Jump to content

Partisan (weapon)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 176.160.50.56 (talk) at 13:52, 26 April 2022 (16th century (1500s) is NOT Middle Age.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Yeomen of the Guard with partisans
An officer's partisan from 1655
Indonesian weapons, including partisans

A partisan (also partizan) is a type of polearm that was used in Europe in the 16th, 17th, and 18th century.[1][2][3] It consisted of a spearhead mounted on a long shaft, usually wooden, with protrusions on the sides which aided in parrying sword thrusts. Like the halberd, it quickly became obsolete with the arrival of practical firearms, although it stayed in use for many years as a ceremonial weapon. In profile, the head of a partisan may look similar to that of a ranseur, spontoon, ox tongue, or spetum; however, unlike a ranseur, the lower parts of the head have a sharpened edge.

References

  1. ^ "Melee weapons: Partisan". All Things Medieval. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  2. ^ "Medieval polearms". Weapons Universe. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  3. ^ "Definition of partisan (weapon)". Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved 28 October 2014.