The Legend of the Spear of Destiny and the Creator of Tyrants

History of the Mysterious Spear

In 1912, a failed painter came across a curious relic in a Vienna museum. The artifact—owned by the Hapsburgs, the rulers of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire— was a spearhead with a patch and a nail inserted within it. It didn’t originate from the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. In fact, it came from a much older and prestigious empire that once ruled all of Europe, the Middle East, and Northern Africa. This Roman-era spearhead had a legend all its own, and was considered to be one of the most sought-after relics from the age of antiquity.

The painter knew this was no ordinary spearhead. This one held unimaginable powers; the type that could wipe away his failed attempt to enroll in a prestigious art school in the heart of a vast empire.

The spearhead went by several names:

• Holy Lance,
• Spear of Jesus,
• Vienna Lance, and
• Spear of Destiny.

Legend has it that it was part of the lance used by the Roman centurion Longinus to pierce Jesus' side during the Crucifixion.

最重要的是观察它的那个人,一个传奇had it that the spear possessed super powers. His colleague, Dr. Walter Stein, once told him that anyone in possession of this spear was destined to rule the world.

After leaving the exhibit, he became obsessed with it. Some accounts state that something sinister was born in his addled mind. Yet, that revelation wouldn’t come to fruition until 1938, when that young man, now the dictator, Adolf Hitler, demanded the spear to be taken back to Germany after his Nazi government annexed Austria into his empire.

The account mentioned about Hitler is mere speculation. However, there was no doubt that the notorious dictator had a keen interest in it, as did other emperors and kings that came before him.

So, where did this spear come from? For starters, it has a murky past. It was mentioned once in the Apostle John’s account of the Crucifixion. But, more details about it were revealed in the apocryphal collection ofChristian Gnostic Books, and from a book written in the 20th century. Since then, its legend has grown. In addition, to make matters more confusing and mysterious, several spears—not just one—are purported to be the genuine one.

Biblical Accounts

The story of the spear started with a passage from the “Gospel of John (19:31-37)”. It mentions that Jesus was crucified on a Friday. The Jews urged the Romans to remove Jesus and the two thieves crucified with him before the Sabbath (Saturday). Crucifixion was usually a slow death that could last for days. In order to speed up the process, the centurions broke the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus.

A soldier (unnamed in the Gospel of John) noticed that Jesus was already dead, and there was no reason to break his leg. However, he had to prove it. So, he stabbed him in his side. After piercing Jesus’ body, blood and water seeped from the wound.

Another book, the “Gospel of Nicodemus,” written in the 4th century—and not included in theNew Testaments—not only mentions the lance, but it also gives the centurion who stabbed Jesus a name. Longinus (or Logginus) was derived from the Latin word ofLancea Longini:a name that eventually became Lance in English.

A historical “Longinus” did exist and was credited with the authorship of the treatiseOn the Sublime, a book about rhetoric and writing written in the 3rd century. The name, however, is a pseudonym and appears to have nothing to do with the origin of the spear. Anyone with that name who lived during the time of Jesus was never identified.

Peter Bartholomew, the man credited with finding it claimed he had a vision of St. Andrew guiding him to the its resting place in St. Peter’s Cathedral in Antioch.

The Other Spears

During the reign of Constantine and later the dawn of medieval Europe, reports of the spear started to surface. It soon became apparent that several spears were identified as the Holy Lance. The three major ones were called the Vatican Lance,Echmiadzin Lance, and the Vienna (Hapsburg) Lance. Also, there were other replicas that were passed down from one generation to another that were purported to be the genuine item. Many of them have been lost to time.

Vatican Lancewas first reported by Antoninus of Piacenza in 570. In 615, Jerusalem was captured by the Persian forces of King Khosrau II. Among the items seized was supposedly the spear. Later, it was passed on to Nicetas, who took it to Constantinople. It stayed there until 1244, when it was sold to Louis IX of France and enshrined in Sainte Chapelle in Paris. During the French Revolution, it was removed and taken to Bibliotheque Nationale. It disappeared, but was rumored to be in the Vatican.

The Echmiadzin Lance was discovered during the First Crusade in 1098. Peter Bartholomew, the man credited with finding it, claimed he had a vision of St. Andrew guiding him to its resting place in St. Peter’s Cathedral in Antioch (where it was found). Currently, it is in the city of Echmiadzin, Armenia.

The Vienna Lance is considered by some researchers on the matter to be "the real one." It is also considered to be the one with the power to make or break leaders. Its first owner was Otto 1 (912-973) of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1000 he gave a replica to Boleslaw I of Poland. In 1084 Henry IV had a silver band—with the inscription “Nail of Our Lord”—added to it (hence the patch as seen in the lead photo). The nail (another addition) was believed to have been used in the Crucifixion. Henry IV also believed, without question, that it was the lance originally enshrined by Constantine the Great after it was brought to Constantinople.

Finally, in the spring of 1796, when the French Revolutionary army was approaching Nuremberg—the home of the lance at the time—it was whisked away to Vienna, where it was protected by Baron von Hugel, who promised to return the object as soon as peace had been restored. However, when the former owners, the Holy Roman Empire, was dissolved in 1806, the Baron decided to make some money off of it. Later, the Hapsburg were more than willing to pay and eventually gained possession of it.

The Spear's Power and Curse

In 1938, the Vienna Lance was relocated to Nuremberg, the heart of the Nazi movement. By this time, any relic considered to have supernatural or occult powers associated with it was being fetched by Hitler and his cohorts.

After the war, however, there was unverified speculation that another military leader, American General George S. Patton, had gotten his hands on it. Patton had always believed he was the reincarnation of great leaders such as Julius Caesar, and would have been well versed in the spear's significance. However, the spear was not in his hands for long when he returned it to Vienna. Later, he succumbed to injuries caused in a car accident.

The account of Patton's interest or brief ownership of the spear has never been proven.

Then again, the claim that the spear had magical powers to turn its owners into rulers was suspicious, at best. The first confirmed claim doesn't date 1000 years ago or even 500 years. It's possible that it's less than 50 years old.

In 1973, author Trevor Ravenscroft, made a bold claim in his book,The Spear of Destiny. He wrote that Adolf Hitler started World War II in order to capture the spear. Ravenscroft also reported that other great military leaders such as Theodosius, Alaric, Charles Martel, Charlemagne, and Frederick Barbarossa had possessed the spear at one time. Later in the book, he claimed that Napoleon was trying to obtain the spear after the battle of Austerlitz.

甚至提出了一个网站,矛was the influence for George Lucas’ Raiders of the Lost Ark.

To add to his account, Ravenscroft mentioned that the spear had a "Faust-like" quality. Faust is a reference to the literary character that made a pact with the devil in order to gain knowledge and/or power.

While great leaders used the powers of the spear to rule, they would eventually succumb to its curse . . .

The problem with this accusation is that it is unfounded. Most of the power Ravenscroft referred to is akin to New Age beliefs and magic. Still, this account has influenced (or inspired) many. It’s even suggested by one website that the spear was the influence for George Lucas’Raiders of the Lost Ark.While this is unverified, it should be noted that Indiana Jones' mentor was named Ravenscroft.

Today, the Vienna lance is back at the Hofburg Museum, where it was reported that Hitler first saw it more than 100 years ago. There, it’s just a historical relic with some significance. Hopefully, that significance will not include the desire for someone like that failed painter that became a ruthless dictator.

Further Reading About Mysterious Things

• Ropen: a Living Dinosaur or a Figment of Faith?
  Some people believe in living fossils. And one proof they give has to do with the mysterious Ropen of New Guinea. Is this flying beast the real thing or is it local lore propelled by true believers?

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2016 Dean Traylor