Lang Xian

A lang xian, which can be translated as "wolf brush" or "wolf bamboo" or "multiple tipped bamboo spear" was a branched, multi-tipped

spear A spear is a polearm consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with Fire hardening, fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable materia ...

with blades attached to the branches. The blades could be dipped in poison. The lang xian was a weapon well suited for defense, as it would be difficult for an opponent to assault the wielder without risking contact with the blades. It was probably an invention of the Chinese general

Qi Jiguang Qi Jiguang (, November 12, 1528 – January 17, 1588), courtesy name Yuanjing, art names Nantang and Mengzhu, posthumous name Wuyi, was a Chinese military general and writer of the Ming dynasty. He is best known for leading the defense on th ...

of the

Ming Dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

, who described it in his manual titled ''

Jixiao Xinshu The ''Jixiao Xinshu'' () or ''New Treatise on Military Efficiency'' is a military manual written during the 1560s and 1580s by the Ming dynasty general Qi Jiguang. Its primary significance is in advocating for a combined arms approach to ...

''. The manual describes that the lang xian acted as backup for the

rattan shield The rattan shield was used by the militaries of China and Korea since the Ming dynasty and the Joseon dynasty, respectively. The Ming general Qi Jiguang described its use in his book, the ''Jixiao Xinshu'', which was reproduced in the Korean ''M ...

bearers in a "

mandarin duck formation The ''Jixiao Xinshu'' () or ''New Treatise on Military Efficiency'' is a military manual written during the 1560s and 1580s by the Ming dynasty general Qi Jiguang. Its primary significance is in advocating for a combined arms approach to ...

". In Korea, the weapon, known as ''nangseon'', was mentioned as early as the 16th century martial arts manual ''

Muyejebo The '' Muyejebo'' (''Compendium of Several Martial Arts'') is the oldest extant Korean martial arts manual, compiled by Han Gyo (韓嶠) in 1598 during the reign of King Seonjo. With the addition of material from Japanese martial arts, a sup ...

'', which was based on the ''Jixiao Xinshu''. A notable variant design is

Xian Qiang Xi'an is the capital of the Chinese province of Shaanxi. A sub-provincial city on the Guanzhong plain, the city is the third-most populous city in Western China after Chongqing and Chengdu, as well as the most populous city in Northwestern Chin ...

(筅槍, lit. 'Brush spear'), which reduces the number of branches to four or five layers, sacrificing some defensive potential for increased maneuverability and lethality. Korean spears

Chinese polearms Traditional Korean weapons Spears {{China-hist-stub