Robert Bruce and the Battle of Bannockbur1.docx
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Robert Bruce and the Battle of Bannockbur1.docx
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RobertBruceandtheBattleofBannockbur1
RobertBruceandtheBattleofBannockburn(PartIV)
Aftermath&TheBruce'sinIreland
BannockburnwasadevastatingdefeatfortheEnglish.TheEarlofGloucester,thirty-fourbarons,andovertwo-hundredknightswereamongthedeadnottomentionthousandsuponthousandsofregularinfantry.Nearlyahundredotherknightshadbeencaptured,toberansomedoverthenextyear.
RobertBrucewastheundisputedKingofScotland.Intheaftermath,theScotspaidbacktheEnglishforallthoseyearsofinvasion.TheysweptsouthandraidednorthernEnglandasfarasDurhamandRichmondinYorkshire.Theydrovebackherdsofcattleandwagonsofloot.TheEnglishdarednotconfronttheScotsandNorthumberlandwaslefttofendforitself.
Bannockburnwasanevil,miserableandacalamitousdayfortheEnglish,saidthemelancolyLanercostchronicler,and"thenameofBannockburnwouldstickinEnglishmen'sthroatsformayyears."Morethanthis,"RobertdeBruswascommonlycalledkingofScotlandbyallmenbecausehehadacquiredbyforceofarms."
ThebattleofBannockburnwasadecisivevictory--themostcrucialmilitarysuccessinallofScottishhistory.ItdidnotendthewarbetweenScotlandandEngland,butitputRobertBrucefirmlyintheascendant.Hehadalreadydemonstratedconsiderableskillasgeneralandleader;hehadbeenfightingforajustcause;hisreputationwasbeginningtomakeanimpactinthecourtsandpalacesofEurope.Andnowthismassivevictoryenhancedit.Athomethepeoplehadakingtoadmire,torespectandintheendtolove.
HavingtotallydefeatedtheEnglishatBannockburn,theScotshadthescentofvictoryintheirnostrils.TheyhadsufferedinvasionafterinvasionatthehandsoftheEnglishaggressors:
nowtheywentovertotheoffensive.TheEnglishandtheirScottishsympathisersweredrivenoutofScotland,withtheexceptionoftheroyalstrongholdclosetotheborderatBerwick.WithRandolphandDouglasattheirhead,Scottishraidingpartiespouredovertheborders,burningAppleby,layingwastethewholeofTynedale,andononeoccassionattackingthedoorsofRichmondcastle.AyearlaterDurhamwasburnedandHartepoolsacked.
RobertBruceandwife
Followingthesweetnessofvictorycamewarmerpleasures.Bruce'swifeanddaughtercamehomefromEngland,partofabargainbywhichtheEarlofHereford,capturedinflight,wasexchangedforfifteenScotsinEnglishhands.AmongthemtoowasBishopLamberton,andoldRobertWishart,nowblindfromhislongimprisonment.ThedefencesofStirlingCastle,surrenderedbydeMowbray,weredestroyed,andfortherestofthesummeracrossLothianandLowlandshiresEnglishandWelshsoldierswerehoundedfromtheirfugitiveholesandmurderedbythecountryfolkandScottishsoldiers.AparliamentmetatCambuskenneth,inanabbeyfoundedbyDavidandtwomilesfromthestillstinkingbattlefield,anditpassedasentenceofforfeitureuponallScotswhohadfoughtfortheEnglishthatMidsummerDayandintheyearsbefore,anduponallwhowouldnotnow"standforth"anddeclaretheirallegiancetoRobertKingofScots.
NowthatBrucehadmadehimselfsecureitwastimetodeterminehissuccession.Hehadnoson,andalthoughtherewashisdaughterMarjoriebyhisfirstwife,hehadtoomuchsenseofhistory,pastandrecent,toentrustthecrowntoawoman(asthethinkingranthen).Anationalassemblyofclergy,earlsandbarons,meetingatAyr,decidedwithherconsentthatshouldthekingdiewithoutasonthethronewouldgotohisbrotherEdward,andhismaleheirs.Thiswastheslip-sideofsuccessionpeculiartoPictishtradition,anditmayhavepleasedhisnorthernearlsmorethanitdidMarjorieandheryounghusband,WaltertheSteward.
TheBruce'shadpaidbitterlyforthistriumph,inconscienceandinblood.Threebrothersbrutallyexecuted,tenyearsofwar,treachery,andhardship.Norhadthetwodays'battleontheBannockburnendedthatwar.EdwardIIrecognisedneitherScotland'sindependencenorherking,buttheadvantageandtheinitiativewerenowwiththeScots.ThenortherncountiesofEnglandwereagainraidedandburnt,EdwardBruceandDouglasgoingovertheBorderlikeriotousschoolboysyearbyyear,drivingcattleandlevying"blackmail",atermcoinedfromtheborderwars.Althoughtheywouldtakenogreatcastlestheykeptthecountryinastateofbewilderedterror.Fromtheirbloodthirstybehaviour,andtheequallybrutishresponseoftheEnglishknights,WalterScottwouldlaterweavehisromanticverse.Andthisactionofraidingacrosstheborderswouldleadtoover300yearsofwhatisnowcalled"BorderReiving"whichreachedit'sviolentheightinthe16thcentury.
AGranderStrategy
ThevictoryatBannockburnalsoallowedRoberttoconsideragranderstrategy.Hesenthisbrother,Edward,toIreland.SomesaidthiswasmerelyanexcusetoridScotlandofastrongrivaltoRobert'sthrone,providingEdwardBrucewiththechancetowinacrownofhisown.However,italsomadegoodstrategicsense.Itshowsinthissense,anactofattemptedCelticunification,thathaslongbeenglossedoverordenied.TheEnglishestatesinIrelandhadbeenasourceofwarriorsandsuppliesforthearmiesofbothEdwardIandEdwardII.ItwasalsopartofageneralScotsdeterminationtomastertheIrishSea.For,assoonasEdwardBrucehadlandedinIreland,hisfleetwasreturnedtoRobertwhousedittosecurethehomageoftheNorse-ScotslordsoftheWesternIsles,whichhegot.
SuchalifeasEdwardBrucehadled,firedhisambition(somesayrashambition),forgreaterachievements.WhenthetitularkingofTyrone,whosepowertomaketheofferwasindoubt,invitedEdwardBrucetotakethethroneofIreland;hegladlyaccepted,andsailedacrosswithThomasRandolphandRobert'spermission.Someofthepeopleroseforhim,notsomuchinloveasfromanaturaldesiretoberidoftheEnglishandAnglo-Irish.*
*Note:
TheAnglo-IrishwereaheartymixtureofAnglo-NormaninvaderswhowentontoIrelandtoseektheirfameandfortuneoutsideofEngland.Theyhadfoughtwiththenativepopulation,ofcourse,butmanywell-to-doIrishlordssawanalliancewiththisnewtypeof"English"asawaytoridIrelandofthedreadedSaxons.TheAnglo-NormansformedallianceswithpowerfulIrishwarlordsandovertimebecameintermarriedandwereknownastheAnglo-Irish,withmoreorless,acertainloyaltytotheEnglishcrown.TheyranIrelandasifitweretheirownkingdom,andkilledatrandomIrishpeasantsandtookovertheIrishclergyandreplaceditwithAnglo-IrishBishopsapprovedbyEngland.TheybecamemoredreadfulthanthehatedSaxons,whowerebynowraciallymixingintotheIrishculture.ThuswhenEdwardBrucearrivedinIreland,theclimatewasrifeforwar.
Anglo-IrishwarlordsandnowScottishsettlersandinvaders,includingtheeverfamousScotsgallowglassfromtheWesternIsles.ThestagewassetforconfrontationinIrelandforthenext290years,butEdwardwouldhavetodealwithitrightaway.
TheO'Briens,theO'Tooles,O'CarrolsandotherUlsterclanscarriedhimtoDublinonthewaveoftheirfiercevictories,andtherecrownedEdwardBruceHighKingofIreland.
CelticUnification?
KingRoberttheBruce
InIreland,RobertBrucehopedtoarouseasenseofCelticbrotherhood.HesentbeforeEdwardaremarkableletteraddressedtoalltheIrishchieftains.
"Weandourpeopleandyouandyourpeople",heproclaimed,"freesinceancienttimes,sharethesamenationalancestryandareurgedtocometogethermoreeagerlyandjoyfullyinfriendshipbyacommonlanguageandbycommoncustom.Wehavesenttoyouourbelovedkinsman(EdwardBruce),thebearerofthisletter,tonegotiaitewithyouinournameaboutpermanentlymaintainingandstrengtheningthespecialfriendshipbetweenusandyou,sothatwithGod'swillyournationmaybeabletorecoverherancientliberty."
ThesearetheactualwordsofRoberttheBruce'slettertotheIrish.ManyhavehadstrongdoubtthattheBruce'struthfullyevertriedtofosteraCelticrevivalandunificationbetweenIrelandandScotland.Itseemsthisnotionistoocontroversialformanypresentexperts,butrestassured,theintentwasindeedtounitetheCelticpeopleunderacommonbannerusingthecommonlanguageandheritageasabasisfortheunification.WhetherornotthisideaofRobertandEdwardBruce'swasagoodoneisstillinquestion,butclearlythatwastheintent,andtheabovequotefromRobert'sletteristheproof.Alsoclearly,themedievalScotswereawareoftheirIrishancestryandnowwishedtocalluponthatvaluedGaelicaspectoftheirnationhoodtooverthrowtheNorman-SaxonEnglishandtheAnglo-Irishwarlords.InthewakeofBannockburn,theIrishwereindeedtemptedbythesuccessfulindependenceoftheScots.TheO'NeillsofUlsterwereparticularlykeentohitbackattheEnglishandofferedEdwardBrucetheirkingship.
DonalO'NeillcalleduponfellowIrishmentosupportEdwardBruceagainstthe,
"sacrilegiousandaccursedEnglishwho,worsethantheinhumanDanes,arebusyheapinginjuriesofeverykindupontheinhabitantsofthiscountry."HenotedthattheirpastdisunityhadmadetheIrishvulnerable:
"we,beingweakenedbywoundingoneanother,haveeasilyyieldedourselvesapreytothem.Henceitisthatweowetoourselvesthemiserieswithwhichweareafflicted,manifestlyunworthyofourancestors,bywhosevalourandsplendiddeedstheIrishraceinallpastageshasretaineditsliberty."
Butnotallwentsmoothly.SinceeventhenativeIrishcouldnotagreeonhisproperrighttothetitle,Robertarrivedwithalargearmytopersuadethem,andsoontaughtthemthat
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