Robert Bruce and the Battle of Bannockbur1.docx

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Robert Bruce and the Battle of Bannockbur1.docx

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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