Boar spear

A boar spear is a spear used for boar hunting. 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. Boar spears remained in use as weapons 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.

Boar spear head, c. 1430, length 42 centimeters (17 in).  Boar spear bayonet, circa 1700-1730, probably German. On display at the Musée de l'Armée, Paris.

See also

• Bear spear
• Bohemian earspoon
• Ahlspiess

External links

• Sunrise River Custom Knives—Jim Casselman's account of a boar hunt with spears.