#Sir Andrew de Moray

[scotianostra]

October 11th 1297 was the date of the letter from William Wallace to the mayor of Lübeck.

October 11th 1297 a letter from Wallace and Moray to the mayors of Lübeck and Hamburg was drawn up, saying that “The Kingdom of Scotland has, by God’s Grace, recovered by battle from the power of the English”.

This is a remarkable piece of history, and I am honoured to have seen it in person when it was on loan to Scotland a few years ago.

The Lübeck letter was first discovered preserved in the Lübeck archives in the 1820s. It was often mentioned in books thereafter. In 1942, Lübeck, on the Baltic coast of Germany, was attacked by Allied aircraft. As a result, the town’s archives, including the letter, were moved to a saltmine for safety. At the end of the war, the Soviet army took the papers east. The archives were later handed over to the archive administration of East Germany, but the medieval documents were not among the records. It was assumed that they had been lost.

In the 1970s Lübeck documents were found in the archives of the USSR. In 1990, after some negotiation, the town’s medieval records, including Wallace and Murray’s letter, were returned to Lübeck.

There have been calls for the letter to be returned to Scotland, whereas it would be nice to have it to display in one of our museums I think it is as much a piece of Lübeck’s history as ours, and also as recipients of the letter it is rightfully there property.

Originally, there were two letters; one to Lübeck and one to Hamburg. The contents were identical and the letters were scribed within a month of the Scots’ success at Stirling Bridge.

The translated letter reads……“

Andrew de Murray and William Wallace, leaders of the army of the kingdom of Scotland, and the community of the same kingdom, to their worthy, discreet and beloved friends the mayors and communes of Lübeck and Hamburg, greeting, and increase always of sincere friendship.It has been intimated to us by trustworthy merchants of the said kingdom of Scotland that you by your own goodwill are giving counsel, help and favour in all causes and business concerning us and our merchants, although our merits had not deserved this, and therefore all the more are we bound to you to give you thanks and a worthy recompense, to do which we are willing to be obliged to you; and we ask you that you will make it be proclaimed amongst your merchants that they can have secure access to all ports of the kingdom of Scotland with their merchandise since the kingdom of Scotland, thanks be to God, has by arms been recovered from the power of the English. Farewell.Given at Haddington in Scotland on the 11th day of October in the year of grace one thousand two hundred and ninety seven.

We request moreover that you will see fit to forward the business of John Burnet and John Frere, our merchants, just as you wish us to forward the business of your merchants. Farewell. Given as before.”

Significantly, the letter carries the only known impression of William Wallace’s personal seal, which shows the Scottish Lion Rampant on the front and on the reverse, a strung bow with a protruding arrow. The inscription appears to read ‘William, son of Alan Wallace’, which is interesting in relation to determining just who Wallace was exactly. An Aleyn Waleys – described as ‘tenant le Roi du counte de Are’ – signed the 1296 ‘Ragman Roll’ and he is quite possibly William Wallace’s father.

Another thing about the letter is the fact that Moray is involved with it, Andrew de Moray was, in the North of Scotland every bit as important as Wallace, history tells us that he was wounded at Stirling Bridge and died of his wounds in November so how involved in this was he?, if I had a time machine I would use it to learn more about Wallace and Moray.

This is a great piece of history and as I said earlier, I would love it to be part of our archives and on display in a museum, but it is the property of the people of Lübeck and we as a nation are grateful that they lend it to us on occasion.

#Scotland #scottish #lubeck #Germany #The first war of Scottish Independence #Sir Andrew de Moray #Sir William Wallace #history #medieval history

[clancarruthers]

THE WALLACE SWORD - CLAN CARRUTHERS CCIS

THE WALLACE SWORD – CLAN CARRUTHERS CCIS

THE WALLACE SWORD   The Wallace monument now stands where the combined militias of Sir Andrew deMoray and William Wallace awaited the larger English force. Both leaders had experience in conducting guerilla warfare against the occupational English forces, but they meant to face the enemy in open ground. While de Moray was a knight from a prominent northern family, Scottish tradition and research…

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#Ancient and Honorable Society of Carruthers Clan Int LLC #carrothers #Carruthers #Carruthers history #Clan Carruthers #william wallace

[thedeacanedous]

Roger Scruton: biografia, livros, filosofia, ideias e frases. 11/07/2019.

O mais importante pensador conservador contemporâneo, um dos maiores filósofos ingleses em atividade, cavaleiro da Ordem do Império Britânico, autor de mais de 50 livros, compositor de óperas, crítico cultural: Sir Roger Scruton é tudo isso e ainda mais!

Neste post você conferirá a biografia, as ideias, os posicionamentos políticos, algumas das frases e os principais livros desse erudito que é incontornável às discussões de nosso tempo.

Ao conhecer a vida e as opiniões de Roger Scruton o que é conservadorismo ficará claro como nunca antes. Tanto a história como os textos desse gigante ilustram exemplarmente a essência dessa tradição intelectual.

Mas aí está apenas uma das muitas facetas dessa figura complexa. Ao falar de Roger Scruton beleza tem de ser o assunto principal: a natureza, a importância e a realidade desse conceito formam o cerne de suas preocupações teóricas.

Quer encarar esse encantador percurso intelectual? Então continue a leitura deste texto e, ao fim, conheça você mesmo os mais importantes livros de Roger Scruton.

Não deixe de conferir!

Quem é Roger Scruton e o que ele defende?

Sir Roger Scruton é um dos mais importantes filósofos britânicos da atualidade, além de crítico cultural e polemista que é reconhecido ao redor do mundo como a mais expressiva voz contemporânea do conservadorismo.

Ele é cavaleiro-comendador da Ordem do Império Britânico, tendo sido condecorado em 2016 pela Rainha Elizabeth II. Além disso, integra a Royal Society of Literature, a British Academy e a European Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Atualmente é professor da Universidade de Buckingham e pesquisador do Ethics and Public Policy Center (Washington, D.C.). Antes disso lecionou por mais de vinte anos na Universidade de Londres; deu aulas também em Princeton, Oxford, Boston e St. Andrews, além de ter sido professor-visitante em Stanford e em Louvain.

Roger Scruton presidiu entre novembro de 2018 e abril de 2019 a Government Commission on Building Better, Building Beautiful, comitê apontado pelo governo do Reino Unido para a revitalização arquitetônica de suas cidades. A estética – especialmente arquitetura e música – é a especialidade acadêmica de Roger Scruton.

O filósofo é também compositor de duas óperas e autor de alguns contos e poemas esparsos. Sua obra publicada abrange mais de 50 livros, a maioria sendo de ensaios filosóficos ou políticos, mas incluindo também cerca de 10 títulos de ficção.

Um de seus escritos, Beleza, originou o documentário Por Que a Beleza Importa?, apresentado por ele mesmo, em 2009, na BBC Two:

Na imprensa, Roger Scruton tem atuado como comentarista na BBC Radio 4 e como articulista em The American Spectator, The Times, The Spectator, The Wall Street Journal, National Review, Harpers e The New Statesman – analisando em especial assuntos políticos, mas também temas de música, arquitetura e vinho.

Scruton edita The New Atlantis e compõe o comitê editorial de quatro periódicos: The Salisbury Review (que ele mesmo fundou), The British Journal of Aesthetics, Arka e openDemocracy.

Entre outros reconhecimentos que o filósofo recebeu estão a Medalha de Mérito (primeira classe) da República Tcheca e a Medalha de Ouro (pelo apoio à cultura e às artes) do Ministério Polonês de Cultura.

Para conhecer um pensador da grandeza de Roger Scruton Wikipedia não basta! Continue a leitura deste post para conhecer a história de vida, as posições filosóficas, as ideias para a política e o assunto de cada um dos mais importantes livros de Roger Scruton.

O filósofo e escritor Roger Scruton em sua casa no Reino Unido. Biografia de Roger Scruton

No dia 27 de fevereiro de 1944, em Buslingthorpe, Lincolnshire (Inglaterra), nascia Roger Vernon Scruton, filho de John “Jack” Scruton e Beryl Claris Scruton.

Seu pai, um professor originário de Manchester, era filho de Matthew Lowe, chamado por sua mãe, Margaret (bisavó de Roger e avó de Jack), como Matthew Scruton. É provável que Margaret tenha dado ao filho esse sobrenome em homenagem à Scruton Hall, da vila Scruton, condado de North Yorkshire, em que ela possivelmente trabalhou como empregada.

John, que compôs portanto a segunda geração da família assim nomeada, cresceu numa casa geminada de baixo padrão, e para sempre cultivou um amor ao campo e uma aversão às classes sociais superiores.

Sua mulher, nascida Beryl Claris Haynes, apreciava a literatura romântica, cujo ideal de vida era precisamente o que Jack desprezava. Por esta e por outras razões, Beryl e seus filhos sempre tiveram com John uma relação conturbada.

Embora criados como cristãos, os pais de Scruton declaravam-se humanistas seculares. O casal teve, além de Roger, duas filhas. A família viveu na cidade de Marlow, distrito de Wycombe, e depois na Hammersley Lane, cidade de High Wycombe – ambos os endereços no condado de Buckinghamshire. Sempre os acompanhava um cãozinho de estimação: Sam.

Roger Scruton frequentou a Royal Grammar School, em High Wycombe, de 1954 a 1962. No colégio, suas notas A iam para matemática (pura e aplicada), física e química. Nas artes, teve a má experiência de, ao montar uma peça que escrevera, causar um pequeno incêndio no palco, o que o levou a ser expulso da escola.

As boas notas lhe garantiram contudo o ingresso no Jesus College da Universidade de Cambridge, para cursar ciências naturais. Já no primeiro dia, Roger Scruton migrou para a graduação em ciências morais, como então se chamava o curso de filosofia. Nessa mesma época, John “Jack” Scruton parou de falar com seu filho.

Entre 1962 e 1965, Roger cumpriu os estudos de graduação; em 1967 obteve o título de mestre; e de 1967 a 1973 cursou, orientado por Michael Tanner e G. E. M. Anscombe, o doutorado. Em 1974 a tese doutoral foi publicada como seu primeiro livro: Arte e Imaginação – saiba mais na seção “Livros de Roger Scruton”!!!

Após se graduar em 1965, Roger Scruton passou uma temporada no exterior. Chegou a dar aulas na Universidade de Pau, na França, onde conheceu sua primeira mulher, Danielle Laffitte. Foi numa visita à casa dela, no Bairro Latino entre o quinto e o sexto distritos de Paris, próximo à Sorbonne, que Roger Scruton testemunhou os protestos estudantis de maio de 1968 – e, observando o evento, descobriu-se um conservador.

Durante o doutorado, especificamente entre 1969 e 1971, ainda vinculado ao Jesus College, Roger Scruton atuou como pesquisador na Peterhouse, também pertencente à Universidade de Cambridge.

A união com Danielle foi oficializada em 1972, e durou até 1979. Enquanto casados, ela trabalhou como professora de francês na Putney High School. O casal morava na Rua Harley, num apartamento anteriormente ocupado por uma celebridade da TV, a cozinheira Delia Smith.

Já a partir de 1971, e até 1992, Roger Scruton lecionou no Birkbeck College, da Universidade de Londres – primeiro como professor assistente (lecturer), até 1980 como professor pleno (reader), a partir de então como professor titular (professor) da área de estética.

Birkbeck é um tradicional reduto de professores de esquerda: Scruton brinca que os únicos conservadores presentes eram ele e a senhora que servia as refeições na cantina.

O Birkbeck College, da Universidade de Londres, é um tradicional reduto de professores de esquerda. Desafiando o statu quo, entre 1974 e 1975 o filósofo fundou, com os políticos Hugh Fraser e Jonathan Aitken e com o acadêmico John Casey, o Conservative Philosophy Group – que seria frequentado pelo historiador Hugh Thomas, pelo filósofo Anthony Quinton e pela futura primeira-ministra Margaret Thatcher.

Como em Birkbeck as aulas são dadas apenas à noite, Scruton aproveitou os dias para estudar direito, entre 1974 e 1976, na Inns of Court School of Law. Ele chegou a se tornar advogado (ou seja, recebeu o “call to the Bar”) em 1978, mas nunca pôde exercer o ofício, porque para isso precisaria dedicar um ano inteiro à “pupilia” (pupillage).

De 1979 a 1989, Roger Scruton ajudou a estabelecer centros acadêmicos clandestinos na Europa Central e do Leste, oferecendo a dissidentes contato com acadêmicos ocidentais.

Ele foi cofundador e sócio da Jan Hus Educational Foundation, que, ligada a professores da Universidade de Oxford, contou com a colaboração de acadêmicos tão diversos como Jacques Derrida, Charles Taylor, Jürgen Habermas, Ernest Gellner, Thomas Nagel e Anthony Kenny.

A associação atuava sob a Cortina de Ferro organizando palestras, contrabandeando livros e às vezes viabilizando que estudantes fizessem intercâmbio em Cambridge (na Faculdade de Teologia, que se dispôs a aceitar os estrangeiros). Ainda hoje ela está ativa, desempenhando outras atividades na República Tcheca e na Eslováquia.

Detido em Brno em 1985 e depois expulso da Tchecoslováquia, Roger Scruton entrou para a “Lista de Pessoas Indesejadas” do país. Essas situações são revisitadas de maneira ficcional no romance As Memórias de Underground – não deixe de conferir na seção “Livros de Roger Scruton”!!!

As Memórias de Underground é o primeiro romance de Roger Scruton publicado no Brasil. Também para a Polônia e a Hungria, Scruton cofundou e administrou o Jagiellonian Trust, sendo perseguido durante visitas a esses dois países. Para trabalhar em prol da reconciliação do povo libanês, o filósofo fundou a Anglo-Lebanese Cultural Association, ativa até 1995 e depois inviabilizada pelas ocupações síria e do Hezbollah.

Os anos 1980 foram os mais intensos da carreira de Roger Scruton como escritor. De sua autoria foram publicados treze livros de ensaio e a primeira ficção. O destaque cabe, sem dúvida, ao volume Pensadores da Nova Esquerda, cujos capítulos haviam sido publicados como artigos em The Salisbury Review. Conheça a obra na seção “Livros de Roger Scruton”!!!

Uma degustação desse volume pode ser obtida aqui. Para ler as primeiras páginas gratuitamente, é só clicar no último link!!!

Jordan Peterson posa ao lado de Roger Scruton. A revista The Salisbury Review foi fundada por Scruton em 1982 e editada por ele desde essa data até o ano 2001. Trata-se de um periódico alinhado ao conservadorismo tradicional, e surgido – embora Scruton apoiasse Margaret Thatcher – como um veículo crítico a alguns aspectos do “thatcherismo”.

Muitos textos das primeiras edições eram do próprio Roger Scruton, assinados com pseudônimos. Hoje tem entre os principais colaboradores Theodore Dalrymple. Durante as décadas recebeu artigos de Václav Havel (último presidente da Tchecoslováquia), Alexander Soljenítsin (um dos heróis literários de Jordan Peterson) e a própria Thatcher.

A publicação criticava o igualitarismo, o feminismo, a ajuda externa, o multiculturalismo, o modernismo e a campanha pelo desarmamento nuclear. Segundo o próprio Roger Scruton, essa atividade arruinou a sua carreira acadêmica na Grã-Bretanha.

Como se não bastassem três processos e dois interrogatórios, a revista lhe custou o boicote, pelo Departamento de Filosofia da Universidade de Glasgow, de uma palestra que daria em 1984 a convite da Sociedade Filosófica da mesma instituição.

A revista The Salisbury Review foi fundada por Scruton em 1982 e editada por ele desde essa data até o ano 2001.

Muitos textos das primeiras edições eram do próprio Roger Scruton, assinados com pseudônimos. Hoje tem entre os principais colaboradores Theodore Dalrymple. Durante as décadas recebeu artigos de Václav Havel (último presidente da Tchecoslováquia), Alexander Soljenítsin (um dos heróis literários de Jordan Peterson) e a própria Thatcher.

A publicação criticava o igualitarismo, o feminismo, a ajuda externa, o multiculturalismo, o modernismo e a campanha pelo desarmamento nuclear. Segundo o próprio Roger Scruton, essa atividade arruinou a sua carreira acadêmica na Grã-Bretanha.

Como se não bastassem três processos e dois interrogatórios, a revista lhe custou o boicote, pelo Departamento de Filosofia da Universidade de Glasgow, de uma palestra que daria em 1984 a convite da Sociedade Filosófica da mesma instituição.

Muitos dos textos das primeiras edições da revista The Salisbury.

Não que Roger Scruton não enfrentasse represálias mesmo antes de fundar o periódico. Já por volta de 1980 o filósofo marxista G. A. Cohen, que no entanto viria a se tornar um amigo de Scruton, se recusou a ministrar um seminário a seu lado na University College London.

De fato, 1980 foi o ano da publicação de O que É Conservadorismo, certamente a sua obra que até hoje gerou maior repercussão. Saiba mais sobre o título na seção “Livros de Roger Scruton”!

E confira abaixo a palestra de lançamento, por Bruno Garschagen, na É Realizações Espaço Cultural:

Review eram do próprio Roger Scruton, seu fundador.

Não que Roger Scruton não enfrentasse represálias mesmo antes de fundar o periódico. Já por volta de 1980 o filósofo marxista G. A. Cohen, que no entanto viria a se tornar um amigo de Scruton, se recusou a ministrar um seminário a seu lado na University College London.

De fato, 1980 foi o ano da publicação de O que É Conservadorismo, certamente a sua obra que até hoje gerou maior repercussão. Saiba mais sobre o título na seção “Livros de Roger Scruton”!!!

Não que Roger Scruton não enfrentasse represálias mesmo antes de fundar o periódico. Já por volta de 1980 o filósofo marxista G. A. Cohen, que no entanto viria a se tornar um amigo de Scruton, se recusou a ministrar um seminário a seu lado na University College London.

E confira abaixo a palestra de lançamento, por Bruno Garschagen, na É Realizações Espaço Cultural:

https://www.erealizacoes.com.br/blog/roger-scruton/ >>> VÍDEO

Em 1987 Roger Scruton fundou e passou a dirigir sua própria editora: The Claridge Press, vendida em 2002 para o Grupo Editorial Continuum.

Entre 1989 e 2004 dirigiu a Central European Consulting Ltd., pequena empresa cofundada por ele para prestar consultoria de relações governamentais à Polônia, à República Tcheca, à Eslováquia, à Hungria, à Romênia e à Ucrânia, então recém-saídas do regime soviético. Desde 1990 até hoje, Roger Scruton compõe a mesa diretora do Civic Institute of Praga.

Para estabelecer essas atividades na Europa Central e do Leste, em 1990 Scruton obteve um ano sabático da Universidade de Londres. Na época, vendeu seu apartamento na Notting Hill Gate e, ao voltar para a Inglaterra, alugou da banda de rock The Moonies um chalé em Stanton Fitzwarren, Swindon.

Alugou também um apartamento em The Albany, prédio em Piccadilly (Londres) cujos apartamentos serviram de aposentos para os empregados de Alan Clark, político conservador que foi Ministro do Comércio de Thatcher e de John Major.

[mandibierly]

'Blue Planet II': See what happens when penguins come between battling elephant seals

No episode of Blue Planet II has more action than this Saturday’s “Coasts,” which shows the lengths to which animals go to survive the world where land and sea collide.

One memorable sequence, as seen above, follows King penguins as they tip-toe through slumbering elephant seals on the shore of St Andrew’s Bay in South Georgia, an island close to Antarctica. It’s breeding season for the elephant seals, which means the bulls are vying for power, and since it’s spring, hundreds of thousands of penguins are arriving en route to the colony (where 40,000 chicks await, but also, as narrator Sir David Attenborough says, “a trial of endurance” that involves shedding all their feathers and growing new ones). The penguins just need to make it through the obstacle course of elephant seals without getting caught in the testosterone crossfire.

“There’s certainly an element of Clash of the Titans with the elephant seals,” episode producer Miles Barton says of the moment conflict erupts. “We’ve seen the penguins and the elephant seals on beaches before. The key there was, we got a handheld movie camera rig so that the cameraman could move in amongst the elephant seals as they moved. It was like he was the King penguin making its way up the beach, and he would have to move to the left or the right according to where the elephant seals were thrashing.”

King penguins march through St. Andrew’s Bay in South Georgia. (Photo: Mary Summerill/BBC)

“It’s quite a dodgy business — you’ve got to leap out of the way,” Barton says. “I’ve been on those beaches, and you do go along armed with a stick. Although a stick against a three-ton elephant seal doesn’t do much. But you feel slightly safer carrying it anyway.”

The stakes are even higher on the coast of Brazil for Sally Lightfoot crabs. Every day, they wait for the tide to go out and expose their feeding grounds — algae-covered rocks 100 meters from the shore. They leap from rock to rock to get there, hoping to stay out of the water. Why? Meter-long moray eels and clever octopus. To us, it feels like the Blue Planet II equivalent of Planet Earth II‘s viral “Iguana vs. snakes” sequence. For Barton, it’s a bit like Mission: Impossible. “Every day, this wave of crabs has to march out to those rocks with the low tide. Then when the tide comes back in again, they’ve got to repeat it all over again. There’s literally a gauntlet of moray eels and octopus in every pool. It’s amazing how some animals have to live their lives,” he says. Watch the clip above, and we guarantee you’ll be shouting “Go! Go!” at the screen. “I always like to surprise people,” Barton says. Somebody said to me, ‘I hate crabs. I’m not interested in crabs at all. But by the end of that sequence, I felt really sorry for it.’ To get people to feel empathy for a crab is a hell of a wonderful thing to achieve.”

Sally Lightfoot crabs queue up to leap from rock to rock at Fernando de Noronha, Brazil. These crabs appear to be afraid of water because that’s where predatory eels and octopuses lurk. (Photo: Miles Barton/BBC)

It was a challenging shoot, though. “It was just an incredibly slippery beach. You’ve got camera equipment worth 50 grand. Half the time the cameraman had to be up to his waist in water, because everything happens literally on the tide line as the crabs move in and out. What would happen is, our local guide, Joao Paulo Krajewski, who had actually studied these crabs, would go ahead and he would just trip across the rocks no problem at all. But it was very difficult for us to keep up with him. By the time we arrived, there’d been a couple of splashes and we’d missed it. So we split into two teams,” Barton says. “It was the fast team just carrying a camera in the hand with a beanbag and then running across the rocks as quickly as possible, slam the beanbag down, slam down the camera, and just get the moment when the moray eel would leap out of the water. Then we had a bigger camera with a longer lens, and if the behavior continued, we would capture that. Sometimes we would actually have two cameras on the same event, which meant you’ve got a wide and a closeup.”

Seeing the crabs slow down, scuttle, and leap from rock to rock was actually comical at times. “Occasionally they’d fall short and land in the water. Then they just paddle frantically to get out of the water. Of course, as soon as you see one of these eels leap out of the water, you realize what the crabs are so nervous about,” he says.

What really surprised the crew, however, was that there were nearly as many octopus as eels stalking the crabs. “The funny thing is that the octopus were so reactive to any movement above the water, a couple of times they actually grabbed hold of us around the ankles,” Barton says. “I suppose there was a shadow. But they would try to bite off a little bit more than they could chew, really.”

A Galapagos sea lion attacks a yellowfin tuna that it has driven inshore. This hunting strategy only happens on the Galapagos and had never been filmed before. (Photo: Richard Wollacombe/BBC)

In terms of “sheer drama,” Barton’s pick for the must-see sequence in “Coasts” is Galapagos sea lions banding together to herd their prey — 130-pound yellowfin tuna that can easily outswim sea lions in the open sea at speeds of 40 mph — into a cove. Two years before a team was dispatched, cameraman Richard Wollocombe came into the BBC offices and told producers a fisherman’s tale: “He’d been having a drink in a bar, and there’s a bloke who says, ‘The sea lions run the tuna up onto the beach and grab them off the shoreline.’ He initially said, ‘Well, I don’t believe that.’ We said the same to [Richard],” Barton says. “Then over that period of time, we got this fisherman to go out and put out a GoPro. That took about six months to [confirm his story]. Then we took another year or so to carefully plan the shoot.”

It’s a behavior that has only been witnessed there — and it had never been filmed before. On the first trip, the Blue Planet II team saw the cooperative hunting. But it was on the second trip that they realized the best way to really capture it was from the air. “That’s when we got our drone pilot, Dan Beecham, out there, and just by hovering above you could see the strategy perfectly,” Barton says. “You could see two or three sea lions bringing a group of tuna in. They get narrower and narrower into this channel, and then nip into sections and culverts that are created by the black lava in the Galapagos. Then you actually saw that the one sea lion would hang back and block the escape route. Then one by one, they could pick off these tuna. Sometimes they were able to grab them underwater. But every now and again, the tuna panicked so much they would leap out and be flapping around on the beach. Obviously it was a complete doddle then for the sea lions just to grab them.”

An Atlantic puffin with a beakful of food for its chick at Hornoya Island, Norway (Photo: Miles Barton/BBC)

For an action sequence that really pulls at the heartstrings, Blue Planet II traveled to Norway, where Puffin parents take turns traveling roughly 60 miles roundtrip to feed their chicks. Just when they’re about home, they have to fend off “pirates” — birds, namely the Arctic skua, who want to steal the fish. It’s heartbreaking, but also like watching a dogfight in Top Gun as the puffins maneuver to shake the skuas.

“We had an amazing bird cameraman, Barrie Britton, who can follow and predict the behavior of birds. If I was standing next to him and I saw the chase, I wouldn’t know whether the skua had made contact with the puffin, or where the fish had fallen out, or anything because it’s happening so fast. It’s only when you review [the footage] that you see all the detail,” Barton says. “You’d feel so sorry for the puffins. Initially there might be one skua, but as soon as there’s a sign of vulnerability in the puffin and it starts to go down, or drop its food, then three, four. It’s like the starfighters in Star Wars. The goodies and the baddies. They’re just being chased. It is an aerial duel. The trouble is, the poor old puffin, because he’s designed to swim underwater, he’s compromised, whereas the skuas are designed for aerobatics, and so they can twist and turn. They’re actually plucking the puffin’s feathers. They grab hold of their tails and shake them, and it’s always to shake the food out. The puffin may have been out feeding and flying for four, five, six hours. It comes back, and then it loses its food and has to go all the way out again. It’s a sad story.”

Ochre starfish are the main predators of limpets in rock pools at Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. But the limpets are known to fight back. (Photo: Paul Williams/BBC)

Heading to the rock pools of Canada to capture the battle between limpets (marine mollusks) and their top predators, starfish, Barton had another cinematic inspiration in mind: “I’d hoped we would get the best of Pixar,” he says, “but the great thing is, it’s all happening and it’s all real — all those creatures are that colorful.” The trick here was using time-lapse technology that could turn minutes into seconds. “You walk past a rock pool, you look in and you think, ‘That’s quite pretty, but nothing much is happening.’ But if you take time and move it the way the animals are experiencing it, then you see it’s kind of tooth and dagger, tooth and claw down there. All these mini dramas are just happening everywhere,” Barton says. (To us, the tone then becomes more like Tim Burton’s stop-motion The Nightmare Before Christmas.)

He loved the idea that he might be able to make viewers start to think of a limpet as a hero as it fends off a starfish. “Nobody’s interested in a limpet. But when it’s kind of crawling along with its little face out, you feel sympathy for a limpet,” Barton says. “Not only do they kind of look cute, but also they’ve got these cool defenses. One is a little protective shield that comes up. Who’d have thought that a limpet could deploy a [slippery] shield? The other is that it has its [friend, a scale worm] inside as a kind of guided missile that pops up from underneath the shell and gives the starfish a bite and sends him on his way.”

A Pacific leaping blenny in its nest hole in Guam, Micronesia. It spends almost all of its life on land using its tail to leap from rock to rock. (Photo: Chase Weir/BBC)

The last sequence we asked Barton to preview is a decidedly lighter tale. The most terrestrial fish on earth, the leaping blenney, lives on a few remote islands in the Pacific. “They’re extraordinary creatures because they have a unique form of locomotion. Every other vertebrate uses kind of the four-limb shuffle approach to traveling around. These curl their tails and flick — that’s extraordinary in itself — and they can go six body lengths,” Barton says. What’s particularly charming is that, like little birds or lizards, the males display colors to attract a mate. So they make their nest holes high up on a limestone cliff, then try to attract — and keep — the attention of females feeding on algae down by the tide zone and focused on avoiding being swept in by approaching waves.

“Any time a wave comes in, they leap away from it. This is the other fun thing about these fish: it’s effectively a fish that’s afraid of the water. It’s just like kids on a beach. They run down toward the waves, and then they run away from them. This is what the blenneys are doing,” Barton says. “But the problem for the males is, that keeps distracting the females every time they’ve kind of caught their eye. But eventually the females do head up toward the males, and they choose them. Then the males go completely demented, kind of wriggling and writhing. They’re not really designed for agile work on a rock, but they do their best. That black body with a bright orange fin really stands out. Then if she chooses, in she goes.”

Still, the courtship isn’t necessarily over: “The nice thing that I’d noticed was that the females weren’t putting all their eggs in one basket. They’d go along, sometimes they’d check out that one. But then they’d pop into the guy a meter or so down the way,” Barton says. “They were hedging their bets sometimes.”

Planet Earth: Blue Planet II airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. on BBC America.

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:

‘Blue Planet II’: How an octopus outsmarts a shark

The most heartbreaking sequence in ‘Blue Planet II’: A pilot whale mourning her calf

The most terrifying sequence of ‘Blue Planet II’: The Bobbit worm

Why ‘The Deep’ episode of ‘Blue Planet II’ is the one you can’t miss

‘Blue Planet II’ premiere: Bird-eating fish and 5 more sequences you’ll be talking about

#news #_revsp:wp.yahoo.tv.us #elephant seals #_author:Mandi Bierly #videos #video #_category:yct:001000086 #blue planet II #_lmsid:a0Vd000000AE7lXEAT #interviews #bbc america #penguins #animals #blue planet 2 #_uuid:6ff5da46-6feb-3d55-b0d7-81cb69b63665

[ultraisabarrosmartins1978]

Rolê Sympla: arte e shows para curtir muito em São Paulo

Alô alô, nação rolêzeira! A Catraca Livre e a Sympla se uniram para indicar  showzões e super peças de teatro em cartaz na capital paulista, abraçando os mais diversos estilos e com ingressos para todos os bolsos. Os eventos acontecem em palcos como Bona, JazzNosFundos e Teatro das Artes.

É só arrastar o dedo para encontrar tributo a Elvis Presley, mistura entre mitologia grega e Amazônia, jazz, folk, baião, blues, country, gypsy e até apresentação inspirada em Milton Nascimento, Moacir Santos e Wayne Shorter!

MARATONA DE SHOWZÕES OCUPA O AUDITÓRIO IBIRAPUERA EM AGOSTO 

Fica a dica: não marque bobeira e compre ingressos antecipados via Sympla – e já aproveite para conferir os milhares de outros eventos em cartaz no site

Bora curtir música boa? 

1. “A Profissão da Sra. Warren”

Numa casa de campo, Vivie Warren, encontra sua mãe, a quem pouco conhece. A Sra. Warren enriquecera administrando uma rede internacional de bordéis, ao lado de seu sócio, Sir George Crofts. Mas Vivie não sabe disto. Ao descobrir que sua educação e estilo de vida privilegiado foram possibilitados pela profissão da sua mãe, inicia-se, através do brilho cintilante dos diálogos de Shaw um dos mais memoráveis embates da dramaturgia inglesa.

A “Profissão da Sra. Warren” é uma das peças mais conhecidas do ganhador do Prêmio Nobel e do Oscar, Bernard Shaw. O autor explora, com grande senso de humor, questões como enriquecimento, hipocrisia social e paradoxos morais. A trama em torno do desvelamento da profissão da Sra. Warren é um exercício vigoroso de honestidade, humor e inteligência.

Quando? 10 de agosto a 30 de setembro | Segunda e Sábado às 20h30; Domingo, às 19h Onde? Teatro Aliança Francesa | Rua General Jardim, 182 – Vila Buarque Quanto? De R$ 25 a R$ 50 Para comprar os ingressos, basta acessar o site da Sympla aqui.

2. “ZORRO, nasce uma lenda”

Dirigido por Ulysses Cruz e estrelado por Marcos Mion, Leticia Spiller, Bruno Fagundes, Nicole Rosemberg e grande elenco, o espetáculo conta a origem da história do herói mascarado, misturando romance e muito humor.

‘ZORRO, nasce uma lenda’ é um musical com tempero latino, ambientado em torno de um ‘Tablao Flamenco’ em uma Taberna Gitana, recheado de humor, efeitos especiais, lutas, muita dança e música flamenca, que inclui em sua trilha canções originais e alguns dos maiores sucessos do grupo Gipsy Kings, hits consagrados em todo o mundo como “Djobi, Djoba”, “Bamboleo” e “Baila Me”.

Quando? 2 de agosto a 8 de setembro | Sexta, às 21h;  Sábado, às 17h00 e às 21h; Domingo, às 16h e às 20h Onde? 033ROOFTOP | Av. Juscelino Kubtscheck, 2041 – Teatro Santander Quanto? De R$ 37,50 a R$ 220 Para comprar os ingressos, basta acessar o site da Sympla aqui.

3. “Van Gogh – A sombra do invisível”

A sombra do invisível é um monólogo sobre Van Gogh, criado a partir de Cartas à Theo. As questões existências do pintor, incompreendido em vida e reconhecido após sua morte, são o cerne da encenação.

Quantos seres existem em um homem só?

Van Gogh, o animal, o selvagem, o estrangeiro, miserável, solitário, faminto, fracassado, desgovernado, insaciável, consagrado, revolucionário.

Quantas criaturas cabem dentro de nós?

Direção de Helena Fraga e pesquisa dramatúrgica de Alice Rocha. Van Gogh é o décimo trabalho autoral de João Paulo Lorenzon e sua volta aos monólogos depois de cinco anos.

Quando? 10 de agosto, às 21h Onde? Viga Espaço Cênico | Rua Capote Valente, 1323, Pinheiros Quanto? De R$ 30 a R$ 60 Para comprar os ingressos, basta acessar o site da Sympla aqui.

4. Soundscape Big Band | Celebrando 20º Aniversário

A big band paulistana lança seu 5º álbum da carreira, tendo no setlist músicas de Milton Nascimento, Moacir Santos e Wayne Shorter. O grupo de 17 músicos é formado por artistas relevantes da cena instrumental brasileira que tem no currículo associações com Maria Schneider, Airto Moreira, Cesar Camargo Mariano, entre outros.

Criada em 1999 por influência de mestres do jazz, a Soundscape Big Band tem a estrutura clássica de cinco saxofones, quatro trombones, quatro trompetes, baixo acústico, bateria, piano e guitarra.

Seu repertório é composto por arranjos e composições de diferentes sonoridades e texturas do jazz contemporâneo, fortalecendo-o como uma das principais instituições da música instrumental no Brasil.

Quando? 13 de agosto, a partir das 21h30 Onde? JazzNosFundos – CCMI | Rua Cardeal Arcoverde, 742, Pinheiros Quanto? De R$ 20 a R$ 40 Para comprar os ingressos, basta acessar o site da Sympla aqui.

5. Αμαζόνων | Amazonon e Chrysanth Gkika no Bona

O nome Amazonon evoca a mitologia grega, com a tribo das Amazonas, ao mesmo tempo em que remete à nossa brasileira selva amazônica. Este projeto nasce do encontro entre tradições musicais distantes; a música do leste do Mediterrâneo (Grécia, Turquia e Oriente médio) em toda sua complexidade melódica com a riqueza da música brasileira.

Nos últimos dois anos, Juliano Abramovay (Grand Bazaar, Luiza Lian, Orkestra Bandida) esteve na Europa pesquisando e participando de projetos ligados à música modal de diferentes tradições. Agora, o músico retorna ao Brasil ao lado de Ricardo Zoyo (contrabaixo) e João Fideles (bateria).

Juliano se apresenta no violão e alaúde, instrumento tradicional presente no Leste do Mediterrâneo e Oriente Médio. Esta região é marcada por tradições musicais milenares com sistemas modais (Makam, Maqam, Mugam, Dashtag) onde melodia e percussão são os elementos de destaque.

Chrysanthi Gkika (Grécia) é um expoente da Lyra, instrumento de corda tradicional da região da Grécia e Turquia. Aluna de Sokratis Sinopoulos, ela participou de importantes orquestra como a “Mitos” Orquestra, dirigida por Ross Daly, além de se apresentar e promover workshops na Espanha, China e Turquia.

O repertório conta com composições de artistas contemporâneos como Rabih-Abou Kalil (Líbano), Anouar Brahem (Tunísia), Efren Lopez (Catalunha), John Zorn (EUA) e Egberto Gismonti (Brasil), além de composições próprias e peças tradicionais da Turquia e Grécia.

Quando? 20 de agosto, a partir das 20h30 Onde? Bona | Rua Álvaro Anes, 43, Pinheiros Quanto? R$ 35 Para comprar os ingressos, basta acessar o site da Sympla aqui.

6. Santa Jam Vó Alberta | Especial Califórnia, Nevada e Nashville

Vó Alberta faz alusão à embaixatriz do blues: Alberta Hunter. Assim como ela, a banda desenvolve um profundo estudo das expressões musicais por regiões que resulta numa apresentação que busca a fusão cultural permeando, através do jazz tradicional, o folk e o baião, o blues, o country e o gypsy.

O grupo também apresenta repertório autoral, que consolida a experiência musical de uma legítima jam session. Os músicos da Santa Jam Vó Alberta desenvolvem cenários musicais através de contações de histórias, fazendo dos seus instrumentos (contrabaixo acústico, sanfona, banjo, gaita, viola caipira, violões, washboard, zabumba, alfaia e mandolim) a extensão do enredo musical.

Quando? 21 de agosto, a partir das 20h30 Onde? Bona | Rua Álvaro Anes, 43, Pinheiros Quanto? R$ 40 Para comprar os ingressos, basta acessar o site da Sympla aqui.

7. Mario Bakuna | Lançamento CD “Where Rio de Janeiro Meets Bahia”

Mario Bakuna é um compositor, cantor e guitarrista brasileiro residente em Londres, com mais de 15 anos de experiência profissional e estudo centrado na música afro-brasileira, samba, jazz e bossa nova.

Ele viajou para a Europa para expandir sua pesquisa, e desde que se mudou para Londres, já se apresentou ao lado de músicos como Jean Toussaint, Liam Noble, Roberto Manzin, Ricardo dos Santos, Edmundo Carneiro, Cacau Queiroz, Alain Jean Marie, Filó Machado e Andrew McCormack.

Quando? 22 de agosto, a partir das 19h03 Onde? Inferninho Familiar Quinta dos Infernos | Rua Coronel José Eusébio, 109 – Higienópolis Quanto? R$ 15,17 Para comprar os ingressos, basta acessar o site da Sympla aqui.

8. Elvis, O Tributo

Gilberto Augusto, o intérprete mais respeitado do Brasil, apresenta o maior tributo a Elvis Presley da América Latina.

Único, empolgante, surpreendente, “Elvis, O Tributo” é uma grande produção com a participação da Banda Memphis, o talentoso Grupo Vocal Memphis e marcada pela performance do cover brasileiro cujas marcas são carisma, simpatia, energia e potencial vocal.

Mais de 100 arranjos totalmente fiéis aos originais, a harmonização vocal estudada minuciosamente, a banda formada por profissionais altamente capacitados, somados à afinação e potencial vocal de Gilberto se unem no show.

Quando? 22 de agosto, a partir das 21h Onde? Teatro das Artes (Shopping Eldorado) | Av. Rebouças, 3970 – Store 409 – Pinheiros Quanto? De R$ 35 a R$ 80 Para comprar os ingressos, basta acessar o site da Sympla aqui.

Quer mais diquinhas? Selecionamos 10 shows maravilhosos pra você curtir nos Sescs de SP em agosto: 

Veja também: 10 shows incríveis (e baratinhos) para curtir no Sesc em agosto

Rolê Sympla: arte e shows para curtir muito em São Paulopublicado primeiro em como se vestir bem

[scotianostra]

 On September 11th  1297, William Wallace and Andrew de Moray led a Scottish army victory over the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge.

Two major rebellions developed in 1297 led by Wallace in the South and de  Moray in the North.

Moray had been captured after fighting for King John at the Battle of Dunbar but had escaped only to find his family's lands in Avoch on the Black Isle under English control.He led a guerilla campaign capturing Urquhart, Inverness. Elgin, Duffus, Banff and Inverness castles. By the middle of 1297, he had driven the English south of the River Tay.

He then moved south to Dundee, where he joined forces with William Wallace.

Little is known of William Wallace before the events of 1297, other than he was born near Paisley.

Wallace is first mentioned by English contemporary sources as an outlaw. He is reported to have killed the English Sheriff of Lanark, in May 1297

He then led a rebellion across Scotland, attacking English soldiers and officials.

Although many nobles supported him openly at first, they surrendered to Edward’s nobles at the Capitulation of Irvine in July. Wallace himself refused to surrender and continued his fight against English occupation. He probably avoided capture in the summer months by hiding in Selkirk Forest.Wallace moved north at the end of the summer and met with Andrew Moray near Dundee.

Wallace and Moray saw themselves as 'Commanders of the Army of Scotland' and moved to strike a decisive blow against English occupation.

In the heart of Scotland, Stirling and its Castle had crucial strategic importance. Whoever controlled Stirling could then control movement between the north and south of the Kingdom.

And so it was that on this day 725 years ago  the Scots made a stand against English tyranny at Stirling.

The English army was led by the Earl of Surrey, who was Edward I's lieutenant in Scotland, and Hugh de Cressingham, the Treasurer of Scotland. Neither of these men saw either Wallace or Moray as a threat and they expected to crush the rebel Scots.De Cressingham was hugely unpopular amongst the Scots and his presence undoubtedly antagonised the men of Wallace and Moray.

It’s thought that Surrey's attitude at Stirling may have contributed to the English defeat. Before the fighting began, he had already sent some of his soldiers home, to save paying their wages.He believed that the English army would easily defeat Wallace and Moray.He slept late on the morning of the Battle.He could not decide how to get his army across the river and took too much time to do this.

Surrey decided to use Stirling Bridge to get across the river. However, the Bridge was extremely narrow and would only allow a small number of the English to cross at once.

Wallace and Moray allowed a significant number of the English army to cross before sending in their own troops. The English became trapped between the Scots army and the river. The Scots relied on their spearmen and eventually separated the English cavalry from the rest of their army on the other side of the river.Cut off and unable to retreat, huge numbers of English were killed and many drowned in the river. Hugh de Cressingham himself was killed and was supposedly skinned and cut to pieces by the Scots.In the chaos that followed the Scots victory, 

Surrey and his army retreated to the relative safety of Berwick in the borders.

Following the victory at Stirling Bridge in 1297, the Scottish nobles appointed Wallace and Moray as 'Guardians of Scotland'.

This meant that they became official commanders of the Scottish army. They were also in control of Scotland, able to make official decisions and communicate with other Kings, on Scotland's behalf.

Moray was not Guardian for long as he died a few weeks later from wounds received at Stirling Bridge.

Wallace continued to rule Scotland in the name of King John, who remained imprisoned by Edward I. As Guardian, Wallace continued the war against England by invading northern England, besieging castles and towns. He used brutal tactics against local garrisons and communities.

#Scotland #scottish #Sir William Wallace #Sir Andrew de Moray #the battle of stirling Bridge #The first war of Scottish Independence #history #medieval history

[scotianostra]

On 29th March 1298 William Wallace was knighted and officially made "Guardian of Scotland".

The previous September Wallace and Andrew de Moray achieved a stunning victory at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. The English left with 5,000 dead on the field, including their despised treasurer, Hugh Cressingham, whose flayed skin was said to have been taken as a trophy of victory and to make a belt for Wallace's sword. The Scots suffered one significant casualty,

Andrew de Moray , who was badly wounded and died two months later.

A lot of the detail of this has been lost i time but it is said that the ceremony took place in front of gathered nobles and clergy in the Kirk o’ the Forest, in Selkirk. Wallace was named "Commander of the Army of the Kingdom of Scotland", knighted and made Guardian of Scotland in Balliol's name at the forest kirk, at either Selkirk or Carluke.

Balliol had been humiliated in 1296 when he signed the first treaty of alliance with the French, Edward I had torn the Royal insignia from his clothing earning him the cruel nickname Tomb Tabard, meaning empty coat, but many, Wallace included, still saw him as the rightful King.

It was a remarkable achievement for a mere knight to hold power over the nobles of Scotland. In a medieval world obsessed with hierarchy, Wallace's extraordinary military success catapulted him to the top of the social ladder.

He now guided Scottish policy. Letters were dispatched to Europe proclaiming Scotland's renewed independence and he managed to obtain from the Papacy the appointment of the patriotic Bishop Lamberton to the vacant Bishopric of St Andrews.

Militarily he took the war into the north of England, raiding around Newcastle and wreaking havoc across the north. Contemporary English chroniclers accused him of atrocities, some no doubt warranted, however, in Wallace's eyes the war, since its beginning, by the English, had been marked by brutality and butchery.

The English nobility had been on the edge of civil war with Edward I. They were disgruntled over his wars in France and Scotland, however, faced with the humiliating defeat by the Scots at Stirling Bridge, they united behind him in time for the Battle of Falkirk.

Unfortunately Wallace's army at Falkirk was soundly beaten that July and Scotland fell under Longshanks rule, Sir William Wallace resigned as Guardian and was now the most wanted man in Scotland.

The site where Wallace was made Guardian has long gone, but a geophysics study in 2016 carried out within the ruins of the 18th century Auld Kirk was expected to show traces of its 16th century predecessor. Instead, it revealed the remains of a medieval chapel, pinpointing the spot where Wallace was honoured.

The first pic is from a 1935 pageant at Selkirk reenacting the event, the second is a plaque at Kirk O' The Forest, for all those from the U.S in the Murray aisle of the present building, lie the maternal ancestors of Franklin D Roosevelt the 32nd President

#scotland #scottish #history #sir william wallace #first war of scottish independence

[scotianostra]

30th November 1335 saw the Battle of Culblean.

Another little known battle , this ties in with the Balliols, this time Edward and is seen as the turning point in the Second War of Independence.

By November 1335, with the help of English troops Balliol held all but 4 Scottish castles, David de Strathbogie, Earl of Atholl, loyal to Balliol, was laying siege to one of them, Kildrummy Castle in Aberdeenshire, which controlled the North East. Among them was the Bruce’s sister, Christian, and wife of Sir Andrew, a constant thorn in Balliol’s side during the Second Wars of Independence, he was also Regent to King David.

Murrray raised an army of about 4,000 to lift the siege, including the Earl of March and Sir William de Douglas. On 29th November the army camped at “Hall of Logy Rothwayne” on the north east shore of Loch Davan. On learning of their approach Atholl abandoned the siege and camped at the east end of Culblean, perhaps aiming for his land of Atholl, to the south.

The battle was described by Wyntoun’s Chronicle. John of the Craig, defender of Kildrummy told Murray of an approach to outflank Atholl, and splitting his forces, on St Andrew’s Day , de Douglas feinted to the front of Atholls army, about 3,000 strong, and de Moray hit them from the flank. Surprised and overwhelmed the pro English army was defeated. According to Boece’s account Atholl himself was killed by Alexander Gordon, the successor to the Lordship of Strathbogie forfeited by Atholl. Some of the survivors took refuge in the nearby island castle of Loch Kinord, but were forced to surrender the following day.

Compared with the other great battles of the Wars of Independence, Culblean was a relatively small affair, and is now largely forgotten. Nevertheless, its size was greatly outweighed by its importance on the road to Scottish national recovery. The Scottish academic and Historian Dr Douglas Simpson passed what might be said to be the final verdict on the battle when he wrote; Culblean was the turning point in the second war of Scottish Independence, and therefore an event of great national importance. Small as it was it effectively nullified the effects of Edward’s summer invasion, ending forever Balliol’s hope of gaining the Scottish throne. Its effects were almost immediately felt. Edward Balliol spent the winter of 1335-6, so says the Lanercost Chronicle; …with his people at Elande, in England, because he does not yet possess in Scotland any castle or town where he could dwell in safety

A monolith 13ft high was erected 16 September 1956, by the Deeside Field Club, to commemorate the battle, just off the Tarland-Burn o’ Vat road near the hill where the battle was fought. It reads

“Erected by the Deesside Field Club in 1956 to commemorate the Battle of Culblean fought on St. Andrew’s day, 30 November 1335 between the forces of Sir Andrew de Moray, Warden of Scotland, and David, Earl of Atholl, in which the former was victorious. The battle marked the turning point of the second Scottish War of Independence.”

#scotland #scottish #history #The Balliols #The second war of Scottish Independence

[scotianostra]

On September 11th 1297, William Wallace and Andrew de Moray led htheir troops to victory at the Battle of Stirling Bridge.

As William Wallace was leading a growing rebellion in the lowlands early in 1297, news spread of a great rising in the north led by Andrew de Moray. As events progressed, Wallace developed the use of a new tactic, later to be used with great success by Bruce, i.e. the rapid deployment of fast moving light horse to attack and harass English patrols and garrisons. These tactics pinned them back into fixed positions and made control of the countryside- the collection of taxes and provisions- difficult. With his growing success, Wallace had to manage ever greater numbers of men and hence his exploits increased in scale. As the year progressed the English commanders in Scotland grew increasingly anxious. This is shown by the worried letters to the treasury in London from Hugh Cressingham complaining about the impossibility of raising taxes in Scotland as all was in a state of unrest.

In the North, Moray had cleared out most of the English forces and linked up his forces with those of Wallace some time during the August of 1297 thereby creating a unique force, composed of both Lowlanders and Highlanders. There was a setback with the surrender at Irvine in July 1297 of an army under the command of the Earl of Carrick, Robert Bruce and Sir William Douglas. They could be seen as being the more traditional leaders, in the eyes of the country, than Wallace and Moray, but they may have had less stomach for the fight.

An English army charged with subduing Scotland left Berwick at the end of August 1297 and marched towards Stirling under the joint command of Hugh Cressingham and John de Warenne, the Earl of Surrey. The force, including many Welsh, reached Stirling on the 10th of September and was faced by a Scottish force drawn up on the foothills of the Ochils and on the Abbey Craig which overlooked the mile long causeway linking the only bridge across the River Forth to the dry ground and Stirling castle. On the morning of the 11th of September a large force of heavy cavalry and foot marched across the narrow bridge, two abreast, under the watching eyes of the Scots.

When it was deemed enough English troops had crossed, the Scots forces were given the order to charge and a group of spearmen - hidden from the eyes of the English - set off and succeeded in cutting off the bridgehead which had been formed. The English troops who had crossed the bridge were cut off from help, and were duly massacred while the greater part of the English army watched helpless on the other side of the Forth.

The tactical positioning had obviously been worked out well beforehand and the planning of the battle had, it would seem, taken up a large part of the Scots time. The timing of the rush down the causeway was crucial to the success of the Scots as, had too many English troops been allowed to cross, the final outcome could have been drastically different.

It should also be pointed out that the troops who had beaten this large semi-professional English army- a balanced force of cavalry, archers and heavy foot- were the landless peasants and not the great Scottish lords.

The Scots now had to prepare themselves for the wrath which Edward I would surely vent on his return from campaigning in France. Scotland suffered great misfortune with the death of Andrew de Moray (possibly due to wounds received at the battle) and subsequently Wallace was left in sole control of the Scottish forces and ultimately the whole country.

#scotland #scottish #history #medieval history #medieval warfare #First War of Scottish Independence

[scotianostra]

On 24th of June 1314 Scotland rose as a nation to repel the English invaders at The Battle of Bannockburn.

The First War of Scottish Independence had say sporadic fighting since Edward I of England led a force into Scotland in the spring of 1296 to strip King John Balliol of his crown. During the next decade or so the likes of Andrew Moray, William Wallace and Simon Fraser among others had fought a guerrilla war against the English. Some of the nobility, Robert the Bruce and John Comyn included had chosen to fight with Edwards Armies at times, Moray died of his wounds some time after The Battle of Stirling Bridge, Wallace was executed in London after betrayal by he Scottish nobleman Sir John Menteith in the autumn of 1305, Longshanks must have thought the resistance was crushed but a year later The Bruce, after killing John Comyn at Dumfries, seized the Scottish crown, and so began a chain of events that would see a smaller Scottish Army defeat the English Army of Edward II on the fields at Bannockburn near Stirling.

After nearly a decade of fighting, by 1314 Robert the Bruce was in control of most of Scotland. Stirling Castle was the only major castle left in English hands, and so he sent his only surviving brother to Stirling with orders to take the castle.

However, his brother made a deal with the English commander: if the fort wasn’t relieved by mid-summer 1314, the English commander would surrender the castle to the Scots.

So far, Edward II of England had stayed well away from the fighting in Scotland. But even he couldn’t ignore the challenge of relieving Stirling Castle. He marched an army north to Scotland, stopping a couple of miles south of Stirling Castle, near a stream called the Bannockburn.

Meanwhile, Robert the Bruce had gathered together all of his fighting troops, and had arrived at nearby St. Ninian’s before the English. This gave him time to prepare the ground for the mother of all battles.

There are only about four hours of proper darkness at midsummer in Scotland. For the English army crossing the boggy ground beneath the town of Stirling, that was just enough time to feed and water horses and men, clean equipment and wonder what lay ahead of them once the sun rose. Morale was low. The foot soldiers were exhausted, having been forced to march as quickly as they could from Edinburgh 30 miles away in order to meet the midsummer deadline agreed for the relief of the castle.

Yesterday I touched upon the first day of the battle where the English had failed to best their Scottish enemies in a series of encounters including the infamous attempt by Sir Henry de Bohun to kill the Scottish king.

Nevertheless,  Edward II was prepared. What he did not expect was the Scots to fight, for it was their habit to disappear into the hills when confronted by an English army. Preferring to fight on their own terms, the tactics Wallace had used and Bruce also in his battles.

As dawn crept into the sky on June 4th, Edward could see the Scots across the burn, seing them kneel, legend has it that the English KingI, called out “Ha! They kneel for mercy!” misunderstanding their intent. The Scots then stood up and marched in their schiltrons down the hill, straight towards the massing English knights, under cover from their own archers. 

The English archers reacted swiftly, however, and quickly drove the few Scots archers from the field. Beneath a ridge was a line of casualties where the two armies first clashed. The well drilled Scottish lines held at the impact of the poorly organised English cavalry, however, then began driving back the English in a relentless, murderous, crushing slog. The lines were packed so closely together that English support from their archers quickly became impossible.

ThdeEnglish general The Duke of Gloucester had been stung by accusations of cowardice from his own king the day before. Subsequently, upon seeing the Scots’ advance, he hastily formed up the vanguard of the English cavalry and charged without even pausing to don his own surcoat. With great bravery, he charged the Scottish lines but went down under the spears of Edward Bruce’s men. Without his surcoat, he was not recognised as a potentially valuable hostage and was killed by the rampaging Scots.

The English had redeployed their now redundant archers across the Pelstream Burn, on the Scots’ left flank, where they wreaked total havoc amongst the Scotsmen under the command of the Black Douglas and Walter the Steward. But the Bruce had foreseen just such a development and deployed the Scots light cavalry under Sir Robert Keith in a circuitous movement to dispatch them. Unseen by the English, they tracked swiftly through the concealing countryside to take the English archers by surprise and drove them from the field.

 It was at this point that the Bruce deployed his own schiltron, with support from Angus Og MacDonald and his highlanders, who he had previously held in reserve. As they smashed into the thick of the battle, the English began to lose heart. They were being driven back mercilessly and yet most had been unable to reach the front line to strike a blow. They could not manoeuvre effectively in the tight confines and on such broken terrain. Many fell beneath the crush, never to rise again and panic began to surge through their ranks.

English King Edward was persuaded to leave the field by his advisers as order in the English ranks collapsed and he fled for nearby Stirling castle with his escort. Upon seeing the Royal Standard, three golden leopards on a scarlet background, leaving the field, the English collapse became inevitable.

The Scottish archers returned to the field to wreak havoc upon the fleeing English. The “small folk” abandoned their reserve position by Coxet Hill and took to the field. It is unlikely that Robert the Bruce ordered this charge, but its effect was devastating upon the already retreating English forces. Seeing these hundreds of figures rush into battle carrying workmen’s tools as weapons and waving homemade banners, the English mistook them as another Scottish reserve force entering the fray. Subsequently, they totally disintegrated and fled the field, pursued in every direction by vengeful Scots

The English King eventually reached Stirling Castle but was refused entry by the castle commander, Sir Philip Moubray, as this would only have resulted in the King’s ultimate capture. He and his retinue were pursued relentlessly south and east to Dunbar by the Black Douglas, leaving his army to be slaughtered.

#scotland #scottish #robert the bruce #battle #battle of bannockburn #medieval warfare #medieval history #history #english #england

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On or around September *6th 1306 Sir Simon Fraser, the "Scottish Patriot" was executed by the English and his head displayed in London alongside that of Sir William Wallace.

*Over the years I have notice three differing dates for SirSimon's execution.

When we remember Wallace we tend to not know about his fellow soldiers who fought at his side, Sir Andrew de Moray, who died of his wounds after the Battle of Stirling, has got some recognition lately, as has Sir John De Graeme thanks chiefly to the likes of David Reid and The Society of John De Graeme, Sir John Stewart of Bonkyll and he fell during the defeat at Falkirk. Ironically Fraser was on the English side at Falkirk, let's not slate him for this, The Bruce had been on Edward Longshanks side on more than one occasion, Fraser however saw the light and by 1301 was back onside.

Sir Simon Fraser of Neidpath, can be thought of as the founding father of the Lovat Frasers. Born in 1257 in Neidpath Castle near Peebles, he met a gruesome death in London in 1306. He had been captured fighting in the Scottish Wars of Independence.

One chronicler calls Simon ‘a man totally gifted for war’. Another hailed him as ‘manly, stout, bold and wight’ – meaning brave and nimble.

As I have said in this turbulent era, Sir Simon and most of the Scottish elite, tried at times to work with the English king, Edward I, who continually threatened the Scottish borders. Edward claimed the right to interfere in the government of Scotland. Sir Simon alternated this policy of tolerating Edward’s intrusion, with periods of taking up arms to keep Edward out of Scotland.

Simon the Patriot’s most astonishing achievement must be the Battle of Roslin. It took place in 1303.. A bloody and significant battle in the Scottish Wars of Independence, today it is mostly forgotten. With only 8,000 men, Simon led the Scots army to victory over an English invasion force of over 30,000, using his superior knowledge of the terrain and the element of surprise.

Two years after the incredible victory at Roslyn, Simon’s brother-in-arms, William Wallace was betrayed and executed. Simon then gave his loyalty to Robert the Bruce, who was crowned King of Scotland in March, 1306. Simon the Patriot rode at the Bruce’s side at the Battle of Methven in June 1306, to rid Scotland of Edward’s invasion force.

This time the English army had surprise on their side. They mounted a lightning attack. Three times the Bruce was unhorsed, and each time Simon helped him back into the saddle, fighting off the enemy. It was said that the Bruce granted the Frasers the right to display three crowns on their arms after this, to signify the number of times they had saved the Crown of Scotland.

Yet, in truth the Scots barely escaped, and fled into the Highlands. On the run, the Bruce nearly gave up the fight. Simon Fraser could permit himself no such luxury as to think of surrender. He knew what it would mean for him. But, encountering English soldiers at Kirkencrieff, he was taken prisoner.

They carried him to London in irons. There, they tried him and condemned him to the refined cruelty of a traitor’s death.On oraround 6th September, 1306, he was dragged out of prison and marched in mockery from the Tower to London Bridge. There Simon Fraser was hanged, and cut down while still alive. They disembowelled him, threw his guts into a brazier, and then beheaded him and cut off his limbs.

The executioners stuck Simon Fraser’s head on a spike beside Wallace’s, on London Bridge, and hoisted the trunk of his body, in chains, to swing close by. Londoners claimed they saw demons rampaging along the parapets, and tormenting Fraser’s remains with hooks.

450 years later, another famous Fraser leader, Lord Lovat of the ’45, stood on his own scaffold in London in 1747, waiting to be executed for treason for his part in Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Jacobite rebellion. Lovat declaimed the Latin poet, Horace. ‘For those things which were done, either by our fathers or ancestors, and in which we had no share, I can scarcely claim for my own.’ It was these old heroes of Scottish independence Lovat saw in his mind’s eye, as he waited for the axe to fall. He saluted them, his imagination soaring above the crowds baying for his head.

The pis are an interpratation ofFraser and Sir Simons crest as described at the siege of Caerlaverock in 1300.

#scotland #scottish #history #medieval history #First war of Scottish Independence #Judicial murder #hung drawn and quarterered

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On the 23rd August 1305 Scotland lost one of it's greatest warriors when the English executed Sir William Wallace.

Most of what we know about William Wallace today comes from a 15th-century poem by minstrel Blind Harry entitled, Actes and Deidis of the Illustre and Vallyeant Campioun Schir William Wallace.The poem is a long narrative work composed in decasyllabic rhyming couplets that forms a biography of hs life from his boyhood until his execution.

Based on assumptions by Blind Harry, it is suggested that William Wallace was born in 1270 in Elderslie and was the second son of Sir Malcolm Wallace, a minor landowner and vassal of James, 5th steward of Scotland.

However, William’s own seal on a letter sent to the Hanse city of Lübeck in 1297 gives his father’s name as Alan Wallace, possibly an Alan Wallace in the Ragman Rolls as a crown tenant in Ayrshire.

The Wallace surname means “foreigner” in Old Low Franconian, or in Anglo-Norman French means “Welshman”, suggesting that the Wallace family line could have originated in Wales, possibly in the former Kingdom of Strathclyde.

After the death of King Alexander III in 1286, King Edward I of England was invited by the Scottish nobility to arbitrate who had claim to the Scottish crown. At a great feudal court held in the castle at Berwick-upon-Tweed, judgment was given in favour of John Balliol having the strongest claim in law based on being senior in genealogical primogeniture, even though not in proximity of blood.

Edward treated Scotland as a feudal vassal state, demanding homage and military support from the new king. Scotland went to conclude a treaty of mutual assistance with France, for which Edward responded by invading Berwick-upon-Tweed, commencing the First War of Scottish Independence.

Wallace was part of a company that attacked Lanark in South Lanarkshire near the start of the war, killing William de Heselrig, the English High Sheriff. Wallace then marched on Scone, driving out the English justiciar, and attacked the English garrisons between the Rivers Forth and Tay.

In 1297, an army led by Wallace and Andrew Moray were victorious in battle against English forces near Stirling on the River Forth, an engagement known as the Battle of Stirling Bridge. After the battle, Moray and Wallace assumed the title of Guardians of the Kingdom of Scotland, with Wallace later knighted in a ceremony at the ‘Kirk o’ the Forest’.

Edward sent a second invasion of Scotland in 1298, engaging the now Sir Wallace at the Battle of Falkirk. The Scottish forces were crushed by the English army, resulting in Wallace resigning as Guardian of Scotland in favour of Robert the Bruce, Earl of Carrick and future king, and John Comyn, King John Balliol’s nephew.

Some sources suggest that Sir William Wallace left for France to secure French assistance, but in 1305 he was turned over to the English by John de Menteith, a Scottish knight loyal to Edward, I covered this in more detail at the beginning of August.

Wallace was taken to London where he was tried for treason and for atrocities against civilians in war, “sparing neither age nor sex, monk nor nun.” During the trial he was crowned with a garland of oak to suggest he was the king of outlaws. He responded to the treason charge, “I could not be a traitor to Edward, for I was never his subject.”

It was Edwards intention to make an example of Sir Wallace, and on the 23rd of August in 1305, Sir Wallace was taken to the Tower of London for his sentence. There, he was stripped naked and dragged through the city at the heels of a horse to Elms at Smithfield.

#scotland #scottish #history #execution #sir william Wallace #meideval history

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30th November 1335 saw the Battle of Culblean.

A little known battle during the Second War of Scottish Independence, it was fought out between supporters of Edward Balliol and King David II.

We know a lot about the Battles in which Scotland struggled to rid our country of Longshanks and his army, but the history of the years that followed is often overlooked, King Edwards son was soundly beaten at Bannockburn, and we sent him homeward, to think again, but his grandson Edward III had designs on extending his border by stealth, like his grandfather by placing a puppet King on the throne of Scotland, the Battle of Culblean on St Andrew’s Day 1335 was seen as the turning point in the Second War of Independence.

I have covered the story in previous posts, it  all started with a win for Balliol at the Battle of Dupplin Moor in August 1332,, then later that year  Sir Andrew Murray chased him, half naked back to England, another win for the pretender to the throne at the Battle of Haildon Hill near Berwick on 19 July 1333. His victory was so crushing that King David II and his young Queen fled to France for safety, leaving the country in the hands of Governors.

In return for English support, Balliol granted control of the whole of Lothian, including Edinburgh, to Edward, he had already sworn fealty to the English king the year before. Again Sir Andrew Murray helped depose him and sending him back to his English paymasters, only to return the following year.

Scotland was a divided country over the subject, there were some who thought Edward Balliol was the rightful heir to the throne and if you remember, he had the support of exiled Scots, the Disinherited.

By November 1335, with the help of English troops Balliol held all but 4 Scottish castles,  David de Strathbogie, Earl of Atholl, loyal to Balliol, was laying siege to one of them,  Kildrummy Castle in Aberdeenshire, which controlled the North East. Among them was the Bruce’s sister, Christian, and wife of Sir Andrew, a constant thorn in Balliol’s side during the Second Wars of Independence, he was also Regent to King David.  

Murrray raised an army of about 4,000 to lift the siege, including the Earl of March and Sir William de Douglas. On 29th November the  army camped at “Hall of Logy Rothwayne” on the north east shore of Loch Davan.  On learning of their approach Atholl abandoned the siege and camped at the east end of Culblean, perhaps aiming for his land of Atholl, to the south.

The battle was described by Wyntoun’s Chronicle.  John of the Craig, defender of Kildrummy told Murray of an approach to outflank Atholl, and splitting his forces, on St Andrew’s Day , de Douglas feinted to the front of Atholls army, about 3,000 strong, and de Moray  hit them from the flank. Surprised and overwhelmed the pro English army was defeated. According to Boece’s account Atholl himself was killed by Alexander Gordon, the successor to the Lordship of Strathbogie forfeited by Atholl. Some of the survivors took refuge in the nearby island castle of Loch Kinord, but were forced to surrender the following day.

Compared with the other great battles of the Wars of Independence, Culblean was a relatively small affair, and is now largely forgotten. Nevertheless, its size was greatly outweighed by its importance on the road to Scottish national recovery. The Scottish academic and Historian Dr Douglas Simpson passed what might be said to be the final verdict on the battle when he wrote; Culblean was the turning point in the second war of Scottish Independence, and therefore an event of great national importance. Small as it was it effectively nullified the effects of Edward’s summer invasion, ending forever Balliol’s hope of gaining the Scottish throne. Its effects were almost immediately felt. Edward Balliol spent the winter of 1335-6, so says the Lanercost Chronicle; …with his people at Elande, in England, because he does not yet possess in Scotland any castle or town where he could dwell in safety

A monolith 13ft high was erected 16 September 1956, by the Deeside Field Club, to commemorate the battle, just off the Tarland-Burn o’ Vat road near the hill where the battle was fought. It reads

“Erected by the Deesside Field Club in 1956 to commemorate the Battle of Culblean fought on St. Andrew’s day, 30 November 1335 between the forces of Sir Andrew de Moray, Warden of Scotland, and David, Earl of Atholl, in which the former was victorious. The battle marked the turning point of the second Scottish War of Independence.”

You can read more on the battle and background here https://weaponsandwarfare.com/2017/01/05/battle-of-culblean/

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On September 7th 1306 Sir Simon Fraser, the “Scottish Patriot” was executed by the English and his head displayed in London alongside that of Sir William Wallace.

Please note dates vary a day or two either side of this day.

When we remember Wallace we tend to not know about his fellow soldiers who fought at his side, Sir Andrew de Moray, who died of his wounds after the Battle of Stirling, has got some recognition lately, as has Sir John De Graeme thanks chiefly to the likes of David Reid and The Society of John De Graeme, Sir John Stewart of Bonkyll and he fell during the defeat at Falkirk. Ironically Fraser was on the English side at Falkirk, let’s not slate him for this, The Bruce had been on Edward Longshanks side on more than one occasion, Fraser however saw the light and by 1301 was back onside.

Sir Simon Fraser of Neidpath, can be thought of as the founding father of the Lovat Frasers. Born in 1257 in Neidpath Castle near Peebles, he met a gruesome death in London in 1306. He had been captured fighting in the Scottish Wars of Independence.

One chronicler calls Simon ‘a man totally gifted for war’. Another hailed him as ‘manly, stout, bold and wight’ – meaning brave and nimble.

As I have said in this turbulent era, Sir Simon and most of the Scottish elite, tried at times to work with the English king, Edward I, who continually threatened the Scottish borders. Edward claimed the right to interfere in the government of Scotland. Sir Simon alternated this policy of tolerating Edward’s intrusion, with periods of taking up arms to keep Edward out of Scotland.

Simon the Patriot’s most astonishing achievement must be the Battle of Roslin. It took place in 1303.. A bloody and significant battle in the Scottish Wars of Independence, today it is mostly forgotten. With only 8,000 men, Simon led the Scots army to victory over an English invasion force of over 30,000, using his superior knowledge of the terrain and the element of surprise.

Two years after the incredible victory at Roslyn, Simon’s brother-in-arms, William Wallace was betrayed and executed. Simon then gave his loyalty to Robert the Bruce, who was crowned King of Scotland in March, 1306. Simon the Patriot rode at the Bruce’s side at the Battle of Methven in June 1306, to rid Scotland of Edward’s invasion force.

This time the English army had surprise on their side. They mounted a lightning attack. Three times the Bruce was unhorsed, and each time Simon helped him back into the saddle, fighting off the enemy. It was said that the Bruce granted the Frasers the right to display three crowns on their arms after this, to signify the number of times they had saved the Crown of Scotland.

Yet, in truth the Scots barely escaped, and fled into the Highlands. On the run, the Bruce nearly gave up the fight. Simon Fraser could permit himself no such luxury as to think of surrender. He knew what it would mean for him. But, encountering English soldiers at Kirkencrieff, he was taken prisoner.

They carried him to London in irons. There, they tried him and condemned him to the refined cruelty of a traitor’s death.On or around 6th September, 1306, he was dragged out of prison and marched in mockery from the Tower to London Bridge. There Simon Fraser was hanged, and cut down while still alive. They disembowelled him, threw his guts into a brazier, and then beheaded him and cut off his limbs.

The executioners stuck Simon Fraser’s head on a spike beside Wallace’s, on London Bridge, and hoisted the trunk of his body, in chains, to swing close by. Londoners claimed they saw demons rampaging along the parapets, and tormenting Fraser’s remains with hooks.

450 years later, another famous Fraser leader, Lord Lovat of the ’45, stood on his own scaffold in London in 1747, waiting to be executed for treason for his part in Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Jacobite rebellion. Lovat declaimed the Latin poet, Horace. ‘For those things which were done, either by our fathers or ancestors, and in which we had no share, I can scarcely claim for my own.’ It was these old heroes of Scottish independence Lovat saw in his mind’s eye, as he waited for the axe to fall. He saluted them, his imagination soaring above the crowds baying for his head.

The photos are a depiction is of Sir Simons, his crest as described at the siege of Caerlaverock in 1300 and a memorial stone to Sir Simon Fraser at Almondell and Calderwood Park, West Lothian.

The stone is inscribed

  MARGARET COUNTESS OF BUCHAN

DEDICATED THIS FOREST

TO HER ANCESTOR 

SIR SIMON FRASER

OCTOBER 

XVMDCCLXXXIV

The countess, Margaret Fraser, daughter of Fraser of Fraserfield, was the spouse of David Steuart Erskine, 11th Earl of Buchan, founder of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. Buchan erected a similar slab, commemorating William Wallace, on the northern approach to Almondell House.

#Scotland #scottish #soldier #nobleman #The first war of Scottish Independence #execution #history

[scotianostra]

Sir Archibald Douglas, Guardian of Scotland and half brother to “The Good” Sir James died on July 19th 1333.

This is an addon to my previous post about The Battle Of Halidon Hill. Sir Archibald Douglas.

The Scottish army that fought that day was led by Archibald, who had been elected Regent of Scotland in late March of 1333. Sir Archibald Douglas has been badly treated by some historians; frequently misidentifying this Douglas warrior as the Tyneman or loser when the moniker was intended for a later less fortunate but equally warlike Archibald. He was mentioned in Barbour’s The Brus for his great victory during the Weardale Campaign; leading the Scottish army further south into County Durham he devastated the lands and took much booty from Darlington and other nearby towns and villages.

He was elected by the Estates to the position of Regent when his cousin Andrew de Moray, then Regent of Scotland, was captured and taken to Durham to surrender to King Edward III of England. The earls and barons of the kingdom recognized his prowess as a warrior; leading the successful rout at Annan earlier in the year; bringing fire and sword to Cumbria to chase Edward and his vassals further south and out of Scotland.

Sir Archibald of Douglas was mortally wounded at the foot of Halidon Hill; taken prisoner and held until he died; reportedly one hour after his nephew William, Lord Douglas passed from his wounds; the son and heir to James, Lord Douglas, Chief of the Douglas Clan. 

At nearby Bondington stood Halyston, St. Leonard’s; a Cistercian nunnery and hospital where the Regent likely spent his last hours. Archeologists found lead shot at Bondington and records indicate that the English brought with them a large artillery train.

During earlier encounters with Edward III in 1326-1327 the English had used gunpowder as a weapon against the Scots. It appears that they may have perfected the weaponry with the amount of devastation that was caused to both the Scottish army on the field and to nunnery which was destroyed and burned.

#scotland #scottish #history #england

[scotianostra]

7th July 1297 saw an “official” or nobles’ rebellion surrender to the English at Irvine.

*Dates differ by a few days of this.

Little has been written about this event sometimes called The Capitulation of Irvine, part of this in my opinion is that we don’t like talking about defeats, which this was, even if it was more of a stand-0ff. The second reason, again in my opinion is the main history during this ear comes from a couple of sources, Blind Harry’s poem, The Wallace, and John Barbour’s The Bruce. Wallace wouldn’t have featured it due to him not being involved and The Bruce because it wasn’t a glorious occasion for our future King.

The most notable event in 1297 was the victory by a Scots army led by William Wallace and Andrew de Moray at Stirling Brig, but Wallace and Moray were not the only Scottish nobles rebelling against the English that year. In fact, they were among the least powerful of the Scots’ leaders. Another revolt further south fizzled out, its leaders negotiating a peace rather than fight the English.

James Steward was Scotland’s Lord High Steward and a Young Robert Bruce felt aggrieved by the English rule. As powerful landowners, they had controlled south-western Scotland before the invasion. They had not supported Balliol in his resistance to Edward and had expected to be rewarded. Edward was suspicious of both men and had relieved them of their roles. He handed control of the south-west to the English lord, Henry Percy.

Angry at being snubbed by Edward, Bruce and Steward raised an armed revolt against English rule. Under the guidance of Bishop Wishart of Glasgow, they and their allied nobles began to gather an army at Irvine. Percy’s response however, caught them by surprise. He rode north with a small force whilst the main English army was still gathering - catching the Scottish nobles unprepared.

Faced with such professionalism, the disorganised Scottish nobles surrendered without a fight. The negotiations at Irvine dragged on for several weeks – some historians say this was a plan by the Scottish nobles to pin down English forces and buy time for the simultaneous rebellion of William Wallace to grow and spread…

If so, this wasn’t appreciated at the time. Wallace was said to be so angry at Wishart’s surrender that he personally raided the bishop’s home and ransacked his treasury.

Most of the Scottish Nobles at Irvine were treated leniently, with the exception of one man, the treatment of whom arguably gave rise to one of our greatest warriors taking arms against the English. The man was Sir William the Hardy, Lord of Douglas. Sometimes called the Bold, William had been held prisoner by the English twice and has earlier taken arms with Wallace and Moray at Sanquhar, Durisdeer and later Scone Abbey, he was possibly the most senior noble to have been a part of Wallace’s early skirmishes with the English, there isn’t any real detail about his capture, but by the time of Stirling brig he was being held at Berwick Castle in what became known as the Douglas Tower’ from there he was taken to The Tower of London on 12th October 1297 where he met his end on 24th January 1298 due to mistreatment. England would pay later at the hands of the man the English called The Black Douglas, Williams son.

#scotland #scottish #england #the first war of scottish independence #history