Boar hunting

Lances such as this have served as weapons for the hunt on wild boar since the Middle Ages. The crossguard prevented piercing the animal all the way through. The shaft of these lances was made of sturdy ash wood. Hunting wild boar with the Saufeder required great experience and skill and is rarely practiced anymore. The risk of injury from the boars‘ tusks is significant. It was considered a regal test of courage, therefore, to go on a wild boar hunt only armed with a Saufeder. Accordingly, Charlemagne’s successful hunt on wild boar is prized in the St. Gallen manuscript Carolus Magnus et Papa Leo from the year 799.