In the 17th and 18th centuries,
lances were used not only by infantrymen, but also by cavalry. A cavalry lance was 2.8-2.9 m
(9-10 ft) long with a 12-cm (4") spear-head. Troopers fastened small flags - oriflammes - to their lances.
When charging, these flags
emitted a buzzing sound that suppressed an enemy psychically. A thrust
from a cavalry lance was very strong because it used the kinetic energy of
the spanking horse. In the Middle Ages, a heavy spear - the ancestor of
the cavalry lance - was a knight's main weapon. A champion could deliver a
strong collision blow that no armour could withstand. With the
development of firearms and with knights becoming regular cavalry,
the lance gave way to the broadsword and pistol. By the 18th century, mainly
the light cavalry was armed with lances.
