Today in history, in 1274, Robert the Bruce was born, most likely at Turnberry Castle in Ayrshire.
The third of ten children, he was the oldest of five sons. His older sister, Isabel, became the queen of Norway. His younger brother, Edward, briefly took the throne of Ireland during the Scottish Wars of Independence. His other three other brothers, Neil, Thomas, and Alexander, all died at the hands of the English, being brutally executed.
Bruce remains today one of Scotland’s greatest heroes, alongside William Wallace of Braveheart fame. In the wake of Edward Longshanks of England’s invasion of Scotland, he eventually became King of Scots and led Scotland to victory against a much stronger army at Bannockburn on June 24, 1314.
For more posts on Robert the Bruce, click here.
In the meantime, if you’d like to celebrate Bruce’s birthday in style, party like it’s 1329, may I suggest a suckling pig, venison, a stuffed swan, plenty of other meat and grains, and a fountain of flowing wine. Lots of mead and ale, too. For entertainment, jousting, jugglers, bards, and hunting are always good. Stock your forest with plenty of wild boar and deer, and a fine time will be had by all!
Birthday cakes date back to the middle ages, with the tradition of baking a coin or treasure into it. Whoever gets the slice with a coin gets a prediction of their future. I’m sorry to say that we did not have time to bake a birthday cake today, but with only eleven birthdays a year in my family, we seem to have skipped over July. So tonight, we will be having ice cream, since the local grocery store has failed to stock suckling pig and we’re not allowed to hunt wild boar in our neighborhood. But in spirit, we’re right there!
Happy Birthday to Scotland’s great hero!
