Hello good gents
I got this question: how long - in metters, cm, inches etc - was the Spanish tercio pike?
My friend found this document where one pike is compared with a Spanish one, since we do not know how long the Spanish might have been therefore I am asking you this seemingly simple question.
thanks
Dario
ps
also what might be the meaning behind this sword description in the context of XVII century Spain : una espada hancha (broadsword) de cinco de dos... de filo muy cortante (of a very sharp edge)?

Per your question of the length of a Spanish pike, the below website addresses this:

http://www.geocities.com/ao1617/TercioUK.html

One of the sources quoted states 5.2 meters, another 5.46 meters. I would doubt that they were totally uniform at all times, so both are probably correct.

Cheers!

Gordon

Una espada ancha de cinco dedos de filo muy cortante

A sword five fingers wide and very cutting edge.

I read this to mean the pike had an overall dimension of 5 to 5.4 meters which included a 25 centimeter iron head (hierro)
and and iron counterweight on the butt. (contra peso). The Spanish word for shaft is (eje) and he uses the word pica which I interpret as including the head and counterweight. The shafts were made of hardwood like ash (fresno).

http://www.geocities.com/es1617/armamentos.html
/La Pica:
La pica tenía una dimensión de *25* a *27 *palmas de mano (1 palma de mano =* 21* cm), es decir entre 5,0 y 5,4 metros de longitud, con de un lado una punta de hierro de *25* cm mantenida por una barra de metal y del otro un contrapesso de hierro. Las picas estaban hechas de madera dura como el fresno.

I translate this as:

The pike had a dimension of 25 to 27 palms of the hand(1palm of the hand = 21cm), that is to say between 5.0 and 5.4 meters of length, with on one side a point of iron of 25 centimeters held on by a metal bar and on the other an iron counterweight. The pikes were made of of hardwood like ash.


I took the use of the word " pica " to be inclusive - the whole pike not just the shaft. If he had said the palo(stick) or (eje) or (baston)- shaft was of 25 to 27 palms with a head of 25 cm then I would have interpreted it the way you did as a shaft of 5.4 meters + a head of 25 cm.

However in the last sentence, he does use the word pica to refer to the shaft so I could be wrong, as his wording seems a bit ambiguous.

As to "una lanza fuerte de nervio" - I read this as - strong lance of nerve (boldness) - I'll research a little harder to find out if there are other Castillian meanings for this word (nervio). My Spanish is South American ( Argentina and Colombia) and there are significant differences as with English from England, America, Australia etc.

As to the Spanish tercios and their pikes, I am not knowledgeable in that area and bow to your expertise as to their make up.

Curt

5.1-5.4m matches well with the 16-18 feet specified in various English directions for musters. I recall one of the original documents stating that it was important in a push of pike that your opponents not outreach you with longer pikes.

Cheers
Stephen