Spear: Encyclopedia II - Spear - Symbolism

Spear - Symbolism

More than a weapon, a spear may be a symbol of power. In the Chinese martial arts community, the Chinese spear (qiāng 槍) is popularly known as the "king of weapons". The modern Regalia of many European countries include a spear as well as a sword. In ancient Greece it was a yoke of spears that had to be borne when submitting to an enemy. The Celts would symbolically destroy a dead warrior's spears to prevent their use by another.

Wotan's spear (called Gungnir) was of ashwood, made from the "World-Ash" Yggdrasil, and it may be remarkable that Chiron's wedding-gift to Peleus when he married the nymph Thetis at a wedding attended by all the Olympians, was an ashen spear (although this could be coincidental, as the nature of ashwood with its straight grain made it an ideal choice of wood for a spear).

Also in Greek Mythology Zeus' bolts of lightning can be interpreted as a symbolic spear, and some would carry that into the spear that is frequently associated with Athena, interpreting her spear as a symbolic connection to some of Zeus' power beyond the Aegis.

Another spear of religious significance was the Spear of Destiny, an artifact believed by some to have vast mystical powers.

Sir James Fraiser in 'The Golden Bough' noted the phallic nature of the spear and suggested the spear as a lance in the Arthurian Legends, paired with the Grail (as a symbol of female fertility), functioned symbolically as a symbol of male fertility.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Symbolism", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki