Talk:Lance

message: "Generally, a spear which is not thrown is called a lance" That is new to me. Can anybody provide evidence that this is the case. To my mind, the term lance is reserved for spears that are primarily used in a charging attack, usually from horse back as in Jousting or carried by a Lancer of necessity, a lance is generally long. A spear used in regular melee combat is just that: a spear whereas a thowing spear is a Javelin. Gaius Cornelius 10:35, 9 August 2005 (UTC)
thread_title:  disambiguation page? 

message: This article needs some discussion and tightening up; the idea that Stirrups wre instrumental in the development and use of the Cavalry Lance, for instance, has long been discredited. References to Fantasy films should similarly be removed, especially ones showing Massed Cavalry charging into a Spear wall.
: I have noticed that this article has undergone some alterations, which are, in my opinion, great improvements. Thanks to whoever implemented the changes. However, I think there is still room for substantial improvement. --M.J.Stanham 11:05, 17 July 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Pole Vaulting? 

message: I see that some of the old Lance(formation) has been moved over here prior to this former's remouval. The information itself on the formation that was perserved is quite small if somewhat out of the blue and isolated from the other medieval formations. Searching for the formation I foudn the Lances fournies and thought this the evolution of the earlier Lance(formation), therefore I sought to complete the article as Lance Formation not just the later provided Lance formation. I would like to point you to this article and its discussions for the future of the Lance as a formation, either to mix it all under the weapon or to keep it divided as two seperate articles. Dryzen 15:12, 2 May 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Formation 

message: There's been vandalism in the lead sentence of the last article of the "History" section. I don't know what goes there. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Glasperlenspiel (talk • contribs) 20:12, 22 March 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Vandalism 

message: The claim that cuirassiers used lances is unsubstantiated and unfounded. True, mediaeval armored knights used lances, but the term cuirassier is much later. During the 1500s armored heavy cavalry mostly used pistols, but Gustavus Adolphus started using them as sword-armed shock cavalry, a trend which became universal up to WWI. Geira (talk) 12:47, 4 March 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Lances used by cuirassiers 

message: There is one theorie that Norman cavalry at the time of the battle of Hastings engaged the enemy by riding towards the enemy's line and from close range threw javalins at them. Although i do not know of any proof at this besides the Bayeux Tapestry and the way the Normans held their shields.
In the Bayeux Tapestry they hold their spears overhanded. This is a very ineffective way of thrustings because you have to hold the spear rougly in the middle where the balance is and so reducing the range of your attacks. Also thrusting in front of you is almost impossible because the only attacking motion possible is a downward thrust. So either the Bayeux Tapestry depicts the cavalry incorrectly or they didn't use their spears in a thrusting motion but threw them like a javalin.
Also the long shields norman cavalry carried at that time are always held at an 45° angle at the side. If you ride towards the enemy, throw a Javalin and make a right turn the shield at an angle not only protects your side from but also the flank of your horse which is really vurnrable at that moment.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.73.173.49 (talk) 20:38, 27 May 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: Almost certainly, the Bayeux Tapestry does show cavalry throwing spears (perhaps javelins).  But the overarm thrust was still a standard method of spear use for cavalry at this time - the couched lance technique was just evolving - so many knights can be seen as holding their lances for an overarm blowMonstrelet (talk) 07:57, 19 March 2013 (UTC)
thread_title:  Bayeux Tapestry javalins 

message: I propose a better image for the lead would be something like Franz Skarbina Pikenier.jpg. Additionally, Ulani RB3.jpg was included in a previous version, although I've not tracked its origins. -- Trevj (talk · contribs) 09:08, 1 April 2014 (UTC)
replies: text: The Franz Skarbina image is a modern reconstruction of a 17th infantry pikeman, so doesn't really fit here.  The modern cavalry with lance in smaller size might fit in the section about decline and ceremonial use, though Monstrelet (talk) 17:46, 2 April 2014 (UTC)
thread_title:  Images 

message: I've been seeing some citations on lancea originating from celtiberian backed either by Varro (on Celtiberians) or by the OED (on this page, as well as Lancea), but the former does not cite where Varro reported such a claim, and the later Isuspect not only would help back the former, but also add more information than is presented here, butwould of course require a paid subscription to check and verify. 
I'm still on the lookout for alternative sources, but if someone with a subscription could check that'd be wuite helpful. 78.30.26.29 (talk) 09:33, 24 June 2018 (UTC)
replies: text: The OED just says "According to Varro the Latin word was from a Spanish (? Iberian) source. Connection with the synonymous Greek λόγχη is phonologically improbable."  Just a note on OED subscriptions - many public and university libraries hold subscriptions and sign in is by library card number.  I'll see if I can find the Varro thing - maybe on Perseus. Monstrelet (talk) 14:12, 24 June 2018 (UTC)
replies: text: Trickier than expected but the Varro attribution comes from Antiquitates rerum humanarum et divinarum, a lost work. He derives it from the city of Lancia in Lusitania.  Fortunately, it was referenced by Aulus Gellius thus Id scriptum est in libro M. Varronis quarto decimo Rerum Divinarum,quo in loco Varro, cum de petorrito dixisset, esse id verbum Gallicum, lanceam quoque dixit non Latinum, sed Hispanicum verbum esse
Unfortunately, the academic reference for this I've dug up is in Spanish.  Martín Almagro-Gorbea Lancea, palabra lusitana,y la etnogénesis de los Lancienses(Lancea, Lusitanian Word, and the Lancienses Ethnogenesis) 2016.--Monstrelet (talk) 16:40, 24 June 2018 (UTC)
thread_title:  Etymology, OED and Varro 

message: The last sentence on the first picture is pretty questionable. Sure it describes what is seen in the graphic, but as a whole, this is generally not how they were wielded from my understanding.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 146.178.95.246 (talk) 00:53, 22 January 2019 (UTC)
thread_title:  First Picture 

message: An editor has identified a potential problem with the redirect :Nagayari and has thus listed it for discussion. This discussion will occur at Wikipedia:Redirects for discussion/Log/2022 May 3#Nagayari until a consensus is reached, and readers of this page are welcome to contribute to the discussion.  Steel1943 (talk) 05:42, 3 May 2022 (UTC)
thread_title:  "Nagayari" listed at [[Wikipedia:Redirects for discussion|Redirects for discussion]] 

message: the article has several photos of lance heads, which are interesting and worthwhile, but they aren't the whole lance. should there, additionally, be a picture of a lance in its enrirety? is there a reason why this shouldn't happen or why available images aren't suitable? Nyuuposting (talk) 13:58, 22 June 2022 (UTC)
thread_title:  photo of an entire lance 

message: It would be good if some qualified individual could add some information about earlier use of lances.  They go back at least to the time of Alexander. B.Bryant (talk) 12:59, 15 March 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  History