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The Scottish Wars of Independence

By the 13th Century many Norman nobles owned land on both sides of the border between England and Scotland, and some of them had loyalties to the kings of both countries. Scottish Kings were selected by a council of nobles. Anyone whose great-grandfather, grandfather or father had been a King was eligible. Also, unlike many other European countries, the Scots accepted descent through the female line as valid. In 1291, after the sudden death of Alexander III, the nobles of Scotland could not agree on who should be the next king. They asked Edward I of England for advice, and he chose John Balliol. Balliol then accepted Edward as his overlord. Edward was at war with France, but the Scots had a treaty with them, so when Edward asked the Scots to send troops to help him in his war with France, in 1295, the Scots refused, and this led to the Scottish Wars of Independence. The classic weapon of the Scottish army at this time was the polearm or spear. A tightly packed group of spearmen, called a schiltron, formed a very effective fighting unit.

The picture above shows a knight (wearing a blue surcoat over his mailshirt) inspecting spearmen. Both knight and ordinary troops are wearing kettle helmets, although the knight also has a mail coif under his helmet to give additional protection to his neck and head. The picture to the left shows ladies wearing decorative sideless surcoates over fitted linen underdresses. The woman on the right has her hair plaited and wrapped around her head in an elaborate style.

Bibliography

"Scotland, The Making of the Kingdom" - A.A.M. Duncan - Mercat Press - 0 901824 836
"Chronicles of the Age of Chivalry" - edited by Elizabeth Hallam - Tiger - 1-85501-694-X
"Scottish Weapons and Fortifications 1100-1800" - David H. Caldwell - John Donald Publishers - 085976 047 2
"Scotland, The Later Middle Ages" - R. Nicholson - Mercat Press - 0 901824 844

Other Links

Uniting the Kingdoms - Scotland - a history of the conflicts between Scotland and England
Women Warriors of the 13th Century
Women Warriors of the 14th Century
Women Warriors of Scotland
Flower of Scotland - folk song about the Scottish Wars of Independence.
Quhen Alexander our kynge was dede - poem in the Scots language about the death of Alexander III (written about 1286)
A Typical Medieval Nef (sea-going ship)
Male Clothing and Knightly Armour of the 1250's
A 13th Century Leg Harness - hardenned leather plates over mail hose
Maciejowski Bible - illustrations done in Paris around 1250
Plates from I.33and "Anonymous Fechtbuch: Manuscript I.33" - an illustrated fighting manual from the late 13th Century.

Lothene Experimental Archaeology Home Page

Lothene Experimental Archaeology are available for displays, talks and educational visits - contact us for details
If you are interested in Scottish history, research, medieval crafts, swordfighting contact us to enquire about joining Lothene. We currently have members in Lothian, Fife and the Borders.