military fork

Like many polearms, the military fork traces its lineage to an agricultural tool, in this case the pitchfork.

Instead of being constructed like a military fork, a straight blade (as in su yari) was intersected just below its midsection by a perpendicular blade.

The head of a spontoon often had a pair of smaller blades on each side, giving the weapon the look of a military fork, or a trident.

Unlike a trident used for fishing, the military fork was rarely barbed and normally only consisted of two tines (prongs) which were straight compared to the original pitchfork.

Another is portrayed in a woodcut from the Nuremberg Chronicle of 1493, depicting the Red Sea drowning Pharaoh's army which is shown carrying a variety of staff weapons including halberds, flails and military forks as well as an ahlspiess.