Lances were designed to shatter and be disposable?

[Ryujin]

Jousting lances are, but lances used in war are not.

They're not designed to shatter on impact, though. And actually, historically in the 14th-16th centuries, they weren't "one use". Late medieval war-lances weren't the fancy curved-guard things we see used in jousting, by and large, they were basically just long, relatively thick-hafted spears and often tapered a fair bit.

They were not "one-use" most cases - you might well lose one in a charge, in which case you change to whatever backup weapons you had, or ride off and get another lance, but you don't like aim to lose them.

And they were absolutely built sturdily enough to survive a charge.

That has always been my impression, as well. I recall reading somewhere about a tether being used in order to help retain the lance and the technique being to strike with it under charge, then turn the hand under and away after the hit in order to withdraw the lance in passing. The technique was later transferred to Cavalry Sabres, like the 1908 Pattern Sabre, which was more rapier than something like most of the curved 18th and 19th century sabres.

 

[Zardnaar]

I thought that was Henry II of France?

Probably same guy. His opponent may have been English or fought for them iirc.

 

[Quartz]

Jousting lances are, but lances used in war are not.

They're not designed to shatter on impact, though. And actually, historically in the 14th-16th centuries, they weren't "one use". Late medieval war-lances weren't the fancy curved-guard things we see used in jousting, by and large, they were basically just long, relatively thick-hafted spears and often tapered a fair bit.

So the video is wrong?

 

[Ruin Explorer]

So the video is wrong?

If it's saying war-lances in the 1300s through 1500s were designed to shatter, yes. The same is true later on as well. I can't speak to earlier ones. Jousting lances absolutely 100% were designed to shatter.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

So the video is wrong?

It's conflating the joust (sports) equipment with the weapon of war, is all.

 

[Umbran]

Darn right. How else am I gonna ride around, showing off my prey by letting him dangle from the end of my lance?

More importantly, if the lance breaks, it is going to do so at the moment the greatest force is being delivered... which is probably just before it pierces the target's armor.

Which, of course, would be sub-optimal.

 

[kigmatzomat]

Also keep in mind that prior to the adoption of both stirrups and high-backed saddles, a rider could not do the lance-under-arm maneuver because they'd risk knocking themselves off their own horse.

Early medieval lancers needed a stance that allowed them to apply a lethal amount of force to an enemy without transmitting the recoil directly to their center of mass. I'd imagine there were different over- and under-hand grips that weren't "tucked in" like the jousting lance.

 

[QuentinGeorge]

Probably same guy. His opponent may have been English or fought for them iirc.

The guy who (accidently) killed Henri II was a member of the Scottish Guard (the French regiment, of Scottish descent but actually French). He later converted to Protestantism and fled to Elizabeth I's England and the French tried to get her to extradite him back.

I think you may be conflating it with Henry VIII of England's bad jousting wound that happened around 20 years earlier. The English King never fully recovered from it, and it led to his obesity, health problems and probably even his terrible mental state later in life.