Arms with hast

A arms with hast is made up of a blade or a metal point fixed at the end of a length handle, generally of wood, called Hampe. It is used for the close combat. Most widespread is the Lance, used in particular by the Lancier S, which, in spite of its name, does not launch out (contrary for example to the Javelot, which is thrown).

The advantage of the weapons of hast is to increase the Angular momentum, and thus the force of the blow, that it is carried of tuck (of before behind, with the point) or of size (with the edge). Moreover, when the handle is made of flexible material (like the Bambou), it can be curved and vibrate, making it possible iron to circumvent a protection.

History

The practice of the weapons of hast is very former, it goes back to the Préhistoire.

The weapons of hast are relatively not very expensive, and simple to manufacture like using, because they are often derived from hunting weapons (like the spear) or from agricultural tools (like the false of war).

The lances were thus probably initially used with hunting, as arms with jet or to strike directly; the possibility of striking a prey all while keeping it at good distance had to seem advantageous very quickly with the hunters. Moreover, once planted with a slope in the ground, it is a very effective defense against a load (of Cavalerie or that of a predator).

Units lines of men equipped with weapons of hast were also recognized quickly like effective units of combat (see hoplitic phalange, Phalange Macedonian and Sarisse):

in defense, it was difficult to touch the men behind their lances;
attacks some, they devastated all on their passage.

With the generalization of the armoured combatants, particularly the cavalry, the weapons of hast combined the spearhead (for the blows into thorough) with an iron of axe or other, for the blows carried laterally.

The weapons of hast thereafter were largely exceeded by the firearms. However, the use of the bayonet at the time them modern attacks can be seen as a survival of the weapons of hast.

It gave its name to part of the Roman legionaries, the Hastati .

Medieval list

Hitch: arms made up of a large knife bent to cut the bulges of the horses, to bone a knight by tearing off his parts of armours to him,… 14th century at the 16th century.
Bardiche : arms originating in Europe with the East, made up of a handle out of wooden which can be long of 2m and of an iron in the shape of lengthened axe.
False of war or fauchard: arms with hast inspired by the forgery which the peasants in time of war used. It appears at the beginning of the 13th century
Pertuisane: arms derived from the lance, used in Italy at the 15th century.
Spade: long lance of infantryman (approx. 6m), used to break the load of the riders. Of origin Macedonian?
Vouge : made up of a long large knife (of origin a trencher of stopping) at the end of a handle, used by the infantry (“vougiers”)

arms

Other examples

the False of war
the Guisarme
the Lance
the Halberd
the Nunti Japanese
the Naginata Japanese
the Yari Japanese
the Nagamaki Japanese

See too

External bond

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