by Roberrific

Created on: February 22, 2007   Last Updated: May 11, 2007

Christians read in the Gospel of St. John (xix, 34), that, after the Saviour's death, "one of the soldiers with a spear [lancea] opened his side and immediately there came out blood and water". Here begins a fascinating story in Christian War Lore - compelling evidence suggests that the Spear of Longinus has been at the side of every great military leader, at the heart of every major world empire since Roman Times.

The spear can be traced back through history to Constantine the Great, the Roman Emperor who first adopted Christianity in the early 4th century. It was owned by a series of successful military leaders including Theodosius, Alaric (who was responsible for the sacking of Rome), and Charles Martel (who defeated the Moslems in 733 AD). It played a very colorful part in the Crusades and was sold to St Louis of France. A legend grew around the Holy Lance - whoever possessed it would conquer and rule the world.

According to the legend, Charlemagne carried the spear through 47 successful battles, but died when he accidentally dropped it. Barbarossa met the same fate only a few minutes after it slipped out of his hands while he was crossing a stream.

Napoleon attempted to obtain the Holy Lance after winning the battle of Austerlitz, but his troops failed to secure Vienna before it was smuggled away by the Emperor's dutiful caretakers.

Adolph Hitler saw the lance as his mystical connection with generations of conquering Germanic leaders that had come before him. On March 14, 1938, after rising to power as Chancellor Hitler annexed the state of Austria and ordered that the spear, along with the rest of the Habsburg collection, be sent to the city of Nuremberg, heart of the Nazi movement. There it remained until April 30th, 1945, at 2:10 PM, advancing American forces took possession of the vault and the spear. Eighty minutes later Adolf Hitler died, by his own hand, in a bunker in Berlin.
Today the Holy Lance has been returned to the Hofburg Museum. Is it authentic? General George S. Patton was so fascinated by the spear he had its history traced... Unfortunately he did not publish the findings.

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