Archive for October, 2009

Angus Og

Angus Og, Lord of the Isles– a strong and romantic moniker, evoking fascinating images even before you know anything about him; a name you can really sink your teeth into.

The irony is that Og actually means young.  So this great man was really running around being called Junior.  Hey, Junior, could you go slaughter the English battalion on my right?  Junior, I need 20 galleys and a hundred of your strongest warriors. 

I much prefer Angus Og!

His name aside, he was a fascinating man, yet another who deserves far more attention from history than what he has received.  He looms large (a little historical humor, as some sources say he was small in stature) and colorful in Nigel Tranter’s Bruce Trilogy.  But when it comes to researching him, there is very little.

The facts that are known are minimal.  He was the middle son of Angus Mor.  (Mor is large, or elder, in Gaelic.)  His older brother, Alexander, supported his brother-in-law, MacDougall, and the English.  I have come across very little about his younger brother, Iain (or John) Sprangach, apart from learning that Angus Mor’s lands in the western Isles of Scotland were originally split between the three sons.  Angus Og received Kintyre and Mull.

In a fascinating web of family loyalties, influences, and motivations, we find that Angus Og’s father, Angus Mor, and his uncle, Alisdair Mor, were continually at odds with their cousins, the MacDougalls (that would be Lame John of Lorne and his father, Alexander).  In an attempt to heal that rift, Angus Og’s older brother, Alisadiar Og, was married off to a MacDougall heiress.

Deepening the complexity of the situation, Angus Mor, Alisdair Mor, and Alisdair Mor’s son Donald were most likely supporters of Robert Bruce against the English.  It is true that Alisdair Mor and Donald both signed fealty to Edward I of England in 1291, but then, so did most Scottish nobles, including Bruce himself, under duress. 

Alisdair Mor died in battle against his own kin, the MacDougalls, in 1299, and Angus Mor a year later in 1300, leaving Angus Og’s older brother, Alisdair Og, as the head of the clan.  Alisdair, being now more closely related to the MacDougall family, gave his allegiance to the MacDougalls and the English, even becoming Admiral of the Western Seas.

Angus Og appears to have possibly supported his brother briefly– very briefly, as he is thought to have been largely neutral by 1301.  In 1306, the newly-crowned King Robert, in reality more a fugitive than a king, fled to the Western Isles, and sought refuge with Angus Og.  His risk paid off richly, with Angus Og becoming one of his earliest and strongest friends and supporters, the more so when Angus Og’s older brother Alisdair Og, was defeated in 1308 on the banks of the Dee in Galloway, by Edward Bruce.  One source says he disappeared into Ireland.  Another states very specifically that he was first taken prisoner by Edward Bruce, escaped to Castle Swein(or Sween) in North Knapdale in western Scotland, recaptured by Robert Bruce, and imprisoned in Dundonald Castle in Ayrshire, where he soon died.  This left Angus Og as clan leader, and the powerful new Lord of the Isles.

Donald MacDonald, in Clan Donald,says that Angus Og had supported the English, and had a sudden change of heart.  He discusses and dismisses the idea that this change of heart sprang from self interest: supporting a fugitive is hardly a way to further one’s own cause.  He concludes, instead, that Angus Og was simply re-adopting the decade old loyalty of his father to the Bruce family’s claim to the throne.  I do think it is also worth noting that Bruce and Angus Og shared a common enemy: the MacDougalls.  Bruce came to Angus Og seeking asylum very close on the heels of his (Bruce’s) defeats at the hands of John of Lorn at Dalry.  And it is human nature that, ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend.’

From here on, Angus Og and his islemen warriors are repeatedly found by Bruce’s side.  Angus Og is reported to have been at the 1307 engagement in Galloway, in which Bruce’s brothers, Thomas and Nigel, were captured.  Angus’s cousin Donald fought with Bruce to re-take Arran.  This same Donald seems to have been present at one of Bruce’s early parliaments in 1309.

One source says that Angus Og brought 5,000 of his Islemen to Bannockburn.  Take this number with a grain of salt, as other sources put Bruce’s entire force as low as 5 or 6,000, while other place it as high as 13,000.  However, it is clear that Angus Og’s men made up a large, no doubt vital, percentage of Bruce’s army, considering he fought that day against an army that must have been a minimum of 20,000 men, possibly two or three times that many.  (Once again, sources differ greatly on these numbers.)

Angus Og’s men formed the reserve at Bannockburn.  Bruce held them back until the critical moment, when the English cavalary were already in disarray, and then called them in to support Edward Bruce, on the right.  The storming of the field by Angus Og and his Islemen is said to be one of the events that turned the battle.  Both John Barbour and Walter Scott have immortalized not only Bannockburn, but Angus Og’s part in it, in verse.  Walter Scott puts it thus:

“One effort more and Scotland’s free!  Lord of the Isles, my trust in thee!”

It is since Angus Og’s critical aid at Bannockburn that Clan Donald has forevermore been awarded the honor of holding the right wing in the royal army.

Not much is written of Angus Og’s activities in the wake of Bannockburn, except to say that he was granted extensive lands by Bruce and remained Bruce’s steadfast friend and ally the remainder of their lives.  There is an interesting story about the dowry brought by his bride– a large force of strong, young warriors– and he went on to have two sons, Good John of Islay, and Iain (that’s two sons named John, isn’t it?) and two daughters.

Bruce died in 1329 and Angus Og soon after in 1330.  He is buried on Iona, the traditional burial ground of the Kings of Scotland, under a tomb bearing his arms: a ship with furled sail, a standard, a lion, and a tree.

 

 

 

Graveslab of Angus Og

Graveslab of Angus Og

 

 

 

[As an interesting side note, Angus Mor, father of Angus Og, is also a many-times great grandfather of Lady Diana Spencer, Winston Churchhill, George I, and Louis XVII.]

Sources:

Clan MacAlister, Clan Donald by Donald MacDonald,

30 Oct 2009
Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Clan History, Great Figures of Medieval Scotland, Medieval Weapons and Warfare, Politics, Robert the Bruce, Scottish History | 10 Comments »

Thank You, Buffalo Books

I had my first book signing for Blue Bells of Scotland yesterday at Buffalo Books in Buffalo, MN.  I was happy with the turnout, and would like to thank Ho, the owner, and his staff, Liz, Hilary, and Daryn, for a very pleasant experience.  They had things very nicely set up for me, and complimentary lattes.  All in all, a very good day!

Thank you, Buffalo Books!

26 Oct 2009
Posted in Authors, Writing | No Comments »

Isabel MacDuff, Woman in a Cage

Isabel MacDuff did not much care for her lodgings at Berwick Castle. 

Isabel MacDuff

Isabel MacDuff

Isabel MacDuff is a woman who deserves more attention than she has gotten, at least on this side of the Atlantic.  Although a minor player in history, her courage, strength, and patriotism put her on a level withthe greats.   Her story officially begins withher birthin 1286, within months of the fateful death of Alexander III, which threw Scotland into such turmoil.  Thus, she would have grown up in the days of upheaval, of Edward Longshanks, Hammer of the Scots’ invasions of Scotland, through the days of the Guardianship– her father, Duncan MacDuff, was one of the Guardians– and John Baliol’s failed kingship, through the events of William Wallace’s uprisings against England.

In an explanation of the events to follow, it is important to know that the MacDuff clan held a hereditary right to crown the Kings of Scotland.  In a more direct explanation of Isabel’s Scottish patriotism, her mother, widowed when Isabel was about three, re-married one Sir Gervase Avenel, who gave his fealty to Robert the Bruce early on. 

What complicated matters for Isabel, and tested her determination and courage, was the fact that her brother was growing up as a ward fo the English court, perhaps even as a companion of the young Edward II.  Moreover, in 1306, aged 19 or 20, Isabel married John Comyn, Earl of Buchan.  John Comyn was a supporter of John Baliol and enemy of Robert Bruce.  It was John’s cousin, also John Comyn, but Earl of Badenoch, whom Robert Bruce stabbed to death before the altar of Greyfriars Church in Dumfries on February 10, 1306, cementing the Comyn family’s hatred of Bruce.

This incident, perhaps, changed Isabel’s life.

Bruce, knowing  he would be excommunicated for killing a man on holy ground, and knowing an excommunicated man could not be crowned king, did the only sensible thing in a time without e-mail: he dashed for Scone, the traditional crowning place of the Scottish kings, in a race against the messengers flying to the Pope with news of the Greyfriarsmurder and the messengers speeding back equally hastily with news of his excommunication.

Isabel, however she heard the news of Bruce’s flight to Scone for coronation, determined that, as her young brother was in England, unable to claim the MacDuff family’s right, she would do so herself, against the obvious wishes of her new husband.  One story says she stole her husband’s horses.  Other sources say that, as Lord John was in England at the time, there was no need for deception, and she merely rode off.  The first story is more interesting, though perhaps less accurate.

Isabel Crowns Bruce

Isabel Crowns Bruce

Despite her best efforts, Isabel actually arrived in Scone the day after Bruce’s coronation.  However, her efforts meant a great deal to him.  He’d already been deprived, by Edward I, of the traditional coronation stone, the Stone of Scone (which contrary to appearances does not rhyme: it’s pronounced scoon).  Without the traditional elements of coronation, the Stone and a MacDuff to crown him, he worried that his kingship would be viewed as less than completely legitimate.  Therefore, the coronation ceremony was re-enacted on the 25th of March, 1306, when Isabel MacDuff, Countess of Buchan, set the crown on the head of Robert the Bruce, making him (for the second time in two days) King of Scotland.

(Just to be as accurate as possible, other sources put the re-crowning on March 27, 1306.)

Having no future withher husband after this act, Isabel stayed on with the Bruce’s.  However, Scotland was a country under attack.  Bruce was a man very badly wanted by Edward, and not well liked by the vast reaches of Clan Comyn and their allies, either.  In July 1306, he sent his wife, sisters, daughter, and Isabel to Kildrummy Castle for safety, under the protection of his brother Nigel (or Neil as he was also known).

Unfortunately, Bruce had many enemies.  Kildrummy was attacked in September of 1306.  Though the women escaped the castle, they were captured by William, Earl of Ross, while fleeing north, and taken to Edward Longshanksin England.  Bruce’s wife, Elizabeth, was treated perhaps the most kindly, the fortunate result of her also being the daughter of Edward’s ally, the Earl of Ulster.  But Bruce’s ten year old daughter, Marjory, was from his first marriage, and therefore no concern to Edward; she was incarcerated at Watton Priory.  His sister, Christina, was locked in a nunnery for years.   Nigel met the most unpleasant face, being publicly tortured and executed in most barbaric fashion by Edward I.

Remains of Berwick Castle

Remains of Berwick Castle

Bruce’s other sister, Mary, received more of Edward’s wrath.  She and Isabel were both ordered by Edward I to live in cages hung on castle walls.  Mary spent several years suspended on the outer walls of Roxburgh, and Isabel, for the crime of placing the crown on Bruce’s head and defying her husband, was likewise suspended on the walls of Berwick castle.

This site on Edward II gives the clearest description I have yet found on the conditions Isabel suffered.  It describes the cage as made of lattice wood and iron hinges.  It was open for all to see, allowing her only the privacy of a privy.  She was exposed to the elements and the ridicule of the English people, though allowed two women to bring her food and drink.  This page gives the date of her release as June 1310– nearly four years in a cage.

Having been quite cold while I was in Scotland in late May and early June, I can hardly imagine what it must have been like to live exposed to the elements, even through winter, for four years.  She was reputedly held in continued captivity even after her release from the cage.  Sources differ as to whether she died in captivity or survived it.

I am pleased to have found that there is a novel written about Isabel MacDuff.  Barbara Erskine’s Kingdom of Shadows focuses on the life of this fascinating woman.  I had recently been told about Barbara Erskine’s novels set in medieval Scotland, and planned to find some and start reading, anyway.  Now, I have double reason to do so.

21 Oct 2009
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Clan History, Great Figures of Medieval Scotland | 23 Comments »

Sailing Over Land

One of the lesser known but more interesting stories from the time of Robert the Bruce is the sea battle against Sir John of Lorne– more colorfully known as Lame John of Lorne or Ian Bacach.

Readers of the Blue Bells Trilogy will be familiar with the MacDougalls. Lame John was the son of Alexander MacDougall. Alexander MacDougall, uncle to John Comyn who was murdered by Bruce, died a few years before Bannockburn, according to most sources. Nigel Tranter does put an Alexander MacDougall at the August 1314 council, as one of many who sided with the English but quickly came back into the peace of Robert the Bruce afterward. On the part of Bruce, his famed mercy was not merely mercy, but the hope of a practical man who believed his country would be stronger if he could finally bring his people together, rather than having them fight against one another. To this end, he offered mercy for the price of allegiance.

Lame John did not accept this offer of peace, but continued to serve Edward II of England, as admiral in the western Isles. Having decreed that Scotland must stand united, Bruce did not care overly much for having Edward II’s ships in his Sound of Jura. Dates are uncertain: some sources indicate as early as June 1315,  a year to the day after Bannockburn, while others suggest it took place in 1316 or even 1317.  Many writings I’ve found are written such that it’s difficult to tell what date they’re really saying, or whether they’re giving one at all.

Regardless of which year it took place, it’s a fascinating battle and a fascinating look at Bruce, who once again showed his ingenuity and ability to use everything he had, even history and superstition.

This is one of many battles in which the colorful Angus Og, Lord of the Isles, worked side by side as one of Bruce’s most loyal supporters. It was his fleet that transported his own Islemen and Bruce’s warriors. Half the fleet, under Angus Og, sailed around and up the western shore of Kintyre, into the southern Sound of Jura where Lame John’s fleet lay. (fact check) At the same time, Bruce’s men sailed up the eastern shore of the peninsula, where there is no outlet.

Toward the north of Kintyre, however, is East Loch Tarbert. Bruce’s men sailed into East Loch Tarbert, and from there, constructed either a gangway of planks, or a series of logs, which acted as rollers. When this was done, the men hauled the galleys, with ropes, up onto the rollers, and between pulling and opening the sails to catch the wind, Bruce sailed a mile overland, into West Loch Tarbert. From there, presumably with men exhausted from days of rowing, chopping, and hauling ships, Bruce sailed into the north of the Sound of Jura.

Part of the genius of Bruce’s plan, even apart from the element of surprise– there was no waterway to allow ships to surprise John from the north– was that it played on an old superstition. In 1098, Magnus Barefoot, King of Norway, had done the same thing. Among the Islemen, it was believed that when their enemy once again sailed overland like Magnus Barefoot, they would be conquered. It had much the same effect as re-enacting an Arthurian legend to beat down the enemy’s morale. It also would most likely have boosted the morale of his own men, who must have been exhausted by this point.

In the words of John Barbour, medieval author of The Brus: “For they knew by an old prophecy that whoever should have ships go between those seas with sails would so win the Isles for himself that no one could withstand him by force.  Therefore, they all came to the King and none withstood his commands apart from John of Lornalone.”  (Of course, he said it in medieval Englys.)

Lame John’s fleet was now caught between Angus Og coming up from the south and Robert Bruce coming down from the north.  Between the clear military problem and the superstitions of his men, John of Lorn had little chance.  Nigel Tranter paints a colorful picture of the event, describing it as taking place in the few hours of near dark at Midsummer’s Night, with torches lighting up close to the water, along the lines of Bruce’s and Angus Og’s galleys to signal one another, and John driving his fleet hard to the west, trying futilely to escape the trap. 

The battle in the Sound of Jura was over swiftly, the isles completely under the power of Robert Bruce and Angus Og, and John of Lorn not to live many months beyond that event.

20 Oct 2009
Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Authors, Clan History, Great Figures of Medieval Scotland, Medieval Weapons and Warfare, Robert the Bruce, Scottish History, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

National Novel Writing Month is Coming!

Sign-ups have started! Go to National Novel Writing Month and join the fun! If you’ve always wanted to write a novel, November is the time to do it. This is for fun. Just sit down and start typing.

No plot? No problem! There are plenty of forums with ideas, and specific threads for plot adoption. Not sure what to do with a plot problem? No problem. Go to the Plot Doctoring thread where plenty of people will give all sorts of ideas for painting yourself out of the corner you may have painted yourself into. Can’t find the information you need on seventeenth century French cooking utensils? Try Character and Plot Realism Q & A.

Need to engage in the time-honored novelists practice of procrastination? Go to the clubs threads. Meet noveling musicians, noveling parents, noveling 30-somethings, noveling Christians, anyone and everyone. It’s lots of fun to meet others who share the same interest. And if you want to get together in person, there are regional groups that arrange write-ins. Small groups get together at local coffeeshops, set up our laptops and type away with our lattes.

And most years, Createspace.com or lulu.com will print and ship your novel for free if you win– which means if you type 50,000 words in November and upload it for verification at nanowrimo.

Hope to see you there!

14 Oct 2009
Tags: ,
Posted in Writing | 7 Comments »

Nigel Tranter

I discovered Nigel Tranter in a 14th Century castle tower, with the gray stones rising all around us, and the chirpy clerk waiting hopefully at her cash register for us to choose from the array of shiny, plastic trinkets, whiskey bottles, and colorful books about Castle Doune.  

I don’t know why Nigel Tranter caught my eye, but he did: a thick, green book with an archaic painting of Robert the Bruce in a flowing red beard adorning the front.  The book was The Bruce Trilogy, a collection of Tranter’s three novels about Robert the Bruce.  It was so much of what I had gone to Scotland to learn, wrapped up in one giant volume.  I considered the price and the exchange rate, and reluctantly left it on the shelf.  Within minutes of getting home, I hit amazon and found a used copy for significantly less. 

 It arrived in days, and for several days afterward, I was lost in the world of Robert the Bruce– as a hot-headed young man, as the eager, new husband of Elizabeth deBurgh, as both friend and enemy of Edward Longshanks, “The Hammer of the Scots.”  

In between reading of Bruce living in a cave, hunted by Longshanks, ferrying in secret across swamps, and reigning supreme at Bannockburn against impossible odds, I read up on Nigel Tranter himself.    A native of Glasgow, he is a man who deserves far more recognition on our side of the Atlantic.  He is a prolific author in the worlds of both fiction and non-fiction.  His fiction alone spans from children’s books to historical fiction to Westerns and contemporary and adventure novels.  His non-fiction is a testament to his love of Scotland, covering castles, counties, and landscapes.

While we all have different opinions of what good historical fiction is, I personally like historical accuracy.  There are those authors with reputations for playing fast and loose with historical facts, twisting facts to fit the story they wish to tell.  Tranter, by contrast, has a reputation for impeccable research, down to the fine details.  There are those storytellers, for instance, who have liked to dramatize the death of Longshanks in ways it didn’t actually happen.  When you read Tranter’s historical fiction, you will read something very close to the historical record, in story form. 

Among Tranter’s novels, I have only been lucky enough to read The Bruce Trilogy so far, but thoroughly enjoyed the detailed look at one of Scotland’s– I would even say the world’s– greatest men.  We see the forces that shaped him, turning him from a reckless young man with a hot temper, to a firm and determined leader, capable of taking on the greatest army the world had ever seen, with his small band of 5 or 6,000, and not only surviving, but triumphing, and turning Scotland’s fate.

If you love Scotland or medieval times, I consider The Bruce Trilogy a must read.

7 Oct 2009
Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Authors, Research, Robert the Bruce, Scottish History | No Comments »

Fighting Saints– We’re Not Talking Sports

A modern saying is there are no atheists in foxholes.  I would assume that’s true.  But it is interesting to look at the confluence of warfare and religion in modern times, a very different situation than we have today.

In medieval times, there was, I believe, a much deeper and more widespread trust in saintly and heavenly intercession.  The Battle of Lepanto, for instance, which marked the end of the Crusades, is associated in many minds, with the Rosary.  On the morning of October 7, 1571, Don John, son of Emperor Charles V, sailed his fleet into battle, despite all military and weather factors being against him.  On his ship, he carried an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe– an event which had happened only 40 years before this.  And as Don John prepared for battle, Pope Pius V, with many others, was praying the Rosary for him, back at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.  Don John’s 65,000 men, themselves, recited the Rosary for three hours prior to attacking.  The end of the story is that the wind suddenly changed– inexplicably and mysteriously, according to witnesses– and Don John went on to an incredible victory, which he credited entirely to the intercession of Mary.

I was recently give the book ”By Sword and Fire: Cruelty and Atrocity in Medieval Warfare” by Sean McGlynn.  (It was my birthday present.  Men, please make note of this.  Your wives and girlfriends will love this book!  Seriously.)  Mr. McGlynn makes a brief note of the belief in heavenly and saintly intervention.  He notes a number of heavenly interventions:

  • A defendant in the 1170′s credits his victory in trial by battle to having asked the aid of St. Thomas Becket the Martyr.
  • William Crak, hung for multiple homicides in 1291, asked the help of Thomas Cantiloupe, bishop of Hereford until 1252, who appears, according to reports, to have brought him back to life.  Thomas Cantiloupe seems to have been a favorite intercessor for those going to the gallows.  (If he had any sense of humor, he’d be interceding for those considering marriage.  There are those pundits, of course, who would equate the two.)
  • Saints Benedict, Ethelreda, and Sexburga are credited with the successful jailbreak of one Bricstan, wrongly imprisoned.

Mr. McGlynn mentions several others, and in contexts which the modern reader might find amusing.  However, the point is, saints were much more routinely invoked and credited with intercession in medieval days than they are now.

Some of the interesting stories I’ve come across, pertaining specifically to the times and people of the Blue Bells Trilogy, are the story of St. Bee’s, a parish in England, which comes up in The Minstrel Boy (Book 2 of the Trilogy), and the story of Robert the Bruce carrying relics with him into the battle of Bannockburn.

St. Bee’s is a beautiful, twelfth century abbey in York, England.  The story behind the name is that one St. Bega, an Irish princess, fled Ireland to escape marriage to a Viking prince.  Meeting Lord Egremont, she requested land to found a nunnery.  He granted her a cruel promise that Midsummer’s Day: he would give her all the land covered by snow on the following morning.  The last laugh was on Lord Egremont, as the next morning– a day in late June– three miles of his land was covered by snow.  Interestingly, St. Bee, or St. Bega, whichever you prefer, is associated with another miracle also involving snow.

Robert the Bruce is reputed to have been a devout Catholic.  He carried the relics of two different saints into battle, and invoked the names of several others.  The BBC page on the Battle of Bannockburn recounts how Bruce brought the Monymusk Reliquary, or the Breccbennach, which contained the relics of St. Columba, into battle.  On the morning of the battle, the entire Scots army, some five to six thousand, knelt before the barefoot and blind Abbot Maurice of Inchaffrey for Mass and final absolution before facing death.  Bruce himself invoked the aid of St. Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland, St. Thomas Beckett, and John the Baptist, on whose feast day the battle of Bannockburn occurred. 

By far the most interesting story, however, is the story of St. Fillan, a follower of St. Columba, and Robert Bruce.  The priest who had charge of the relics, afraid for the safety of one of Scotland’s treasures, was hesitant to bring them to a battle against the reputed ‘largest army the world had ever seen’ of Edward II.  So he brought only the silver case that usually carried the arm bone.  (As an aside, St. Fillan had one of the more interesting left arms in the history of mankind.  I will cover that in a later post.) 

On the evening before battle, Bruce stayed in his tent in prayer to God, and imploring St. Fillan, too, for his intercessory prayers before God.  As he prayed, there came a great crack of sound and flash of light from the reliquary, and the silver case flew open, showing the armbone of St. Fillan.  The priest in charge of the relics rushed in, and, seeing them, proclaimed a miracle, confessing to the Bruce that he had left the armbone itself behind in safety.

4 Oct 2009
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Faith, Medieval Weapons and Warfare, Robert the Bruce | 7 Comments »

Diana Gabaldon

I have planned from the start to bring up other authors of historical or time travel fiction, and the night after almost meeting Diana Gabaldon, queen of historical time travel fiction, seems like the perfect time.

Diana Gabaldon– pronounced GA bul dohn, short a– writes the Outlander books, a series now numbering seven, which follows the lives of Claire Beauchamp Fraser,  accidental time traveling World War II battlefield nurse, and her 18th Century Highlander husband, Jamie Fraser.  The books now span from Scotland and France in the years before the final uprising of Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1746 to Colonial America during the Revolution.  Diana reported last night that there will indeed be an eighth book.

As to the books, I enjoy them.  That’s not surprising, since they contain some of the same elements as mine.  In fact, I first heard of Diana Gabaldon when I told people what my novel was about and they asked if it was anything like hers.  I was intrigued and started buying copies as I stumbled across them in thrift stores.   I find her to be a skilled writer who tells a good story.  I appreciate the research that goes into her novels, the detailed descriptions, and the excellent characterization.  It’s easy to see and feel everything.

One of the things I truly appreciate about Diana’s writing is that, unlike some writers of historical fiction, she does not try to force modern viewpoints on Jamie.  He is at times decidedly uncomfortable with some of Claire’s 20th century ways, as I think an 18th century man would be. 

There are hundreds upon hundreds of reviews of Diana Gabaldon’s work out there.  My own is, if you like historical fiction, time travel, or Scotland, if you like a good story, definitely give the Outlander series a try.  

But as to almost meeting Diana herself, I stood at the edge of a good-sized crowd at the Barnes and Noble in St. Paul’s Har Mar Mall last night.  Although I saw her walk right by on her way to start speaking, there was a rather large bookshelf (not that Barnes and Noble has any other kind) in my way, so I heard, rather than saw, her speak, and found her to be a charming and humorous woman.  Here is a true Renaissance woman with at least three degrees, a background in marine biology and computers, who also writes comic books for Walt Disney and historical time travel romance adventures!  Now that’s diversity, not to mention grabbing life by the horns and making it your own. 

But I was impressed, too, by her thoughtfulness.  Apparently, we were supposed to call in advance for numbers, to get books signed.  However, she asked that people with handicaps and mothers with small children please come forward first.  That consideration impressed me. 

And the reason, of course, that I didn’t entirely get to meet her, was that I had to get home to my own children.  So, I’m glad I went, I enjoyed hearing her talk, I recommend her books, and hopefully another day, I’ll get to actually meet her.

2 Oct 2009
Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Authors, Writing | 32 Comments »

The Symbolism of Jewels and Flowers in Medieval Society

Symbolism was a powerful part of medieval life.  It seems everything was invested with deep symbolic value, as opposed to our more modern tendency to view things on a more surface level. 

As we toured Stirling Castle in May of 2008, we viewed the incredible set of Unicorn Tapestries.  These really deserve– and probably will eventually get– a topic to themselves.  Suffice it to say for now, what struck me was our tour guide’s comment that what is merely a pretty, crowded picture to a modern viewer was an entire story to a medieval viewer.  While we see simply men hunting a unicorn, they saw a secular story of “the search and capture of the lover bridegroom” (quote from the Metropolitan Museum’s site, linked above), or a Christian allegory of Christ’s persecution and suffering.  We see a garden like any other; the red and white roses tell the medieval viewer of Mary’s charity and virginity.

My real foray into the world of medieval symbolism came when I started researching the wedding of Niall and Allene.   Today, brides adorn themselves with flowers and jewels– whatever looks nice, whatever might have sentimental family value, whatever might go well with the chosen wedding colors.  A medieval bride, however, told the world of her hopes and beliefs, of her values, who she herself was, by the flowers and gems she wore. 

Among stones, white jasper stood for gentleness, red jasper for love, and green jasper for faith.  The amethyst, emerald, and sapphire, three of our modern birthstones, symbolized respectively  in those days Christ’s martyrdom, Christian hope, and ‘heaven-bound.’  A thorough discussion of the medieval view of stones can be found here for the interested reader.  It goes quite a bit beyond the scope of symbolism, but explains the roots of this symbolism.

Going back to symbolism as it relates to the medieval bride, she might also typically wear a crown of orange blossoms, woven with various flowers, or weave flowers into her hair.  Including a small bouquet of herbs– especially rosemary for remembrance, sage for wisdom, thyme, and basil, or, according to other sources, wheat– symbolized luck and fertility.  Some sources specify that medieval brides carried bouquets of only herbs, no flowers, while others state that orange blossoms represented happiness and fertility, lilies stood for purity, and ivy for fidelity.

1 Oct 2009
Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Social Customs | 31 Comments »