God Save the King

 TO A FESTIVAL FIT FOR A KING

Hi Everyone,

One of the knights fighting for the King and honour!

Well that is what the advertisement for the “Bruce Festival” said.  Bruce who?, well King Robert the Bruce of course the national hero of Scotland.  He was proclaimed King of Scotland at Scone Castle in Perthshire in 1311.  But here in the small town of Dunfermline, in the beautiful Abbey is where the remains of Robert the Bruce lies.  The Earl of Elgin, Chief of the Family of Bruce and one of the festival’s biggest supporter’s lives just outside of Dunfermline said “It is important that people can sample the harsh touch of medieval Scotland and understand what life would have been like 700 years ago.”  And that is what we did.

We enjoyed a day of watching craftsmen and women do a variety of things.

Basket weaving

This man was making fencing sections.

Calligraphy

Stone carving

Cooking

Blacksmithing

Robb tried his hand at throwing an AXE- he hit the target 6 out of 10 attempts and even cut a piece of the target off- the photo’s don’t do it justice.

The little white thing on the ground is a piece of the target he cut off on one of the throws and in this photo the axe is right in the middle!!

 We attended a concert that was held in the Abby

The final treat of the day was a medieval dinner that was served and prepared as it would have been 700 years ago.

  The menu

 A pottage of barley with wild herbs and nettles served on a trencher

Roast hog from the spit with onion sauce and wild greens salad

Fresh fruits in season and dried fruits and nuts

As you would expect at all good medieval banquets – Claret and Ale will Flow

We enjoyed the meal, tried to eat the bread trencher and found we could if it was soaked in the ale or wine.  I don't know how they could have eaten them without the liquid they were rock hard.

And I close with a quote about Robert the Bruce,

Love from my own King Robert and I

It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom- For that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself.  But from these countless evils’ we have been set free, by the help of him who though he afflict yet heals and restores, by our most tirless, Prince, King and Lord, the Lord Robert.

Thistles- OUCH

On our visits to gardens while here in Scotland we have found planted and cared for lovingly is what we know as an invasive weed- the dearly beloved Thistle.

The flower of Scotland.

And the story goes….

“On a dark autumn night of 1263, during the reign of Scottish King Alexander III, the Vikings came ashore with bare feet to keep their whereabouts unknown, landing in Scotland at Largs, lead by King Haakon IV. History is uncertain if they were intent upon a full invasion of Scotland, or where showing their power by raiding the surrounding villages. Other historians' claim that a fierce storm had driven many of their longboats ashore and they were merely retrieving them.


Many of the castles along the western coast were on guard against such raids and a possible Viking invasion. It was one such watch who heard the cries of pain of the Vikings and their leader as their bare feet walked on thistles. This alerted the Scots in time to see off the Vikings, thus saving Scotland from an invasion and possible Viking rule. The role of the thistle was then understood, and was chosen as Scotland's symbol and emblem.”

The first use of the thistle as the Emblem of Scotland was in silver coins in 1470.

Today the highest order of chivalry in Scotland is The Order of the Thistle which legend says was founded in 809 when King Achaius allied with the Emperor Charlemagne. The Order consists of sixteen Knights and Ladies and a few extras, including the British Royal Family. The Order's patron saint is St Andrew and the primary emblem is the thistle. The motto of the Order is "Nemo me impune lacessit" or, for the Latin challenged, "No one provokes me with impunity". Onopordum acanthium everywhere agree.

We have found that the uses for thistles are varied.  Belhaven Twisted Thistle IPA and Carincorm Blessed Thistle are two beers that are available throughout the country.  Wines and tea are flavored with them and that you can eat the stalks of the leaves. Pottery, lace, jewerly, almost anything you can think of has the beautiful thistle on it.

And you thought it was a weed!!

Love from Scotland,

Dawn