Live Steel Reenactment:
the battle of Hastings event of 2006
Re-echoes through this valley of the damned
Soldiers dashin' assault face to face
Sweat and blood are shed everywhere" -- Thy Majestie
The Franco-Flemish cavalry "bounce off" the English left, and withdraw.
The Norman knights are also repulsed and withdraw in a disordered condition.
Subsequent mounted attacks fared no better.
Renewed infantry assaults also proved futile, and, encouraged,...
...some of the English began to leave their formation to attack their scattered enemies in the open.
The Franco-Flemish turned around in a body and renewed the attack. (TFBO trivia: that's a helmetless Ian Judd, and Robb Schuster -- "Halv" -- to his right. And Alex Pickard brandishing his spear: he looks like he's calling to the little redhead in the foreground: "Brunhilda! you're so lovely!" She calls out coyly: "I know, and I can't help it!")
Large numbers of the English pursuers were caught and massacred.
Over on the Breton left, their cavalry attacks also proved ineffective. (More TFBO trivia: a trio of "FitzOsbern" milites are prominently seen here -- the green shields with swirly yellow arms: must be Jesse Bailey, Andy Lang, and a third rider I am unfamiliar with.)
And (we) Breton infantry were routed. (picture quality is marginal from the Sunday event)
But well down the hill, the Bretons turned around and fought the pursuing English right. These mostly died, and the "dead" joined the Bretons.
But the English "dead" on the left remained on the ground for dramatic effect.