11. There is often no clear, definitive distinction between a shield wall and a mantle wall. 12. From this early period, the " bergfried " and the first, inner shield wall have survived. 13. It's used for hacking down into the shoulders of early medieval soldiers behind a shield wall . 14. All day the English desperately tried to break the Viking shield wall but to no avail. 15. The housecarls were replaced with members of the " fyrd ", and the shield wall held. 16. Either they stood in front of the shield wall or the wall opened to let them through. 17. They formed a tightly packed shield wall , with spears projecting from the front rank over the shieldwall. 18. The battle opened with the Norman archers shooting uphill at the English shield wall , to little effect. 19. Water was supplied to the castle by a well sunk into the hillside within the shield wall . 20. Spearmen would deploy in tightly packed rows to form a shield wall with their spears pointing forwards.
