Schiltron
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A schiltron or schiltrom or shiltron is a group of soldiers wielding outward-pointing pikes and/or other polearms to ward off cavalry attacks. The term does not denote any particular shape or alignment of the formation. There are two recorded Scottish instances of circular schiltrons: William Wallace's army at Falkirk, and Thomas Randolph's forces on the first day of Bannockburn. However, there are numerous accounts of rectilinear schiltrons - Glentrool, the main battle at Bannockburn, Myton, the Dupplin Muir, the Culblean, the Halidon Hill, the Neville's Cross and the Otterburn.
Although the schiltron is often seen as a principally defensive formation, it was not the defensive use of schiltrons that proved decisive at the Battle of Bannockburn; instead, Robert the Bruce had drilled his troops in the offensive use of the pike (requiring great discipline), and he engaged the English host on unfavourable ground. This was similar to the pike charges that brought victory at the Stirling Bridge. In fact, the traditional use of the schiltron resulted in a crushing defeat for the Scots at Falkirk (1298).
Tactically, schiltrons are the forebears of the Napoleonic age's infantry squares, in which infantry regiments fought at the Battle of Waterloo when attacked by Ney's French cavalry.
The word "schiltron" dates from at least 1000 AD and derives from Old English roots expressing the idea of a "shield-troop". Some researchers have also posited that this etymological relation may show that the schiltron is directly descended from the Anglo-Saxon shield wall, and still others give evidence that the "schiltron" is a derivated name of a rather large viking circle formation (generally no less than a thousand fighters) in extremely close formation, to present an enemy's cavalry charge an "infinite" obstacle (that is, a perimeter the horses refuse to breach).
