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75-572: Guran (or Goran ; Kurdish : گوران ) is a Kurdish tribe. One of their main historical centers is Dartang , a region whose capital is at Rijab , at the western end of the gorge where the Alwand River enters into the Zohab plain. The other one is Darneh , located east of Dalahu in the Zimkan valley. In both Gurani and Kurdish , the usual pronunciation is Gūrān . An earlier form, Gōrān ,

150-591: A shield . They also carried a curved sword, club , or hatchet as a sidearm . An important part in battles is often assigned to javelin-men, "whose weapons seem to inflict death at every blow". Multiple javelins were also sometimes carried by Egyptian war-chariots , in a quiver and/or bow case. Beyond its military purpose, the javelin was likely also a hunting instrument, for food and sport. The peltasts , usually serving as skirmishers , were armed with several javelins, often with throwing straps to increase stand-off power. The peltasts hurled their javelins at

225-519: A short sword . Javelins were often used as an effective hunting weapon, the strap adding enough power to take down large game. Javelins were also used in the Ancient Olympics and other Panhellenic games . They were hurled in a certain direction and whoever hurled it the farthest, as long as it hit tip-first, won that game. In 387 BC, the Gauls invaded Italy, inflicted a crushing defeat on

300-479: A coal mine in the city of Schöningen , Germany. Stratigraphic dating indicates that the weapons are about 400,000 years old. The excavated items were made of spruce (Picea) trunk and were between 1.83 and 2.25 metres (6.0 and 7.4 ft) long. They were manufactured with the maximum thickness and weight situated at the front end of the wooden shaft. The frontal centre of gravity suggests that these weapons were used as javelins. A fossilized horse shoulder blade with

375-498: A javelin or spear called Gungnir. It was created by a group of dwarves known as the Sons of Ivaldi who also fashioned the ship of Freyr called Skidbladnir and the golden hair of Sif . It had the property of always finding its mark ("the spear never stopped in its thrust"). During the final conflict of Ragnarok between the gods and giants , Odin will use Gungnir to attack the wolf Fenrir before being devoured by him. During

450-478: A projectile wound, dated to 500,000 years ago, was revealed in a gravel quarry in the village of Boxgrove , England. Studies suggested that the wound was probably caused by a javelin. In History of Ancient Egypt : Volume 1 (1882), George Rawlinson depicts the javelin as an offensive weapon used by the Ancient Egyptian military . It was lighter in weight than that used by other nations. He describes

525-621: A range of about 30 metres (98.4 ft), although the effective range is only 15 and 20 metres (49.2 and 65.6 ft). Pila were sometimes referred to as "javelins", but the archaic term for the javelin was " verutum ". From the third century BC, the Roman legion added a skirmisher type of soldier to its tactical formation. The velites were light infantry armed with short swords (the gladius or pugio ), small round shields, and several small javelins. These javelins were called " veruta " (singular verutum ). The velites typically drew near

600-644: A sword, and a shield. They were proficient at skirmishing and rapid maneuver, and played an important role in Arabic mounted warfare throughout the Reconquista until the sixteenth century. These units were widespread among the Italian infantrymen of the fifteenth century. The Welsh , particularly those of North Wales , used the javelin as one of their main weapons. During the Norman and later English invasions ,

675-510: A variety that was an important literary language since the 14th century, but it was replaced by Central Kurdish in the 20th century. European scholars have maintained that Gorani is separate from Kurdish and that Kurdish is synonymous with the Northern Kurdish group, whereas ethnic Kurds maintain that Kurdish encompasses any of the unique languages or dialects spoken by Kurds that are not spoken by neighbouring ethnic groups. Gorani

750-497: A wooden shaft. The iron shank was either socketed or, more usually, widened to a flat tang . A pilum usually weighed between 0.9 and 2.3 kilograms (2.0 and 5.1 lb), with the versions produced during the empire being somewhat lighter. Pictorial evidence suggests that some versions of the weapon were weighted with a lead ball at the base of the shank in order to increase penetrative power, but no archaeological specimens have been found. Recent experiments have shown pila to have

825-406: A young age in special military schools. Focusing on gymnastics to gain strength, hardiness, and endurance in childhood, they learned to throw the javelin – along with practicing archery and the battle-axe – when they grew older, before entering a specific regiment. Javelins were carried by Egyptian light infantry, as a main weapon, and as an alternative to a bow or spear , generally along with

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900-525: Is a javelineer . The word javelin comes from Middle English and it derives from Old French javelin , a diminutive of javelot , which meant spear. The word javelot probably originated from one of the Celtic languages . There is archaeological evidence that javelins and throwing sticks were already in use by the last phase of the Lower Paleolithic . Seven spear-like objects were found in

975-456: Is a matter of debate, but the differences between Laki and other Southern Kurdish dialects are minimal. The literary output in Kurdish was mostly confined to poetry until the early 20th century, when more general literature became developed. Today, the two principal written Kurdish dialects are Kurmanji and Sorani. Sorani is, along with Arabic , one of the two official languages of Iraq and

1050-567: Is also spoken in northeast Iran, as well as in certain areas of Armenia and Azerbaijan . Kurdish varieties constitute a dialect continuum , with some mutually unintelligible varieties, and collectively have 26 million native speakers. The main varieties of Kurdish are Kurmanji , Sorani , and Southern Kurdish ( Xwarîn ). The majority of the Kurds speak Kurmanji, and most Kurdish texts are written in Kurmanji and Sorani. Kurmanji

1125-610: Is an official language in Iraq. In Syria, on the other hand, publishing materials in Kurdish is forbidden, though this prohibition is not enforced any more due to the Syrian civil war . Before August 2002, the Turkish government placed severe restrictions on the use of Kurdish, prohibiting the language in education and broadcast media. In March 2006, Turkey allowed private television channels to begin airing programming in Kurdish. However,

1200-622: Is classified as part of the Zaza–Gorani branch of Indo-Iranian languages. The Zaza language , spoken mainly in Turkey, differs both grammatically and in vocabulary and is generally not understandable by Gorani speakers but it is considered related to Gorani. Almost all Zaza-speaking communities, as well as speakers of the closely related Shabaki dialect spoken in parts of Iraqi Kurdistan , identify themselves as ethnic Kurds. Geoffrey Haig and Ergin Öpengin in their recent study suggest grouping

1275-545: Is in political documents simply referred to as "Kurdish". The Kurdish varieties belong to the Iranian branch of the Indo-European family . They are generally classified as Northwestern Iranian languages, or by some scholars as intermediate between Northwestern and Southwestern Iranian. Martin van Bruinessen notes that "Kurdish has a strong South-Western Iranian element", whereas "Zaza and Gurani [...] do belong to

1350-458: Is not a unified language, its many dialects are interrelated and at the same time distinguishable from other Western Iranian languages . The same source classifies different Kurdish dialects as two main groups, northern and central. The average Kurmanji speaker does not find it easy to communicate with the inhabitants of Sulaymaniyah or Halabja . Some linguistic scholars assert that the term "Kurdish" has been applied extrinsically in describing

1425-459: Is not recognized in Turkey, and prior to 2013 the use of Kurdish names containing the letters X , W , and Q , which do not exist in the Turkish alphabet , was not allowed. In 2012, Kurdish-language lessons became an elective subject in public schools. Previously, Kurdish education had only been possible in private institutions. In Iran, though it is used in some local media and newspapers, it

1500-480: Is not used in public schools. In 2005, 80 Syrian and Iranian Kurds took part in an experiment and gained scholarships to study in Kurdistan Region , Iraq, in their native tongue. In Kyrgyzstan , 96.21% of the Kurdish population speak Kurdish as their native language. In Kazakhstan, the corresponding percentage is 88.7%. Javelin A warrior or soldier armed primarily with one or more javelins

1575-408: Is preserved in the Turkish version of the name, Göran . Ultimately, Vladimir Minorsky reconstructed the original tribal name as *Gāubārakān , related to the word gāubāra meaning "ox rider" or "bull rider". This name then through a series of regular sound changes: *Gāubārakān > Gāurakān > *Gōrakān > Gōrān > Gūrān . A separate word pronounced Gūrān also exists; it refer to

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1650-461: Is translated to simply mean Kurdish. The Mokriani variety of Sorani is widely spoken in Mokrian. Piranshahr and Mahabad are two principal cities of the Mokrian area. Zaza–Gorani languages , which are spoken by communities in the wider area who identify as ethnic Kurds, are not linguistically classified as Kurdish. Zaza-Gorani is classified as adjunct to Kurdish, although authorities differ in

1725-573: Is unlikely plumbatae were viewed by the Romans as the killing blow, but more as a means of stalling the enemy at ranges greater than previously provided by the heavier and shorter ranged pilum. The Gallic cavalry used to hurl several javelin volleys to soften the enemy before a frontal attack. The Gallic cavalry used their javelins in a tactic similar to that of horse archers ' Parthian shot . The Gauls knew how to turn on horseback to throw javelins backwards while appearing to retreat. The Hispanic cavalry

1800-664: Is written in the Hawar alphabet , a derivation of the Latin script , and Sorani is written in the Sorani alphabet , a derivation of the Arabic script . A separate group of non-Kurdish Northwestern Iranian languages, the Zaza–Gorani languages , are also spoken by several million ethnic Kurds. The classification of Laki as a dialect of Southern Kurdish or as a fourth language under Kurdish

1875-589: The Carthaginian Army and played a key role in assisting both Hannibal and Scipio during the Second Punic War . There is some literary and archeological evidence that the Norse were familiar with and used the javelin for hunting and warfare, but they commonly used a spear designed for both throwing and thrusting. The Old Norse word for javelin was frakka . The Anglo-Saxon term for javelin

1950-574: The Caspian provinces. For example, the 7th-century king of Tabaristan , Gil Gavbara , had a similarly derived name, and Hamdallah Mustawfi also mentioned a plain called Gavbari near the Kur estuary, where the medieval town of Mahmudabad was built. The name " Gilan " is also associated with a river in the modern Guran territory. Minorsky hypothesized that the ancestors of the Guran may have migrated to

2025-719: The Kakuyid emir Garshasp I , Garshasp initially took refuge with the Guran. Inal is then described as attacking Gurani Kurds in the vicinity of Saymarah , prompting Garshasp to flee to Hoveyzeh in Khuzestan . Around 1343, the Guran are mentioned in Shihab ad-Din al-Umari 's description of the Kurdish tribes. He referred to them as "powerful and bellicose" and composed of "soldiers and peasants", and listed two places they lived: Rāwst , led by an amir named Muhammad, and Dartang . In later centuries, Dartang would become known as one of

2100-526: The Roman Republican army , and sacked Rome. After this defeat, the Romans undertook a comprehensive reform of their army and changed the basic tactical formation from the Greek-style phalanx armed with the hasta spear and the clipeus round shield to a more flexible three-line formation. The hastati stood in the first line, the principes in the second line and the triarii in

2175-532: The war (and subsequent alliance) between the Aesir and Vanir at the dawn of time, Odin hurled a javelin over the enemy host which, according to custom, was thought to bring good fortune or victory to the thrower. Odin also wounded himself with a spear while hanging from Yggdrasil , the World Tree , in his ritual quest for knowledge but in neither case is the weapon referred to specifically as Gungnir. When

2250-518: The Ancient Egyptian javelin's features: It consisted of a long thin shaft, sometimes merely pointed, but generally armed with a head, which was either leaf-shaped, or like the head of a spear, or else four-sided, and attached to the shaft by projections at the angles. A strap or tasseled head was situated at the lower end of the javelin: it allowed the javelin thrower to recover his javelin after throwing it. Egyptian military trained from

2325-490: The Guran". A century later, al-Mas'udi also mentioned a tribe called Jābār.qī in his list of the Kurdish tribes of al- Jibal . The Guran appear frequently in the annals of the Hasanwayhid dynasty under the spelling Jūraqān . In 1014, members of the Guran killed the powerful Badr ibn Hasanwayh , who they had been allied with during a winter campaign but grew disgruntled with. A later description of these events, by

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2400-461: The Kalhur of Zohab "became absorbed in the Guran mass" - they became known as Guran themselves, and they split into three tribes: Qal'eh-Zanjir, Kerend, and Bevanij. The Bajilan were later removed from power in the early 1800s by Muhammad Ali Mirza, governor of Kermanshah . At this point, the Guran of Qal'eh-Zanjir assumed leadership, with their main residence at Gahvareh . The Guran tribe consist of

2475-537: The Kurdish languages into Northern Kurdish, Central Kurdish, Southern Kurdish, Zaza , and Gorani, and avoid the subgrouping Zaza–Gorani. The notable professor Zare Yusupova has carried out a lot of work and research into the Gorani dialect (as well as many other minority/ancient Kurdish dialects). During his stay in Damascus , historian Ibn Wahshiyya came across two books on agriculture written in Kurdish, one on

2550-432: The Kurds of Amadiya . This work is very important in Kurdish history as it is the first acknowledgment of the widespread use of a distinctive Kurdish language. Garzoni was given the title Father of Kurdology by later scholars. The Kurdish language was banned in a large portion of Kurdistan for some time. After the 1980 Turkish coup d'état until 1991 the use of the Kurdish language was illegal in Turkey. Today, Sorani

2625-587: The Kurds: Kurmanj , Lur , Kalhur , and Guran. He wrote that at his time, most of the Guran lived under the Kalhur and Ardalan . However, despite the important status he ascribed to the Guran, Sharaf Khan's references to them are relatively infrequent and somewhat muddled. According to Henry Rawlinson , the Kalhur were deposed as rulers of the Zohab region by the Ottoman sultan Murad IV . Murad then gave

2700-537: The Spartan formation, Iphicrates and his men were able to wear the Spartans down, eventually routing them and killing just under half. This marked the first recorded occasion in ancient Greek military history in which a force entirely made up of peltasts had defeated a force of hoplites. The thureophoroi and thorakitai , who gradually replaced the peltasts, carried javelins in addition to a long thrusting spear and

2775-428: The Turkish government said that they must avoid showing children's cartoons , or educational programs that teach Kurdish, and could broadcast only for 45 minutes a day or four hours a week. The state-run Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) started its 24-hour Kurdish television station on 1 January 2009 with the motto "we live under the same sky". The Turkish prime minister sent a video message in Kurdish to

2850-658: The Zagros region under the Sasanians, who may have encouraged this as a way of securing the ties between Iran and Mesopotamia. An early reference to the Guran may be in the works of the late 9th-century geographer Ibn Khurradadhbih , who mentioned "the revenue of Hulwan together with the Jābār.qa and the Kurds". Some manuscripts spell the name Kābār.ka instead. Minorsky interpreted this variation as representing an underlying form *Gābār.ka , which he said referred to "the ancestors of

2925-685: The anonymous author of the 12th-century Mujmal al-tavārīkh , consistently uses the modern name Gūrānān instead of Jūraqān and also adds that the Guran had been the closest to Badr of all his allied tribes before turning against him and killing him. Minorsky noted the Mujmal' s detail that the Guran killed Badr with javelins , a weapon historically associated with the Daylamites of the Caspian region. Several events in Ibn Athir 's chronicles for

3000-453: The approximate borders of the areas where the main ethnic core of the speakers of the contemporary Kurdish dialects was formed. The most argued hypothesis on the localisation of the ethnic territory of the Kurds remains D.N. Mackenzie 's theory, proposed in the early 1960s (Mackenzie 1961). Developing the ideas of P. Tedesco (1921: 255) and regarding the common phonetic isoglosses shared by Kurdish, Persian, and Baluchi , Mackenzie concluded that

3075-620: The best. The Numidians were indigenous tribes of northwest Africa . The Numidian cavalry was a light cavalry usually operating as skirmishers. The Numidian horseman was armed with a small shield and several javelins. The Numidians had a reputation as swift horsemen, cunning soldiers and excellent javelin throwers. It is said that Jugurtha , the Numidian king "...took part in the national pursuits of riding, javelin throwing and competed with other young men in running." [Sallust The Jugurthine War: 6]. The Numidian Cavalry served as mercenaries in

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3150-520: The culture of the vine and the palm tree, and the other on water and the means of finding it out in unknown ground. He translated both from Kurdish into Arabic in the early 9th century AD. Among the earliest Kurdish religious texts is the Yazidi Black Book , the sacred book of Yazidi faith. It is considered to have been authored sometime in the 13th century AD by Hassan bin Adi (b. 1195 AD),

3225-553: The details. groups Kurdish with Zaza Gorani within a "Northwestern I" group, while Glottolog based on Encyclopædia Iranica prefers an areal grouping of "Central dialects" (or "Kermanic") within Northwest Iranic, with Kurdish but not Zaza-Gorani grouped with "Kermanic". Gorani is distinct from Northern and Central Kurdish, yet shares vocabulary with both of them and there are some grammatical similarities with Central Kurdish. The Hawrami dialects of Gorani includes

3300-435: The early 11th century indicate that at least some of the Guran were living in northern Luristan . For example, in 1026, the Kakuyid emir Ala al-Dawla Muhammad grouped the Guran together with Saburkhwast (present-day Khorramabad ) under a single governor. The governor's deputy who directly oversaw the Guran was Abu'l-Faraj Bābūnī, who was himself related to the Guran. Later in 1046, when Ibrahim Inal captured Hamadan from

3375-551: The enemy's heavier troops, the hoplite phalanx , in order to break their lines so that their own army's hoplites could destroy the weakened enemy formation. In the battle of Lechaeum , the Athenian general Iphicrates took advantage of the fact that a Spartan hoplite phalanx operating near Corinth was moving in the open field without the protection of any missile-throwing troops. He decided to ambush it with his force of peltasts. By launching repeated hit-and-run attacks against

3450-457: The enemy, hurled javelins against their formation, and then retreated behind the legion's heavier infantry. The velites were considered highly effective in turning back war elephants , on account of discharging a hail of javelins at some range and not presenting a "block" that could be trampled on or otherwise smashed – unlike the close-order infantry behind them. At the Battle of Zama in 202 BC,

3525-564: The fact that this usage reflects the sense of ethnic identity and unity among the Kurds. From a linguistic or at least a grammatical point of view, however, Kurmanji and Sorani differ as much from each other as English and German, and it would seem appropriate to refer to them as languages. For example, Sorani has neither gender nor case-endings, whereas Kurmanji has both.... Differences in vocabulary and pronunciation are not as great as between German and English, but they are still considerable. According to Encyclopaedia of Islam , although Kurdish

3600-493: The fifteenth century. From the 15th to 17th centuries, classical Kurdish poets and writers developed a literary language. The most notable classical Kurdish poets from this period were Ali Hariri , Ahmad Khani , Malaye Jaziri and Faqi Tayran . The Italian priest Maurizio Garzoni published the first Kurdish grammar titled Grammatica e Vocabolario della Lingua Kurda in Rome in 1787 after eighteen years of missionary work among

3675-450: The flag of Eswatini there is a shield and two javelins, which symbolize the protection from the country's enemies. The Zulu warriors used a long version of the assegai javelin as their primary weapon. The Zulu legendary leader Shaka initiated military reforms in which a short stabbing spear, with a long, swordlike spearhead named iklwa , had become the Zulu warrior's main weapon and

3750-505: The following clans: This Iran -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Iraq -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Kurdish language Ancient Medieval Modern Kurdish ( Kurdî , کوردی ) is a Northwestern Iranian language or group of languages spoken by Kurds in the region of Kurdistan , namely in southeast Turkey , northern Iraq , northwest Iran , and northern Syria . It

3825-461: The god Baldr began to have prophetic dreams of his own death, his mother Frigg extracted an oath from all things in nature not to harm him. However, she neglected the mistletoe , thinking it was too young to make, let alone respect, such a solemn vow. When Loki learned of this weakness, he had a javelin or dart made from one of its branches and tricked Hod , the blind god, into hurling it at Baldr and causing his death. The god Runesocesius

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3900-524: The great-grandnephew of Sheikh Adi ibn Musafir (d. 1162), the founder of the faith. It contains the Yazidi account of the creation of the world, the origin of man, the story of Adam and Eve and the major prohibitions of the faith. According to The Cambridge History of the Kurds , "the first proper 'text'" written in Kurdish is a short Christian prayer. It was written in Armenian characters, and dates from

3975-471: The javelin-throwing velites proved their worth and were no doubt critical in helping to herd Hannibal's war elephants through the formation to be slaughtered. The velites would slowly have been either disbanded or re-equipped as more-heavily armed legionaries from the time when Gaius Marius and other Roman generals reorganised the army in the late second and early first centuries BC. Their role would most likely have been taken by irregular auxiliary troops as

4050-490: The language the Kurds speak, whereas some ethnic Kurds have used the word term to simply describe their ethnicity and refer to their language as Kurmanji , Sorani , Hewrami , Kermanshahi , Kalhori or whatever other dialect or language they speak. Some historians have noted that it is only recently that the Kurds who speak the Sorani dialect have begun referring to their language as Kurdî , in addition to their identity, which

4125-403: The large oval or round shields used at the time. Massed troops would unclip and hurl plumbatae as the enemy neared, hopefully stalling their movement and morale by making them clump together and huddle under their shields. With the enemy deprived of rapid movement and their visibility impaired by their own raised shields, the Roman troops were then better placed to exploit the tactical situation. It

4200-446: The main centers of the Guran; this mid-14th century account is the earliest definite mention of them in connection with their historical homeland. Wherever Rāwst was is unknown, although Minorsky speculated that it could have referred to "the habitat of the more easterly branch of the Guran". In the introduction to his 1596 History of the Kurds , the famous Kurdish historian Sharaf Khan Bidlisi wrote that there were four branches of

4275-563: The more heavily armoured galloglass . Various kingdoms and dynasties in China have used javelins, such as the iron-headed javelin of the Qing dynasty . Qi Jiguang 's anti-pirate army included javelin throwers with shields. Many African kingdoms have used the javelin as their main weapon since ancient times. Typical African warfare was based on ritualized stand-off encounters involving throwing javelins without advancing for close combat. In

4350-523: The name of the Sasanian prince Kūrān-Shāh (a son of Khosrow II ) as well as the medieval Georgian female given name Gurandukht . However, the Guranii may have been a different group than today's Guran, since the proposed original name *Gāubārakān seems unlikely to have already changed to the modern form Gūrān at that point. According to Minorsky, the origins of the Guran were likely somewhere in

4425-581: The north-west Iranian group". Ludwig Paul concludes that Kurdish seems to be a Northwestern Iranian language in origin, but acknowledges that it shares many traits with Southwestern Iranian languages like Persian , apparently due to longstanding and intense historical contacts. Windfuhr identified Kurdish dialects as Parthian , albeit with a Median substratum. Windfuhr and Frye assume an eastern origin for Kurdish and consider it as related to eastern and central Iranian dialects. The present state of knowledge about Kurdish allows, at least roughly, drawing

4500-722: The opening ceremony, which was attended by Minister of Culture and other state officials. The channel uses the X , W , and Q letters during broadcasting. However, most of these restrictions on private Kurdish television channels were relaxed in September 2009. In 2010, Kurdish municipalities in the southeast began printing marriage certificates , water bills, construction and road signs , as well as emergency, social and cultural notices in Kurdish alongside Turkish. Also Imams began to deliver Friday sermons in Kurdish and Esnaf price tags in Kurdish. Many mayors were tried for issuing public documents in Kurdish language. The Kurdish alphabet

4575-493: The other languages spoken by Kurds in the region including the Gorani language in parts of Iranian Kurdistan and Iraqi Kurdistan. Philip G. Kreyenbroek , an expert writing in 1992, says: Since 1932 most Kurds have used the Roman script to write Kurmanji.... Sorani is normally written in an adapted form of the Arabic script.... Reasons for describing Kurmanji and Sorani as 'dialects' of one language are their common origin and

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4650-401: The plumbata was fitted with an oval-shaped lead weight socketed around the shaft just forward of the center of balance , giving the weapon its name. Even so, plumbatae were much lighter than pila, and would not have had the armour penetration or shield transfixing capabilities of their earlier counterparts. Two or three plumbatae were typically clipped to a small wooden bracket on the inside of

4725-516: The primary Welsh tactic was to rain javelins on the tired, hungry, and heavily armoured English troops and then retreat into the mountains or woods before the English troops could pursue and attack them. This tactic was very successful, since it demoralized and damaged the English armies while the Welsh ranks suffered little. The kern of Ireland used javelins as their main weapon as they accompanied

4800-598: The region to the Bajilan , from near Mosul , who speak a dialect closely related to Gurani. According to Minorsky, the Bajilan must have originally been a branch of the Guran who had settled in the Mosul region, and Murad was intending to "control the Guran through his own subjects" by putting the Bajilan in charge of them. The Bajilan founded a new capital for themselves at Zohab on the outskirts of Guran territory. Meanwhile,

4875-505: The republic expanded overseas. The verutum was a cheaper missile weapon than the pilum . The verutum was a short-range weapon, with a simply made head of soft iron. Legionaries of the late republic and early empire often carried two pila , with one sometimes being lighter than the other. Standard tactics called for a Roman soldier to throw his pilum (both if there was time) at the enemy just before charging to engage with his gladius . Some pila had small hand-guards, to protect

4950-470: The social class of peasants. This word has a completely different origin and is derived from the word gabrān , referring to Zoroastrians . After the Islamic conquest, the term gabrān also came to mean "subjects" because Zoroastrians formed a subject population. The word then went through another series of regular sound changes to become *gaurān and then gōrān , at which point it became a homophone of

5025-407: The speakers of these three languages may once have been in closer contact. Kurdish varieties are divided into three or four groups, with varying degrees of mutual intelligibility. In historical evolution terms, Kurmanji is less modified than Sorani and Pehlewani in both phonetic and morphological structure. The Sorani group has been influenced by among other things its closer cultural proximity to

5100-431: The third line. While the triarii were still armed with hastae , the hastati and the principes were rearmed with short swords and heavy javelins. Each soldier from the hastati and principes lines carried two javelins. This heavy javelin, known as a pilum (plural pila ), was about two metres long overall, consisting of an iron shank, about 7 mm in diameter and 60 cm long, with pyramidal head, secured to

5175-454: The tribal name (then Gōrān ). As a result, there are many Kurds with the surname "Guran" or "Goran" that have no connection to the Guran tribe. Minorsky identified a possible ancient reference to the Guran in a passage written by Strabo that refers to a people called the "Guranii" (Greek: Γουράνιοι Gouránioi ) who lived "beyond Armenia ", near the Medes . This ethnic group may also be behind

5250-462: The wielder if he intended to use it as a melee weapon, but it does not appear that this was common. In the late Roman Empire, the Roman infantry came to use a differently-shaped javelin from the earlier pilum . This javelin was lighter and had a greater range. Called a plumbata , it resembled a thick stocky arrow, fletched with leather vanes to provide stability and rotation in flight (which increased accuracy). To overcome its comparatively small mass,

5325-497: Was france . In Anglo-Saxon warfare , soldiers usually formed a shield wall and used heavy weapons like Danish axes , swords and spears . Javelins, including barbed angons , were used as an offensive weapon from behind the shield wall or by warriors who left the protective formation and attacked the enemy as skirmishers . Designed to be difficult to remove from either flesh or wood, the Angon javelin used by Anglo-Saxon warriors

5400-489: Was a light cavalry armed with falcatas and several light javelins. The Cantabri tribes invented a military tactic to maximize the advantages of the combination between horse and javelin. In this tactic the horsemen rode around in circles, toward and away from the enemy, continually hurling javelins. The tactic was usually employed against heavy infantry. The constant movement of the horsemen gave them an advantage against slow infantry and made them hard to target. The maneuver

5475-434: Was an effective means of disabling an opponent or his shield , thus having the potential to disrupt opposing shield-walls. The Almogavars were a class of Aragonese infantrymen armed with a short sword, a shield and two heavy javelins, known as azcona. The equipment resembled that of a Roman legionary and the use of the heavy javelins was much the same. The Jinetes were Arabic light horsemen armed with several javelins,

5550-514: Was designed to harass and taunt the enemy forces, disrupting close formations. This was commonly used against enemy infantry, especially the heavily armed and slow moving legions of the Romans. This tactic came to be known as the Cantabrian circle . In the late Republic various auxiliary cavalry completely replaced the Italian cavalry contingents and the Hispanic auxiliary cavalry was considered

5625-418: Was used as a mêlée weapon. The assegai was not discarded, but was used for an initial missile assault. With the larger shields, introduced by Shaka to the Zulu army, the short spears used as stabbing swords and the opening phase of javelin attack; the Zulu regiments were quite similar to the Roman legion with its Scutum , Gladius and Pilum tactical combination. In Norse mythology, Odin, the chief god, carried

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