Stone' finally

and had been barking up the wrong tree entirely as Stone (p.500) shows this among 'pikes', which have nothing to do with lances or Polish hussars. These are of course infantry weapons, but do have basic similarities to many lances of course in that it is a pointed spear head attached to a haft or pole, usually using the langets extending down to attach with screws.

I have not seen those side 'wings' nor the curious hooks on the shaft on anything, and I have gone through every weapons and arms & armor reference I can think of. While lances were indeed used in Eastern Europe long after they had fallen out of use in the west, the Polish hussar lances were hollowed fir halves glued together a ball type vamplate mid shaft, looking mostly like medieval tilting lances.

There is the possibility this is a boar hunting spear, which often have 'wings' to prevent the prey from coming up the shaft, though these elongated side 'blades' seem contrary to the extended wings typically seen.

Whatever it is, it is certainly 'one of a kind' and having something of Stone's, one of the pillars of arms & armor scholarship, is outstanding!!!

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8th November 2020, 11:45 PM	#2
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,282	Well, I got to my 'Stone' finally and had been barking up the wrong tree entirely as Stone (p.500) shows this among 'pikes', which have nothing to do with lances or Polish hussars. These are of course infantry weapons, but do have basic similarities to many lances of course in that it is a pointed spear head attached to a haft or pole, usually using the langets extending down to attach with screws. I have not seen those side 'wings' nor the curious hooks on the shaft on anything, and I have gone through every weapons and arms & armor reference I can think of. While lances were indeed used in Eastern Europe long after they had fallen out of use in the west, the Polish hussar lances were hollowed fir halves glued together a ball type vamplate mid shaft, looking mostly like medieval tilting lances. There is the possibility this is a boar hunting spear, which often have 'wings' to prevent the prey from coming up the shaft, though these elongated side 'blades' seem contrary to the extended wings typically seen. Whatever it is, it is certainly 'one of a kind' and having something of Stone's, one of the pillars of arms & armor scholarship, is outstanding!!!