The spear that pierced the side of Jesus as he hung on the cross has been one of the most fabled holy relics in history. The so-called “Spear of Destiny” is said to possess incredible supernatural powers that can make its carrier unbeatable in battle. But the spear also carries a terrible curse: lose it and you’re dead. Legend has it that the “Spear of Destiny” has passed through hands of Europe’s greatest conquerors, and its occult properties are said to have obsessed the Nazis. Tune in and find out how ghost historians, Attila the Hun, pseudo-histories, and a supernatural Forest Gump all play a role in the story.

Works Cited

Atwater, Richard. Procopius: Secret History. U of Michigan, 1963. Print.

Bird, Maryann. “Piercing An Ancient Tale.” Time. Time Inc., 08 June 2003. Web. 17 Aug. 2017.

“The Holy Lance.” CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: The Holy Lance. Web. 17 Aug. 2017.

Procopius, Henry B. Dewing, and Antōnios Emm. Kaldellēs. The Wars of Justinian. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett, 2014. Print.

Ravenscroft, Trevor, and Tim Wallace-Murphy. The Mark of the Beast: The Continuing Story of The Spear of Destiny. Newburyport: Red Wheel Weiser, 1997. Print.

Ravenscroft, Trevor. The Spear of Destiny. Place of Publication Not Identified: Wehman, 1969. Print.

Runciman, Steven. A History of the Crusades: Volume 1: The First Crusade and the Foundation of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1962. Print.

Smith, Jerry E., and George Piccard. Secrets of the Holy Lance: The Spear of Destiny in History & Legend. Kempton, IL: Adventures Unlimited, 2005. Print.