Pike (weapon)

A pike is a very long spear.

It has a long wood pole. It has a sharp metal tip. This helps soldiers stay safe. It keeps enemies far away.

Soldiers often stood in a big group. They held their pikes together. This made a wall of sharp tips.

Because the pikes were so long, they were hard to use. It was tough to move in a crowd. Soldiers sometimes carried a small sword too. This helped if the fight got too close.

Long ago, men used these in many lands. Some groups were very good at using them. They used drums to help them march.

It was a very important tool for many years.

A pike is a very long spear.

It has a wooden pole and a metal tip. A spear becomes a pike when it is too long to use with one hand. Most pikes used strong wood like ash. This helped the pole stay straight.

Soldiers used pikes in large groups. This was called a pike square.

In these groups, the pikes made a wall of sharp points. This kept enemies at a distance. It was very good for stopping horses.

However, pikes were hard to move. They were difficult to use in close fights. Because of this, pikemen often carried a short sword or dagger. This helped them if the enemy got too close.

Many groups used pikes in history. The Swiss were famous for being very good with them. They used drums to help their soldiers march together. This helped them move in a steady way. Later, pikes were mostly replaced by muskets with bayonets.

A pike is a very long thrusting spear used in European warfare.

It was a vital tool for foot soldiers for many centuries. These soldiers often stood in a tight group called a pike square. This formation helped them defend against enemy cavalry or horses. The pike was a primary weapon for groups like the Spanish tercios. It was also used by Swiss mercenaries and German Landsknecht units. Eventually, muskets with bayonets began to replace the pike in battle.

How a pike works depends on its great length.

A spear is called a pike when it is too long for one hand. It usually has a wooden shaft made of strong ash wood. The shaft is often tapered to stop it from sagging. At the end is an iron or steel spearhead. Metal strips called langets often reinforce the wood near the head. Because they are so long, pikes can be hard to use in close fights.

This is why pikemen often carried a short sword or dagger for defense.

People have used long spears for a very long time.

One famous early version was the sarissa used by Alexander the Great. His Macedonian phalanx used these weapons to dominate many countries. In the 2nd century AD, the historian Tacitus wrote about Germanic tribes using massive spears. During the Middle Ages, urban militia troops like the Flemings used pikes too. The Scots used a spear formation called a schiltron in their wars. These commoners won stunning victories against professional knights using these long weapons.

There are many interesting facts about how pikes changed over time.

In 1391, a leader in Milan ordered pikes to be at least 10 feet long. This was about 4.35 meters in length. He also required the tips to have iron strips for strength. The Swiss soldiers became very famous for their discipline with the pike. They even used drums to help them march in formation. This training allowed them to move in a steady and aggressive way. They could present many layers of spearheads to an enemy at once.

Understanding the pike helps us see how old battles worked.

A pike square acted like a wall of sharp points. This kept enemies at a distance so the soldiers stayed safe. It was a great way to stop a charge of horses. However, the large blocks of men could not turn very quickly. They also struggled to move well on uneven ground. This made them vulnerable if an enemy attacked from the side. Even so, the pike remained a key part of history for a long time.

A pike is a very long thrusting spear used in European warfare.

It was a vital tool for foot soldiers from the Late Middle Ages through the early modern period. Soldiers often deployed in a tight group known as a pike square. This formation was essential for defending infantry from enemy cavalry. The pike was the primary weapon for famous groups like the Spanish tercios. It was also used by Swiss mercenaries and German Landsknecht units. Eventually, muskets equipped with bayonets largely replaced the pike on the battlefield.

The physical design of a pike is what defines it. A spear is generally considered a pike when it is too long to be used with one hand. The shaft is typically made of well-seasoned ash wood. This wood is strong enough to support the weapon's weight. The shaft is often tapered toward the point to prevent sagging or drooping. At the tip, there is an iron or steel spearhead. To keep the wood from breaking, metal strips called langets or cheeks reinforce the shaft near the head.

Using a pike requires specific tactics and formations. In a pike square, soldiers stand in many rows. The first few ranks might hold their pikes at a "charge" position to thrust at enemies. The ranks behind them may hold their weapons at "port," which means pointing them upward. This prevents the soldiers from accidentally hitting their own comrades.

Well-trained troops could use these formations aggressively. They could present four or five layers of spearheads bristling from the front. This created a massive wall of points that could roll over enemy infantry. However, the pike was unwieldy in close combat, or a melee. Because of this, pikemen often carried a secondary weapon like a sword or dagger.

The history of the pike reaches back to antiquity. The most famous early version was the sarissa. This was a long spear used by the Macedonian phalanx under Alexander the Great.

After the fall of Macedon, the pike largely disappeared for about 1,000 years. However, the historian Tacitus recorded Germanic tribes using massive, long spears in the 2nd century AD. During the Middle Ages, the weapon saw a major revival. Urban militias, such as the Flemings, used long spears to stop French knights. The Scots also used a formation called a schiltron during the Wars of Scottish Independence.

In the 15th century, the Swiss mercenaries brought a renaissance to pike warfare. They used extreme discipline and tactical unity to master the weapon. They even used drums to help their pike blocks march in formation.

This allowed them to move from a defensive posture to an aggressive attack. The German Landsknechts later adopted these Swiss methods. They often used a "German thrust," where the weight of the pike was held in the lower third. This allowed for a more flexible attacking column. This level of training made Swiss and German units highly sought after as mercenaries across Europe.

While powerful, the pike formation had significant weaknesses. The large blocks of men were difficult to maneuver. They could not turn quickly to protect their flanks or their rear. They also struggled to stay organized on uneven ground. The Scots learned this during the Battle of Flodden in 1513. Additionally, pike formations were vulnerable to missile weapons. Archers and crossbowmen could shoot into the tightly packed ranks. This was especially dangerous if the pikemen did not have enough armor.

Despite these risks, the pike remained a central part of military technology for centuries. In 1391, a decree in Milan required pikes to be at least 10 feet long. This is approximately 4.35 meters. The decree also required iron strips to reinforce the tips. As armies entered an arms race, pikes often grew even longer to gain an advantage. The pike's era only ended when the bayonet allowed every musketeer to become a pikeman. This change combined the power of shooting with the reach of the long spear.