The Complete Kingdom Trilogy (98 page)

THWENG, Sir Marmaduke

Lord of Kilton in Yorkshire, a noted knight and married to a Lucia de Brus, distant kin to Bruce himself, Sir Marmaduke is the accepted, sensible face of English knighthood. A noted thief-taker – bounty hunter – in his own realm, he was also part of the tourney circuit with the young Robert Bruce. Fought at Stirling Bridge and was one of few to battle his way back to Stirling Castle, where he was eventually taken prisoner. Took part in subsequent campaigns against the Scots including Bannockburn, where, in his 60s, he fought until he could surrender personally to Bruce and was subsequently released without ransom.

VALENCE, Aymer de

Eventual second Earl of Pembroke, de Valence was related to the French royal house and was one of the Lords Ordainers who attempted to curb the power of Edward II and Gaveston. At this time he was the young, thrusting commander (knighted only in 1297) and trusted by Edward I with control of the English army in Scotland.

WALLACE, William

The legend who led Scottish forces to victory at Stirling Bridge and defeat at Falkirk was forced to relinquish his Guardianship and eventually betrayed to the English. Described as a ‘chief of brigands' at the time of the rebellion, he was barely of the nobility of Scotland and accepted by them unwillingly and only while he was winning. He was, however, the only one of them all who never gave in, or changed sides. The arguments regarding his prowess continue – there is, even allowing for hero-worship, enough evidence to show his personal fighting skills, though historians disagree on his expertise with commanding large bodies of men, claiming Moray was the one with this (being a noble born and so trained to it). They offer as proof of this, the glorious victory of Stirling Bridge with Moray present, and the disaster at Falkirk, organized by Wallace alone. This seems dubious to me – if nothing else, what few documents we have reveal Wallace as a man who, if not skilled in diplomacy and dealing with foreign interests, had the wit to surround himself with those who did. Similarly, he would not be short of experts in the grand tactics of the age – but no battle ever goes to plan. If you look closely at the battle at Falkirk, it becomes clear that even the victor, King Edward 1, greatest warrior general in Christendom, badly mismanaged the affair himself and almost lost control of his knights. Ironically, of course, it was Wallace's own brigand tactics that became the norm for Scottish armies too small and weak to oppose their neighbour's forces – hit and run, almost all the way down to Bannockburn. However, the one glaring flaw in the Wallace character is also the one which made him great – the undying obsession with putting John Balliol back on the throne and a refusal to admit when that cause was lost.

WISHART, Robert, Bishop of Glasgow

One of the original Guardians of Scotland following the death of King Alexander III – and partly responsible for inviting Edward I to preside over subsequent proceedings – Bishop Wishart became the engine of rebellion and a staunch supporter of first Wallace, then Bruce. He and Lamberton, Bishop of St Andrews, were instrumental in bringing support to Bruce. The bishops' reasons for rebelling were simple – the Scottish church was responsible only to the Pope, who appointed all their senior prelates; they did not want the English version, where the King performed that function, and could only maintain that difference if Scotland remained a distinct and separate realm.

ALAUNT

Large, short-coated hunting dog of the mastiff type, used for bringing down large game.

AVENTAIL

Neck guard on a helmet, usually made from MAILLE.

BABERY

Term for any ape, but applied to the carvings on the eaves of churches – which were wonderful confections of people, beasts and mythology – apes featured prominently, frequently wearing the garb of bishops and priests as a sly joke by masons.

BACHLE

Untidy, shabby or clumsy. Can be used to describe bad workmanship, a slouching walk, or simply to insult someone as useless and more. Still in use, though more usually spelled bauchle.

BARBETTE

Women's clothing – a cloth chin strap to hide the neck and chin, to which was attached a variety of headgear, most commonly the little round hat known then as a turret and nowadays as a pillbox. Compulsory for married women in public and still seen on nuns today.

BASCINET

Open-faced steel helm, sometimes covering down to the ears. The medieval knight or man-at-arms usually wore, in order from inside out – a padded arming cap, a COIF of MAILLE, a bascinet and, finally, the full-faced metal helmet, or HEAUME.

BATTUE

A hunt organized as if it was a mêlée at a TOURNEY, usually involving indiscriminate slaughter of beasts driven into an ambush.

BLACK-AFFRONTED

Ashamed. A Scots term still in use today and probably derived from the act of covering your heraldic shield (affronty is a heraldic term) in order not to be recognized. Scots knights did this as they fled from Methven, in order not to be subsequently accused of being supporters of Bruce.

BLIAUT

An overtunic worn by noble women and men from the 11th to the 13th century, notable for the excessively long drape of sleeve from the elbow in women, from mid forearm on the male version.

BRAIES

Linen, knee-length drawers, as worn by every male in the Middle Ages. Women had no true undergarments, though ‘small clothes' were sometimes worn by gentlewomen.

CAMILIS

The usually white, flowing overtunic worn by some knights. Despite military sense dictating the use of tight-fitting clothing in close-combat, the urge for display frequently led to extravagant and impractical garments and headgear.

CATERAN

Originally a term to denote any fighting man from the Highlands, it became synonymous with any marauders or cattle thieves. See also KERN.

CHARE

A narrow, twisting medieval alleyway. See also VENNEL.

CHAUSSE

Legging, originally made like stockings until eventually joined in the middle to become trousers. MAILLE chausse were ring-metal leggings including the foot and with a leather sole.

CHIEL

Scottish term for a man. See also QUINE.

CHIRMYNG

Charming – most commonly used (as here) as the collective noun for finches or goldfinches.

CHITTERING

Scots for chattering.

CLOOTS

Scots word for clothing and still used today for any old rags. The term ‘auld cloots and gruel' used in the story means ‘of no account' or ‘everyday'.

COIF

Any hood which covered the head and shoulders. Usually refers to one made of ring-metal and worn like a modern balaclava.

COMMUNITY OF THE REALM

Medieval Scotland being enlightened – this referred to the rule of law by all the Kingdom, not just the King. However, it
was
the Middle Ages, so the Community referred to was one either with land and title, or rich merchant burghers from the towns. The commonality – peasants – of the realm still had no say.

COTE/SURCOTE

Old English and French for men's and women's outergarment. The male cote was a tunic varying in length half-way between waist and knee, sometimes slit for riding if the wearer was noble and almost always ‘deviced' (ie bearing the wearer's heraldry) if you're someone of account. The TABARD was a sleeveless version. King John Balliol, whose ceremonial tabard was ritually stripped of the heraldic device, became known as ‘Toom Tabard' (Empty Cote) forever after.

COWPED

Scots word for tumbled.

COZEN

To trick or deceive.

CROCKARD

The stability of Edward I's coinage had the unfortunate side-effect of allowing merchants to take the silver penny abroad as currency. This enabled unscrupulous Low Country lords to mint a debased version, which became known as a crockard. See also POLLARD.

CROTEY

The dung of hare or coney (rabbit). See FIANTS.

DESTRIER

Not a breed, but a type of horse – the warhorse of the Middle Ages was powerful, trained and cosseted to the point where it was to be used, at which point, depending on the importance of the affray, it was considered expendable. Destrier is from the Vulgar Latin
dextarius,
meaning right-handed, either from the horse's gait, or that it was mounted from the right side. Not as large, or heavy-footed as usually portrayed they were about the size of a good riding horse of today, though more muscled in the rear. They were all stallions and each one, in 1297, cost as much as seven ordinary riding horses.

DRIECH

Scots term to describe a dull, grey day where it never actually rains but you still get wet from an unseen drizzle.

EECHIE-OCHIE

Neither one thing nor another.

FASH

To worry. The phrase never fash means don't worry.

FIANTS

The dung of the fox, wolf, boar or badger.

FOOTERING

Fumbling.

GAMBESON

Knee-length tunic, sewn with quilted flutes stuffed with wool if you could afford it or straw if you could not. Designed to be worn over or under MAILLE to negate blunt trauma but frequently worn as the sole armour protection of the less well-off. A lighter version, brought back from the Crusades, was known as an aketon, from the Arabic
al qutn,
or cotton, with which it was stuffed
.

GARDECORPS

A cape-like overtunic with a slit under the armpit so that you could wear it sleeveless, its shapelessness appealed to those of a larger size. As if to compensate, many such garments were given BLIAUT style sleeves, sometimes with long tippets, or dagged hems, while the collar and cuffs were trimmed with expensive fur.

GARRON

Small, hardy Highland pony used widely by the HOBILARS of both sides, though more favoured by Scottish foot. It enabled them to move fast, raid like cavalry and yet dismount to fight on foot if faced by the knight on his heavy horse – and no archers to hand.

GLAUR

Scots word for sticky mud.

GRALLOCH

The contents of a stag's stomach which has been ‘unmade' after a kill. The gralloch, in medieval times, went to the hounds as a reward.

GUDDLE

Scots term which, as a verb, means to grope blindly. As a noun it means mix-up or confusion.

HAAR

One of the many Scots words for rain – this refers to a wet mist.

HEAUME

Another name for the large medieval helmet. More properly, it was given to the later TOURNEY helmet, which reached and was supported on the shoulders.

HERSCHIP

From hardship, a Scots term for vicious raids designed to lay waste and plunder a region to the detriment of the enemy.

HOBILAR

English word for light cavalry, recruited to counter the Scots raiders and so called because they were mounted on large ponies called hobyn. This gives us the modern child's toy, the hobby horse, as well as the generic name for horses everywhere – Dobbin.

HOOR

Scots pronunciation of whore.

HUMFY-BACKIT

Scots term for hunchback.

JACK

Origin of our word jacket, this was a variation on the aketon or gambeson and usually involved the addition of small metal plates sewn to the outside. Also known as
jazerant
.

JACOB'S PILLOW

The Stone of Scone was popularly believed in Scotland to be the same one consecrated to God by Jacob in the Book of Genesis, following a vision while he slept.

JALOUSE

The original Scots meaning was surmise. Some time in the 19th century, the English adopted it but, mysteriously, used it as jealous. It is used here in its original sense.

JEDDART STAFF

More properly known by this name in the 16th and 17th century Border country (the Jeddart refers to Jedburgh), the weapon was essentially the same – a reinforced spear which also incorporated a thin cutting blade on one side and a hook on the other.

JUPON

A short, closely-tailored arming cote worn over MAILLE in action, to display your heraldry.

JURROCKS

Lowlife servant.

JUSTICIAR

An official appointed by the monarch, from the time of William Rufus, son of William the Conqueror, to ease the burden on overworked SHERIFFS.

KERN

Irish/Scots soldiery. Later, it came to refer to the Gallowglass warriors of Ireland.

KINE

Scots word for cattle.

KIST OF WHISTLES

Scots term for a covered, boiling cauldron or kettle, kist being any kind of container, from clothes chest to tomb.

LATCHBOW

Originally, a light crossbow with a simple latch release, it came to be a common term for all crossbows and arbalests.

LAW OF DEUTERONOMY

Specifically Deuteronomy 20, which states:
And when the LORD thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword: But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.
Used by medieval Christian commanders to justify the sack and slaughter of any city which did not yield before a siege ram or ladder touched the walls.