Lance that pierced Jesus' side as he hung on the cross
Fresco by Fra Angelico, Dominican monastery at San Marco, Florence, showing the lance piercing the side of Jesus on the cross (c. 1440)
The Holy Lance, also known as the Lance of Longinus (named after Saint Longinus), the Spear of Destiny, or the Holy Spear, is alleged to be the lance that pierced the side of Jesus as he hung on the cross during his crucifixion. As with other instruments of the Passion, the lance is only briefly mentioned in the Christian Bible, but later became the subject of extrabiblical traditions in the medieval church. Relics purported to be the lance began to appear as early as the 6th century, originally in Jerusalem. By the Late Middle Ages, relics identified as the spearhead of the Holy Lance (or fragments thereof) had been described throughout Europe. Several of these artifacts are still preserved to this day.
Holy Lance relics have typically been used for religious ceremonies, but at times some of them have been considered to be guarantees of victory in battle. For example, Henry the Fowler's lance was credited for winning the Battle of Riade, and the Crusaders believed their discovery of a Holy Lance brought them a favorable end to the Siege of Antioch. However, in many conflicts the army or government that possessed a lance relic was instead defeated, as in the Sasanian conquest of Jerusalem, the sack of Constantinople, the Battle of Mühldorf, and the French Revolution.
In the modern era, at least four major relics are claimed to be the Holy Lance or parts of it. They are located in Rome, Vienna, Vagharshapat and Antioch. The most prominent Holy Lance relic has been the one in Vienna, adorned with a distinctive gold cuff. This version of the lance is on public display with the rest of the Imperial Regalia at the Hofburg.
Miniature of the Crucifixion from the Rabula Gospels. "Loginos" is depicted piercing the right side of Jesus with a spear.
The HolyLance, also known as the Lance of Longinus (named after Saint Longinus), the Spear of Destiny, or the Holy Spear, is alleged to be the lance that...
Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in Rome (spike of a nail). In the HolyLance of the German imperial regalia in the Hofburg Palace in Vienna. In the...
famed[citation needed] for bringing items he claimed were the Holy Sponge and the HolyLance (the "Lance of Longinus") to Constantinople from Palestine in 612...
crucifixion: the nail wounds on his hands and feet and the wound from the HolyLance which pierced his side.[citation needed] The revival of religious life...
appeared in the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus. The lance is called in Christianity the "HolyLance" (lancea) and the story is related in the Gospel of...
the relic of the HolyLance could be found. Saint Andrew instructed Peter to tell the Crusade leaders about this and to give the Lance to Raymond of St...
other items associated with Jesus' last days, such as the True Cross and HolyLance. One tradition predates the Grail romances: in the 7th century, the pilgrim...
of a hero-knight's task. Most versions of the story contain the Holy Grail and the Lance of Longinus as plot elements. In some versions, a third character...
same applies to Holy Nails, Holy Sponges, HolyLances, Holy Thorns and other Instruments of the Passion. Famous examples are the Holy Nail in the Iron...
population believed to be the HolyLance as Greek Orthodox sources document the possession and veneration of a HolyLance in Antioch as early as the tenth...
True Cross in the early 4th century. Relics claiming to be the HolyLance, Holy Sponge, Holy Chalice and nails from the cross were all venerated well before...
of Dorylaeum and Siege of Antioch. Adhemar is said to have carried the HolyLance in the Crusaders’ desperate breakout at Antioch on 28 June 1098, in which...
from the Holy Nails. The HolyLance is the spear used by the Roman soldier Longinus to pierce Jesus' side when he was on the cross. The Holy Sponge, is...
claimed the apostle St, Andrew came to him to show the location of the HolyLance that had pierced Christ on the cross. This supposedly encouraged the crusaders...
are regalia of the Holy Roman Emperor. The most important parts are the Crown, the Imperial orb, the Imperial sceptre, the HolyLance and the Imperial Sword...
connected with the legend of the HolyLance, which he is supposed to have carried into battle; his name is engraved on the HolyLance of Vienna, one of several...
"World-Tree" Yggdrasil. Other spears of religious significance are the HolyLance and the Lúin of Celtchar, believed by some to have vast mystical powers...
into an enchanted sleep. The knife may be intended as an analogy to the HolyLance, the spear used to pierce Jesus Christ, according to the Gospel of John...
chief skeptics about Peter Bartholomew's claims to have discovered the HolyLance in Antioch, and because of Arnulf's opposition Peter volunteered to undergo...
to be mistaken with the cave church called St. Peter. A version of the HolyLance was found in the treasury of the cathedral in 1098, by the forces of the...
630 kg (3.59 pounds). Some legends claim Joyeuse was forged to contain the Lance of Longinus within its pommel. The blade may have been smithed from the...
Calvary, its slopes symbolized by steps. To the viewer's left is the HolyLance, with which Jesus was wounded in his side, and to the right, the pole...
first archbishop of Gniezno. Otto III gave Bolesław a replica of his HolyLance, part of the Imperial Regalia, and Bolesław presented the Emperor with...
Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia. The Imperial Crown, Orb, Cross, and HolyLance of the Holy Roman Empire are also highlights. The first five parts are called...
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