Holding a Spear on your Back?

[cmmcgarr]

I noticed that in the Strategikon it mentions that cavalry would carry their lances on the backs when it wasn't in use. How would the spear be held up against the soldier's back so it wouldn't fall off or move around? Did they have some sort of sheath or sling to hold it (like how you might hold a group of javelins), or is it something else entirely?

[Michael Kerr]

Maurice mentions that riders should be armed with cavalry lances of the Avar type with leather thongs in the middle of the shaft and with pennons. So I am assuming that the leather thong or thongs of the lance is used to sling the lance over the shoulder and/or another part of the torso to secure the lance diagonally across the back of the rider and free the arms for shooting arrows. Don't know too much about the Avars so someone else might be able to better explain their use of weaponry.

Regards
Michael Kerr

[M. Val. Naso]

AFAIK not diagonally, but vertically on your shoulder, so only over one arm.

[Urselius]

Nineteenth century lancers often had a leather 'boot' attached to the right stirrup. When the lance was not in use the butt was placed in the stirrup boot and a thong attached to a point about a third the way up from the butt of the lance was wound around the upper right arm. With the lance in this position the lancer could fire a carbine or pistol. Presumably a similar arrangement would have enabled earlier cavalry to carry a lance and use a bow. In the absence of a stirrup the lance could have been attached to the footwear or spur of the rider, or to a strap depending from the saddle. The essence of any attachment system is that the lance be easily and quickly deployable. Also a single point of attachment at the centre of the lance shaft is not efficient due to excessive swinging of both ends, and for a double attachment system the upper point of attachment needs to be more flexible than the lower.