A lance was the long, heavy spear designed for a mounted knight’s charge.
European cavalry used lances to concentrate the force of a horse and rider against an opponent. A couched lance was tucked beneath the arm, allowing the rider, horse, and weapon to act as a single striking mass. This technique differed from simply holding a spear overhead or thrusting it independently.
Lances varied in length and construction. Tournament lances could be blunted or specially designed to break on impact, while battlefield lances were intended to penetrate shields, armor gaps, or bodies. The famous “broken lance” image in chivalric literature reflects the weapon’s tendency to splinter during a forceful impact.
A lance was not the same as every medieval spear. Terms changed across languages and periods, and infantry also carried spear-like weapons. The defining association is the mounted charge by a trained horseman. As firearms and pike formations expanded, the lance remained in some cavalry traditions but lost its central battlefield role.