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A schiltron (also schiltrom or shiltron) is a group of soldier
Soldier

A soldier is a general English term that refers to a land component of national armed forces.In most societies of the world, "soldier" is also a general term for any member of the land forces including Commissioned officer and non-commissioned officers....
s wielding outward-pointing pikes
Pike (weapon)

A pike is a pole weapon, a very long thrusting spear used two-handed and used extensively by infantry both for attacks on enemy foot soldiers and as a counter-measure against cavalry assaults....
 or other polearms, to ward off cavalry
Cavalry

The Cavalry is the second oldest of the Combat Arms, and as soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback in combat, it represents the mobility and offensive power of the armed forces....
 attacks. The term does not denote any particular shape or alignment of the formation, and is most often associated with Scottish pike formations during the Wars of Scottish Independence
Wars of Scottish Independence

The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries....
 in the late 13th and early 14th centuries.

Etymology
The term dates from at least 1000 AD and derives from Old English
Old English language

Old English is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written in parts of what are now England and south-eastern Scotland between the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century....
 roots expressing the idea of a "shield-troop".






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A schiltron (also schiltrom or shiltron) is a group of soldier
Soldier

A soldier is a general English term that refers to a land component of national armed forces.In most societies of the world, "soldier" is also a general term for any member of the land forces including Commissioned officer and non-commissioned officers....
s wielding outward-pointing pikes
Pike (weapon)

A pike is a pole weapon, a very long thrusting spear used two-handed and used extensively by infantry both for attacks on enemy foot soldiers and as a counter-measure against cavalry assaults....
 or other polearms, to ward off cavalry
Cavalry

The Cavalry is the second oldest of the Combat Arms, and as soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback in combat, it represents the mobility and offensive power of the armed forces....
 attacks. The term does not denote any particular shape or alignment of the formation, and is most often associated with Scottish pike formations during the Wars of Scottish Independence
Wars of Scottish Independence

The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries....
 in the late 13th and early 14th centuries.

Etymology


The term dates from at least 1000 AD and derives from Old English
Old English language

Old English is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written in parts of what are now England and south-eastern Scotland between the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century....
 roots expressing the idea of a "shield-troop". Some researchers have also posited this etymological relation may show the schiltron is directly descended from the Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxons

Anglo-Saxons is the term usually used to describe the invading tribes in the south and east of Great Britain starting from the early 5th century AD, and their creation of the English nation, lasting until the Norman conquest of England of 1066....
 shield wall
Shield wall

The formation of shield wall, or Skjaldborg in Old Norse, is a military tactic that was common in many cultures in the Pre-Early Modern warfare age....
, and still others give evidence "schiltron" is a name derived from a Viking circular formation (generally no less than a thousand fighters) in extremely close formation, intended to present an enemy's cavalry charge with an "infinite" obstacle (that is, a perimeter horses refuse to breach). The Pict
PICT

PICT is a computer graphics file format introduced on the original Apple Macintosh computer as its standard metafile format. It allows the interchange of graphics , and some limited text support, between Mac applications, and was the native graphics format of QuickDraw....
s used to employ spears in a block schiltron formation as the backbone of their armies.

Examples


There are two recorded Scottish
Kingdom of Scotland

The Kingdom of Scotland was a state in North-West Europe which existed from 843 until 1707. It occupied the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shared a Anglo-Scottish border to the south with the Kingdom of England, with which it was united to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, under the terms of the Acts of Union 1707, in 170...
 instances of circular schiltrons: William Wallace
William Wallace

William Wallace was a Scotland knight and landowner who is known for leading a resistance during the Wars of Scottish Independence and regarded as a patriot and national hero....
's army at Falkirk
Battle of Falkirk (1298)

The Battle of Falkirk, which took place on 22 July 1298, was a major engagement in the First War of Scottish Independence. An English army commanded by King Edward I of England defeated the Scottish people under William Wallace....
 (1298), and Thomas Randolph
Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray

Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray was Regent of Scotland, an important figure in the Scottish Wars of Independence, and one of the signers of the Declaration of Arbroath....
's forces on the first day of Bannockburn
Battle of Bannockburn

The Battle of Bannockburn was a significant Scotland victory in the Wars of Scottish Independence. It was the decisive battle in the First War of Scottish Independence....
 (1314). However, there are numerous accounts of rectilinear schiltrons - Glen Trool
Battle of Glen Trool

The Battle of Glen Trool was a minor engagement in the Scottish Wars of Independence, fought in April 1307. Glen Trool is a narrow glen in the Southern Uplands of Galloway, Scotland....
, the main battle at Bannockburn, Myton
Battle of Myton

The Battle of Myton, nicknamed the Chapter of Myton, was a major engagement in the First Scottish War of Independence, fought in Yorkshire on 20 September 1319....
 (1319), Dupplin Muir
Battle of Dupplin Moor

Battle of Dupplin Moor was fought between supporters of the infant David II of Scotland, the son of Robert the Bruce, and rebels supporting the House of Balliol claim in 1332....
 (1332), Culblean
Battle of Culblean

The Battle of Culblean was fought on 30 November, 1335, during the Second War of Scottish Independence. It was a victory for the Scots led by the Guardian, Sir Andrew Murray over an Anglo-Scots force commanded by David III Strathbogie, titular Earl of Atholl, and a leading supporter of Edward Balliol....
 (1335), Halidon Hill
Battle of Halidon Hill

Battle of Halidon Hill was fought during the Second War of Scottish Independence. Scotland forces under Sir Archibald Douglas were heavily defeated on unfavourable terrain while trying to relieve Berwick-upon-Tweed....
 (1333), Neville's Cross
Battle of Neville's Cross

The Battle of Neville's Cross took place to the west of Durham, England on 17 October 1346....
 (1346) and Otterburn
Battle of Otterburn

The Battle of Otterburn took place according to Scottish sources on 5 August 1388, or 19 August according to English sources, as part of the continuing border war between England and Scotland....
 (1388).

At Falkirk, the formation was fortified by driving stakes into the ground before the men, with ropes between, and by employing archery
Archery

Archery is the art, practice or skill of shooting with Bow and arrow. Archery has historically been used in hunting and combat and has become a precision sport....
. The tactic was adopted by the Flemish
County of Flanders

The County of Flanders was a historical region in the Low Countries.It consisted not only of the two actual Belgium provinces of East-Flanders and West-Flanders but also much of the present-day France d?partement of the Nord , in parts of which there is still a minority speaking the French Flemish dialect of Dutch language, and the sout...
 against French
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
 cavalry at Courtrai (Kortrijk) (1302).

Schiltrons were also used by the Welsh
Wales

native_name = Cymru|conventional_long_name = Wales|common_name = Wales|image_flag = Flag of Wales 2.svg|national_motto = ...
 troops at the Battle of Orewin Bridge
Battle of Orewin Bridge

The Battle of Orewin Bridge was fought between Normans led England and Wales armies on December 11, 1282 near Builth Wells in mid-Wales. It was a decisive defeat for the Welsh because their leader, Llywelyn the Last was killed, and this effectively ended the independence of Wales....
 in 1282 and the Battle of Maes Moydog
Battle of Maes Moydog

The Battle of Maes Moydog was a battle that took place at the field of Moydog on 5 March 1295 during the revolt of Madog ap Llywelyn and others against English rule, near the modern-day village of Llanfair Caereinion in Powys, Wales....
 in 1295, although this tactic was generally unsuccessful for the Welsh.

Defensive and offensive use


Although the schiltron is often seen as a principally defensive formation, it was the offensive use of several of these formations that proved decisive at the Battle of Bannockburn
Battle of Bannockburn

The Battle of Bannockburn was a significant Scotland victory in the Wars of Scottish Independence. It was the decisive battle in the First War of Scottish Independence....
. Robert the Bruce had drilled his troops in the offensive use of the pike (requiring great discipline), and he was able to fight the English forces on flat, firm ground suitable for their large force of cavalry. This was similar to the pike charges that brought victory at Stirling Bridge
Battle of Stirling Bridge

The Battle of Stirling Bridge was a battle of the First War of Scottish Independence. On 11 September 1297, the forces of Andrew Moray and William Wallace defeated the combined England forces of John de Warenne, 7th Earl of Surrey and Hugh de Cressingham near Stirling, on the River Forth....
 (1297). Bruce's new tactic was a response to a crushing defeat for the Scots at Falkirk
Battle of Falkirk (1298)

The Battle of Falkirk, which took place on 22 July 1298, was a major engagement in the First War of Scottish Independence. An English army commanded by King Edward I of England defeated the Scottish people under William Wallace....
 (1298), when the first use of the schiltron by a Scottish army failed in the face of English
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
 archer
Archer

An archer is a person who is expert in the use of a bow and arrow . Examples of archers can be found at the List of archers article.They were used in ancient and medieval times as part of armies....
s.

Later evolution

Tactically, schiltrons are related to the 15th century pike square
Pike square

The Pike Square was a military tactic developed by the Swiss Confederacy during the 15th century for use by its infantry.It was used to devastating effect at the Battle of Nancy against Charles the Bold of Duchy of Burgundy in 1477, when the Swiss defeated a smaller but more powerful armored cavalry force....
, the tercio
Tercio

The 'Tercio' , also known as 'Tercio Espa?ol', was a Renaissance military formation similar to and derivative of the Swiss Pike square and was a term used to describe a mixed infantry formation of about 3,000 pike , swordsmen and arquebusiers in a mutually supportive formation; it was also sometimes referred to by other nations as a Spani...
 of the 16th and 17th centuries, and the Napoleonic infantry square
Infantry square

An infantry square is a combat military tactic an infantry unit formed in Close order formation assumes when threatened with cavalry attack....
s, which used either pikemen or bayonet
Bayonet

A bayonet is a knife-, dagger-, sword-' or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit on or over the muzzle of a rifle barrel or similar weapon, effectively turning the gun into a spear....
-armed infantry
Infantry

Infantry are soldiers who are primarily trained for the role of fighting on foot. A soldier in the infantry is known as an infantryman. Infantry units have more physically demanding training than other branches of armies, and place a greater emphasis on fitness, physical strength and aggression....
men to defend against cavalry.

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