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| Art by TL Jeffcoat |
At first glance, some would think the
Corseque was an over-sized fancy spear. It is actually a member of the polearm
family. It was very popular in Europe during the 1500’s and 1600’s.
There were many kinds of polearms, especially in Europe. Some had small axe
blades or spikes, some were topped with a single spear head, and some were
shorter and had multiple blades and spikes. The Corseque was around 4.5 to 7.5
feet (or 1.5 to 2.5 meters) and topped with three blades at the tip, but not
like a trident. The center blade was long and flat with two slightly thicker
but shorter blades flanking either side. All three blades were made as one
complete steel piece with a hollow interior at the base so that a long wooden
shaft could be wedged in.
Polearms were most often used by infantry to
keep warriors on horseback away from them in battle. The reach of most polearms
was enough to strike down a horse or the rider before they could get in reach
with hoof or sword. The Corseque had two different styles of blades. The center
blade had the typical purpose, to puncture anything that charges the warrior
holding it. The blade was long enough to completely penetrate the human body
or the neck of a horse and strong enough to puncture a breastplate with enough momentum.
