A boar spear is a special type of spear that was invented and widely used in Germany and Scandinavia during the Roman era. It is relatively short and heavy and has two "lugs" 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 shields 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. They remained in use until the early Middle Ages. In the 15th century, a variant with a longer shaft called a chiavarina was in use as a weapon of war. Some hunters still prefer the challenge of hunting boar with a spear, usually assisted by dogs, and boar spears are manufactured to this day for the purpose.
External links
- Sunrise River Custom Knives Jim Casselman's account of a boar hunt with spears.
