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The Spear - King of Weapons? Or Just a Pointy Stick?

Skallagrim

670,084 views

The spear is not as chronically overlooked as the axe, but still not usually given as much attention as the sword, so here we go. A few observations about the pros and cons, usage, and importance in history. Also some examples to illustrate the wide variety of designs.

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Sources:

The oldest spears:
https://phys.org/news/2012-11-archaeo...
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...
https://www.historyofinformation.com/...
https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/wo...

Yulia Shtyryakova, A quest for the atgeir: the unknown Viking weapon in Icelandic sagas and archaeological data
https://content.sciendo.com/configura...

Historical manuscripts
https://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Category:...

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20 Comments

@CrypidLore 5 years ago

Spears are great, but they have one fatal weakness, a slightly longer spear.

@sebathadah1559 5 years ago

Its both the king of weapons and a pointy stick. lets just be honest.

@Tadicuslegion78 5 years ago

Spartan: You know how to use that thing?
Skallagrim: Yes, pointy end goes into the other man.

@Hedonistic0Frog 5 years ago

"not every spear is a javelin"
Not with that attitude it isn't

@TheMrBonzz 5 years ago

Spears became Javelins when the guy you stab started running away.

@ToxicSkull0 5 years ago

Loading screen tips be like

“Spears are good weapons as long as the sharp end is pointed towards the enemy”

@chrisbaldwin6244 5 years ago

"spears can be found in every civilization" ... except for any zombie show or movie

@mikkoleinonen9846 5 years ago

Imagine being a noble with a sword that cost more than anything you own, and then you are defeatet by a peasant doing this 8:04

@shuadubya5709 5 years ago

The virgin 100 times folded steel vs the chad pointy stick

@1nkw3ll 5 years ago

It was an honor to feature in this video, thanks for having me Skall! Hope we can work together again soon

@urbypilot2136 5 years ago

"Here's a spear."
"How's it used?"
"See the pointed end?"
"Yes."
"You don't want to be on that end."

@sejfzlrrhman 5 years ago (edited)

Therapist: Your sleep paralysis demon isn't real. He can't hurt you.
My sleep paralysis demon: 8:04

@angryclown1990 5 years ago

A Spartan was once asked by another Greek soldier where Sparta's boarders end. The Spartan held out his spear and said "At the tip of this."

@AslanW 5 years ago

Hundreds of thousands of years of advancements in both technology and warfare yet the best hand-to-hand combat weapon is still the long pointy booper some grug invented 500,000 years ago.

@skynyrdjesus 5 years ago

Not only a spear extremely simple to understand, pick up, and use, it's also the weapon best designed to take advantage of human musculature. Thrusts are so quick and powerful because you're using all of the most powerful muscles in your legs and back to generate force. Swings can make up for using weaker, less developed muscles through taking advantage of momentum, but a spear is brutal and simple. It's just every bit of force you can exert in the smallest possible point

@skipmage 5 years ago

Skall: Spear; King of weapons or just a pointy stick?
Skip: Yes.

@knightspawn6 5 years ago

"King of Weapons? Or Just a Pointy Stick?"

Both. Both is good.

@asclepiussss 5 years ago

"This is not a civillian defense weapon by any means"

Challange accepted.

@KingQwertzlbrmpf 5 years ago

In an army setting the spear has one more great advantage. It reduces fear. Your average conscripted peasent doesn't really have high morale to begin with. And if you now want to force them into close quarters combat they will likely just run away. But with a spear the enemy is farther away and thus doesn't feel as threatenein. Thus your conscripted peasent might actually stay and fight.