Trident
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2008-07-17T04:28:55Z
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{{Unreferenced|date=February 2007}}
{{otheruses}}
{{redirect|Leister}}
{{spearfishing topics}}
A '''trident''' ({{PronEng|ˈtrаɪdənt}}), also called a '''leister''' or '''gig''', is a three-[[tine (structural)|pronged]] [[spear]]. It is used for [[spear fishing]] and was formerly also a military weapon. Tridents feature widely in mythical, historical and modern culture.
==Etymology==
"Trident" is from [[French language|French]] ''trident'', from [[Latin language|Latin]] ''tridens'' or ''tridentis'': ''tri'' "three" and ''dentes'' "teeth". Several [[Indian languages]] use a similar word for "trident", ''[[trishula]]'', derived from [[Sanskrit]], meaning "triple spear".
==Fishing==
[[Image:Trident fishing gallaeus.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Dutch fishermen using tridents in the 17th century]]
Tridents for fishing usually have barbed [[tine]]s which trap the speared fish firmly. In the southern [[USA]], ''[[gigging]]'' is used for catching [[bullfrog]]s, [[flounder]], and sometimes [[carp]].
==Military use==
As a weapon, the trident was prized for its long reach and ability to trap other long-weapons between prongs to disarm their wielder. Tridents were also famously used by the ''[[retiarius|retiarii]]'', [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] [[gladiator]]s who used a [[Net (device)|net]] to wrap their adversary and a trident to kill him.
== Symbolic use ==
[[Image:statueofshiva.JPG|right|thumb|250px|A statue of [[Hinduism|Hindu]] God [[Shiva]], holding a ''[[trishula]]'', near [[Indira Gandhi International Airport]], [[Delhi]]]]
Parallel to its fishing origins, the trident is associated with [[Poseidon]], the [[god]] of the sea in [[Greek mythology]], the Roman god [[Neptune (mythology)|Neptune]], and [[Shiva]], a Hindu god. In Greek myth, Poseidon used his trident to create water sources in [[Greece]] and the [[horse]] (by striking a camel). Poseidon, as well as being god of the sea, was also known as the "Earth Shaker" when he struck the earth in anger he caused mighty earthquakes and he used his trident to stir up tidal waves, tsunamis and sea storms. In Roman myth, Neptune also used a trident to create new bodies of water and cause earthquakes. A good example can be seen in [[Gian Lorenzo Bernini|Gian Bernini]]'s ''[[Neptune and Triton (Bernini)|Neptune and Triton]]''.
A trident has also references as:
* [[Cadbury Schweppes]] [[Trident gum|Trident]], a brand of chewing gum. Named after the three plaque-softening enzymes included in the original formula.
* The [[Coat of arms of Ukraine]] (Tryzub) - the symbol of ancient [[Slavic tribes]] that once lived in [[Ukraine]].
* The [[National emblem]] of the [[Flag of Barbados]]
* The [[US Navy]] [[Special Warfare insignia]], worn by members of the [[US Navy SEALs]], contains a trident representing the three aspects (Sea, Air, and Land) of SEAL special operations.
* The golden colored [[Crest (heraldry)|crest]] of the [[United States Naval Academy]] depicts a trident running vertically in its background.
* The symbol of the Swedish Coastal Rangers, [[Kustjägarna]]
* Adopted by the Russian anti-Soviet revolutionary organization [[National Alliance of Russian Solidarists|NTS]] as the "forks of the people's anger".
* The trident or ''[[Trishula]]'' is the missile weapon of the [[Hindu]] god [[Shiva]], and it often includes a crossed stabiliser to facilitate its flight when thrown.
* The [[BSD Daemon]] carries a trident to symbolize the [[fork (operating system)|forking]] of processes in an operating system.
===Popular culture===
* The all inclusive resort company [[Club Med]] uses a trident in its company [[logo]].
* The Italian [[automobile]] manufacturer [[Maserati]] uses a trident in its company logo.
* ''Trident'' is the name of the [[US Navy]]'s Fleet Ballistic Missile program, consisting of [[Ohio class submarine]]s and ''[[Trident II]]'' D-5 [[submarine-launched ballistic missile]]s. It is so named because of its role in the three-pronged [[Single Integrated Operational Plan|SIOP]] nuclear war plan, based around sea-launched [[SLBM]]s first, followed by land-launched [[ICBM]]s, and lastly free-fall [[nuclear bombs]] delivered by air from [[strategic bombers]].
* Trident also refers to the [[Royal Navy]]'s nuclear Ballistic Missile system, consisting of [[Vanguard class submarine]]s and [[Trident II]] D-5 [[submarine-launched ballistic missile]]s. The name was chosen for the same reason as the US Trident.
* [[Hawker Siddeley Trident]] was a British jet airliner produced by Hawker Siddley at Hatfield in the 1960s, named after the [[tri-jet]] engine configuration.
* The Trident was a popular restaurant in the [[Marin county]] harbor town of [[Sausalito]], [[California]] during the 1960s and 70s. It was owned by the popular folk group [[The Kingston Trio]] and operated by their manager Frank Werber. Many famous patrons frequently visited including [[Janis Joplin]], [[Bill Cosby]] and [[David Crosby]]. The [[Rolling Stones]] held a private party at the eatery in 1974.<ref>http://tridentrestaurant.com Trident restaurant memories, mid-1960s through to the mid-1970s</ref>
* As a throwback symbol during the baseball team [[Seattle Mariners]]' 1977 season
====Literature====
[[Image:Poseidon sculpture Copenhagen 2005.jpg|thumb|right|[[Poseidon]] sculpture holding a trident]]
* In ''[[Drowned Wednesday]]'', part of the ''[[Keys to the Kingdom|Keys to the Kingdom Series]]'' by [[Garth Nix]], Wednesday's [[Keys to the Kingdom#The Keys|Key]] is a trident.
* In the "[[Percy Jackson & The Olympians]]" series of novels by [[Rick Riordan]], as in Greek mythology, the trident is the symbol of the Olympian Glory. It appears over a demigod's head when Poseidon claims the individual as his own.
====Comics====
* In [[DC Comics]], the superhero [[Blue Devil]] carries a trident.
* In [[Marvel Comics]], the superhero [[Namor]] the Sub-Mariner sometimes carries a trident.
====Television====
* In the ''[[Masters of the Universe]]'' toy line and cartoon series, [[Spikor]], an evil henchman of [[Skeletor]], has an extendable trident in place of his left hand. The three points fire lasers.
* In ''[[Reboot]]'', AI AndrAIa uses a trident
* In one of the [[Bill Brasky]] sketches on ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'', Bill Brasky is said to have killed [[Wolfman Jack]] with a trident.
* Triceraranger/Blue Ranger from ''[[Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger]]''/''[[Mighty Morphin Power Rangers]]'' is armed with a pair of tridents with circular ends that can join together.
* In the cartoon series "[[Ulysses 31]]" the Tridents were spacecraft used by the Gods of Olympus to attack Ulysses' ship, The Odyssey.
====Films====
* It was [[Characters of Disney's The Little Mermaid#King Triton|King Triton]]'s weapon of choice in [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]]'s ''[[The Little Mermaid (1989 film)|The Little Mermaid]]'' (1989) and the weapon of choice of Diana from the [[ION Television|PAX network's]] [[made for TV movie]], ''Mermaids'' (2003).
* In the movie ''[[Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy]]'', Brick Tamland uses a trident to kill a rival, later uttering the famous phrase, "There were horses, and a man on fire, and I killed a guy with a trident."
* In the [[Da Vinci Code]] they talk about the symbolic use of trident
[[Image:Trident, Burmese, 18th century.JPG|thumb|right|Trident, [[Burma|Burmese]], 18th century]]
====Gaming====
* In the popular [[Role-playing game|RPG]] ''[[Dungeons and Dragons]]'', the trident is available as a weapon. It is largely similar to the [[spear]], albeit more effective against charging opponents. However, it is lighter and deals less damage on a [[critical hit]].
=====Video games=====
* In ''[[Golden Sun: The Lost Age]]'', Felix and party collects the three pieces of the Trident of Ankhol, which is the only item able to break through [[Poseidon]]'s impenetrable shield.
* In ''[[Age of Mythology]]'', the objective for the second mission involves getting a Poseidon statue's trident back to [[Atlantis]].
* In ''[[Vagrant Story]]'', it is described as "a forked pole are with three tines."
* In ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]'' franchise, the antagonist [[Ganon]] sometimes uses a trident called the Trident of Power. This is seen in ''[[The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past]]'' and later in ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures]]''.
* In ''[[Final Fantasy Tactics Advance]]'', the trident is one of the more powerful spear weapons.
* Hydron, from ''[[Red Earth (video game)|Red Earth]]'', carries a huge trident as a weapon.
* [[Jiang Wei]], from ''[[Dynasty Warriors]]'', uses a trident called "Blink".
=====Pinball Machine=====
* In March of 1979, Stern Electronics released "Trident" a nautical themed game based on the mythological take on the three pointed spear. A "seagod" like character is depicted in the artwork fighting an octopus like monster of the deep. Stern produced 4019 of these machines.
====Anime/Manga====
* [[Mukuro Rokudo]] and [[List of Reborn! characters#Chrome Dokuro|Chrome Dokuro]] of the [[anime]] and [[manga]] ''[[Katekyo Hitman REBORN!]]'' use a trident as their weapon. The mosquitoes of [[List of Reborn! characters#Doctor Shamal|Doctor Shamal]] also pierce their targets with a trident.
* In the anime and manga series ''[[Bleach (manga)|Bleach]]'', the character [[Kaien Shiba]] wields a [[zanpakuto]] dubbed Nejibana that turns into a trident when in its initial release form.
* In ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam Wing]]'', the XXXG-01S2 "Altron" piloted by Chang Wufei uses a beam trident.
* In [[Inuyasha]] [[Naraku]] forges a trident from his own bones and gives it to [[Abi-Hime]] to assist him with.
* In [[Ronin Warriors]] [[Cye of the Torrent]] uses a trident capable of firing a high-powered beam of water.
==See also==
* [[Eighteen Arms of Wushu]]
* [[Military fork]]
* [[Trishula]]
* [[Sai (weapon)]]
* [[Pitchfork]]
* [[Coat of arms of Ukraine]]
==Notes==
<references/>
{{fisheries and fishing}}
[[Category:Spears]]
[[Category:Ancient weapons]]
[[Category:Fishing equipment]]
[[ast:Traenta]]
[[bg:Тризъбец]]
[[de:Dreizack]]
[[es:Tridente]]
[[eo:Tridento]]
[[fr:Trident]]
[[ko:삼지창]]
[[hsb:Mórska bažička]]
[[id:Trisula]]
[[it:Tridente]]
[[lt:Kovos trišakis]]
[[nl:Drietand (voorwerp)]]
[[ja:トリアイナ]]
[[pl:Trójząb]]
[[pt:Tridente]]
[[ru:Трезубец]]
[[sl:Trizob]]
[[sr:Трозубац]]
[[fi:Atrain]]
[[sv:Treudd (vapen)]]
[[uk:Тризуб]]
[[zh:三叉戟]]