The Latin word lancea came to our language as a spear . This is the name given to a weapon that consists of an extensive rod with a sharp point at its end.
The origin of spears is very ancient. It is estimated that, on the African continent, this type of weapon was already used about 500,000 years ago: prehistoric men used it to hunt .
Spears can be made from metal , wood, or other materials. Generally, the spear is a stick to which a pointed and sharp element is added. Of all, the tip can be carved into the neck itself.
As for how to use it, it is possible to hold the spear with one or both hands while sticking its tip into the target, or it can be thrown. The best-known throwing spear is called the javelin , today converted into an implement for the practice of an athletics discipline.
It is important to know, in addition to everything stated above, that there are different types of spears. Thus, for example, among the most significant are some such as the following:
-Halberd, which is identified because it has a spike on the part of the head that resembles the tip of an axe.
-Falárica, which is made of wood and was thrown lit. It also has a metal tip.
-Partesana, which is the spear that is characterized because it has small fins on the sides and because it is very long.
-Trident, which is identified by having three points.
-Yari. Of this other spear we can highlight that it has Japanese origin, that it is long and that it has a straight blade.
-Verutum, which was the type of spear used by soldiers of the Roman army for a long time.
-Pica, which was used by the military and is characterized by its long extension. So much so that its length was between approximately 4 and 6 meters.
Within the scope of mythology, it should be noted that the spear takes on special prominence. And there were many Greek gods, for example, who had that one among their identifying attributes. Specifically, this would be the case of Athena (Goddess of Wisdom, Reason and War) or Poseidon (God of the sea), who used a trident. And also their Roman counterparts carried a spear, namely Minerva and Neptune.
According to the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ), there are other meanings of the term. The metal tube that serves to top the sleeves of a bomb and direct the jet of water is also called a lance; and to the wooden pole that is attached to the front set of a carriage, used to direct it and to whose sides the trunk horses are tied.
A thermal lance , meanwhile, is a tool that allows you to melt steel. This device reaches such a high temperature that it can penetrate almost any material.
Lance, finally, was a monetary amount that, in ancient times, the nobles of Castile gave to the king as a contribution for military campaigns, replacing with this money the obligation to provide soldiers or weapons.