Russian warriors of past centuries could use different weapons. However, for centuries the main weapon of the infantry was the spear. Such weapons have been constantly evolving due to changes in certain design features, which allowed them to more fully meet current requirements. The evolution of the spear has led to the emergence of several special versions of it that are of particular interest.
Classification issues
It is known that in the Middle Ages and later, the development of weapons in Russia was a constant and continuous process. New weapons designs appeared regularly, incl. polearms, which then spread and gave warriors advantages over enemies.
For obvious reasons, most of the copies and other weapons disappeared without a trace, but the surviving samples help archaeologists and historians to restore the general picture and its individual elements. The history of the spear in Russia is constantly being supplemented with new details, but the general paths of its development have long been determined and well studied. There is also a classification of spearheads used in different periods.
For example, in the work of A. N. Kirpichnikov's "Old Russian Weapon", the known spearheads are divided into seven types with several subtypes. One type includes weapons with a similar design and shape, and the subtypes depend mainly on the size of the product. The division by periods was also applied, which made it possible to fit the finds from the 9th to the 13th centuries into the classification.
Certain types of tips differ markedly from other representatives of the classification, which is why they can be of great interest. In addition, there are some controversial points in the history of the Russian spear that should also be considered.
Weighting course
Perhaps the most famous type of spear in Russia is the spear. The first mentions in sources and archaeological finds of this kind date back to the middle of the 12th century. In the future, the spear became widespread in the infantry and cavalry, and also became a hunting weapon. In the latter role, she continued to be used almost until the beginning of the last century.
At its core, the spear was an enlarged, reinforced and weighted spear. It was made on the basis of a strong shaft of greater thickness and length comparable to a person's height. The feather of such a spear most often had a laurel-leaf shape; the length of the tip could reach 500-600 mm. There were also special requirements for the strength of the bushing. The finished product was noticeably larger than other copies, and also several times heavier.
Due to the reinforced design, the spear could deliver more powerful stabbing and chopping blows. Such a weapon was distinguished by greater penetrating power, thanks to which it could be used both against infantry and in the fight against cavalry. The Russian army began to use spears almost immediately after their appearance - in the XII century. The share of such weapons in the total number of copies was constantly changing, but it was always quite large. The last mentions of the use of spears in the army date back to the 17th century. Further development of promising weapons reduced the role of copies.
Special characteristics made it possible to use the spear when hunting. This "career" of the reinforced spear lasted much longer. Horns were used when hunting large and dangerous animals - the most famous use of such weapons against bears. Some hunting spears were distinguished by the presence of a characteristic crossbar near the feather. This detail served as a kind of stopper and allowed the hunter to keep the affected prey at a safe distance.
Between spear and arrow
In the past, throwing darts were widespread. In Russia, such a weapon was called sulitsa. It was a throwing spear of small size and limited mass. In fact, it was larger than a bow arrow, but smaller than a normal spear. The first samples of this kind date back to the 9th century. Sulitsy were used by all Slavic tribes, and then entered service with soldiers and squads. The development of such weapons as a whole repeated the evolution of copies, albeit with some differences.
Externally and in design, the sulit was similar to a spear, but it was smaller and lighter. The length of the shaft usually did not exceed 1.5 m, and the tip was not longer than 200 mm. To simplify the design and economy, the tip could be equipped not with a sleeve, but with a petiole driven into the shaft.
Both small and light, as well as larger and heavier specimens are known. The difference in weight led to some differences in fighting qualities. Like spears, sulitsy received tips with feathers of various shapes. Basically, elongated types were used, capable of showing the best punching action when throwing.
The main way of using the sulitsa was throwing at the enemy. Depending on the mass and speed, such a weapon could penetrate the enemy's light defenses, or at least get stuck in it. The infantryman could carry several sulits and any other weapon, which expanded his combat capabilities. The use of sulitsa in the role of a spear was not excluded, but its effectiveness was limited by objective factors.
The period of relatively active use of throwing polearms fell on the X-XIII centuries. Subsequently, a change in battle tactics and the emergence of new types of weapons led to a reduction in the use of sulits. They later fell out of use.
Mysterious owl
In 1841 the release of the multivolume work by A. V. Viskovatova "Historical description of the clothing and weapons of the Russian troops." This work collected all the known data on the weapons of the Russian armies, but there was also some new information. One of the aforementioned polearms has sparked controversy.
In the first part of the book, the owl was mentioned among the armaments of the infantry and cavalry. This weapon was defined as a kind of spear with a tip in the form of a large one-sided knife. The book also contained two drawings - one depicted the actual iron owl, and the second was attended by a rider with such a weapon.
Later it was established that the term "ownya" had not previously been used in relation to any real weapon. Something similar was found only in one of the copies of the 1st Novgorod Chronicle, but even in this case there was no complete certainty. The fact is that this fragment of the document is illegible, and other lists in this context appear in a different context.
Over the past century and a half, the history of Russian polearms has been seriously supplemented and comprehensively studied. Despite this, any traces of the owl described by A. V. Viskovatov, have not yet been found. However, the name "ownya" or "owl" came into circulation and is still actively used.
Different archaeological finds, called owls, are kept in various domestic museums. At the same time, it is still unclear what kind of real weapon the author of the "Historical Description" had in mind. The version about the mistake is very popular. However, so far not all questions in the context of Sovni have answers, and the controversy continues.
Specialized and tenacious
The development of copies in Russia continued for several centuries and led to very interesting results. In different periods, on the basis of the "ordinary" spear, various specialized samples with certain features appeared. Nevertheless, one of the main weapons of the infantry and cavalry was still the spear in its original form - with one or another type of tip.
The reasons for this are quite understandable. Spears of the main types, despite the development and design changes, were a simple, convenient and versatile weapon for an infantryman or horseman. Other samples, such as spear or sulitsa, were intended to solve specific problems and therefore had only to complement the main weapon. However, this role did not have a negative impact on their distribution. All known types of copies were actively used and refined.
Over time, polearms lost their value to the armies. However, some of its varieties were still of interest to hunters. Of all the specialized varieties of the spear, the spear remained in service for the longest time, the features of which were useful not only on the battlefield. But she, too, in the end was unable to compete with newer and more advanced weapons that use different principles.
