212-536: A makar ( / ˈ m æ k ər / ) is a term from Scottish literature for a poet or bard , often thought of as a royal court poet. Since the 19th century, the term The Makars has been specifically used to refer to a number of poets of fifteenth and sixteenth century Scotland , in particular Robert Henryson , William Dunbar and Gavin Douglas , who wrote a diverse genre of works in Middle Scots in
424-455: A cannon and twenty-one other guns, and cost the king an estimated £8,000 — more than a quarter of his annual income. The carrack Great Michael was the largest warship of its time. Built at Newhaven and launched in 1511, it measured between 150 feet (46 m) and 180 feet (55 m) in length, weighed around 1,000 tons, and was supposed to have cost around £30,000. Armed with twenty-four bronze cannons and three basilisks , it marked
636-558: A "Prayer for Protection" (attributed to St Mugint), c. mid-sixth century and Altus Prosator ("The High Creator", attributed to St Columba), c. 597. What is arguably the most important medieval work written in Scotland, the Vita Columbae , by Adomnán , abbot of Iona (627/8–704), was also written in Latin. The next most important piece of Scottish hagiography, the verse Life of St. Ninian ,
848-453: A "three-tier system, with Gaelic at the bottom and English at the top". The loss of the court as a centre of patronage in 1603 was a major blow to Scottish literature. A number of Scottish poets, including William Alexander, John Murray and Robert Aytoun accompanied the king to London, where they continued to write, but they soon began to anglicise their written language. James's characteristic role as active literary participant and patron in
1060-435: A centre of royal patronage the tradition of Scots poetry subsided. It was revived after union with England in 1707 by figures including Allan Ramsay and James Macpherson . The latter's Ossian Cycle made him the first Scottish poet to gain an international reputation. He helped inspire Robert Burns , considered by many to be the national poet, and Walter Scott , whose Waverley Novels did much to define Scottish identity in
1272-587: A chain, and "ane turcase [pincer] to tak out teith". It is recorded that James pulled two teeth from one of his own barber-surgeons, for which the king paid him 14 shillings, and also tried bloodletting on patients, and treating and dressing ulcer wounds. He also took an interest in other sciences which are now less creditable, establishing an alchemy workshop at Stirling Castle, where alchemist John Damian looked for ways to turn base metals into gold. The project consumed quantities of mercury , golden litharge , and tin . A goldsmith, Matthew Auchinleck , provided
1484-590: A collection that included many major poetic works of the Stewart period. He led the trend for pastoral poetry, helping to develop the Habbie stanza , which would be later be used by Robert Burns as a poetic form . His Tea-Table Miscellany (1724–37) contained poems old Scots folk material, his own poems in the folk style and "gentilizings" of Scots poems in the English neo-classical style. His pastoral opera The Gentle Shepherd
1696-407: A decline in the holding of parliaments , which was a departure from the practice of previous reigns. While ten meetings of the three estates were held between 1488 and 1496, there were only three during the remaining seventeen years of the reign, with no parliaments held in the eight years between 1496 and 1504. There was also a substantial reduction in the numbers of those attending parliaments as
1908-603: A distinctive influence. The first of the Makars proper in this sense, although perhaps the least Scots due to his education predominantly in captivity at the English court in London , is generally taken to be James I (1394–1437) the likely author of the Kingis Quair . Apart from other principal figures already named, writing by makars such as Richard Holland , Blind Hary and Walter Kennedy also survives along with evidence that suggests
2120-404: A fifteen-year period (1887–1901) and, although they cannot be described as members of a single school they all pursued an exploration of identity, rejecting nostalgia and parochialism and engaging with social and political issues. This period saw the emergence of a tradition of popular or working class theatre. Hundreds of amateur groups were established, particularly in the growing urban centres of
2332-474: A form of Synthetic Scots that combined different regional dialects and archaic terms. Other writers that emerged in this period, and are often treated as part of the movement, include the poets Edwin Muir and William Soutar , the novelists Neil Gunn , George Blake , Nan Shepherd , A. J. Cronin , Naomi Mitchison , Eric Linklater and Lewis Grassic Gibbon , and the playwright James Bridie . All were born within
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#17328518337172544-503: A general censure against the Scottish people. He also threatened to excommunicate the Scottish king if he was judged to have broken the treaty with England, and granted Bainbridge the power to excommunicate James is such circumstances. James IV sent Andrew Forman , the Bishop of Moray , to Rome to try and persuade the new Pope, Leo X , to countermand the interdict, but without success. Leo sent
2756-630: A group of Glasgow writers focused around meetings in the house of critic, poet and teacher Philip Hobsbaum . Also important in the movement was Peter Kravitz , editor of Polygon Books . Members of the group that would come to prominence as writers included James Kelman , Alasdair Gray , Liz Lochhead , Tom Leonard and Aonghas MacNeacail . In the 1990s major, prize winning, Scottish novels that emerged from this movement included Irvine Welsh 's Trainspotting (1993), Warner's Morvern Callar (1995), Gray's Poor Things (1992) and Kelman's How Late It Was, How Late (1994). These works were linked by
2968-504: A huge artillery train, including Mons Meg , a huge medieval bombard or cannon. James IV's use of war as a forceful extension of his diplomacy with England, and Henry VII 's realisation of how vulnerable the Anglo-Scottish border was, saw Henry treat for peace with James. The Treaty of Ayton was signed on 30 September 1497, agreeing to a seven-year truce between Scotland and England. Shipping and trade were to be conducted according to
3180-615: A huge £28,000 by 1512. When these receipts are added to income from ecclesiastical properties and the rental income from Crown lands, James IV may have received a total income of around £44,500 by 1513, although by that time there was an annual deficit of around £7,000. James IV took a close interest in the development of the Royal Scots Navy , viewing a strong fleet as a means of protecting Scottish shipping, gaining international prestige, and providing him with an outlet to pursue foreign policies in alliance with either England or France. In
3392-533: A large artillery train, crossed the River Tweed into England near Coldstream around 22 August. The Scottish troops were unpaid and were only required by feudal obligation to serve for forty days. Once across the border, a detachment turned south to attack Wark on Tweed Castle , while the bulk of the army followed the course of the Tweed downstream to the northeast to invest the remaining border castles. Norham Castle
3604-499: A letter to James, threatening him with ecclesiastical censure for breaking peace treaties, and in the summer of 1513 the king was excommunicated by Bainbridge. On 30 June, Henry VIII invaded France, his troops defeating a French army at the Battle of the Spurs , before capturing Thérouanne and Tournai . James IV summoned the Scottish army, and sent a naval fleet of twenty-two vessels, including
3816-594: A major classical text in the Scots language and the first successful example of its kind in any Anglic language . It was finished in 1513, but overshadowed by the disaster at Flodden . Dutch Renaissance and Golden Age As a patron of poets and authors James V (r. 1513–42) supported William Stewart and John Bellenden , who translated the Latin History of Scotland compiled in 1527 by Hector Boece , into verse and prose. David Lyndsay (c. 1486–1555), diplomat and
4028-582: A major area of growth with the success of novelists including Val McDermid , Frederic Lindsay , Christopher Brookmyre , Quintin Jardine , Denise Mina and particularly the success of Edinburgh's Ian Rankin and his Inspector Rebus novels. Scottish play writing became increasingly internationalised, with Scottish writers such as Liz Lochhead and Edwin Morgan adapting classic texts, while Jo Clifford and David Greig investigated European themes. This period also saw
4240-714: A major rebellion led by the Master of Huntly , the Earl of Lennox and Lord Lyle in 1489, laying siege to Crookston , Duchal and Dumbarton castles, and defeating a rebel army at Gartloaning in Stirlingshire . James also took a direct interest in the administration of justice, brought the feud between the Murrays and the Drummonds in Strathearn to an end, and went out on justice ayres across
4452-620: A meeting of parliament in Edinburgh in May 1493, the title and possessions of John MacDonald , Lord of the Isles were declared to be forfeited to the Crown. In August 1493, King James made his first expedition to the western Highlands . Accompanied by Chancellor Angus, Bishop Elhinstone , the Earl of Bothwell , Lord Home , and Secretary of State Archibald Whitelaw, James IV sailed to Dunstaffnage Castle , where
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#17328518337174664-572: A much more attractive offer of alliance from the English king. As Ferdinand and Isabella were negotiating an alliance with Henry VII, James knew that Spain would help him in his struggles with England in order to prevent the situation escalating into war with France. Spanish ambassadors arrived in Edinburgh, and later Pedro de Ayala was established as a resident ambassador during the crisis. In September 1496, James IV invaded England alongside Warbeck, destroying Tillmouth, Duddo, Branxton and Howtel towers, and Twizell Castle and Heaton Castle . However,
4876-421: A naval expedition and a small army to Denmark, no further taxation was imposed until 1512, and even then the tax which brought in almost £7,000 was only imposed on the clergy. James's annual income increased remarkably between 1497 and 1513, due to several sources of revenue. In 1497 he received a substantial windfall from the death of Archbishop William Scheves of St Andrews. James appointed his younger brother,
5088-673: A new tradition of vernacular Gaelic poetry began to emerge. While Classical poetry used a language largely fixed in the twelfth century, the vernacular continued to develop. In contrast to the Classical tradition, which used syllabic metre , vernacular poets tended to use stressed metre . However, they shared with the Classic poets a set of complex metaphors and role, as the verse was still often panegyric. A number of these vernacular poets were women, such as Mary MacLeod of Harris (c. 1615–1707). The tradition of neo-Latin poetry reached its fruition with
5300-406: A new weapon which had proved devastating in continental Europe, but required training, discipline and suitable terrain to use effectively. The Scottish artillery, consisting mainly of heavy siege guns , included five great curtals and two great culverins , together with four sakers and six great serpentines. The English infantry were equipped with traditional polearms , mostly bills which were
5512-598: A number of Africans , some working as servants or (possibly) slaves, but others appearing to have been courtiers, invited guests or musicians. In 1504, two African women, who were later christened as Margaret and Helen or Elen More , are mentioned in the Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer of Scotland . The women were visible in court life and Helen More became the presumed subject of the poem " Of Ane Blak-Moir " by William Dunbar describing an African woman offered as
5724-793: A patron of the arts, including many literary figures, most notably the Scots makars . Poets associated with his court include William Dunbar , Walter Kennedy and Gavin Douglas . James patronised music at Restalrig using rental money from the King's Wark , and gave his backing to the foundation of King's College, Aberdeen , by his chancellor, William Elphinstone, and St Leonard's College, St Andrews , by his illegitimate son, Alexander, Archbishop of St Andrews, and John Hepburn, Prior of St Andrews . In 1496, partly at Elphinstone's instance, he also passed what has been described as Scotland's first education act, which introduced compulsory education at grammar school for
5936-472: A plaything, John Stow writing that "Workmen there for their foolish pleasure hewed off his head." The body disappeared, its last-known resting place at Sheen now lying under the fairway of the 14th hole of the Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Course . Elizabeth I's master glazier, Lancelot Young, is said to have kept James's "sweetly scented" head (still identifiable as James by its red hair and beard) as
6148-424: A popular religious allegory and the first book published by a woman in Scotland. Anna Hume , daughter of David Hume of Godscroft, adapted Petrarch 's Triumphs as Triumphs of Love: Chastitie: Death (1644). This was the period when the ballad emerged as a significant written form in Scotland. Some ballads may date back to the late medieval era and deal with events and people that can be traced back as far as
6360-485: A printing press under royal patent in 1507 would begin to make it easier to disseminate Scottish literature and was probably aimed at bolstering Scottish national identity. The first Scottish press was established in Southgait in Edinburgh by the merchant Walter Chepman (c. 1473–c. 1528) and the bookseller Andrew Myllar (f. 1505–08). Although the first press was relatively short lived, beside law codes and religious works,
6572-606: A prize in jousting tournaments. The poem is critical of her appearance and status as a black woman in a predominantly white court and country. An African drummer referred to as the " More taubronar " travelled with James around Scotland. "Peter the Moor " was an African man whose travel and expenses were paid for by royal funds. He first appears in records in 1500 and some historians believe he and other Africans arrived in Scotland initially as "human booty" captured by Scottish privateers from Portuguese cargo ships. Records show that Peter
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6784-519: A ribald satire on the morals of the Presbyterian kirk, circulating in manuscript, but not published until 1722, helping to secure the association between Jacobitism and professional drama that discouraged the creation of professional theatre. After the Union in 1707 and the shift of political power to England, the use of Scots was discouraged by many in authority and education. Nevertheless, Scots remained
6996-558: A shareholder in the Theatre Royal , Edinburgh. Baillie's Highland themed The Family Legend was first produced in Edinburgh in 1810 with the help of Scott, as part of a deliberate attempt to stimulate a national Scottish drama. Scott also wrote five plays, of which Hallidon Hill (1822) and MacDuff's Cross (1822), were patriotic Scottish histories. Adaptations of the Waverley novels, largely first performed in minor theatres, rather than
7208-736: A shift in design as it was designed specifically to carry a main armament of heavy artillery. The navy's core of four large ships (the Treasurer , the Margaret , the James and the Michael ) were supported by a number of smaller craft and privately owned merchant ships . Like his grandfather and father, James IV also took an enthusiastic interest in artillery , and from early in his reign he added to James III's French train of artillery. In 1507 he shot some "great guns" at Holyrood Abbey with three of his gunners, and
7420-461: A small theatre in Carruber's Close in Edinburgh, but the passing of the 1737 Licensing Act made their activities illegal and the theatre soon closed. A new theatre was opened at Cannongate in 1747 and operated without a licence into the 1760s. In the later eighteenth century, many plays were written for and performed by small amateur companies and were not published and so most have been lost. Towards
7632-449: A sometimes overtly political reaction to Thatcherism that explored marginal areas of experience and used vivid vernacular language (including expletives and Scots). Gray and Iain Banks led a wave of fantasy, speculative and science-fiction writing with notable authors including Ken MacLeod , Andrew Crumey , Michel Faber , Alice Thompson and Frank Kuppner . Scottish crime fiction has been
7844-647: A supporter of for years. James IV received Warbeck in Scotland in November 1495. The attraction of Warbeck to James lay in the recognition of Warbeck's claim to the English throne by Maximilian, King of the Romans , Ferdinand II and Isabella I of Spain (the Catholic monarchs ), Philip, Duke of Burgundy , and Margaret of York . Embracing Warbeck's cause would give James IV international leverage to seek European alliances, and threatening Henry VII with Warbeck would surely produce
8056-617: A threat to the rest of the kingdom. By that period the Lordship of the Isles was fracturing as rivalries in Clan Donald disrupted the authority of John of Islay , Lord of the Isles . John was a weak leader whose authority had been damaged in 1476 when he had forfeited the earldom of Ross and his lands in Knapdale and Kintyre to James III due to the treasonous Treaty of Westminster he had agreed with Edward IV of England. After this, Ross-shire
8268-789: A wide range of European languages. He was also the first Scots Makar (the official national poet), appointed by the inaugural Scottish government in 2004. The shift to drama that focused on working class life in the post-war period gained momentum with Robert McLeish's The Gorbals Story and the work of Ena Lamont Stewart , Robert Kemp and George Munro. Many major Scottish post-war novelists, such as Muriel Spark , James Kennaway , Alexander Trocchi , Jessie Kesson and Robin Jenkins spent much or most of their lives outside Scotland, but often dealt with Scottish themes, as in Spark's Edinburgh-set The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1961) and Kennaway's script for
8480-475: A wider tradition of secular writing outside of Court and Kirk now largely lost. Before the advent of printing in Scotland, writers such as Robert Henryson , William Dunbar , Walter Kennedy and Gavin Douglas have been seen as leading a golden age in Scottish poetry . In the late fifteenth century, Scots prose also began to develop as a genre. Although there are earlier fragments of original Scots prose, such as
8692-451: Is a vernacular Scots comedy of errors, probably designed for court performance for Mary, Queen of Scots or James VI. The same system of professional companies of players and theatres that developed in England in this period was absent in Scotland, but James VI signalled his interest in drama by arranging for a company of English players to erect a playhouse and perform in 1599. Having extolled
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8904-551: Is literature written in Scotland or by Scottish writers . It includes works in English , Scottish Gaelic , Scots , Brythonic , French , Latin , Norn or other languages written within the modern boundaries of Scotland. The earliest extant literature written in what is now Scotland, was composed in Brythonic speech in the sixth century and has survived as part of Welsh literature . In
9116-543: Is often sung at Hogmanay (the last day of the year), and " Scots Wha Hae " served for a long time as an unofficial national anthem of the country. Burns's poetry drew upon a substantial familiarity with and knowledge of Classical , Biblical , and English literature , as well as the Scottish Makar tradition. Burns was skilled in writing not only in the Scots language but also in the Scottish English dialect of
9328-429: Is referred to as the father of Scots poetry, holding a similar place to his contemporary Chaucer in England. In the early fifteenth century these were followed by Andrew of Wyntoun 's verse Orygynale Cronykil of Scotland and Blind Harry 's The Wallace , which blended historical romance with the verse chronicle . They were probably influenced by Scots versions of popular French romances that were also produced in
9540-566: Is sent "To Friar John Cor, by order of the king, to make aquavitae", enough to make about 500 bottles. James IV reportedly had a great liking for whisky, and in 1506 the town of Dundee purchased a large amount of whisky from the Guild of Barber-Surgeons, which held the monopoly on production at the time. James IV's court and royal household were cosmopolitan, containing assorted foreign peoples including French, Italian and German minstrels, Flemish metalworkers, and Spanish dancers. The court also hosted
9752-667: Is some Norse literature from areas of Scandinavian settlement, such as the Northern Isles and the Western Isles . The famous Orkneyinga Saga however, although it pertains to the Earldom of Orkney , was written in Iceland . In addition to French, Latin too was a literary language, with works that include the "Carmen de morte Sumerledi", a poem which exults triumphantly the victory of the citizens of Glasgow over Somairle mac Gilla Brigte and
9964-444: Is usually distinguished from the work of earlier Scottish writers such as Barbour and Wyntoun who wrote romance and chronicle verse in octosyllabic couplets and it also perhaps marked something of a departure from the medieval alliterative or troubador traditions; but one characteristic of poetry by the Makars is that features from all of these various traditions, such as strong alliteration and swift narration, continued to be
10176-484: Is very agreeable. He speaks the following foreign languages: Latin , very well; French , German , Flemish , Italian , and Spanish ; Spanish as well as the Marquis, but he pronounces it more distinctly. He likes, very much, to receive Spanish letters. His own Scots language is as different from English as Aragonese from Castilian. The King speaks, besides, the language of the savages who live in some parts of Scotland and on
10388-562: The Great Michael , to join the ships of Louis XII of France. The fleet, commanded by James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran , departed from the Firth of Forth on 25 July and sailed around the north of Scotland. It first created a diversion in Ireland , where it attacked the English royal garrison at Carrickfergus and burnt the town, with support from Hugh Duff O'Donnell . The Scottish fleet then joined
10600-627: The Auchinleck Chronicle , the first complete surviving work includes John Ireland 's The Meroure of Wyssdome (1490). There were also prose translations of French books of chivalry that survive from the 1450s, including The Book of the Law of Armys and the Order of Knychthode and the treatise Secreta Secretorum , an Arabic work believed to be Aristotle's advice to Alexander the Great . The establishment of
10812-573: The Battle of Flodden on 9 September 1513, fighting against the English forces of Catherine of Aragon , Henry VIII's wife and regent. James was the last monarch in Great Britain to be killed in battle and was succeeded by his son James V . Born on 17 March 1473 at Stirling Castle , James was the eldest son of King James III and Margaret of Denmark . As heir apparent to the Scottish crown, he became Duke of Rothesay at birth. James probably spent most of his infancy and youth at Stirling Castle in
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#173285183371711024-708: The Blessed sword and hat . In 1508 James IV made plans to go on pilgrimage to Jerusalem , after a journey to Venice , before sailing from there to Jaffa in a Venetian ship. James's uncle, King John of Denmark, protested against his projected pilgrimage to Jerusalem in a letter written to the Archbishop of Glasgow in July 1507, remarking that the Scottish king should think first of his young wife and his country. Archbishop Blackadder left Scotland in February 1508 to set out on pilgrimage to
11236-550: The Castalian Band , which included William Fowler (c. 1560–1612), John Stewart of Baldynneis (c. 1545–c. 1605), and Alexander Montgomerie (c. 1550–98). They translated key Renaissance texts and produced poems using French forms, including sonnets and short sonnets, for narrative, nature description, satire and meditations on love. Later poets that followed in this vein included William Alexander (c. 1567–1640), Alexander Craig (c. 1567–1627) and Robert Ayton (1570–1627). By
11448-605: The Classical epics . Fingal written in 1762 was speedily translated into many European languages, and its deep appreciation of natural beauty and the melancholy tenderness of its treatment of the ancient legend did more than any single work to bring about the Romantic movement in European, and especially in German, literature, influencing Herder and Goethe . Eventually it became clear that
11660-560: The Davidian Revolution of the thirteenth century a flourishing French language culture predominated, while Norse literature was produced from areas of Scandinavian settlement. The first surviving major text in Early Scots literature is the fourteenth-century poet John Barbour 's epic Brus , which was followed by a series of vernacular versions of medieval romances. These were joined in the fifteenth century by Scots prose works. In
11872-505: The Duke of Ross , to fill the vacant see of St Andrews , bringing the highest office of the Scottish church within the royal family, with the appointment generating an annual income of around £2,500 for the Crown from the revenues of the archbishopric. Although Bishop Elphinstone protested against this scandalous appointment, it was a shrewd move by the king as it removed any potential dynastic threat which his legitimate younger brother might pose in
12084-620: The Fifth Crusade . In the thirteenth century, French flourished as a literary language , and produced the Roman de Fergus , the earliest piece of non-Celtic vernacular literature to survive from Scotland. Many other stories in the Arthurian Cycle , written in French and preserved only outside Scotland, are thought by some scholars including D. D. R. Owen, to have been written in Scotland. There
12296-512: The Holy Land , probably as a reconnaissance for the king's pilgrimage. Blackadder's death on 28 July 1508, presumably from an infectious illness, on board a ship from Venice to Jaffa appears to have convinced James IV of the inadvisability of sailing to Jerusalem. In 1507–1508, Louis XII of France was endeavouring to have James renew the Franco-Scottish alliance, and James wrote to Louis raising
12508-504: The Restoration comedies Courtship A-la-Mode (1700) and Love at First Sight (1704). These developed the character of the stage Scot, often a clown, but cunning and loyal. Newburgh Hamilton (1691–1761), born in Ireland of Scottish descent, produced the comedies The Petticoat-Ploter (1712) and The Doating Lovers or The Libertine (1715). He later wrote the libretto for Handel's Samson (1743), closely based on John Milton 's Samson Agonistes . James Thomson's plays often dealt with
12720-438: The Sceptre of Scotland as a papal gift from Pope Alexander VI . James IV met with Hugh Roe O'Donnell , King of Tyrconnell in June 1495 in Glasgow . O'Donnell was the most powerful northern Irish magnate and a committed enemy of Henry VII's government in Ireland , and the Scottish and Irish kings made a defensive alliance. They also discussed Perkin Warbeck , the pretender to the English throne , who O'Donnell had been
12932-456: The Scottish royal navy , which included the founding of two royal dockyards and the acquisition or construction of 38 ships, including the Michael , the largest warship of its time. James was a patron of the arts and took an active interest in the law, literature and science. With his patronage the printing press came to Scotland , the University of Aberdeen and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh were founded, and he commissioned
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#173285183371713144-461: The Stewart court. A high point in cultural patronage was the Renaissance Court of James IV (1488–1513) now principally associated in literary terms with William Dunbar . The pinnacle in writing from this time was in fact Douglas's Eneados (1513), the first full and faithful translation of an important work of classical antiquity into any Anglic language . Douglas is one of the first authors to explicitly identify his language as Scottis . This
13356-406: The Tudors failed to produce heirs. Margaret's first pregnancy resulted in the birth of James, Duke of Rothesay at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in February 1507. However, this heir to the throne died a year later in February 1508. At this point Margaret was already pregnant with a second child, a daughter whose name is unknown, and who was born and died in July 1508. In October 1509, a second son
13568-413: The Union of the Crowns in 1603. The long period of domestic peace after 1497 allowed James to focus more on foreign policy, which included the sending of several of his warships to aid his uncle, John of Denmark , in his conflict with Sweden ; amicable relations with the Pope , Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I and Louis XII of France ; and James's aspiration to lead a European naval crusade against
13780-440: The chapel royal , and the reconstruction of the principal defences on the southern and eastern sides of the castle. He also commissioned the construction of the great hall at Edinburgh Castle , rebuilding at Linlithgow Palace , Rothesay Castle , and Dunbar Castle , and furnished his palaces with tapestries . The first evidence of whisky production in Scotland comes from an entry in the Exchequer Rolls for 1494 where malt
13992-429: The "Inchcolm Antiphoner", a hymn in praise of St. Columba. In the late Middle Ages, early Scots , often simply called English, became the dominant language of the country. It was derived largely from Old English, with the addition of elements from Gaelic and French. Although resembling the language spoken in northern England, it became a distinct dialect from the late fourteenth century onwards. It began to be adopted by
14204-418: The 1464 Treaty of York , and Border wardens on either side were given new powers to execute cross-border murderers after 20 days detention and punish thieves caught red-handed, and neither king should harbour the other's rebels. The Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella were appointed to arbitrate future disputes and unresolved issues such as redress for damages caused by the recent invasions. The possibility
14416-447: The 1550s, in the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots (r. 1542–67) and the minority of her son James VI (r. 1567–1625), cultural pursuits were limited by the lack of a royal court and by political turmoil. The Kirk, heavily influenced by Calvinism , also discouraged poetry that was not devotional in nature. Nevertheless, poets from this period included Richard Maitland of Lethington (1496–1586), who produced meditative and satirical verses in
14628-431: The Auld Alliance would be renewed. James gave formal agreement to the renewal of the alliance in July 1512, but this was a gesture rather than a commitment of active support against England, and it was still possible that Scotland would remain neutral in any Anglo-French war. Before his death in February 1513, Pope Julius II had been persuaded by the Archbishop of York, Christopher Bainbridge , to impose an interdict as
14840-446: The Crown would continue to receive the revenues of St Andrews. In 1498, James IV reached the age of twenty-five and was entitled to make a formal act of revocation of all grants made by him during his minority. Although James could — in theory — cancel all grants of lands and offices which had been made since his accession , the purpose of the revocation was only to assert royal authority by re-granting lands and offices surrendered to
15052-480: The Crown, and raise thousands of pounds in revenue, as their holders paid compensation to the Treasurer to receive confirmation of their holdings. The payment of Margaret Tudor's dowry between 1503 and 1505 also brought in a relatively meagre £10,000 sterling. By the end of the reign the Treasurer's annual receipts had increased — due to feudal payments made to the Crown by the holders of land, and judicial fines for criminal offences — from around £4,500 in 1496–1497 to
15264-801: The Discovery , a play about the restoration of a legitimate dynasty in Florence after many years of civil war. It was performed at the Tennis-Court Theatre at Holyrood Palace before the parliamentary high commissioner John Leslie, Earl of Rothes . Thomas Sydsurf's Tarugo's Wiles or the Coffee House , was first performed in London in 1667 and then in Edinburgh the year after and drew on Spanish comedy . A relative of Sydsurf, physician Archibald Pitcairne (1652–1713) wrote The Assembly or Scotch Reformation (1692),
15476-460: The Earl of Surrey. The Battle of Flodden was one of Scotland's worst military defeats: the loss of not only a popular and capable king but also a large portion of the political community, was a major blow to the realm. James IV's son, James V , was crowned three weeks after the disaster at Flodden but was only one year old, and his minority was to be fraught with political upheaval. The body of James IV
15688-399: The English army. The Scots had placed their most heavily armoured men in the front rank so that the English archers had little impact. The outnumbered English formation was forced back and elements of it began to run off before Surrey ordered the intervention of Dacre's light horsemen. The eventual result was a stalemate in which both sides stood off from each other and played no further part in
15900-440: The English court made him a defining figure for English Renaissance poetry and drama, which would reach a pinnacle of achievement in his reign, but his patronage for the high style in his own Scottish tradition largely became sidelined. The only significant court poet to continue to work in Scotland after the king's departure was William Drummond of Hawthornden (1585–1649). As the tradition of classical Gaelic poetry declined,
16112-563: The English language. Some of his works, such as "Love and Liberty" (also known as "The Jolly Beggars"), are written in both Scots and English for various effects. His themes included republicanism , Radicalism , Scottish patriotism , anticlericalism , class inequalities, gender roles , commentary on the Scottish Kirk of his time, Scottish cultural identity , poverty, sexuality , and the beneficial aspects of popular socialising. Other major literary figures connected with Romanticism include
16324-463: The English poets Chaucer , Lydgate and Gower as makaris . The work of the Makar of the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries was in part marked out by an adoption in vernacular languages of the new and greater variety in metrics and prosody current across Europe after the influence of such figures as Dante and Petrarch and similar to the route which Chaucer followed in England. Their work
16536-539: The French at Brest , from where it might cut the English army in France's line of communication across the English Channel . However, the fleet was so badly delayed that it played no part in the war; James had sent most of his experienced artillerymen with the expedition, a decision which was to have unforeseen consequences for his land campaign. Led by James IV, the Scottish army, numbering some 42,000 men, and including
16748-587: The Heroic in History (1841), profoundly influenced philosophy and literature of the age. In the late 19th century, a number of Scottish-born authors achieved international reputations. Robert Louis Stevenson 's work included the urban Gothic novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886), and played a major part in developing the historical adventure in books like Kidnapped and Treasure Island . Arthur Conan Doyle 's Sherlock Holmes stories helped found
16960-773: The Isles was followed by James's naval expeditions to Argyll and the Hebrides in 1492–1495 and 1498, and in May 1502 James sent a fleet of five ships and 2,000 troops under the command of James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran to Denmark to aid his uncle, John, King of Denmark , who had appealed to James for aid during the Dano-Swedish War . The expedition was a failure, arriving too late to help Queen Christina hold Stockholm . The Danish expedition seems to have concentrated James IV's mind on naval expansion: shipwrights and craftsmen were recruited from across Scotland, and from France, Flanders , Denmark and Spain ; timber for shipbuilding
17172-665: The Lothians and the Scotiish Borders in the south-east. To these Christianisation, particularly from the sixth century, added Latin as an intellectual and written language. Modern scholarship, based on surviving placenames and historical evidence, indicates that the Picts spoke a Brythonic language, but none of their literature seems to have survived into the modern era. However, there is surviving literature from what would become Scotland in Brythonic, Gaelic, Latin and Old English . Much of
17384-512: The Lowlands, including Thompson's Seasons , which helped inspire a new form of nature poetry in Gaelic, which was not focused on their relations to human concerns. James Macpherson was the first Scottish poet to gain an international reputation, claiming to have found poetry written by Ossian , he published translations that acquired international popularity, being proclaimed as a Celtic equivalent of
17596-729: The Lowlands. Amateur companies encouraged native playwrights, including Robert McLellan . Some writers that emerged after the Second World War followed MacDiarmid by writing in Scots, including Robert Garioch and Sydney Goodsir Smith . Others demonstrated a greater interest in English language poetry, among them Norman MacCaig , George Bruce and Maurice Lindsay . George Mackay Brown from Orkney, and Iain Crichton Smith from Lewis, wrote both poetry and prose fiction shaped by their distinctive island backgrounds. The Glaswegian poet Edwin Morgan became known for translations of works from
17808-400: The Makars, such as Dunbar, also featured an increasing incorporation of Latinate terms into Scots prosody, or aureation , heightening the creative tensions between the ornate and the natural in poetic diction . The new plane of achievement set by Douglas in epic and translation was not followed up in the subsequent century, but later makars, such as David Lyndsay , still drew strongly on
18020-561: The Moor was a companion to King James in his various trips across the country, appearing in the records until August 1504, when he received a large and final payment. Historian Imtiaz Habib argues that Peter was "clearly a favourite companion to the monarch" and was "well accepted" into the court culture. The status of the Africans in James IV's court is contested, with some historians taking the view that
18232-592: The Pope remitted the sentence. Although Henry VIII obtained a dispensation from Pope Leo X on 29 November 1513 to have the Scottish king buried in St Paul's Cathedral in London , James IV remained unburied. His coffin remained above ground at Sheen Priory , as the decades passed and the priory was dissolved in 1539 during the English Reformation , becoming the secularised estate of Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk . During
18444-577: The Reformation. Buchanan was major influence on Continental theatre with plays such as Jepheths and Baptistes , which influenced Pierre Corneille and Jean Racine and through them the neo-classical tradition in French drama, but his impact in Scotland was limited by his choice of Latin as a medium. The anonymous The Maner of the Cyring of ane Play (before 1568) and Philotus (published in London in 1603), are isolated examples of surviving plays. The latter
18656-425: The Scots language as a medium for serious literature. Members of the movement were followed by a new generation of post-war poets including Edwin Morgan , who would be appointed the first Scots Makar by the inaugural Scottish government in 2004. From the 1980s Scottish literature enjoyed another major revival, particularly associated with writers including James Kelman and Irvine Welsh . Scottish poets who emerged in
18868-632: The Scottish court, a less highly regarded order of bards took over the functions of the filidh and they would continue to act in a similar role in the Highlands and Islands into the eighteenth century. They often trained in bardic schools, of which a few, like the one run by the MacMhuirich dynasty, who were bards to the Lord of the Isles , existed in Scotland and a larger number in Ireland, until they were suppressed from
19080-602: The Spanish monarchs make peace between England and Scotland. The peace mission was entrusted to the Spanish ambassador in Scotland, Pedro de Ayala . Later, wishing to be rid of Warbeck, James IV provided a ship called the Cuckoo and a hired crew under a Breton captain, Guy Foulcart . Horses were hired for 30 of Perkin's companions to ride to the ship at Ayr on 5 July 1497, where Perkin sailed to Ireland. In August 1497, James invaded England once more and laid siege to Norham Castle with
19292-472: The Treaty of Perpetual Peace with Henry VII, the first peace treaty between Scotland and England since 1328. The marriage was completed by proxy on 25 January 1503 at Richmond Palace in the presence of the king and queen of England, the Earl of Bothwell standing as proxy for the Scottish king. Margaret left Richmond for Scotland on 27 June and, after crossing the border at Berwick upon Tweed on 1 August 1503,
19504-515: The Treaty of Westminster — a pledge of mutual aid against the French — with Ferdinand II . Relations between the Scottish and English kings continued to deteriorate with the passing of the Subsidy Act by the English parliament in 1512, with the act preamble declaring that the King of Scotland was "the very homage and obedience of right to your Highness [Henry VIII]". This assault on Scotland's independence
19716-691: The Turks of the Ottoman Empire . James was granted the title of Protector and Defender of the Christian Faith in 1507 by Pope Julius II . When Henry VIII of England invaded France in 1513 as part of the Holy League , James chose the Auld Alliance with the French over the "Perpetual Peace" with the English, and led a large army across the border into England. James and many of his nobles were killed at
19928-487: The alchemists with a still made of silver . Damian also researched aviation and undertook a failed experiment to fly from the battlements of Stirling Castle, an event which William Dunbar satirised in two separate poems. James poured large amounts of money into the construction or remodelling of several royal residences. He commissioned the construction between 1501 and 1505 of the Palace of Holyroodhouse . The impetus for
20140-555: The army quickly retreated when resources were expended, and hoped-for support for Perkin Warbeck in Northumberland failed to materialise. The Scottish army left on 25 September 1496 when an English army commanded by Lord Neville approached from Newcastle. When news of this invasion reached Ludovico Sforza , Duke of Milan , on 21 October 1496, he wrote to his ambassador in Spain, to request
20352-399: The battle. In the meantime, James had observed Home and Huntly's initial success and ordered the advance of the next formation in line, commanded by the earls of Errol , Crawford and Montrose . At the foot of Branxton Hill, they encountered an unforeseen obstacle, an area of marshy ground, made worse by days of heavy rain. As they struggled to cross the waterlogged ground, the Scots lost
20564-554: The beginning of James III's pursuit of friendship with England, a policy which was unpopular in Scotland. This policy would see further prospective English brides proposed for his son: Anne de la Pole (niece of Richard III of England ) in 1484 and an unspecified daughter of Edward IV in 1487. James III was an unpopular king: he faced two major rebellions during his reign, and alienated members of his close family, especially his younger brother, Alexander, Duke of Albany . James III's unpopular pro-English policy rebounded badly upon him when
20776-601: The building of the Palace of Holyroodhouse and Falkland Palace . The education act passed by the Parliament of Scotland in 1496 introduced compulsory schooling . During James's twenty-five-year reign, royal income doubled, the Crown exercised firm control over the Scottish church, and by 1493 had overcome the last independent Lord of the Isles . Relations with England improved with the Treaty of Perpetual Peace in 1502 and James's marriage to Margaret Tudor in 1503, which led to
20988-593: The burial of his father at Cambuskenneth Abbey , a scene later portrayed in James IV's book of hours . The new king also hosted his maternal great-uncle, Gerhard VI, Count of Oldenburg , who arrived at Leith with a Danish fleet in August, and remained in Scotland until the following year. James IV quickly proved to be a wise and effective ruler, and entrusted the running of his government to Patrick Hepburn, 1st Earl of Bothwell , Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus , and William Elphinstone, Bishop of Aberdeen . He defeated
21200-652: The care of his mother, along with his two younger brothers, James and John . In 1478, Queen Margaret was officially entrusted with the custody and education of the Duke of Rothesay. Not much is known about James's early life, but it is known that he received a good education from Archibald Whitelaw, the humanist scholar and secretary of state , and the theologian John Ireland , under the direction of his mother. In addition to Scots , James became fluent in Latin and Spanish , also learned French , German , Flemish and Italian , and
21412-480: The chiefs' charters in the summer of 1498. Few of the chiefs turned up. At first, Archibald Campbell, 2nd Earl of Argyll , was set to fill the power vacuum and enforce royal authority, but he met with limited success in a struggle with his brother-in-law, Torquil MacLeod of Lewis . After this defiance, Alexander Gordon, 3rd Earl of Huntly , was granted Torquil's lands. He raised an army in Lochaber and also cleared
21624-403: The cohesion and momentum on which pike formations depended for success. Once the line was disrupted, the long pikes became an unwieldy encumbrance, and the Scots began to drop them. Reaching for their side-arms of swords and axes , they found themselves outreached by the English bills in the close-quarter fighting that developed. It is unclear whether James had seen the difficulty encountered by
21836-489: The conferring on him of the dukedom of Ross in January 1488 — with apprehension. There is no explanation of why James III seemed to be favouring his second son over his heir, although it has been suggested that James III's suspicion and distrust of his heir arose from the young Duke of Rothesay's meeting with the Duke of Albany during the 1482 crisis. On 2 February 1488, the Duke of Rothesay departed from Stirling Castle, without
22048-405: The contest between Surrey and James. As other English formations overcame the Scottish forces they had initially engaged, they moved to reinforce the Earl of Surrey. An instruction to English troops that no prisoners were to be taken explains the exceptional mortality amongst the Scottish nobility. James IV himself was killed in the final stage of the battle, having fought to within a spear length of
22260-536: The contest between public duty and private feelings, included Sophonisba (1730), Agamemnon (1738) and Tancrid and Sigismuda (1745), the last of which was an international success. David Mallet 's (c. 1705–65) Eurydice (1731) was accused of being a coded Jacobite play and his later work indicates opposition to the Walpole administration. The opera Masque of Alfred (1740) was a collaboration between Thompson, Mallet and composer Thomas Arne , with Thompson supplying
22472-441: The course of his reign, James commissioned or acquired a total of at least thirty-eight ships. His naval building programme was large, especially so for the ruler of a small kingdom. Naval spending was by far the greatest single item of royal expenditure in the later years of his reign. In the early years, the annual average spent on ships was about £ 140 Scots. By the early 1510s it was £8,710. In 1491, James determined to address
22684-418: The difficulty for the Scots of shooting downhill, another factor being that their guns had been hastily sited instead of the careful emplacement which was usually required for such heavy weapons, slowing their rate of fire. This allowed the light English guns to turn a rapid fire on the massed ranks of Scottish infantry. The Scottish left, under Lord Home and the Earl of Huntly , then advanced downhill towards
22896-509: The earliest Welsh literature was actually composed in or near the country we now call Scotland, in the Brythonic speech, from which Welsh would be derived, which was not then confined to Wales and Cornwall, although it was only written down in Wales much later. These include The Gododdin , considered the earliest surviving verse from Scotland, which is attributed to the bard Aneirin , said to have been resident in Brythonic kingdom of Gododdin in
23108-524: The earls formation, but he followed down the slope regardless, making for Surrey's formation. James has been criticised for placing himself in the front line, thereby putting himself in personal danger and losing his overview of the field. He was, however, well known for taking risks in battle, and it would have been out of character for him to stay back. Encountering the same difficulties as the previous attack, James's men nevertheless fought their way to Surrey's bodyguard. The fierce fighting continued, centred on
23320-455: The early modern era royal patronage supported poetry, prose and drama. James V 's court saw works such as Sir David Lindsay of the Mount 's The Thrie Estaitis . In the late sixteenth century James VI became patron and member of a circle of Scottish court poets and musicians known as the Castalian Band . When he acceded to the English throne in 1603 many followed him to the new court, but without
23532-402: The eldest sons and heirs of all barons and freeholders of substance. James was both highly intelligent and well educated. In July 1498, Spanish ambassador, Pedro de Ayala , reported to Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile: The King is 25 years and some months old. He is of noble stature, neither tall nor short, and as handsome in complexion and shape as a man can be. His address
23744-464: The emergence of a new generation of Scottish poets that became leading figures on the UK stage, including Don Paterson , Kathleen Jamie , Douglas Dunn , Robert Crawford , and Carol Ann Duffy . Glasgow-born Duffy was named as Poet Laureate in May 2009, the first woman, the first Scot and the first openly gay poet to take the post. James IV of Scotland James IV (17 March 1473 – 9 September 1513)
23956-741: The end of the century there were " closet dramas ", primarily designed to be read, rather than performed, including work by Hogg, Galt and Joanna Baillie (1762–1851), often influenced by the ballad tradition and Gothic Romanticism. Scottish poetry is often seen as entering a period of decline in the nineteenth century, with a descent of into infantalism as exemplified by the highly popular Whistle Binkie anthologies (1830–90). However, Scotland continued to produce talented and successful poets, including weaver-poet William Thom (1799–1848), Lady Margaret Maclean Clephane Compton Northampton (d. 1830), William Edmondstoune Aytoun (1813–65) and Thomas Campbell (1777–1844), whose works were extensively reprinted in
24168-450: The ending of the conflicts with England in 1497, the Crown no longer needed Parliament to grant extraordinary revenue in the form of taxation, with Parliament no longer being summoned with the same regularity as a result. In the decade before 1496, successive parliaments had presided over, or sanctioned, regicide or rebellion, and failed foreign embassies to find the king a bride. With this experience of parliaments, perhaps James IV considered
24380-523: The establishment of Scotland's first printing press , Chepman and Myllar Press , in 1507, and granted the Incorporation of Surgeons and Barbers of Edinburgh a royal charter in 1506. James was also interested in dentistry , an interest which began in 1503 when the king summoned a "barbour" to extract one of his teeth for the sum of 14 shillings. In 1504, he sought more practical experience of dentistry and purchased two gold toothpicks suspended from
24592-455: The existence of a substantial body of lost work. The quality of extant work generally, both minor and major, demonstrates a thriving poetic tradition in Scotland throughout the period. Henryson , who is generally seen today as one of the foremost makars, is not known to have been a court poet , but the Royal Palace of Dunfermline , the city in which he was based, was one of the residences of
24804-472: The favoured pole arm of the English infantry. There was also a large contingent of well-trained archers armed with the English longbow . The English artillery consisted of light field guns of rather old-fashioned design, typically firing a ball of only about 1 pound (0.45 kg), but easy to handle and capable of rapid fire. James IV began the battle with an artillery duel, but his heavy guns did not perform well, contemporary accounts putting this down to
25016-426: The film Tunes of Glory (1956). Successful mass-market works included the action novels of Alistair MacLean , and the historical fiction of Dorothy Dunnett . A younger generation of novelists that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s included Shena Mackay , Alan Spence , Allan Massie and the work of William McIlvanney . From the 1980s Scottish literature enjoyed another major revival, particularly associated with
25228-511: The following centuries there was literature in Latin, under the influence of the Catholic Church, and in Old English , brought by Anglian settlers. As the state of Alba developed into the kingdom of Scotland from the eighth century, there was a flourishing literary elite who regularly produced texts in both Gaelic and Latin, sharing a common literary culture with Ireland and elsewhere. After
25440-534: The following year it is recorded that he held shooting matches with hand culverins in the great halls of Holyrood Palace and Stirling Castle. James also took a culverin to stalk deer in the park of Falkland Palace and shot at sea birds with one from a row boat off the Isle of May . James IV imported guns, shot and powder from France, and in 1511 the royal gun foundry was moved from Stirling Castle to Edinburgh Castle, where Scots, Dutch, German, and French gunmakers worked under
25652-477: The forfeiture of rebels following further risings in the western Highlands. James IV managed to govern effectively without regular parliaments from 1496 onwards due to his use of general councils (a sister institution to Parliament) in 1497, 1498, 1502, 1511 and 1512, and the use of greatly enlarged sessions of the Privy Council in 1508, 1511 and 1513. From the beginning of his reign, one of James's objectives
25864-540: The fourteenth century. Thomas Owen Clancy has argued that the Lebor Bretnach , the so-called "Irish Nennius", was written in Scotland, and probably at the monastery in Abernethy, but this text survives only from manuscripts preserved in Ireland. Other literary work that has survived includes that of the prolific poet Gille Brighde Albanach . About 1218, Gille Brighde wrote a poem— Heading for Damietta —on his experiences of
26076-430: The frequent calling of parliaments inimical to good royal government. The absence of parliaments between 1496 and 1504 may also have been due to James's discovery of other methods of raising revenue, and his reluctance to summon meetings of the three estates due to their propensity for dissent. The last three parliaments of James IV's reign in 1504, 1506 and 1509 were all called to address the administration of justice and
26288-683: The future James V , was still alive and well a year later, while his uncle continued to remain childless. As a result of the Italian Wars , in October 1511 Pope Julius II created a Holy League against France . The new alliance included the Papacy, Venice, Spain and the Holy Roman Empire. In November 1511, England also joined the League, with Henry VIII deciding to use the occasion as an excuse to conclude
26500-413: The future. James also appointed Ross as abbot of Holyrood (1498), Dunfermline (1500) and Arbroath (1503). These offices, in combination with his appointment to the chancellorship in 1501, gave the Duke of Ross the highest status after the king. Following the death of the Duke of Ross in 1504, James IV appointed his eleven-year-old illegitimate son, Alexander , as archbishop, thereby ensuring that
26712-517: The head of the Lyon Court , was a prolific poet. He wrote elegiac narratives, romances and satires. George Buchanan (1506–82) had a major influence as a Latin poet, founding a tradition of neo-Latin poetry that would continue in to the seventeenth century. Contributors to this tradition included royal secretary John Maitland (1537–95), reformer Andrew Melville (1545–1622), John Johnston (1570?–1611) and David Hume of Godscroft (1558–1629). From
26924-462: The highlands and to create a cultural gulf with the lowlands. The first surviving major text in Scots literature is John Barbour 's Brus (1375), composed under the patronage of Robert II and telling the story in epic poetry of Robert I's actions before the English invasion until the end of the war of independence. The work was extremely popular among the Scots-speaking aristocracy and Barbour
27136-513: The idea of a joint Franco-Scottish crusade to the Holy Land. James's maintenance of Scotland's traditional good relations with France occasionally created diplomatic problems with England. In April 1508, Thomas Wolsey was sent to Scotland discuss Henry VII's concerns over rumours that James would renew the Auld Alliance with France. Wolsey found "there was never a man worse welcome into Scotland than I. ... They keep their matters so secret here that
27348-436: The indirect role which he had played in the death of his father. He decided to do penance for his sin, constantly wearing an iron belt around his waist, next to the skin, to which he added weight every year throughout his life. The victorious rebels moved swiftly to consolidate their power, and on 12 June, only a day after Sauchieburn, the new king issued his first charter. Edinburgh and Stirling castles were secured, as were
27560-458: The islands. It is as different from Scots as Biscayan is from Castilian. His knowledge of languages is wonderful. He is well read in the Bible and in some other devout books. He is a good historian. He has read many Latin and French histories, and profited by them, as he has a very good memory. He never cuts his hair or his beard. It becomes him very well. James also ensured that the very best education
27772-522: The king in person, who confirmed them in their lands and offices. In October 1496, the Privy Council ordered that the clan chiefs in the region would be held responsible by the king for crimes of the islanders. This act for the governance of the region was unworkable, and after the Act of Revocation of 1498 undermined the chiefs' titles to their lands, resistance to Edinburgh rule was strengthened. James waited at Kilkerran Castle at Campbeltown Loch to regrant
27984-409: The king only received a small amount of the income from burgh revenues, as the majority of that income was alienated to provide annuities to reward numerous nobles and Crown servants. Taxation imposed by Parliament offered the king greater opportunities to raise income. Between 1488 and 1497, Parliament voted taxation almost annually to support diplomacy and war, including embassies to the continent,
28196-594: The king's knowledge. This defection saw the start of another major rebellion against James III, led by the earls of Angus and Argyll , and the Home and Hepburn families. Pitscottie claimed that the prince defected as he had heard that his father was approaching Stirling with a large army to imprison him. The prince became the figurehead of the rebels, who claimed that they had removed him from Stirling to protect him from his vindictive father, who had surrounded himself with wicked Anglophile counsellors. Like Prince James, many of
28408-409: The king's naval expeditions to the western Highlands, and the 1496–97 conflicts with England. However, James soon learned that using taxation extensively as a means of generating revenue was likely to provoke resistance without bringing in the sums required. Following the failure to raise the huge sum of £12,000 Scots from the three estates (clergy, nobility and burghs) in 1502–1504 to fund the sending of
28620-498: The kingdom throughout his reign. A tax of £5,000 was granted by the Parliament of Scotland to fund an embassy to France and Spain to search for a foreign bride for the king. Pope Innocent VIII conferred the Golden Rose on James in 1491, and the alliance with France was renewed in 1492. Treaties were also made with Denmark and Spain , and truces were negotiated with Henry VII of England in 1493 and 1494. In 1494 James received
28832-480: The larger Patent theatres , included The Lady in the Lake (1817), The Heart of Midlothian (1819), and Rob Roy , which underwent over 1,000 performances in Scotland in this period. Also adapted for the stage were Guy Mannering , The Bride of Lammermoor and The Abbot . These highly popular plays saw the social range and size of the audience for theatre expand and helped shape theatre-going practices in Scotland for
29044-409: The late 1590s the king's championing of his native Scottish tradition was to some extent diffused by the prospect of inheriting of the English throne. Lyndsay produced an interlude at Linlithgow Palace for the king and queen thought to be a version of his play The Thrie Estaitis in 1540, which satirised the corruption of church and state, and which is the only complete play to survive from before
29256-442: The late king's money and jewels, and the rebel leaders were rewarded with offices of state and posts in the royal household. James IV's coronation took place on 24 June 1488 at Scone Abbey . The Archbishop of St Andrews , William Scheves , a favourite of James III, did not officiate during the coronation ceremony, with the new king being instead crowned by Robert Blackadder , Bishop of Glasgow . A few days later, James IV attended
29468-567: The later eighth century, Viking raids and invasions may have forced a merger of the Gaelic and Pictish crowns that culminated in the rise of Cínaed mac Ailpín (Kenneth MacAlpin) in the 840s, which brought to power the House of Alpin and the creation of the Kingdom of Alba . Historical sources, as well as place name evidence, indicate the ways in which the Pictish language in the north and Cumbric languages in
29680-484: The literature of the country of his birth in Scots. His treatise, Some Rules and Cautions to be Observed and Eschewed in Scottish Prosody , published in 1584 when he was aged 18, was both a poetic manual and a description of the poetic tradition in his mother tongue, to which he applied Renaissance principles. He became patron and member of a loose circle of Scottish Jacobean court poets and musicians, later called
29892-558: The local chiefs, including John MacLean of Lochbuie and John MacIain of Ardnamurchan, made their submissions of loyalty to him. John of Islay surrendered and was brought back to the royal court and given an annual pension of £133 6s 8d. The following year, Sir John MacDonald of Dunnyveg rebelled, and in July the king sailed with an army from Dumbarton to Tarbert Castle , before sailing south to Dunaverty Castle in Kintyre . The royal forces repaired both castles and soon afterwards Sir John
30104-575: The lyrics for his most famous work, the patriotic song " Rule, Britannia! ". In Scotland performances were largely limited to performances by visiting actors, who faced hostility from the Kirk. The Edinburgh Company of Players were able to perform in Dundee, Montrose, Aberdeen and regular performances at the Taylor's Hall in Edinburgh under the protection of a Royal Patent. Ramsay was instrumental in establishing them in
30316-410: The many attacks on Scottish shipping in the vicinity of the Firth of Forth from the English and other pirates. He erected fortresses at Largo and Inchgarvie , and made extensive repairs to Dunbar Castle , to defend the firth from hostile attacks. In 1493 James ordered every burgh to provide the Crown with a boat of 20 tons, and to conscript able men to crew them. The forfeiture of the Lordship of
30528-537: The master gunner, Robert Borthwick, in what was the earliest significant foundry for producing large bronze guns in the British Isles . Their output included guns for the Michael , and the Seven Sisters , a set of cannons captured by the English at Flodden. James's artillery also included arquebus à croc (mounted heavy arquebuses ), hand culverins and falconets . James IV was a true Renaissance prince and
30740-460: The most enduring Gaelic poets. Walter Scott began as a poet and also collected and published Scottish ballads. His first prose work, Waverley in 1814, is often called the first historical novel. It launched a highly successful career, with other historical novels such as Rob Roy (1817), The Heart of Midlothian (1818) and Ivanhoe (1820). Scott probably did more than any other figure to define and popularise Scottish cultural identity in
30952-607: The name Scots. In the south were the British ( Brythonic -speaking) descendants of the peoples of the Roman-influenced kingdoms of " The Old North ", the most powerful and longest surviving of which was the Kingdom of Strathclyde . Finally, there were the English or "Angles", Germanic invaders who had overrun much of southern Britain and held the Kingdom of Bernicia (later the northern part of Northumbria ), which reached into what are now
31164-492: The nature of Gaelic poetry. The best poetry in this vein contained a strong element of protest, including Uilleam Mac Dhun Lèibhe's (William Livingstone, 1808–70) protest against the Islay and Seonaidh Phàdraig Iarsiadair's (John Smith, 1848–81) condemnation of those responsible for the clearances. The best known Gaelic poet of the era was Màiri Mhòr nan Óran (Mary MacPherson, 1821–98), whose evocation of place and mood has made her among
31376-441: The nature poetry of his Seasons . Tobias Smollett (1721–71) was a poet, essayist, satirist and playwright, but is best known for his picaresque novels , such as The Adventures of Roderick Random (1748) and The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle (1751) for which he is often seen as Scotland's first novelist. His work would be a major influence on later novelists such as Thackeray and Dickens . The early eighteenth century
31588-462: The next generation. From the eleventh century French, Flemish and particularly English became the main languages of Scottish burghs , most of which were located in the south and east. At least from the accession of David I (r. 1124–53), as part of a Davidian Revolution that introduced French culture and political systems, Gaelic ceased to be the main language of the royal court and was probably replaced by French. After this " gallicisation " of
31800-412: The nineteenth century. Scottish "national drama" emerged in the early 1800s, as plays with specifically Scottish themes began to dominate the Scottish stage. The existing repertoire of Scottish-themed plays included John Home 's Douglas (1756) and Ramsay's The Gentle Shepherd (1725), with the last two being the most popular plays among amateur groups. Scott was keenly interested in drama, becoming
32012-518: The nineteenth century. Towards the end of the Victorian era a number of Scottish-born authors achieved international reputations, including Robert Louis Stevenson , Arthur Conan Doyle , J. M. Barrie and George MacDonald . In the twentieth century there was a surge of activity in Scottish literature, known as the Scottish Renaissance . The leading figure, Hugh MacDiarmid , attempted to revive
32224-399: The peace with England broke down in 1480. This led to the invasion of Scotland and capture of Berwick in 1482 by Richard, Duke of Gloucester , in the company of the Duke of Albany. When James III attempted to lead his army against the invasion, his army rebelled against him and he was briefly imprisoned by his own councillors. During James III's imprisonment, Albany visited Queen Margaret and
32436-402: The period 1800–60. Among the most influential poets of the later nineteenth century were James Thomson (1834–82) and John Davidson (1857–1909), whose work would have a major impact on modernist poets including Hugh MacDiarmid, Wallace Stevens and T. S. Eliot . The Highland Clearances and widespread emigration significantly weakened Gaelic language and culture and had a profound impact on
32648-488: The period of the Northern Renaissance . The Makars have often been referred to by literary critics as Scots Chaucerians . In modern usage, poets of the Scots revival in the 18th century, such as Allan Ramsay and Robert Fergusson are also makars. Since 2002, the term "makar" has been revived as the name for a publicly funded poet, first in Edinburgh, followed by the cities of Glasgow, Stirling and Dundee. In 2004
32860-582: The period, including The Buik of Alexander , Launcelot o the Laik and The Porteous of Noblenes by Gilbert Hay . Much Middle Scots literature was produced by makars , poets with links to the royal court, which included James I (who wrote The Kingis Quair ). Many of the makars had university education and so were also connected with the Kirk . However, Dunbar's Lament for the Makaris (c.1505) provides evidence of
33072-603: The poems were not direct translations from the Gaelic, but flowery adaptations made to suit the aesthetic expectations of his audience. Robert Burns was highly influenced by the Ossian cycle. Burns, an Ayrshire poet and lyricist, is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and a major figure in the Romantic movement. As well as making original compositions, Burns also collected folk songs from across Scotland, often revising or adapting them. His poem (and song) " Auld Lang Syne "
33284-468: The poets and novelists James Hogg (1770–1835), Allan Cunningham (1784–1842) and John Galt (1779–1839), Drama was pursued by Scottish playwrights in London such as Catherine Trotter (1679–1749), born in London to Scottish parents and later moving to Aberdeen. Her plays and included the verse-tragedy Fatal Friendship (1698), the comedy Love at a Loss (1700) and the history The Revolution in Sweden (1706). David Crawford's (1665–1726) plays included
33496-475: The position of Makar or National Poet for Scotland , was authorized by the Scottish Parliament . Middle Scots makar (plural makaris ) is the equivalent of Middle English maker . The word functions as a calque (literal translation) of Ancient Greek term ποιητής ( poiētēs ) "maker; poet ". The term is normally applied to poets writing in Scots although it need not be exclusive to Scottish writers. William Dunbar for instance referred to
33708-430: The press also produced editions of the work of Scottish makars before its demise, probably about 1510. The next recorded press was that of Thomas Davidson (f. 1532–42), the first in a long line of "king's printers", who also produced editions of works of the makars. The landmark work in the reign of James IV was Gavin Douglas's version of Virgil 's Aeneid , the Eneados , which was the first complete translation of
33920-402: The publication of the anthology of the Deliciae Poetarum Scotorum (1637), published in Amsterdam by Arthur Johnston (c. 1579–1641) and Sir John Scott of Scotstarvet (1585–1670) and containing work by the major Scottish practitioners since Buchanan. This period was marked by the work of the first named female Scottish poets. Elizabeth Melville 's (f. 1585–1630) Ane Godlie Dream (1603) was
34132-411: The rebels also feared for their safety if James III continued to rule. Matters came to a head on 11 June 1488, when the royal and rebel armies fought outside Stirling at the Battle of Sauchieburn . The royal army was defeated and James III was killed during the battle, though several later sources claimed that the Duke of Rothesay had forbidden any man to harm his father. James IV bore intense guilt for
34344-417: The reign of Edward VI of England the antiquarian John Stow was shown the coffin, lying in a store room: "since the dissolution of the House I have been shewed the same body (as was affirmed) so lapped in lead throwne into an old wast roome, amongst old timber, stone, lead, and other rubble". James IV's coffin was rediscovered during the reign of Elizabeth I of England when it was opened and his body became
34556-457: The reign progressed. This development matched that of the English and European monarchies in the playing down of the role of their representative assemblies, and placing more reliance on conciliar government: Edward IV of England only held six parliaments during his twenty-three-year reign, and Henry VII held seven in his twenty-four years on the throne. In France, the Estates General were not summoned again for seventy-six years after 1484. With
34768-469: The rest of the century. Scotland was also the location of two of the most important literary magazines of the era, The Edinburgh Review , founded in 1802 and Blackwood's Magazine , founded in 1817. Together they had a major impact on the development of British literature and drama in the era of Romanticism. Thomas Carlyle , in such works as Sartor Resartus (1833–34), The French Revolution: A History (1837) and On Heroes, Hero-Worship, &
34980-445: The ruling elite as they gradually abandoned French. By the fifteenth century it was the language of government, with acts of parliament, council records and treasurer's accounts almost all using it from the reign of James I onwards. As a result, Gaelic, once dominant north of the River Tay , began a steady decline. Lowland writers began to treat Gaelic as a second class, rustic and even amusing language, helping to frame attitudes towards
35192-506: The same period included Carol Ann Duffy , who was named as the first Scot to be UK Poet Laureate in May 2009. After the collapse of Roman authority in the early fifth century, four major circles of political and cultural influence emerged in Northern Britain. In the east were the Picts , whose kingdoms eventually stretched from the river Forth to Shetland. In the west were the Gaelic ( Goidelic )-speaking people of Dál Riata , who had close links with Ireland, from where they brought with them
35404-446: The seventeenth century they were used as a literary form by aristocratic authors including Robert Sempill (c. 1595–c. 1665), Lady Elizabeth Wardlaw (1627–1727) and Lady Grizel Baillie (1645–1746). The loss of a royal court also meant there was no force to counter the kirk's dislike of theatre, which struggled to survive in Scotland. However, it was not entirely extinguished. The kirk used theatre for its own purposes in schools and
35616-427: The seventeenth century. Members of bardic schools were trained in the complex rules and forms of Gaelic poetry. Much of their work was never written down and what survives was only recorded from the sixteenth century. It is possible that more Middle Irish literature was written in medieval Scotland than is often thought, but has not survived because the Gaelic literary establishment of eastern Scotland died out before
35828-493: The sixth century. It is a series of elegies to the men of the Gododdin killed fighting at the Battle of Catraeth around 600 AD. Similarly, the Battle of Gwen Ystrad is attributed to Taliesin , traditionally thought to be a bard at the court of Rheged in roughly the same period. There are religious works in Gaelic including the Elegy for St Columba by Dallan Forgaill, c. 597 and "In Praise of St Columba" by Beccan mac Luigdech of Rum, c. 677. In Latin they include
36040-406: The south were overlaid and replaced by Gaelic, Old English and later Norse . The Kingdom of Alba was overwhelmingly an oral society dominated by Gaelic culture. Our fuller sources for Ireland of the same period suggest that there would have been filidh , who acted as poets, musicians and historians, often attached to the court of a lord or king, and passed on their knowledge and culture in Gaelic to
36252-435: The style of Dunbar; John Rolland (fl. 1530–75), who wrote allegorical satires in the tradition of Douglas and courtier and minister Alexander Hume (c. 1556–1609), whose corpus of work includes nature poetry and epistolary verse . Alexander Scott 's (?1520–82/3) use of short verse designed to be sung to music, opened the way for the Castilan poets of James VI's adult reign. In the 1580s and 1590s James VI strongly promoted
36464-439: The tenants of that area, replacing them with his supporters. After the parliament of 1504, a royal fleet sailed north from Ayr to attack the Castle of Cairn-na-Burgh , west of Mull , where it is thought that Maclean of Duart had Domhnall Dubh in his keeping. As progress at the siege was slow, James sent Hans the royal gunner in Robert Barton 's ship and then the Earl of Arran with provisions and more artillery. Cairn-na-Burgh
36676-440: The terms of the Treaty of Perpetual Peace , there was to be "good, real and sincere, true, sound, and firm peace, friendship, league and confederation, to last all time coming" between England and Scotland, neither king or their successors were to make war against the other, and if either king broke the treaty, the Pope would excommunicate him. In a ceremony at the altar of Glasgow Cathedral on 10 December 1502, James confirmed
36888-406: The thirteenth century, including " Sir Patrick Spens " and " Thomas the Rhymer ", but which are not known to have existed until the eighteenth century. They were probably composed and transmitted orally and only began to be written down and printed, often as broadsides and as part of chapbooks , later being recorded and noted in books by collectors including Robert Burns and Walter Scott . From
37100-412: The tradition of detective fiction. The " kailyard tradition " at the end of the century, brought elements of fantasy and folklore back into fashion as can be seen in the work of figures like J. M. Barrie , most famous for his creation of Peter Pan and George MacDonald whose works including Phantastes played a major part in the creation of the fantasy genre. In the early twentieth century there
37312-437: The traditions of the makars have included Robert Garioch , Sydney Goodsir Smith , George Campbell Hay and Norman MacCaig among many others. A position of national laureate , entitled The Scots Makar , was established in 2004 by the Scottish Parliament . The first appointment was made directly by the Parliament in that year when Edwin Morgan received the honour to become Scotland's first ever official national poet . He
37524-454: The two women Elen and Margaret More were "enjoying in the royal service a benevolent form of ... black slavery". Other historians emphasise that these individuals were treated as "court curiosities" rather than being in control of their own lives, and were most likely enslaved to some extent. James was granted the title Protector and Defender of the Christian Faith in 1507 by Pope Julius II , and in April 1507 at Holyrood Abbey he received
37736-440: The vernacular of many rural communities and the growing number of urban working-class Scots. Literature developed a distinct national identity and began to enjoy an international reputation. Allan Ramsay (1686–1758) was the most important literary figure of the era, often described as leading a "vernacular revival". He laid the foundations of a reawakening of interest in older Scottish literature, publishing The Ever Green (1724),
37948-439: The virtues of Scots "poesie", following his accession to the English throne, James VI increasingly favoured the language of southern England. In 1611 the Kirk adopted the English Authorised King James Version of the Bible. In 1617 interpreters were declared no longer necessary in the port of London because Scots and Englishmen were now "not so far different bot ane understandeth ane uther". Jenny Wormald, describes James as creating
38160-412: The wives in the market know every cause of my coming." Wolsey was unable to persuade James to abandon the Auld Alliance, but Anglo-Scottish relations nonetheless remained stable until the death of Henry VII in 1509. Relations between Scotland and England deteriorated with the accession of Henry VIII of England in April 1509. Unlike his father, Henry had no interest in appeasing James, because his focus
38372-449: The work of fifteenth and early sixteenth century exponents. This influence can be traced right through to Alexander Scott and the various members of the Castalian Band in the Scottish court of James VI (1567–1603) which included Alexander Montgomerie and, once again, the king himself. The king composed a treatise, the Reulis and Cautelis (1584), which proposed a formalisation of Scottish prosody and consciously strove to identify what
38584-407: The work probably came from his marriage to Margaret Tudor, which took place in Holyrood Abbey in August 1503. James also commissioned the construction of Falkland Palace in Fife between 1501 and 1513, on a site to the south of Falkland Castle. At Stirling Castle, James commissioned the construction of the great hall and a new royal lodging (the present-day King's Old Building), the remodelling of
38796-445: The young Duke of Rothesay at Stirling Castle to discuss the crisis with them. For the nine-year-old heir to the throne, the crisis of 1482 had shattered the calm of his youthful existence at Stirling. Following the death of Margaret of Denmark in July 1486, Prince James may have viewed the king's deliberate promotion of his second son — the 1486 and 1487 proposals to marry him to one of the younger daughters of Edward IV of England, and
39008-419: Was King of Scotland from 11 June 1488 until his death at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. He inherited the throne at the age of fifteen on the death of his father, James III , at the Battle of Sauchieburn , following a rebellion in which the younger James was the figurehead of the rebels. James IV is generally regarded as the most successful of the Stewart monarchs. He was responsible for a major expansion of
39220-440: Was a "court of appeal" which had the power to adjudicate such differences between the parties to the treaty: the Papacy. But Pope Julius II was now an ally of England, and far from being an honest broker. James IV had so far refused the French king's requests to renew the Franco-Scottish alliance as Louis XII was not offering a sufficient benefit in return. However, Henry VIII's increasingly belligerent stance effectively ensured that
39432-410: Was a new surge of activity in Scottish literature, influenced by modernism and resurgent nationalism, known as the Scottish Renaissance. The leading figure in the movement was Hugh MacDiarmid (the pseudonym of Christopher Murray Grieve). MacDiarmid attempted to revive the Scots language as a medium for serious literature in poetic works including " A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle " (1936), developing
39644-407: Was a reassertion of claims to English overlordship which had been implicitly revoked on a permanent basis by the 1502 Treaty of Perpetual Peace. The English justification of the claim was that James IV had broken the peace, and was preparing for war. This was completely specious as James had by then not even acceded to Louis XII 's urgent requests to renew the Franco-Scottish alliance. In theory, there
39856-454: Was also a period of innovation in Gaelic vernacular poetry. Major figures included Rob Donn Mackay (1714–78) and Donnchadh Bàn Mac an t-Saoir (Duncan Ban MacIntyre) (1724–1812). The most significant figure in the tradition was Alasdair mac Mhaighstir Alasdair (Alasdair MacDonald) (c. 1698–1770). His interest in traditional forms can be seen in his most significant poem Clanranald's Gallery . He also mixed these traditions with influences from
40068-424: Was also raised of strengthening the peace between both kingdoms with the marriage of James IV to Henry VII's eldest daughter, Margaret . Following several years in which the Treaty of Ayton held, Scottish and English commissioners met at Richmond Palace on 24 January 1502. They agreed the marriage between James IV and Margaret, with a dowry of £35,000 Scots , and a peace treaty between the two kingdoms. Under
40280-585: Was also the period when use of Scots in poetry was at its most richly and successfully aureate. Dunbar's Lament for the Makaris (c.1505) contains a leet of makars, not exclusively Scottish, some of whom are now only known through his mention, further indicative of the wider extent to the tradition. Qualities in verse especially prized by many of these writers included the combination of skilful artifice with natural diction, concision and quickness ( glegness ) of expression. For example, Dunbar praises his peer, Merseir in The Lament (ll.74-5) as one Some of
40492-710: Was announced as the fourth holder of the post. In 2002 the City of Edinburgh , Scotland's capital, instituted a post of makar, known as the Edinburgh Makar. Each term lasts for three years and the first three incumbents were Stewart Conn (2002), Valerie Gillies (2005), and Ron Butlin (2008, 2011). The current incumbent (as of 2021) is Hannah Lavery . The previous Edinburgh makars were Alan Spence . and Shetlandic dialect writer and advocate Christine De Luca . Other cities to create Makar posts include Glasgow ( Liz Lochhead ), Stirling ( Magi Gibson , Laura Fyfe ) Aberdeen ( Sheena Blackhall ) and Dundee ( W.N. Herbert ). Scottish literature Scottish literature
40704-411: Was born and named Arthur, a name recalling Margaret's late brother, Arthur, Prince of Wales , and reminding the still heirless Henry VIII that, if he were unable to produce a legitimate son to succeed him, it might be a son of Margaret Tudor who would succeed. From the perspective of the new administration in the early 1490s, the Western Highlands and the Hebrides were regarded as a problem area and
40916-419: Was captured by June 1504 but Domhnall Dubh remained at liberty. In September 1507, Torquil MacLeod was besieged at Stornoway Castle on Lewis. Domhnall Dubh was captured and imprisoned for 37 years until he was released in 1543 and died in 1545 in Ireland; Torquil MacLeod died in exile in 1511. The Earl of Huntly was richly rewarded for his troubles, a price that James was prepared to pay. James IV's reign saw
41128-440: Was certainly important, the makars drew strongly on a native tradition predating Chaucer, exemplified by Barbour, as well as the courtly literature of France. In the more general application of the term which is current today the word can be applied to poets of the Scots revival in the eighteenth century, such as Allan Ramsay and Robert Fergusson . In recent times, other examples of poets that have seemed to particularly exemplify
41340-445: Was childless and had no recognised heir. Through his wife Margaret, James IV was an heir to the English throne. When Margaret gave birth to a son in October 1509, the baby was christened Arthur, not after Margaret and Henry's elder brother, but to advertise the Scottish claim to the Arthurian legend and as a British name for a potential British king. Then on 10 April 1512, Margaret gave birth to another boy, to be called James. This boy,
41552-410: Was continually invaded by the MacDonald islanders. In 1491, Alexander MacDonald of Lochalsh , heir to the lordship of the Isles, attempted to recover the earldom of Ross by raiding Ross-shire in alliance with Clan Cameron and Clan Chattan . They marched to Inverness , where they stormed Inverness Castle , and clashed with Clan Mackenzie before being routed. In consequence of this insurrection, at
41764-484: Was distinctive in the Scots tradition. The removal of the Court to London under James after 1603 is usually regarded as marking the eclipse of the distinctively Scottish tradition of poetry initiated by the Makars, but figures such as William Drummond might loosely be seen as forming a continuation into the seventeenth century. The Makars have often been referred to by literary critics as Scots Chaucerians . While Chaucer's influence on fifteenth-century Scottish literature
41976-417: Was felled in Lanarkshire and the Highlands and imported from Norway and France. James was also responsible for the founding of new dockyards on the Forth at Newhaven in 1504, and Pool of Airth in 1506. The king also wore the insignia of an Admiral — a whistle and a chain of gold. The Margaret , built at Leith and launched in 1506, weighed around 600–700 tons, was armed with four falconets ,
42188-455: Was found the following day amongst the thousands of Scottish dead on the battlefield, having been identified by two Scottish soldiers captured by the English, and by Thomas Dacre, 2nd Baron Dacre . James's lower jaw had been pierced by an arrow, an injury which would have disabled him sufficiently for the attacking English soldiers to move in and slash him with their bills , almost severing his left hand and slicing his throat open. James's body
42400-446: Was given to his illegitimate son, Alexander, who was tutored by Erasmus in Padua , Siena and Rome . James IV allegedly conducted a language deprivation experiment in which two children were sent to be raised by a mute woman alone on the island of Inchkeith , to determine if language was learned or innate. James IV had a wide range of intellectual interests and took an interest in practical and scientific matters. He patronised
42612-425: Was on France. Henry VIII also believed that whatever the implications of the Treaty of Perpetual Peace, the King of Scotland owed him obedience. At the core of the increasing hostility between James and Henry was James IV's position in relation to the English throne. From his accession in 1509 until the birth of his daughter Mary in 1516 — apart from the short life of his son Henry, Duke of Cornwall in 1511 — Henry
42824-548: Was one of the most influential works of the era. He would also play a leading role in supporting drama in Scotland and the attempt to found a permanent theatre in the capital. Ramsay was part of a community of poets working in Scots and English. These included William Hamilton of Gilbertfield (c. 1665–1751), Robert Crawford (1695–1733), Alexander Ross (1699–1784), the Jacobite William Hamilton of Bangour (1704–54), socialite Alison Rutherford Cockburn (1712–94), and poet and playwright James Thomson 's (1700–48), most famous for
43036-516: Was portrayed as the marriage of The Thrissil and the Rois (the thistle and rose — the flowers of Scotland and England, respectively) by the poet William Dunbar , who was then resident at James's court. Margaret did not bear her first child until 1507 when she was seventeen. James IV's marriage to Margaret meant that only the future Henry VIII stood between the Scottish king and the English succession, as Henry's lack of an heir made it possible that either James or one of his successors might succeed if
43248-431: Was received at Lamberton by the Archbishop of Glasgow and the Bishop of Moray. On 8 August 1503, the marriage of the 30-year-old Scottish king and his 13-year-old English bride was celebrated in person in Holyrood Abbey . The rites were performed by Robert Blackadder , Archbishop of Glasgow and Thomas Savage , Archbishop of York . Their wedding was commemorated by the gift of the Hours of James IV of Scotland , and
43460-468: Was slow to suppress popular folk dramas . Surviving plays for the period include William Alexander's Monarchicke Tragedies , written just before his departure with the king for England in 1603. They were closet dramas , designed to be read rather than performed, and already indicate Alexander's preference for southern English over the Scots language. There were some attempts to revive Scottish drama. In 1663 Edinburgh lawyer William Clerke wrote Marciano or
43672-421: Was succeeded in 2011 by Liz Lochhead . Jackie Kay was announced as the third holder of this post in 2016. Before Kay was appointed, it was suggested that the role might now only be referred to as the National Poet for Scotland, because of concerns that the word makar had to be explained outside of Scotland. Kay states that she argued for retaining the Makar name, which is still used. In August 2021 Kathleen Jamie
43884-523: Was summoned for treason committed in Kintyre. Sir John ignored the summons and continued to reside at Islay , but was later captured by John MacIain of Ardnamurchan and brought to Edinburgh to be hanged for treason. In 1495 King James sailed on his third and final expedition to the Isles to find and reward supporters of the Crown within the forfeited lordship, sailing to Mingary Castle , where Lachlan Maclean of Duart , Alan Cameron, and MacNeil of Barra came in to Mingary to submit and offer their allegiance to
44096-526: Was taken and partly demolished, and the army then moved south, capturing the castles of Etal and Ford . On 8 September the Scottish army took up position against an English army commanded by Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey on Branxton Hill in Northumberland . James's army, somewhat reduced from the original 42,000 by sickness and desertion, still amounted to about 34,000, outnumbering the English force by 8,000. The Scottish infantry had been equipped with 18-foot-long (5.5 m) pikes by their French allies;
44308-402: Was taken to Berwick-upon-Tweed , where it was embalmed, sealed in a lead-lined coffin, and transported to Sheen Priory in Surrey , where it remained unburied. James's slashed and bloodstained surcoat was sent to Henry VIII (then on campaign in France) by his queen, Catherine of Aragon . As James had been excommunicated prior to his death, he could not be buried in consecrated ground until
44520-527: Was the last Scottish monarch known to have spoken Gaelic . The surviving exchequer records show that Prince James was taken from Stirling to visit Edinburgh in the summers of 1474 and 1479, and that his nurse in the 1470s was Agnes Turing, the wife of an Edinburgh burgess. In October 1474, James III agreed a peace treaty with Edward IV of England , the foundation of which was to be a marriage between Prince James and Edward's daughter, Cecily of York , when they both reached marriageable age. The treaty marked
44732-416: Was to increase the relatively limited Crown income by extracting larger returns from all available sources of revenue. The king had to fund all government expenses out of his own income, which came from the revenue from Crown lands, and from burgh customs, mails, tolls and duties. The annual revenues of the Crown from these sources remained constant throughout James's reign (around £5–6,000 Scots ). However,
44944-440: Was written in Latin in Whithorn in the eighth century. In Old English there is The Dream of the Rood , from which lines are found on the Ruthwell Cross , making it the only surviving fragment of Northumbrian Old English from early Medieval Scotland. It has also been suggested on the basis of ornithological references that the poem The Seafarer was composed somewhere near the Bass Rock in East Lothian. Beginning in
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