The Vikings and Their Enemies by Philip Line

Author:Philip Line
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Published: 2014-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

There may have been a surge forward for the last few yards, but, as Guy Halsall suggested, it is very probable that there was a halt (or hesitation) immediately before this, as the troops steeled themselves. Either then or during the final advance an assortment of missiles might be thrown at the enemy, by both cavalry and infantry, but spears are most commonly mentioned. Since stones were available everywhere, it is likely that they were widely used by infantry, as Snorri mentions in his accounts of battles. The conversations reported in the kings’ sagas are obviously not word-for-word reports of what was said; even immediately after the battle speeches would not be remembered entirely accurately, and they are too literary in style. Nevertheless, there are realistic elements in them: it may well be that people who had changed sides were taunted as turncoats, and people reminded of their past failures or defeats, just as the Vikings at the Dyle are reported to have reminded Arnulf’s men of the Geule defeat. It is even possible that this taunting phase, accompanied by boasts and threats, was customary before formal battle in pagan societies. At some stage leaders and champions would urge their own army forward. Attacks were normally preceded or accompanied by shouts or war cries, designed to raise morale and intimidate the enemy. The Magyars certainly made loud yells as they approached or circled their opponents, and the animal-like howls of the Rus before Dorostolon were recorded by Leo the Deacon. There were other methods, however, as Nikephoros Phokas demanded that his kataphraktoi form up in wedge to attack the enemy in absolute silence, which may have been equally intimidating.

The preliminaries to combat suggested above would only occur, of course, if both sides stood: there were certainly occasions when one side simply fled at the approach of the enemy, as troops were seized by an uncontrollable panic. It is probable that when ancient or medieval chroniclers had only the information that a battle was won, they resorted to a stock description of a hard struggle and the eventual triumph of the winner—no one wanted to relate, hear or read that one side fled without a fight, as this brought no glory to the winners, let alone the losers. As regards the men on the battlefield, those who were more accustomed to battle would have known, before and during the fighting, that the best chance of preserving themselves was to stand their ground, as flight made a man an unprotected target. Nithard records all three possible outcomes of a conventional confrontation at Fontenoy-en-Puisaye (841). Evidently each of the three divisions on each side squared up against an opposing division: of the defeated army, Lothar’s division was driven back by Louis and broke after a stiff fight, and Charles’ opponents fled when Lothar was defeated, but those opposing the seneschal Adalhard fought on even when the rest of their army had gone. In the end that division also left the field, but Nithard

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