Fire Lance
Specifications
- Type
- Gunpowder Weapon
- Origin
- China
- Era
- 10th–13th century
- Notable Users
- Song dynasty soldiers, Jin dynasty infantry
- Epoch
- Middle Ages
History
The fire lance is the ancestor of all firearms. First documented in 10th-century China, it consisted of a bamboo or metal tube packed with gunpowder and attached to a spear. When ignited, it projected a jet of flame and shrapnel at close range while still functioning as a thrusting weapon. Over time, the fire lance evolved: barrels grew stronger, projectiles became standardized, and the spear component was discarded. By the 13th century, the fire lance had given birth to the hand cannon — the first true gun.
Significance
The fire lance is the single most consequential weapon on this entire poster. It is the direct ancestor of every firearm ever made. The principle it introduced — using an explosion to propel a projectile from a tube — would eventually render every other weapon category obsolete.
More from the Middle Ages
18 weapons
54 Weapons. Five Epochs. One Poster.
The Fire Lance is one of 19 weapons from the Middle Ages featured on the poster.
Get the Poster