Spontoon
A spontoon, sometimes known by the variant spelling espontoon[1] or as a half-pike, is a type of European polearm that came into being alongside the pike. The spontoon was in common use from the mid-17th century to the early 19th century, but it was used to a much lesser extent as a military weapon and ceremonial implement until the late 19th century.
Description
Unlike the pike, which was a very long weapon that was typically 4.3–4.9 m (14–16 ft) long, the spontoon on the other hand was much shorter and only measured around 1.8–2.4 m (5 ft 11 in – 7 ft 10 in) in overall length. Generally, this weapon featured a more elaborate head than the typical pike. The head of a spontoon often had a pair of blades or lugs on each side, giving the weapon the look of a military fork or a trident. There were also spontoon-style axes which used the same shaped blades mounted on the side of the weapon with a shorter haft.
Italians might have been the first to use the spontoon,[2] and, in its early days, the weapon was used for combat, before it became more of a symbolic item.
After the
During the Napoleonic Wars, the spontoon was used by sergeants to defend the colours of a battalion or regiment from a cavalry attack. The spontoon was one of few polearms that stayed in use long enough to make it into American history. As late as the 1890s, the spontoon accompanied marching soldiers.
The American
See also
References
- ^ "Definition of ESPONTOON". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
- ^ "TherionArms - Italian spontoon". therionarms.com. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
- ISBN 9781107670150, Page. 115
- ISBN 9780811717205
- ISBN 9781107670150. Page. 116
- ^ Fitzroy MacLean, Bonnie Prince Charlie, New York: Atheneum, 1989, p. 208
- ^ Moore & Hanes, Tailor Made, Trail Worn: Army Life, Clothing & Weapons of the Corps of Discovery (Farcountry Press 2003)
- ^ Paul Schullery, Lewis & Clark Among the Grizzlies (TwoDot 2002)
- ^ "Regimental Drum Major Association Home Page". www.hotelsofnorway.com. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
External links
- Media related to Spontoons at Wikimedia Commons