Clydesdale Bastle Project The Great Monition of Cursing by Gavin Dunbar, the Archbishop of Glasgow on the border reivers – 1525 Occassional Paper No. 1 by Tam Ward, Biggar Archaeological Group The Great Monition of Cursing by Gavin Dunbar, the Archbishop of Glasgow on the border reivers – 1525 PAGE 1 Introduction Lawlessness had reached an unprecedented state on the Anglo Scottish Borders by the late 16th century, with the culprits paying equally scant attention to the remonstrations of either state or church. Although this state of affairs was prevalent for most of the history of the borders, more or less since Roman times, it would appear that following the reformation, the church grew less influential on the morals of the population there, and provided the condition of inter clan or kinship feud did not escalate too far from the borders region, the monarchs and rulers of both countries did little to resolve it. Often the men put in charge to solve the problem soon became a corrupt part of it. The Great Monition of Cursing by Gavin Dunbar, the Archbishop of Glasgow on the border reivers – 1525 PAGE 2 The following quote is taken from Borland (1898) who also gives the full curse and which is given below: “It was during this period of weakness, almost of total moral collapse, that the Archbishop of Glasgow took it upon him to excommunicate the Border thieves. Had the same vigorous measure been adopted at an earlier period, the result might have been more favourable. As it was, the launching of this ecclesiastical thunderbolt really created more amusement than consternation. It was regarded simply as the growl of a toothless lion. In no circumstances were the Border reivers easily intimidated. Their calling had made them more or less indifferent to the claims of Church and State. They had never had much affection for the king, and they had, perhaps, still less for the priest. Having shaken themselves free, to a large extent at least, from the control of the State, they were not prepared to put their neck under the yoke of an ecclesiastical authority which even the best men of the age had ceased to venerate. But the Archbishop felt that he had a duty to discharge, and he applied himself to the task with commendable vigour.” “The curse was ordered to be read from every pulpit in the diocese and be circulated throughout the length and breadth of the Borders.” (Robert Borland, minister of Yarrow. Border Raids and Reivers. Dalbeattie: Thomas Fraser 1898) The Great Monition of Cursing by Gavin Dunbar, the Archbishop of Glasgow on the border reivers – 1525 PAGE 3 The Great Curse Given here in the Scottish vernacular, see opposite for Translation to (approximate) English translation. “Gude folks, heir at my Lord Archibischop of “Good folks, here at my Lord Archbishop of Glasgwis letters under his round sele, direct to Glasgow’s letters under his round seal, direct to me or any uther chapellane, makand mension, me or any other chaplain, making mention, with with greit regrait, how hevy he beris the great regret, how heavy he bears the piteous, piteous, lamentabill, and dolorous complaint lamentable, and dolorous complaint that that pass our all realme and cummis to his eris, passes all of our realm and comes to his ears, be oppin voce and fame, how our souverane by open voice and fame, how our sovereign lordis trew lieges, men, wiffis and barnys, lords true lieges, men, wives and children, both bocht and redemit be the precious blude of our and redeemed by the precious blood of our Salviour Jhesu Crist, and levand in his lawis, Saviour Jesus Christ, and living in his laws, are ar saikleslie part murdrist, part slayne, brynt, innocently part murdered, part slain, burnt, heryit, spulzeit and reft, oppinly on day licht harried, spoiled and robbed, openly on day light and under silens of the nicht, and thair takis and and under silence of the night, and their farms landis laid waist, and thair self banyst therfra, and lands laid waist, and they are self banish als wele kirklandis as utheris, be commoun therefore, as well church lands as others, by tratouris, revaris, theiffis, duelland in the south common traitors, reivers, thief’s, dwelling in part of this realme, sic as Tevidale, Esdale, the south part of this realm, such as Teviotdale, Liddisdale, Ewisdale, Nedisdale, and Annandaill; Eskdale, Liddiesdale, Ewesdale, Nithsdale, quhilkis hes bene diverse ways persewit and and Annandale; which has been diverse ways punist be the temperale swerd and our Soverane pursued and punished by the temporal sword Lordis auctorite, and dredis nocht the samyn. and our Sovereign Lords authority, and dreads not the same. “And thairfoir my said Lord Archbischop of Glasgw hes thocht expedient to strike thaim “And therefore my said Lord Archbishop of with the terribill swerd of halykirk, quilk Glasgow has thought expedient to strike them thai may nocht lang endur and resist; and with the terrible sword of holy church, which hes chargeit me, or any uther chapellane, to they may not long endure and resist; and has denounce, declair and proclame thaim oppinly charged me, or any other chaplain, to denounce, and generalie cursit, at this market croce, and declare and proclaim them openly and generally all utheris public places. cursed, at this market cross, and all other public places. “Heirfor throw the auctorite of Almichty God, the Fader of hevin, his Son, our Salviour, Jhesu “ Herefore through the authority of Almighty Crist, and of the Halygaist; throw the auctorite God, the Father of heaven, his Son, our Saviour, of the Blissit Virgin Sanct Mary, Sanct Michael, Jesus Christ, and of the Holy ghost; through the Sanct Gabriell, and all his angellis; Sanct John authority of the Blessed Virgin Saint Mary, Saint the Baptist, and all the haly patriarkis and Michael, Saint Gabriel, and all his angels; Saint prophets; Sanct Peter, Sanct Paul, Sanct Andro, John the Baptist, and all the holy patriarchs and all haly appostillis; Sanct Stephin, Sanct and prophets; Saint Peter, Saint Paul, Saint Laurence, and all haly mertheris; Sanct Gile, Andrew, and all holy apostles; Saint Stephen, Sanct Martyn, and all haly confessouris; Sanct Sanct Laurence, and all holy martyrs; Saint Anne, Sanct Katherin, and all haly virginis and Gile, Saint Martin, and all holy confessors; Saint matronis; and all the sanctis and haly company Anne, Saint Katherine, and all holy virgins and The Great Monition of Cursing by Gavin Dunbar, the Archbishop of Glasgow on the border reivers – 1525 PAGE 4 of hevin; be the auctorite of our Haly Fader matrons; and all the saints and holy company the Paip and his cardinalis, and of my said of heaven; by the authority of our Holy Father Lord Archbischop of Glasgw, be the advise and the Pope and his cardinals, and of my said Lord assistance of my lordis, archbischop, bischopis, Archbishop of Glasgow, with the advice and abbotis, prioris, and utheris prelates and assistance of my lords, archbishop, bishops, ministeris of halykirk. abbots, priors, and other prelates and ministers of the holy church, I DENOUNCE, PROCLAIMIS, AND DECLARIS all and sindry the committaris of the said saikles I DENOUNCE, PROCLAIMS, AND DECLARES murthris, slauchteris, brinying, heirschippes, all and sundry the committers of the said reiffis, thiftis, and spulezeis, oppinly apon of innocents murders, slaughters, burning, day licht and under silence of nicht, alswele inheritances, robbery, thefts, and spoilings, within temporale landis as kirklandis; togither openly upon day light and under silence of with thair part takaris, assistaris, supplearis, night, as well as within temporal lands as wittandlie and resattaris of thair personis, church lands; together with their part takers, the gudes reft and stolen be thaim, art or part assisters, suppliers, knowingly and of their thereof, and their counsalouris and defendouris, persons, the goods snatched and stolen by of thair evil dedis generalie cursit, waryit, them, art or part thereof, and their counsellors aggregeite, and reaggregeite, with the greit and defenders, of their evil deeds generally cursing. cursed, waking, aggravated, and re-aggravated, with the great cursing. “I CURSE thair heid and all the haris of thair heid; I CURSE thair face, thair ene, thair mouth, “I CURSE their head and all the hairs of their thair neise, thair toung, thair teith, thair crag, head; I CURSE their face, their eyes, their thair schulderis, thair breast, thait hert, thair mouth, their nose, their tongue, their teeth, stomok, thair bak, thair wame, thair armes, thair their skull, their shoulder’s, their breast, their leggis, thair handis, thair feit, and everilk part heart, their stomach, their back, their womb, of thair body, frae the top of thair heid to the their arms, their legs, their hands, their feet, soill of thair feit, befoir and behind, within and and every part of their body, from the top of without. I CURSE thaim gangand, and I CURSE their head to the sole of their feet, before and thaim rydand; I CURSE thaim standand, and I behind, within and without. I CURSE them CURSE thaim sittand; I CURSE thaim etand, I going, and I CURSE them riding; I CURSE them CURSE thaim drinkand; I CURSE thaim walkand, standing, and I CURSE them sitting; I CURSE I CURSE thaim sleepand; I CURSE thaim rysand, them eating, I CURSE them drinking; I CURSE I CURSE thaim lyand; I CURSE thaim at hame, them walking, I CURSE them sleeping; I CURSE I CURSE thaim fra hame; I CURSE thaim within them rising, I CURSE them lying; I CURSE them the house, I CURSE thaim without the house; at home, I CURSE them from home; I CURSE I CURSE thair wiffis, thair banris, and thair them within the house, I CURSE them without servandis participand with thaim in thair the house; I CURSE their wives, their children deides.