Lyster (multi-pronged fishing spear)

A lyster is a fork-shaped fishing spear with several prongs. Older Norwegian examples commonly had an iron head fitted to a long wooden shaft. It was used to spear and catch fish and is relevant today as a historical collectible.

Store norske leksikon distinguishes comb-shaped examples, with parallel prongs extending from a backing, from branched examples with prongs spreading from a central section. Shapes and prong counts vary. Eel spears are specialised variants. The name alone should therefore not determine the fish species or local origin of an unidentified example.

A documented comparison is available from Stockholm's Medieval Museum: an iron fishing spear. Its record concerns an individual find. That object's dating should not be applied to a loose implement merely because the shape looks similar.

For identification, photograph the complete implement, prongs, shaft attachment and any marks. Measure the head's width and surviving length, and note whether the shaft is missing. Also read about the fishing gaff, another historical fishing implement. This article treats the lyster as a historical object.

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