"Remote" hunting: Neanderthal spears hit targets from a distance of up to 20 meters

Bear hunting with a spear

The significance of this seemingly primitive pole weapon should not be diminished, although this is partially true.
This “primitiveness” did not always remain unchanged in its configuration and purpose. It, just like other offensive weapons, was modified, improved and adapted to certain tactics of use based on the resulting transformations in the art of hand-to-hand combat or hunting. Moreover, throughout their historical life, spears also changed social statuses. They were both the most primitive weapons in the hands of common people, and symbolic instruments of power over the whole world. The simplest spears gave birth to more than one type of military or hunting weapon. How in their time they themselves arose from primitive sharpened stakes.

The main hunting weapon in the Middle Ages for large and dangerous animals was, of course, a polearm. Hunting tactics were developed based on the types of weapons. The animals were hunted with the help of dogs, trying to drive them into a trap, where they were finished off. In such circumstances, the main roles were assigned to hunting swords, daggers and, naturally, spears.

Step by step, spears began to be differentiated into a special hunting variety, which differed from similar types of military weapons. Based on their purpose, hunting spears began to be called bear or boar spears. They had their own, very specific, features. Thus, they were made to be extremely durable in order to withstand the weight of the animals being attacked. These animals were mainly bears or boars with an average weight of more than 150 kg.

The spears struck the hearts or necks of animals. As a rule, for such powerful animals as bears and wild boars, the first blows were fatal. The feathers of the spears not only caused severe wounds, but also crushed bones and vertebrae. The key to success for hunters of that time was not only the ability to inflict fatal blows, but also to hold back powerful animals in place for some time.

The spears should not have slipped in the hands and, at the same time, should not have penetrated deeply into the heavy carcasses of angry wild animals. They had to be ready to strike again. For this purpose, crossbars began to be placed on the bushings of the tips, but more often pieces of horns were suspended. Such crossbars did not allow spears to penetrate animal carcasses beyond the bushings of the feathers.

To keep the shafts rough and not slip in the hands (even when wet with blood), they were almost completely wrapped with narrow leather straps and nailed. Sometimes a plume of horsehair or animal fur was hung from these hunting spears under the feather. Such decorations also had practical purposes - they prevented the shafts from getting wet with blood. Some people, in order to make hunting spears lighter, made their tips hollow. Like any hunting weapon, boar and bear spears had decorative elements, including gilding.

Sometimes strange shafts were depicted - sometimes twisted, sometimes lumpy, sometimes braided with leather. To obtain such a lumpy, rough and at the same time patterned surface of the shaft, a special technology was used. The trunks of living trees were cut in places, or even freed from the bark. Next, the required patterns were applied to their surfaces using a knife, and then everything was covered with bark.

After some time, the incisions began to swell. When living trunks reached the desired configurations and sizes, and something like swellings, nodules and patterns appeared on them, the trees were cut down and carefully dried. These “naturally decorated” shafts were sometimes brought to amazing beauty.

Hunting spears[ | ]

Bear hunting Spearhead.
Kostroma. XV-XVI centuries They used a spear to kill large and dangerous animals (bear, aurochs, wild boar), since it was designed to inflict a wide and deep wound. When struck, she was held with both hands. Below the tip there was often a crosspiece that prevented the weapon from penetrating too deeply into the wound in order to keep the animal at a safe distance. The sharp tip, or the entire structure, was called a rozhon

(hence the well-known proverb “get into trouble”)[2][3][4].
The shaft of the spear - the spear
- was approximately the height of a person, it was made thick and strong enough so that one could take an attacking animal onto the spear, resting the end of the shaft on the ground.

Rogatina was a weapon similar to a spear, but with a wide, flat and sharp feather on both sides, which for this type of weapon was called the horn itself. Under the spear there was an apple, and under it a tule, mounted on a shaft or icon. To make it easier for a warrior to hold a weapon, two or three metal knots were attached to the temple, and for rich people it was wrapped with gold or silver braid, silk braid, belts, etc.
— P. P. von Winkler “Weapons. A guide to the history, description and depiction of hand weapons from ancient times to the beginning of the 19th century"

In 1255, Daniil of Galicia, while hunting boars, “killed three of them with a horn”[5].

The most famous is the spear of the Tver prince Boris Alexandrovich, dating back to the first half of the 15th century. The sleeve contains images, the meaning of which is currently unknown - they are associated either with Christian motifs or with events from Tver life. This spear is listed third in the inventory of the Armory Chamber in 1678: “The rod is red damask steel, the tulle is lined with carved gilded silver - grass and people and birds are carved; on the tulle on the edge there are two lines of signature: Rohatina of the Grand Duke Boris Alexandrovich.” It was valued at 40 rubles[6].

Purely hunting slingshots are also mentioned: “Four steel slingshots, Moscow case, bear ... their price is half a ruble”[6].

Popular picture "The hunter stabs the bear, and the dogs gnaw"

Hunting spears were used quite often when hunting bears until the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries.

And the bear got angry and reared up. But the man was smart, He attacked the bear, He planted a spear in her, Which is higher than the navel, lower than the liver. The bear crashed onto the damp ground, And the man slashed her belly, Whipped her belly and skinned her...
— A. S. Pushkin, “The Tale of the Bear”

“Bear spears” (German: Bärenspieß, English: Bearspear) were also known in Western Europe, but were extremely rare there.

Hunting methods

Hunting a bear with a slingshot uses two different tactics:

First of all, this is a one-on-one approach to the bear.
In this case, hunting most often took place in winter, when the clubfoot was sleeping in a den. The beast was awakened, and in a state of rage he walked towards the hunter who had disturbed him. Usually in such a situation, the bear stood on its hind legs and fell on the person with all its weight. At this moment, the bugbear needed to point the feather of the hunting spear at the heart of the animal, and rest the opposite end against the ground. Under its weight, the bear impaled itself on it and the hunter could only hold the shaft in his hands until the predator died. The method is extremely risky.
Corralling a bear with the help of dogs.
Usually several people take part in the hunt. The bear is chased until it falls into a pre-prepared trap or is stopped by specially trained dogs. After which the predator is stabbed with a spear. Aim for the neck or heart. Not one blow is delivered, but several. After which the spear is kept in the animal’s carcass until it gives up the ghost.

Depending on the type of fishing, there are two types of slingshots:

Berlogya. A heavy spear more than 2 meters long. The shaft had a length of 176 centimeters, was weighted and had great strength. The feather is 35 cm long, 7 cm wide and 1 cm thick. In order to lighten the weight, the tip had channels on each side;
Lightweight option. Feather length – 32 cm, width – 6.5 cm, thickness – 0.9 cm. The length of the shaft is similar to a den spear.

Sources

https://MilitaryArms.ru/oruzhie/holodnoe/rogatina/
https://WarBook.club/oruzhie/holodnoe/rogatina/
https://brakonyerov.net/ohota/xishhniki/na-medvedya-s-rogatinoj.html
https://ru.wowhead.com/quest=53178/%D0%BE%D1%85%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%87%D1%8C%D0%B5 -%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BF%D1%8C%D0%B5-%D0%BA%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BE%D1% 81%D1%82%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BE-%D0%BF%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA %D0%B0

Darts and spades

There are many known images dating back to various periods in history, representing mounted warriors armed with javelins, spears or pikes, as well as the usual bows. Spearheads are often found among archaeological finds. The Scythians used darts 2 to 3 m long. These darts were used as piercing and throwing weapons for hunting and war.

The Sarmatians are known for their heavy cavalry armed with spears. The Huns also often used long spears.

A new type of spear tip spread among the Avars. The Mongols also used spears or pikes, some equipped with a hook with which they could throw the enemy from the saddle. The light cavalry of the Mongols was armed with bows, but could additionally have javelins, while the heavy cavalry had a pike as its main weapon, and the bow played a supporting role.

Hunting with a slingshot in modern times

Nowadays, despite the ongoing, heated discussions of this type of hunting, no real evidence or descriptions of it are found. The most people hunt is a wild boar. There are three main reasons for this:

a great threat to the life of this event;
high availability of reliable firearms;
lack of real specialists who practice and are able to correctly teach this method of hunting.

By the way, the same applies to hunting with a knife. Yes, before they killed a bear with a special “bear” knife, but either they were entangled in trapping nets, or they finished off an animal that had already been taken to the spear. Otherwise, going after a bear with a knife is considered suicide, and then feeding the bear.

What kind of game can there be?

According to the hunting classification, all game is usually divided into feathered - as you guessed it, birds are included here, and four-legged - this includes animals.
Each region has its own game. Somewhere there are more roe deer and elk, but fewer wild boars and deer. Or vice versa – foxes and hares predominate.

In turn, game birds are divided into pine game, steppe or field game, waterfowl, meadow or swamp game, and mountain game. Again, each region is dominated by its own species. At the same time, hunting for all types of game is strictly regulated by special rules and laws regulating not only the beginning and end of the hunting season for a particular type of game, but also the amount of game that can be shot, the method of obtaining game...

It is very important that hunters adhere to these rules and laws, since otherwise their hunting turns into a banal illegal act, which is called poaching

Bear: description, habits, nutrition

The bear is found everywhere in Russia: dense forests, tundra, mountains - this solitary animal lives everywhere. The predator keeps to itself: the female meets the male only for a few days during the mating period, and then bypasses the larger male when she has cubs. The bear's cubs are of different ages; one-year-old fosterlings look after their younger brothers.

The bear is a gourmet animal, so in the summer its destructive traces can be seen in raspberry fields. The animal feeds from spring to late autumn, feeding fat in berry fields, destroying bee nests, and hunting forest inhabitants. The clubfoot marks its territory up to several hundred kilometers with odorous marks and scratches on the trunks of large trees. Males have 5 times more extensive possessions.

The bear feeds mainly on plant foods: snorting, digging for grass roots, and happily eating acorns and bird eggs. Does not disdain insects, amphibians, rodents, fish. He often does not kill roe deer, deer, and musk deer himself, but takes them from other predators. If the clubfoot is not hungry, it withers the meat by burying the carrion in brushwood and waiting nearby. During spawning, its main prey is salmon in mountain rivers.

Fattening up for winter, the animal in hungry years is capable of robbing apiaries, dragging away cows and sheep, and encroaching on oat and corn crops. Males also hunt bear cubs, choosing male babies. The clubfoot feeds until late autumn, accumulating a subcutaneous fat reserve of up to 180 kg, and settles into a den for the winter.

Bear in winter

The activity of the predator in winter depends on its habitat. If there is enough food for a full existence, it does not hibernate. In areas with a harsher climate, males and females with cubs look for hibernation sites of the right size.

Lifestyle

From the end of October to March the bear sleeps in its den. He sleeps on his side, curled up in a ball, on his back, less often sitting with his head down. His sleep is not sound: in case of danger, the predator awakens and begins to look for another shelter. During thaws it awakens and leaves the shelter; during cold spells it returns to the den.

The bear does not fall into suspended animation: its heart beats just as rhythmically, but a little slower, a repeated process of recycling waste occurs in the intestines, so during hibernation the animal does not defecate or urinate. The clubfoot does not suck its paw, contrary to popular belief: the skin on the animal’s paw pads sheds and cracks, which is why it licks the itchy places.

If a bear has not had time to accumulate subcutaneous fat during hibernation, it may wake up at the wrong time and “stagger” in search of food. Trouble is to those who cross his path. Such a connecting rod attacks everyone indiscriminately, as he feels the inevitability of death from hunger. Connecting rods rarely survive until spring.

At the beginning of winter, the female bear gives birth to offspring. The cubs feed on the milk of their sleeping mother, whose nipples are located in the armpits and groin, where the offspring will be warmest. In the spring they run briskly, having gained weight. They are born blind, naked and weigh 500 g.

The hibernation period lasts from 2.5 to 6.5 months. Awakening depends on the speed of the arrival of spring and the geographical latitude of the habitat. An emaciated bear emerges from its den and loses up to 80 kg over the winter. Old males leave winter roosts earlier than all other relatives. Wary females with cubs later awaken and come out into the light.

Den

Newcomers to hunting often ask what a bear’s den looks like and is it difficult to find? This question can be answered by knowing the location of the bear’s winter shelter.

He chooses his winter “apartment” under uprooted trees, in a deep hole with windbreaks on top, and occasionally in the mountains. An animal can come to spend the winter in the same place every year. The bear carefully lines the bottom of the den with pieces of turf, bark, herbs, and leaves. A bear's den can have from one to four exits, so hunting a predator is dangerous due to its unexpected exit from an emergency exit. The beast is able to prepare several shelters for itself and change them.

Bear dens are divided into:

ground;
semi-ground;
riding;
exotic.

Dirt is a convenient refuge for a clubfoot. It takes seven days to arrange it. The bear digs a passage 1.5 meters deep, then the space expands into a nest for the winter. The size of the shelter depends on the size of the owner. Under a thick layer of snow, on a bed of leaves and moss, a clubfoot sleeps well.

Semi-ground dens are built by bears under the roots of huge trees. In a couple of days, the beast enlarges the “apartment” and drags branches on top. These winter huts are difficult to uncover.

The bear's top den is prepared by the animal in a few hours: a carpet of leaves is lined, and the top is covered with brushwood. The lair is not so protected from prying eyes, but it is often encountered.

Dens in places unusual for hibernation are called exotic: haystacks, abandoned dugouts and huts. Before the final hibernation, the clubfoot thoroughly confuses the trail, meandering, passing through hard-to-reach places, moving backwards.

Requirements for hunting with a spear

Remember, only determined and brave men can be sent on this type of hunt! They must have at least some theoretical and practical skills on how to properly catch an animal with a spear. Slingshots must understand their partners using gestures, without any words. Speaking is allowed only in exceptional situations, for example, when there is great danger.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=WJp3aFHnaec

It is best to go hunting with a slingshot in the fall or early winter, before a lot of snow falls. It is very difficult to move when there is a large amount of snow, and the hunter should not be burdened with anything in his movements. You definitely need a partner, no amateur performances! You may need help at any moment, and besides, you cannot carry all the equipment on yourself. It will be more effective if you also take dogs for such a hunt. They will bark and hold the beast until you impale the beast on the spear.

How to properly hunt with a spear

The distance from man to beast should be more than twenty steps.
Watch every movement of the beast.
Prepare the fighting area in advance and drive the bear there.
Show the predator your fear and at the same time hide the spear behind you so that you can use it at the right moment. The bear should not see her under any circumstances, otherwise you will scare him away and maybe he will run away.
Develop your dexterity so that in the event of a predator attack you will stick the spear in time.
The place where you encounter a bear should be in an open space, free of trees and twigs. Otherwise, a tragedy may happen to you, and not to the beast.
Strike fast, strong and short without swinging. It is best to stick a weapon in the groin, under the shoulder blade or in the chest.

Using a slingshot for hunting

Bear hunting with a spear is an original Russian version of “safari”. Hunters-catchers were predominantly found in Rus' in the 19th century, especially known in the circle of bear hunters such as Korolkov, Martemyanov, Koreshkov, Andrievsky.

A rod in tandem with a hunter and a trophy in the form of a bear at any time demonstrated the intelligence, dexterity, strength and excellent hunting skills of a man. This type of hunting today is of more sporting interest than the extraction of food or the protection of livestock, and is used much less frequently than others.

An assistant or partner in this case significantly reduces the risk, provided he is experienced. But still, there is a risk, for which hunting with a spear is still revered.

One of the hardened Russian bear hunters told how a bear raised by dogs concentrates on the latter, waving its paws, but not attacking. Only upon seeing the hunter, the bear realized the danger and even then rose into battle.

But the bear didn’t just get up and start attacking, he was cunning. He pretended not to notice the hunter, turned away from him, beckoning him closer. When the hunter hesitated out of fear or was too cautious, coming closer, the bear would lay back its ears and rush at the pursuer like an arrow. If the distance is significant and the animal needs several jumps, then the attack is accompanied by short but loud roars.

Two experienced opponents, an animal and a man, have equal chances, and if the bear rushes to attack first, which is what the hunter needs, then the hunter’s quick reaction and a deftly placed spear, on which the bear dresses, are extremely important.

Sometimes a hunter uses a knife in conjunction with a slingshot. The bear, already resting on the spear and trying to hook a person with its paw and mouth, is struck by the hunter not only with the spear, but also with a knife in the right side.

A bear often attacks like a dog, on all four legs, less often standing on two. The rod is directed to the front part of the bear’s body, less often under the groin, so that with its own pressure the bear is “impaled” on the tip. Often the hunter makes a blow with a spear, which must be very strong, fast and aimed at the right place, not at the bone, in order to cause maximum damage.

If a group of hunters goes hunting, they don’t talk while attacking, it’s akin to a ritual

Silence and certain movements speak about the intentions of the hunters and everyone must understand the other without words - this is important. Hunting a bear with a spear takes place on the verge of life and death, this is a huge risk

During the attacks, only the bear and the barking of dogs should be heard; only in case of emergency can you shout out the right word, understandable to everyone.

Game classification

And now we invite you to dwell in more detail on the generally accepted classification of game and find out which types of animals and birds belong to specific species.

Meadow or swamp game

Successful hunting for meadow game

This category includes species of game birds that live in wetlands and meadows. These include snipe, hollow, waders, rails... Most swamp game is found in floodplain swamps located along the banks of rivers, in lowlands of swamps, in swampy grassy meadows remote from rivers and reservoirs, which are adjacent to lakes. In such places you can find almost all types of swamp game.

As a rule, hunting for these birds is carried out from August to November, but depending on the area there may be different periods for shooting birds. Read more about hunting swamp game.

Upland game

This is what a black grouse looks like - a representative of upland game

The category of upland game includes forest birds that live in forests. These are black grouse, wood grouse, hazel grouse, woodcock, pheasants and even wild pigeons. It is noteworthy that all types of upland game are united by an increased threshold of sensitivity to various factors of disturbance and anxiety. Among upland game there are many species of birds that are taken under protection due to their small numbers. For other bird species, only minor shooting is possible, for which permission must be obtained.

Waterfowl

Ducks are classified as waterfowl

Birds that spend most of their lives on the water can easily be included in this category. These are ducks, geese, loons, swans, coots, grebes... Among these birds there are many that are listed in the Red Book and hunting them is prohibited. However, it is no coincidence that hunting for waterfowl is considered the most widespread, since there are enough objects that can be hunted in the period from August to November. Having a good gun, appropriate equipment, a trained dog, and a decoy duck, you can kill a lot of waterfowl in a season.

Field or steppe game

This is what a rare bustard looks like

This category includes species of game birds that prefer to choose places with open landscapes for their habitat. These include partridges, bustards, little bustards, quails, and some of the shorebirds that live in steppe regions. However, due to the low number of field game, hunting it is prohibited in many areas. Shooting of bustards and little bustards is strictly prohibited. As for quails and partridges, they can be shot only if there is a massive increase in their numbers.

Mountain game

This is what a rock pigeon looks like

This category includes bird species that live in the mountains. Snowcocks, chukars, desert partridges, mountain pigeons... However, hunting for many of them is prohibited due to their low numbers.

Animals

This category includes wild animals that belong to the class of mammals. Hunting for them is carried out in autumn and winter. Hunting for ungulate animals - elk, deer, wild boar, roe deer - is very popular. No less popular and willing to hunt fur species - such as hares, foxes, wolves, martens, raccoon dogs... To shoot an animal, you must obtain a license and a shooting card.

Also, there is an internal division of types of animal hunting into sport hunting - for the sake of interest, and commercial hunting, when hunting is carried out for commercial purposes, for the extraction of skins, in particular.

Red game

Roe deer is also classified as red game

Refers to animals, but this includes species such as deer, bear, wild boar, roe deer and elk. This game is called so due to the red color of the meat. In some areas, hares are also considered red game.

Bears on the streets of Russia

Despite the barbaric attitude towards brown bears, in Rus' they have been revered since ancient times as sacred animals. For example, a leash with a bear was brought into the house if the cattle was very ill. The beast walked around the yard and suddenly began to dig into the ground. In the place where the bear dug a hole, bones or hair were found - objects of the conspiracy. As the things were burned, the cattle recovered.

People believed that only a bear could “smell” black magic. After this, the animal received a reward: a table on which stood honey, berries and fruits. However, the respect that bears inspired in people did not prevent them from becoming trained actors and brutal fighters.

“Bears (entertainment). Old Moscow". A. Vasnetsov

Notes

Rogatina // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg, 1890-1907.
↑ Horn // Explanatory dictionary of the living Great Russian language: in 4 volumes / author's compilation. V. I. Dal. — 2nd ed. - St. Petersburg. : Printing house of M. O. Wolf, 1880-1882. - T. 4.
Rozhon // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg, 1890-1907.
Rozhon // Biblical encyclopedia of Archimandrite Nikifor. - M., 1891-1892.
Kirpichnikov A.N., “Ancient Russian weapons”, 1971.
↑ “Antiquities of the Russian State, published by the highest order.” Division III. Armor, weapons, carriages and horse harnesses.
Viskovatov A.V., “Historical description of clothing and weapons of Russian troops.”

Rogtitsa, rogditsa, etc.

In the “Ipatiev Chronicle” under the year 1256 it says: “He was a warrior, ruled his right hand, took away the horns

From your belt, throw it far away, and strike the prince of Yatvingian from your horse.”
Here the rogtica
(
rogticha
,
rogtichya
) at first glance appears to be a light throwing weapon, something like a sulitsa worn in a waist belt.
However, according to A.N. Kirpichnikov, based on the same Ipatiev Chronicle, this is a weapon of the impact-crushing type, like a club or club: “In the 11th-13th centuries. objects of this kind, which served for military purposes, were called cornea, cornea, rogditsa, rogtich
.
In battle, with a rogditsa
(worn near the belt) and even threw them at the enemy.”
Kirpichnikov also indicates that the word is of Greek origin, but Sreznevsky does not: “ Rogditsa, rogditsa, rogtitsa
- club, stick, club.”
P.P. von Winkler probably mistakenly equated the horn
with the spear.

Moreover, in Polish the word rohatyna ("horn") is borrowed from Russian, and rogacina means arrowhead in heraldry.

In Veliky Novgorod there is a street called Rogatica, in Bosnia there is a town called Rogatica.

Descriptions of slingshots[ | ]

Interesting information about the design of slingshots is available in the inventories:

“The horn is made of damask steel, slotted, the apple is lined with gold, under the apple there are lobes, along the tulle the tracks are gilded, the piece is white scaly bone, on the piece there is an apple with a pipe, three gilded silver knots, the ears are embroidered with drawn gold and silver on a scarlet gzu; a silver gag, armed with a green silk braid and gold. And according to the current census of 1687 and inspection, that spear matched the previous census books; the price is sixty rubles, and in the previous inventory book the fifth was written" [ source not specified 262 days

“The damask horn is slotted, two grains of Burmita roll in the slots, the tulle is erased on the edges, the paths between the edges are gilded, the grass on the ring is lined with gold, an apple is placed on top of the tule and above the apple is applied with gold. And according to the current census and inspection, that spear matched the previous census books, an ivory, white, carved, ox-blooded ivory temple; silk braid of worms with silver, ears sewn on green lath with spun gold; a silver gag, three gilded silver knots, a silver and gilded apple; the price is sixty rubles, and in the previous inventory book the sixth was written" [ source not specified 262 days

The ceremonial spear, among other weapons, was carried by the tsars behind the king.[9]

The inventory of Boris Godunov’s property mentions: “Rohatina English, according to the skepish there are four iron rods, a copper nail. Rogatina German, slanted with gold, she has a silk brush with worms and gold, a sparse wooden black or grooved one. Rogatina German, the grass is cut into an opening and gilded, it has a brush of silk worms with gold, a sparse wooden black skinny faceted. Rogatina Moskovskaya, painted in gold, on the crown is the signature of the words the name of Boris Fedorovich; skepticism of language”[6].

Spear transformations

The prototype of the Slavic spear is a spear. The oldest and simplest polearm in design did not remain unchanged during the time of its use. Like other types of offensive weapons, it changed in configuration, adapting to changes in the art of hunting and hand-to-hand combat.

Even the social status of the spears was different: they were weapons of representatives of the low class and a symbolic sign of power among noble people. Originating in ancient times, at the dawn of human civilization, stakes with pieces of bone attached became the prototype for many types of hunting or military weapons.

Spears were used mainly as piercing weapons. Initially it had narrow long tips. The difference was in the length of the shafts, due to the use of horsemen or foot soldiers. Changes in fighting tactics led to spears being used differently.

Royal fun

In the 17th century, every noble house had a kennel. Not only dogs were kept there. Brown bears lived in separate enclosures and were released only for performance. There was even a special profession - bear hunters. These people were trainers, guides, and directors.

Various bears lived in the kennel yard. Those animals that were never seen freely were called “learned”, that is, tamed and trained. Bears caught in the forest as adults were branded “rutted.” Such animals were only suitable for fighting and baiting. Wealthy people allowed themselves to diversify their “bearish assortment.” Sometimes in the kennel yards there were polar bears, which were specially caught and brought for fun.

As a rule, fun was held in the backyard inside round arenas surrounded by walls. In winter, bears and dogs were taken to frozen rivers, where the animals entertained spectators by slipping and falling.

Daggers

Scythian from a Persian relief.
A short akinak sword hangs on his side. Characterized by a long caftan, boots and a pointed hat. The dagger was an invariable attribute of the nomad. The Scythian dagger was shaped like an akinak. The Sarmatians used daggers with a crescent-shaped hilt head; later daggers with a ring-shaped head appeared, which also appeared on Sarmatian swords. Turkish daggers had a complex-shaped handle and a straight blade, although daggers with a curved blade are also known.

The Scythians, as a rule, armed themselves with one short sword. Already the Sarmatians had two blades with them: a sword and a dagger. In parallel, the system of two blades developed among the Japanese samurai, undoubtedly under influence from the mainland.

Weapon Selection

Typically, long-barreled rifled or smooth-bore weapons are chosen. The first has the following advantages: it hits further and leaves no chance for the animal to escape. The caliber needed is 8.5-9.5 mm, 14 g bullets, since the bear is a large and swift animal. The gun must be aimed and not fail.

Hunting in a den involves shooting from a smooth-bore weapon, starting from 12 gauge: a small-caliber gun can wound but not kill a clubfoot, then all the fury of the bear will fall on the uninvited visitor. The lethal force of a shot depends on the weight of the bullet and the mass of gunpowder. For a smoothbore gun, heavy Polev 6 and 6u bullets are selected. The “Elk” or “Bear” carbines with the 9.3 x 54 R cartridge, which are used for shooting at close ranges, are well suited.

Self-loading weapons are rarely used, since they require smooth handling when reloading, for which there is absolutely no time, and jerking will cause the cartridge to jam. You can take an SKS self-loading carbine with a caliber of 7.62 mm with a standard cartridge. A self-cocking weapon can fail due to the cartridge cooling in the chamber in the cold, because the automatic mechanism works from the combustion of powder gases.

Some useful tips:

It is customary to shoot an attacking bear in the open mouth or nose, but if he is distracted by a dog, in the area from eye to ear. With little confidence in a successful shot, they shoot in the heart area.
For shooting at dusk and from a long distance, for example when hunting oats from an ambush, cartridges with large projectile deformation are selected. In the absence of snow, a wounded animal can easily get away and then attack a hunter following the trail in the dark.
When hiding an animal “in the sun”, where the bear fattens in the spring on sweet roots and herbs on the mountain slopes, you will need long-range and flat flight of the bullet over significant distances (250 m). The cartridge is selected with a power reserve of 10 mm to meet bears of different weights. It is useless to take a smoothbore gun for mountain hunting; you will need a repeating carbine, in addition to the fitting.

When going on a bear hunt, you should still adhere to humane methods of capturing the animal. In the process of hunting, a person gets to know himself, tests the reliability of his comrades in extreme situations. Hidden strengths and weaknesses of character are revealed here in their entirety, so this test is not only physical, but also moral.

Types of bear winter shelters

The den can be ground, semi-ground or raised. The most common type is the semi-ground shelter. Their construction takes no more than 3 days. Most often, they are located under the roots of a tall tree, when the predator only expands the space under the roots and masks it all with branches and small trees from above. In winter, such a shelter is almost impossible to find.

A dirt den is the most comfortable type of shelter for living. They are a dugout, which takes the bear about a week to build. First, he digs a short hole - about one and a half meters. And then it makes a nesting chamber for hibernation.

The size of the den, naturally, will be directly dependent on the size of the animal. Before falling asleep until spring, the clubfoot covers the floor with available material - moss, leaves, grass, and then closes the entrance hole with branches. Such actions allow you to maintain a comfortable temperature level in the shelter even in severe frosts.

There are cases when a bear hibernates in abandoned hunting huts, in haystacks and other equally exotic places. And if you are lucky enough to find such a rookery, remember its location. Tree notches can help you with this.

Also, do not forget that before going into winter sleep, the bear tries to thoroughly confuse its tracks. It passes through windbreaks and other hard-to-reach places, meanders, and can even follow its tracks backwards. And only after this the clubfoot with a clear conscience can allow himself to fall asleep.

Arcana and other weapons

The Sarmatians used lassos to capture prisoners or to throw the enemy from the saddle. The same can be said about the Huns. The Mongols also had lassos. The lasso is a common herder's tool. Pausanias describes the use of lassos as reminiscent of the lasso used by modern cowboys.

In addition to lassos, chronicles mention battle axes and maces, the design of which depended on the time and place of use.

Shields are known throughout the history of the steppe; they are often mentioned in texts, but are much less common in drawings. Judging by the few surviving examples, the shield is a reed frame covered with leather.

Ancient hunting with a spear

Bear hunting with a spear was common until the beginning of the 20th century. Rogatina is an ancient weapon that is still in demand when hunting clubfoot. From a primitive sharpened stake, the spear was transformed into an improved weapon against a huge beast. A triangular tip with sharply sharpened edges was attached to a powerful two-meter shaft.

To prevent the spear from getting stuck in the animal's body, a piece of horn (hence the name of the weapon) or a crossbar was tied to the shaft. Often, to prevent slipping, the pole was wrapped with leather straps, studded with nails, and horse hair or animal fur was hung so that the pole would not get dirty with blood. For lightness, the shaft was made hollow inside.

For the shaft, special trees with a straight trunk were chosen so as not to plan them additionally. Usually, young ash trees were grown for these purposes, since its wood is strong and will not break at the decisive moment of the fight. The trunk was wrapped with pieces of leather for even greater strength of the future object, as it was called in the old days. This technology for creating the shaft eliminated the slipping of hands along the bloody trunk.

Bear hunting in Siberia was carried out with a spear made a little differently. The Siberian spear was distinguished by its lightness and consisted of a knife mounted on a stick, tightly wrapped with boiled birch bark for strength.

In engravings of the 17th century you can see the amazingly beautiful design of the spear. Patterns and bumps appeared on the shaft thanks to a special technology. On the living trunk, the bark was cut in places and the desired pattern was cut out, then covered with bark again. And after a certain time, the grown trunk was cut down, dried, and the cuts, swollen in the shape of a pattern, looked like a skillful design.

A real spear was a double-edged blade (feather), called a “bear blade,” with a high rib and deep valleys along both blades for blood flow. The wider the feather, the more it injures the animal, damaging its bones and cervical vertebrae. A crossbar was installed at the base of the blade; it protected the hunter from the claws of a resisting bear.

Prince Shirinsky - Shikhmatov, a fan of bear hunting with a horn, who personally took more than a hundred clubfooted animals in this way, suggested using a feather with two spring-loaded knives. These knives opened already in the shaggy man’s body and left no chance to escape.

A rod, a knife, an ax and a sharp point for a long time remained reliable companions for the common man on a bear hunt. With a spear they hunted in the den and chased the animal with dogs. The burrow spear was more massive than the spear used in pursuit hunting. A centuries-old weapon, the spear served hunters well when paired with a sharp bear knife.

Pike

This version of the weapon is perhaps closest to the “original” purpose of the spear. The tip of the pike was mounted on a long shaft and could be either flat or faceted. The latest modification was called “armor-piercing” and was designed to penetrate armor. Which, in fact, it did successfully, since the faceted tip was much stiffer than the flat one and successfully withstood a collision with the iron of armor or chain mail. The pike “worked” equally well on Tatar kuyaks and on the solid breastplates of European warriors.

The entry of sharpened metal into the chest caused, at a minimum, pneumothorax, which the healers of that time did not know how to treat. Particularly advanced warriors made the blade (this name seems to be true for a piece of metal, the side edges of which were sharply sharpened) serrated. When trying to remove the spear from the enemy’s body, the teeth caused additional damage.

In short, in the hands of an experienced fighter this weapon was very dangerous. But human thought, as was rightly said before us, does not stand still. Especially in the field of creating means of killing their own kind. Human rumor has preserved legends about those who, having received a pike in the chest or stomach, pulled themselves up along the shaft and “explained” to the enemy how wrong he was. Perhaps in those days people were stronger and painful shock was just an annoying nuisance for them. However, the tip of the spear soon received a limiter and the weapon began to be called

Other types of hunting

In addition to den hunting, there are many more types of fascinating and exciting game prey:

on oats;
from the approach;
with dogs;
on bait;
with a knife.

Used at different times of the year, all these types are in no way inferior in excitement and adrenaline rush to hunting in dens, because here waiting for the appearance and hiding of a bear also requires fortitude and enormous endurance.

On oats

This type of bear hunting is suitable for non-professionals. Knowing the bear's predilection for ripened oats, they ambush him. However, the slightest noise can scare away the predator, and it leaves, snorting and chattering its teeth. It is better to select areas for hunting where the forest is close to the plantings.

The storage shed should be prepared on the leeward side, and traces of construction should be removed well. A hut will not be such an effective shelter, since the animal can smell it, and it is not very convenient to see the area from behind the branches.

The bear will come to feast on oats at dusk, so it is better to occupy a place in an ambush or storehouse in the evening. If you are hunting oats from the approach, you should go around the field in the early morning: the bear in the morning is not as vigilant as in the evening, so you will be able to sneak up on it at a fairly close distance.

Hunting from the approach

This is a risky type of bear hunting, and therefore it is advisable to carefully prepare for it.

Wear clothes made from natural fabrics, as they will create less noise when coming into contact with ears of oats. A hat with a protective pattern is put on the head, and sneakers or soft sneakers are put on the feet. When the animal begins to rise above the field, you should press yourself to the ground.

If you spot a bear grazing in a field using binoculars, move only from the leeward side. Walk while the animal is feeding, avoiding making noise when it is listening.

It is safer to hunt in the morning than in the evening, since shots in the light are more accurate, and the wounded animal is easier to see from a distance.

Hunting with dogs

Bear hunting in the fall is carried out with the participation of experienced bear dogs, who can easily find a hidden animal, especially if the snow is not too deep. Bear hunting with dogs begins when the bear has already gained fat and shed. During this period he has a rich, long coat.

Usually, sensing dogs, a bear tries to find support in the form of a tree or stone, sit with its back to it and fight off the dogs’ attack. The dogs are able to hold the bear until the owner arrives, who stops the fight between the animals with a point-blank shot.

If the wounded animal does leave, dogs should not be allowed to track it in the evening: finding a wounded animal in the morning is safer for dogs and will not be difficult.

Hunting on bait

This kind of bear hunting is one of the most effective and common ways to hunt the animal in the spring. Having lost weight over the winter and being hungry after a long hibernation, the bear rushes for any food, including carrion. For bait, you usually take a barrel with stones, between which there is bait in the form of meat and fish. The barrel itself is firmly secured among cobblestones and snags so that the bear does not drag away the bait.

Another way to organize a bait: place a dead carcass with its head facing north or east in a log house made of birch logs. The bear will smell the carrion and will try to get close to it, and against the background of white trunks it is easy to notice. You can lure a predator by placing pieces of meat and fish along the path leading to the bait site.

The ambush is made higher than the bait itself, so that it is more convenient to view the surroundings. It is necessary to shoot just below the slaughter point, since optical illusion can be misleading, and the bear itself may appear taller than it actually is.

With a slingshot at a bear

Bear hunting was carried out in two ways: - in a den; - while chasing with dogs. Accordingly, there were two types of spears: - den, massive and heavy. They had feathers about 70 mm wide, at least 10 mm thick, 35 cm long. Ratishchi were 176 cm long. To lighten the weight, channels were made in the feathers on different sides, one at a time; - for pursuit. Such rogulins had feathers about 65 mm wide, 10 mm thick, and at least 320 mm long. The feathers smoothly passed into reliable necks, then into tubes, which were placed on the hosts.

The shafts were usually made of bird cherry and rowan. In the spring, the plants were chopped and withered, but not completely dried. Such artifacts, 4.5 cm thick, were very durable, elastic, and did not chip. Before planting, the butt side of the host was treated with resin. People have used such spears for centuries.

A weapon that seems primitive at first glance deserves respect. They went hunting with him until the 20th century, showing considerable courage, dexterity and strength. Such a long service life is explained by the efficiency and reliability of the spears, simple and inexpensive manufacturing methods.

A spear

Macedonian phalanx

Infantry Spears

Against infantry

A feature of the tactics of the Macedonian and then Hellenistic phalanx was the differentiation of weapons by rank. Its first two ranks consisted of heavily armed shield-bearers with one-handed spears (and before archaeological finds, it was mistakenly believed that the spears of the second rank hoplites were longer than the copies of the first rank hoplites). Starting from the third row, the warriors carried sarissas - unusually long spears with a massive counterweight; Accordingly, such warriors were called sarissophorans

. The sarissas lengthened with each row and reached up to 670 cm, and their weight (despite the tiny tip) could exceed 6 kg.

Sarissophorus did not strike with his weapon. Even if controlling the sarissa was physically feasible, he could not see the enemy in any case. Sarissophorus detected the enemy tactilely - he poked his spear until it rested on something solid, after which he began to push, thus transferring pressure on the enemy shields not by pushing forward his comrades from the front ranks, but directly. This method of fighting not only made it possible to press on the enemy in the most effective and economical way, but also gave the fighters of the first two rows the opportunity not to push with shields, but to deliver targeted blows with spears.

Against cavalry

Warriors with a spear and sword.
Miniature from the “Stuttgart Psalter (English) Russian.” 825 Spears used against cavalry evolved from spears used in hunting. The rod could also be used for striking (although the awkward shaft and lack of counterweight prevented such use), and even for throwing, but only for a few meters. Moreover, the penetrating power of such a spear turned out to be good, because its weight exceeded 2 kg. However, the versatility of the spear did not compensate for its low effectiveness when used for its intended purpose. To protect against horses, a weapon with a length of 300-500 cm similar in principle of operation was required.

The issue of protecting infantry from cavalry acquired the greatest relevance in Europe in the Middle Ages. With the advent of stirrups, cavalry became the main striking force of medieval armies. The infantry again began to form a dense phalanx, but were no longer armed with shields and sarissas, designed to fight mainly against infantry, but with giant spears mounted on war horses - pikes - weapons, however, almost as long, but even more clumsy than the sarissas. Peaks, mentioned in Europe at least since the 12th century, unlike sarissas, did not have counterweights, because when repelling a cavalry attack, their blunt end rested on the ground.

Dump of the Swiss and Landsknechts in one of the battles of the Italian Wars

By using a tip of a minimum size and making the shaft from relatively light wood, the weight of the pike was kept at 4.5 kg, but the point of application of this force had a lever of about two meters, which made the pike extremely inconvenient to hold.

In a battle with infantry, they did not strike with a pike; they simply pointed it at the enemy and advanced. The end of the pike was pinched under the armpit - this was the only way it could be held horizontally. Or, if the pikemen had cuirasses (which became common since the end of the 15th century), the blunt end of the pike rested on a special holder - a “current”, welded to the cuirass. This measure made it possible to achieve a more rigid fixation of the pike, which was important when pushing through enemy armor, and to slightly increase its effective length.

German parade of pikemen

In the 17th century, after the advent of mobile artillery, in order to increase the mobility of troops, the heavy pike began to be replaced by a light one - only 300 cm long, suitable also for striking. The light pike weighed less than the heavy one - about 2.5 kg, but had a much larger tip with a pair of additional blades that acted as a crossbar, and a counterweight, which made holding it more convenient. However, even such a pike remained too long for use in individual combat. The pikeman still carried a sword or dirk.

This new weapon spread throughout Europe slowly: in Sweden, light pikes were adopted at the beginning of the 17th century, and in Russia - only at the end of the 17th century.

The light pike, however, no longer provided completely satisfactory protection from cavalry - the prerequisites for its adoption arose only when pikemen began to fight cavalry together with musketeers. The spearmen blocked the attacking cavalry, and the musketeers shot the horsemen from behind them. With the advent of bayonets at the end of the 17th century, the role of pikemen began to be taken on by the musketeers themselves, formed in a square, and infantry pikes began to fall out of use. In 1700 they had already been withdrawn from service in France, but during the French Revolution they were removed from arsenals and had some use due to the shortage of guns.

Japanese Sasumata, Sodegarami, Naginata, Nagamaki

Outside Europe, 400 cm long pikes were used to fight chariots in China.

The pikes successfully stopped the cavalry, but they were poorly suited as an offensive weapon. Therefore, halberds, reeds and similar weapons were used to attack stopped cavalry. The most effective non-firearm weapon against cavalry in the hands of plate infantry was the halberd, which combined the properties of a spear, a long ax and a hook for throwing a rider.

In Russia, to cover the battle formation during cavalry attacks, slingshot spears shod with steel were used, which were connected to each other by means of loops and hooks. In 1756, the lower ranks of the newly created grenadier regiments were armed with 216 pikemen and 4,500 slingshot spears, which were intended for use only in wartime and were transported in a convoy. In fact, they were not used and were replaced by guns with bayonets[3].

Cavalry spears

Knights stabbing with spears.
Miniature from Maciejewski's Bible. 1240-1250 The most ancient cavalry had at most only javelins (for example, the Scythians had them). However, the dart could also be used in hand-to-hand combat, but as an exception. Nevertheless, with the advent of heavy cavalry in Greece and Macedonia, spears convenient for the rider also appeared. The basis was an ordinary one-handed spear, the center of gravity of which was shifted back with the help of a massive counterweight. In this way, the reach of the weapon was increased. It is characteristic that the first cavalry spears were held not in a lowered hand, but in a raised one, the blow was struck from top to bottom, in this case the recoil from the blow was directed mostly upward, and the rider remained in the saddle even without stirrups. However, such a spear turned out to be too short, among the Greeks and Macedonians up to 180 cm, among the Romans - up to 250 cm with a weight of 1 kg.

Soon the Macedonians figured out how to use sarissas in cavalry combat. It was possible to hold the 420 cm long sarissa only by taking it at the ready, and in this case the impact from the blow was in the horizontal plane. Without stirrups, the rider was doomed to fall, but this did not happen, since the sarissa was tied to the saddle with leather straps, and the straps absorbed the recoil.

Albrecht Altdorfer. "Victory of Charlemagne over the Avars", 1518

But here, too, a problem immediately emerged. The tip of the sarissa could crash into a tree or into the ground, and with the weapon fastened in this way, the rider would definitely fall, and along with his horse. To avoid such troubles, cavalry spears were given a property that sharply distinguished them from infantry spears, namely fragility. The shaft was made from the most fragile wood. Tethered sarissas were used by Parthian and Hellenistic cataphracts. Nevertheless, with such a spear it was possible to hit only along the course of movement, and the force of its blow was directly proportional to the speed of the horse, since the rider was now only directing it. Perhaps for this reason, the Romans remained faithful to the spears for the upper blow until the end.

With the invention of stirrups, cavalry spears or pikes began to be used everywhere. Usually they did not have any original design features: weight about 2.3-3.3 kg, a brittle shaft 280-340 cm, a small tetrahedral or flat tip, a counterweight. This is how they remained among the light and medium cavalry until the 20th century.

Among the eastern cavalry, the spear competed with the bow and saber, but in medieval Europe the heavy and long spear was the main weapon for the first strike. True, in an oncoming cavalry battle, after the first clash, the knights usually threw even unbroken spears and continued the sword fight. In battle with spears, the advantage was given to the one who reached further, therefore the knight's spears constantly increased, eventually reaching 440 cm in length with a weight of 4 kg or more. If a light cavalry pike reached only a meter in front of the horse’s head, then a Western European heavy cavalry spear reached 2-3 meters.

Arab spearmen. Etching by Daniel Hopfer. 1520s

It became difficult to strike with such a long spear, and, as in the case of the sarissa, the rider could only direct the blow. This was especially evident in the 15th century, when, with the spread of plate armor, the cavalry spear, like the infantry pike, began to rest against the current of the cuirass in a combat position. And even without cuirass - the European seat itself, being as strong as possible, which is necessary for fighting with spears, did not allow the rider to turn in the saddle[4]. The knight's spear operated at heading angles of plus or minus 45 degrees.

Bodyguard of Sheikh Bornu. Rice. beginning 1820s

From the 14th century, spears began to be glued together in the form of a hollow tube and received a conical shield that protected the hand. Hollow spears weighed less and broke more easily, which became especially important when they were thrust into the current. The expression “breaking spears” has since become synonymous with knightly combat.

The cavalry spear was designed for only one blow. After all, in battle the rider moved past the target at a speed of 10 m/s, and taking into account the addition of velocities during an oncoming attack - all of 20 meters per second. On the one hand, this led to a huge increase in the blow, and on the other hand, having delivered a piercing blow with a spear or sword, especially if this blow reached the target, the rider not only had no chance to pull out his weapon, but also found himself in a bad position. A weapon stuck into the ground or into an enemy acquired dangerously fast movement relative to its owner. A broken shaft seemed preferable to a broken arm, or even a neck.

Horsemen were so accustomed to the fact that after a blow with a spear they still had a club in their hands, that when in the 16th century pikes began to be replaced by pistols, this principle was preserved: pistols of the 16th-17th centuries had a weighty “apple” on the handle and after a shot they turned into a club .

When fighting on foot, knights often used their cavalry spears as one-handed spears. Actually, such a spear had to be held with one hand. But due to its excessive length, the cavalry spear turned out to be not a very convenient weapon for the infantryman. Due to its fragility, it could not perform the functions of a pike.

Ural Cossacks with lances. Rice. N. S. Samokisha

In the East, the spear underwent a different evolution. In Arab times, on the contrary, there was a tendency to shorten it. But the tip increased, becoming wide, flat and often curved. Being made of Damascus, it acquired, if not chopping, then cutting properties, and now did not break off in the wound, but turned out of it. This feature made it possible to equip the spear with a durable shaft and make it reusable.

In Rus', from the 15th century, slingshots became the weapons of Russian heavy cavalry (local cavalry). Then they entered Europe, where they became protazans. Their length, with a weight of 1.5 kg, no longer exceeded 250 cm, but they could deliver a variety of blows in all directions.

Spears for hunting

Along with military use, and perhaps even earlier, the spear was also used as a weapon for hunting and fishing. The peculiarities of hunting this or that animal gradually gave rise to special types of spears - precisely selected weight and length, with a special tip, and with a shaft made of a strictly defined type of wood. This is how the dart, harpoon, trident and boar spear appeared.

Street night watchman with a spear, engraving, Germany (1799)

In Europe, where hunting large game for a long time remained the privilege of the highest aristocracy, spears for hunting were made with extremely expensive finishing - some of them are kept in the armories of palaces and museums. In the 18th century, hunting with a spear was almost completely replaced by hunting with firearms, but for reasons of prestige, some hunters went out and continue to go hunting with this primitive equipment.

Spear hunting was fashionable in the 1930s in Germany. At the end of the 20th century, along with the fashion for “natural hunting” (with a bow or crossbow), interest in hunting spears increased.

Spears for protection

Count of Holland Jan II d'Aven.
Miniature by Hendrick van Hessel from a 15th century manuscript. In the first cities, the profession of a night watchman arose, who walked the streets and alleys of the city at night and ensured order and tranquility, stopped and interrogated suspects, tramps, and, if necessary, arrested them[5]. To attack thieves and wild animals, guards armed themselves with horns and spears whenever possible[6].

In Russia, during the days of the Pugachev uprising, detachments of peasants, retired soldiers and merchants armed with spears and spears were created to protect cities [7].