Trident

A trident /ˈtraɪdənt/ is a three-pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and historically as a polearm. The trident is the weapon of Poseidon, or Neptune, the God of the Sea in classical mythology, as well as his son Triton. In Hinduism, it is the weapon of Shiva, known as trishula (Sanskrit for 'triple-spear'). It has been used by farmers as a decorticator to remove leaves, seeds and buds from the stalks of plants such as flax and hemp.A statue of Hindu God Shiva, holding a trishula, near Indira Gandhi International Airport, DelhiTwo guardian deities of an ancient Chinese tomb, both holding tridentsTrident, Burmese, 18th centuryTridents (Trishula) brought as offerings to Guna Devi, near Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, India A trident /ˈtraɪdənt/ is a three-pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and historically as a polearm. The trident is the weapon of Poseidon, or Neptune, the God of the Sea in classical mythology, as well as his son Triton. In Hinduism, it is the weapon of Shiva, known as trishula (Sanskrit for 'triple-spear'). It has been used by farmers as a decorticator to remove leaves, seeds and buds from the stalks of plants such as flax and hemp. The word 'trident' comes from the French word trident, which in turn comes from the Latin word tridens or tridentis: tri meaning 'three' and dentes meaning 'teeth', referring specifically to the three prongs, or 'teeth', of the weapon. The Sanskrit name for the trident, trishula, is a compound of tri त्रि for 'three' and ṣūla शूल for 'thorn', calling the trident's three prongs 'thorns' rather than 'teeth'. The Greek equivalent is τρίαινα (tríaina), from Proto-Greek trianja, meaning 'threefold'.