Key Point: The brandistock was a European polearm featuring a slender, thrusting blade with a hilt equipped with a mechanism for facilitating stabbing attacks. It gained popularity in the 16th and 17th centuries. The overall length of a brandistock was generally around 180 to 200 centimeters.
This article will cover the Brandistock polearm. everything from its origins, its uses, and of course, why it eventually stopped being used. So, strap in, and let’s investigate the next weapon in our polearm series … the Brandistock.
But before we continue, obviously we have to know one important thing. What on earth is a Brandistock polearm?
The brandistock was a polearm used in the 16th and 17th centuries. It consisted of a long wooden pole, up to 8 feet in length, with two rows of sharpened spikes mounted on it. It was primarily used by infantry to repel cavalry charges.
That was the short answer to that question. Now, if you are curious as to how a weapon can get a name like “Brandistock” then stick around, because we are going to go deeper into the origin of this polearm, right now.
Origin Of Brandistock
The brandistock was a type of polearm that originated in Europe during the late 16th century.
It was primarily used by Swiss pikemen and was designed to counter cavalry charges. It was essentially a long spear with a small crossbar at the end, which was used to prevent an enemy horseman from riding down the shaft and killing the pikeman.
Its “brandistock” is derived from the German words “brand” and “stock,” which mean “fire” and “stick” respectively. It is believed that this name was given to the weapon due to the burning brands that were sometimes used to reinforce the crossbar.
Now, let’s take a look at a famous battle in which the Brandistock took part.
Battle Where The Brandistock Played A Part
The brandistock saw significant use during the Battle of Bicocca in 1522, where Swiss pikemen used the weapon to great effect against the heavily-armored Spanish arquebusiers. The pikemen formed into tight blocks and advanced towards the enemy, using the crossbars of their brandistocks to ward off any charging cavalry.
Now for a segment on the ridiculous dimensions of the Brandistock.
Its Dimensions
The brandistock was 8 to 9 feet in total length, with a blade measuring anywhere from 10 to 20 inches of the entire length.
Now for the materials from which it was made.
Materials It Was Made From?
The Brandistock was made primarily of wood, with a steel blade and crossbar.
The blade and crossbar were often reinforced with iron or brass fittings to make them sturdier. Sources suggest that the type of wood used to make the brandistock varied depending on the region in which it was produced. Which makes sense, use what you got available.
Let’s take a minute to take a look t the tactics that made the Brandistock deadly in battles.
Brandistock In Battle
In battle, Brandistock was used by pikemen in a tight formation known as a “hedgehog.”
The pikemen would form a wall of steel with their pikes and Brandistocks, using the crossbars to ward off cavalry charges.
The pikemen would then advance towards the enemy, using their pikes to stab and their Brandistocks to strike. The Brandistock was also sometimes used as a thrusting weapon, with the crossbar being used to catch an enemy weapon and then deliver a thrust with the blade.
Let’s see how Brandistock or more precisely why it disappeared from the field of battle.
Why Did It Stop Being Used?
As with other polearms of the era, they stopped being viewed as useful roughly at the same time as firearms became effective in battle. The reason was simple. Muskets, no matter how clumsy at first, were able to hit a target from further away than a guy holding a long polearm.
Precisely for that reason, armies started fitting their soldiers with muskets instead of polearms rather quickly. They were more effective and a lot cheaper and of course … easier to train.
And for that reason, Brandistock stopped being used in battle. A similar thing happened in Japan with this polearm.
In Conclusion
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. I hope you gained a gold nugget or two of knowledge here. If you wish to continue your exploration of polearms I suggest taking a look at this weapon.
Take care!
Source:
“Arms and Armor of the Medieval Knight” by David Edge and John Miles Paddock