Anglo Saxon War Tactics

Throughout the course of history, many wars shaped the rise and fall of great empires. As time went on, weaponry and battle strategies evolved to offer warriors with greater routes to victory. During the second and third centuries, two powerful armies arose in Great Britain. Fighting to the death using strong weapons, and new found battle strategies, the Celtic army and Roman military sought victory and glory, but victory and glory was destined for only one. Both armies brought the basic components of war to the table, including highly advanced weaponry and armor.

From the beginning, we English were vastly outnumbered and out-manned. Harold had but 5,000 men, while William's Normans were 15,000 strong (Ibeji 2011). The battle saw a clash of the two fighting systems of the different armies. We Saxons fought as part of our fyrds, wedge-shaped battalions of troops led by our best warriors armed with their battle axes, followed with peasants brandishing sundry spears and whatever weapons they could find (Battle of Hastings, 2013, British Battles).

The Anglo Saxon is a primary source written by an anglican monk who was captured and taken back to Norway. This chronicle is a recount of the brutal and harsh conditions in captivity and slavery. However; it may not be 100% historically correct due to the obvious grudge and biased point of view the monks have against the Viking warriors. The chronicle was originally written in old english and continuously updated for many years between, 1116-1154 AD . 9 copies of the original were made and spread throughout monasteries around england. All of these facts help depict the importance of this book. This source is quoted as being the single most useful old english historical source due to the fact that it helped historians piece together the romanian

While it sounded easy, many soldiers simply had to rely on their instincts for charging and potentially attacking as "it took enormous courage to keep place in the ranks when all around you was the sight, sound, and smell of iron piercing into flesh and bone" (BHAG, p.74). This type of combat was much more aggressive and "in your face" as any exposed gap in a phalanx could prove fatal to a soldier's survivability. As a result, this style of fighting was considered savage more than the typical honorable procedure of war of the past. This can imply that Bronze Age battles were fought at a slower pace and with respect to each

This perception may be true at times, but the Huns new exactly what they were good at and used that to their advantage. The Huns were raised to be great warriors and hunters. They would learn how to ride horses and shoot a bow, a skill in which they exceeded. Their exceptional riding capabilities let the Huns use mobility as one of their main assets in battle. Even though some Huns used other weapons such as swords, whips, and spears, the Huns’ preferred weapon was the bow and arrow. Few Huns wore armor because armor was something a higher ranked official would dress in. The combination of the bow with a skilled rider led to the Huns being a fierce attack force. Their favorite battle style was a battle fought far away from the enemy. They could be deadly with their bows from afar and then use their horses to keep the distance while still shooting. Their hit and run style of fighting was a way of battle that the Eastern Roman Empire was not used to dealing with. This way of fighting helped the Huns conquer the

The Normans and the Saxons do not have the best relationship. There is no respect between the two races. The Saxons feel that they are the original people from England and no invaders were going to change that. In the beginning of the movie it starts out with a jousting tournament, one can see Sir Cedric, the Saxon lord, calling the Norman people dogs. There is a strong animosity between the two groups. Cedric is a man that is a strong advocate for the old England with old Saxon rule. When the tournament begins it is seen he is wanting a Saxon winner

Anglo-Saxon culture consisted of receiving fame, glory, and wealth through acts of vengeance and courage. “Beowulf” portrays these parts in great detail and shows how destabilizing it can be. Through acts of vengeance, a never ending war occurs.

Beowulf is an epic poem written with many acts of vengeance. Many times, these acts are to show courage, or in pursuit of fame, wealth, and even glory. The Anglo-Saxon culture valued these ideal traits along with heroism, and loyalty to the tribe leaders. They even had a common tradition to celebrate heroes and told their legendary stories. The value of vengeance is to prove who you are and what you can be while avenging an event or death. For the Anglo-Saxons, this was a very sustainable value to have.

Beowulf Today The Anglo Saxons were a group of Germanic people who were the origins of Great Britain, back in the early 5th century, lasting until the 11th century, until they evolved into a different peoples giving a foundation for Britain that is seen later on in the following hundreds of years. These people were incredibly proud, and held very strong beliefs relating to their religion, camaraderie, and strength. Anglo Saxons were pagans, meaning that they had practiced a non-Christian religion; usually some form of polytheism, and this gave them a basis for their beliefs. They also had a very strong sense of camaraderie, moreso seen in the idea of comitatus, which is a strong sense of loyalty between a lady/lord and their subjects.

Beowulf demonstrated another important Anglo-Saxon characteristic, bravery, when he fought the dragon. Beowulf knew he was old when he decided to face the dragon but did not back down from the fight at hand. He decided to stand and fight the dragon instead of running even when he knew he could not defeat the beast by himself. Like the true hero he was

Although viewed as ruthless savages, the Anglo-Saxon culture was not founded on the sole idea of barbaric brutality. The Anglo-Saxon beliefs were established by loyalty, generosity, and valor. As a result, the people of the Anglo-Saxon culture lived life by these ideals which created a great thirst for fame in being the best version of themselves. If one was decent at fighting, they would train to be the best fighter they could be, or if someone was intelligent they would devise complex riddles to boast of their intelligence. In order to fulfill their beliefs, there were many aspects of the Anglo-Saxon culture that were not only prevalent in their day to day life, they were expressed through their literature as well. In Beowulf, the

The Anglo-Saxon culture ran on the outline of the heroic code. The warrior pledged allegiance to his lord in exchange for protection (“Beowulf” 38). Through acts of strength and bravery in battle, the

To begin, a cultural truth admired by the Anglo-Saxon is courage in battle because it is a trait of a good warrior in the eyes of Anglo-Saxon people. Courage in battle is the ability to not be afraid of the enemy, be strong, and brave. Beowulf shows his above average strength and courage in battle when he is going to battle Grendel: “When it comes to battle, I count myself/ as dangerous any day as Grendel,/ … No weapons, therefore,/ for either this night: unarmed he shall face me/ if face me he dares” (Beowulf 677-685). In this quote Beowulf states and declares his abandonment of weapons, as well as his belief that he is as strong as Grendel, so he will fight him without a weapon. This shows Beowulf’s courage in battle because it displays his tremendous strength and boldness by going to fight a monster with no weapons, which demonstrates that he is not

However, Alfred was not content with being on the defensive. He also attacked the Danish-held City of London in an attempt to diminish the lands ruled under Dane law (Bruce 4). No Anglo-Saxon king was ever strong enough to coerce a recalcitrant peasantry. Except Alfred who decided to allow half the men liable for service to remain at home while the other half was out against the Danes (Stenton 261).

The common weapon in war was the spear. Conventional spears were seven feet long with a iron head and was used to be thrown and also to jab. Shields were plain and round, made of wood with an iron center. Only the rich and noble used swords, which were made of iron with steel edges. The Vikings were more heavily armed than the Anglo-Saxons, and they relied on chain mail and helmets as protection, and most people used a short stabbing swords as protection, although some used either a lance or a double-edged sword. (Ross, http://www.britainexpress.com).