I guess that, if we focus our eyes to it as being a robust rural implement, we find it no too heavy for a hunting lance. Besides, i take it that pikes and war lances are more pointy and slimer.
According to what i have read in this book of mine, bear hunters had them so 'heavy duty' that the heads could be disassembled, for handier reasons, and carried at the waist, in leather pouches, only mounting them when arriving at the hunting places.
The crosslets behind the head, called here 'travincas' (small beams), 'orelhas' (ears) or 'billetes' (a galicism), were popularized in Portugal since the realm of Afonso III (1245-79), although such device was known since classic antiquity( as referred by Sílico Italico, Pollux and Grattius). Local 'travincas' could be forged as part of the blade, or being made in various materials, like wood, horn, bone or iron, fixed to the blade or the shaft with crossed leather straps. So unless these travincas were part of the blade, would not remain in place after all this time.
At the base of the blade they used to attach pieces of cloth, with flocks or hair tufts, to protect the hand from sliping with the animal's blood. It could be that the small nail like pins on this blade socket had that purpose.
Also the shafts had crossed or spiral strips of leather, and even nail heads along their length, to allow for a better hand hold at the charge.
Lances for the bear were allways longer than the ones for pigs; the first with 2,5 to 3 mts. and the late 2 to 2,2 mts.; the variables applying to either mounted or foot using. Blades used to have 60 and 40 cms. respectively (with or without socket ?).
The woods used for hunting lances favoured by King Dom João I ( 1384) were hazel and osier. Ash was also one of the best. Actualy the Portuguese name for hunting lance is 'Ascuma', provenant from the old German 'Asc' (esche).
Hunting with lance was abandoned circa the end of XV century, being overtaken by the crossbow.
What in fact i keep expecting to learn is more on the metalurgic side ... like whether the particular way this blade is constructed may be 'classified' and considered an indicator of its age ... assuming it is indeed so old as XVI century.
Fernando
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