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A pole weapon or pole arm is a close combat weapon in which the main fighting part of the weapon is fitted to the end of a long shaft, typically of wood, thereby extending the user's effective range and striking power. Pole weapons are predominantly melee weapons, with a subclass of spear-like designs fit for both thrusting and throwing. Because many pole weapons were adapted from agricultural implements or other fairly abundant tools, and contained relatively little metal, they were cheap to make and readily available. When warfare would break out and the belligerents had a poorer class who could not pay for dedicated military weapons, leaders would often appropriate tools as cheap weapons. The cost of training was comparatively minimal, since these conscripted farmers had spent most of their lives using these "weapons" in the fields. This made polearms the favored weapon of peasant levies and peasant rebellions the world over. Pole arms can be divided into three broad categories: those designed for extended reach and thrusting tactics used in pike square or phalanx combat; those designed to increase leverage (thanks to hands moving freely on a pole) to maximize centrifugal force against cavalry; and those designed for throwing tactics used in skirmish line combat. Because their versatility, high effectiveness and cheap cost, polearms experimentation led to many variants and were the most frequently used weapons on the battlefield: bills, picks, dane axes, spears, glaives, guandaos, pudaos, poleaxes, halberds, harpoons, sovnyas, tridents, naginatas, bardiches, war scythes, and lances are all varieties of pole arms. Pole arms were common weapons on post-classical battlefields of Asia and Europe. Their range and impact force made them effective weapons against armored warriors on horseback, because they could be dismounted and/or penetrate said armor. The Renaissance saw a plethora of varieties. Pole arms in modern times are largely constrained to ceremonial military units such as the Papal Swiss Guard or Yeomen of the Guard, or traditional martial arts. Chinese martial arts in particular have preserved a wide variety of weapons and techniques.
References
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- Oakeshott (1980), p.47
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- Marsden (2003), p.82
- "OED". http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50232190?query_type=word&queryword=sparth&first=1&max_to_show=10&sort_type=alpha&result_place=1.
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- Oakeshott (1980), p.53
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- media:Peers and commoners fighting - The Holkham Bible Picture Book (c.1320-1330), f.40 - BL Add MS 47682.jpg
- media:Dolstein 1.gif
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- Jiang Feng-wei (蔣豐維), Chinese weapons dictionary (中國兵器事典)
- Sadaharu Ichikawa (市川定春), Dictionary of the Weapon (武器事典)
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- Grayned meaning bladed
- Norman & Wilson (1982), p.67
- Oakeshott (1980), p.51.
- Oakeshott (1980), pp.47-48
- Douglas Miller : The Swiss at War 1300-1500, Osprey MAA 94, 1979
- Oakeshott (1980), p.47, fig 6
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