You've probably heard of the 'shield wall', a famous tactic used by the Anglo-Saxon
army during the infamous Battle of Hastings. But that wasn't the only tactic
used by the Saxons. No, there are plenty more, so let's dive in! So here's episode
two of 'Interesting Topic' the podcast where I waffle on about an interesting
topic from history- I mean I said it in the last video, which you should watch!
Anyway seeing as I'm a fan of the Anglo-Saxons, we're sticking with them.
Episode 2: Anglo-Saxon warfare. The moments before a battle were terrifying.
You could well be about to face your death, so it was common for armies to
find methods to control their fear. One of these ways was boasting. In the Battle
of Maldon (991), the Saxon and Viking armies lined up on opposite sides of an
estuary. Out of bow-shot but within earshot. They taunted each other, boasting
whilst they waited for the tide to go out so they cross and the armies could
meet. It is written that the Vikings shouted over, suggesting that the English
could buy peace with gold, since the Viking force was vastly superior. The
English commander then shouted back, declaring that his army did not fear the
Vikings. The Saxons would going to battle wearing chainmail shirts with helmets.
They had round, wooden shields with a boss in the centre to protect the
weakest part of the shield. The shields were reinforced with planks in different
directions to prevent it from splitting. As this proved to be a regular problem for
the Anglo-Saxons. There is evidence to suggest that there was even some use of
convex shields, likely used by higher ranking warriors, who would be able to
afford these shields. Conves shields would have helped to protect against the
tactic known as 'hooking', which I'll get into later. In terms of weapons, the
Saxons carried heavy battle axes, swords and spears. Equipment would often also be
decorated with divine symbols, giving the Warriors a psychological advantage and
helping to control their fear. For instance, helmets were often decorated
with bronze or gold boars as they were a symbol of divine power. The boar was an
animal dear to the sun-god, Frey. Moreover, the gold would help invoke the God's
magic. When it came to battle, the Saxons would fight on foot, their favourite
formation being the famous 'shield wall'. Really, the shield wall was what it said
on the tin: a wall of shields. The Warriors would line up in rows, tightly
packed together. They held their shields up,
interlocking with one another and covering the left half of their body,
whilst protecting the right half of the warrior to their left. This formation
would then also be several lines deep. The tight interlocking shields would
allow the formation to be strong enough to withstand a charging opponent and not
break ranks. Once the initial charge had been absorbed, the Warriors would loosen
their formation slightly, allowing individual battles to be fought. The tight
formation meant that most blows were dealt from above, crashing down on the
head, neck and shoulders - which was the soldier's most exposed area, and likely
these blows would be dealt with their favoured battle axe. Armies would aim to
break one another's shield wall as that was often the deciding factor in battles.
If one man fell, he could expose those on either side of him, thus gaps had to be
quickly covered. Spears also would be used. The spearmen would come forth of
the protection of the shield wall, exposing himself and throwing his spear
into enemy ranks, or thrusting it at his opponent. 'Hooking', which I mentioned
earlier, was also a commonly used technique. Warriors would carry axes with
large points protruding from the bottom, aiding them with hooking. The warrior
would reach their axe over the opponent's shield, using the point to dig their axe
into the opponent's shield from the other side.
This gave the warrior the ability to control their enemy's shield and rip it
out of their hands, breaking the formation. And now he and those on either
side of him were exposed. The tight formation made it virtually impossible
to manoeuvre, a retreat even a few feet could send chaos rippling through the
army, as they had to move in a single unit to avoid tripping over one another.
This meant that out-flanking tactics, where the army would send units to
attack their opponents from the sides or back, were common. And if not dealt with
quickly and effectively, these moves could prove disastrous for the targeted
army; sending their formations into disarray and allowing the shield wall to
be broken. Housecarls were the paid warriors of Kings and Earls. Of all the
soldiers, they were the best supplied with equipment; most experienced and best
trained. Therefore they normally earned themselves a place in the front rank,
helping boost morale of the troops with their skill. Working in separate units
meant the Housecarls could work as a rapid reaction force, for instance, to
help reinforce areas which seemed weak. When it came to it, they were responsible
for defending the army's leader. And if he died, they were
expected to carry on fighting until the very end.
Unlike later tactics, it was normal for Saxon armies to be led from the front.
The experience and skill of the leader would earn him the spot in the middle of
the front rank. He would lead the charge. This was a risky tactic, as if the leader
fell, it was likely that the army would withdraw. Therefore armies would often
seek out the enemy leader as a target, as this would ensure them a swift victory.
There were also variations on the shield wall formation, for instance, the 'boar
snout'. Though originally credited to the Vikings, this was a reasonably common
tactic. The 'boar snout' required more skill to pull off than a simple shield wall.
Armies would line up in a triangular, wedge-shape. Either the leader, or the
strongest fighter, would lead the charge, standing at the tip of the 'snout'. The
concept was that the sheer momentum of the charge, in this formation, would be
enough to drive the wedge shape through the opposing shield wall and break enemy
formation. Ultimately, however, victory depended on which side broke the other's
shield wall first. Once broken, individual fights would be settled with wounding
blows, disabling the opponent and leaving him to bleed to death, with the victors
chasing their opponent down to finish him off as they tried to flee, in the
final moments of battle. So that's it for episode 2. Thanks for watching (or
listening), it would also be appreciated if you took the time to click that
subscribe button (and like the video too) - presuming you enjoyed it. Bye.