The British Files (A Verse a Tale history of 4 Nations) (An Ancestral Walk) Peter the Celt Love is real 1 Of 161 Part One A History of Scotland A.K.A The Book of Fear An Ancestral Walk Majestic grey mountains melt into the clouds Covering the horizon like corpses in shrouds Beneath the bleak beauty the morning mist rises Blanketing the ground which it wholly disguises 2 Of 161 The History of Scotland, now there's a Story that’s worth hearing so we'll start at its beginning although please refrain from jeering. You see it’s pretty much just shadow like the rest of the British Isles, For it wasn't until the Romans came that we started to have files. That fateful year of 81 (A.D.) saw Juilius Agricola enter the southern region, although I guess he thought he needed protection as he brought the Ninth Legion. He set up base around Stirling then pushed northwards with his Fleet encountering the Chieftain Calgacus and taking his defeat. (1) He had wanted to continue after he had wintered in the Tay but in the following Spring of 84 he had to call it a day. After that well pretty much Rome took a more defensive line And even built themselves a wall(2) between the Solway and the Tyne. Then 20 years later Lollius Urbious(3)used Hadrian as his guide and the Antoinne Wall was built and kitted to join the Forth onto the Clyde. In 208 though the Emperor Severus thought he'd try his worth So he built a Naval Base at Cromond and invaded the Moray Firth. The Natives at this time though were wise to take more care, by harrying him in the Grampians with Guerrilla Warfare. After 3 years fruitless fighting Severus fell back in defeat and in the end Hadrian's Wall became his final retreat . The next 100 years or so were a relatively peaceful time of life until the second half of the 4th century when Rome fell into strife. The Saxons invaded England and the Scottish Tribes could raid For Rome had trouble elsewhere and her power had decayed (In fact by 430 the Romans had packed up and left for home guess with all the strife about they were more needed back in Rome.) Now Scotland at this page in history had four distinct faces(4) and Christianity had appeared though only in small traces. In 397 the Missionary St. Ninian came across from Rome but as he was from Strathclyde it was more like going home. He established himself a Monastery at Whithorn near the Solway And gave the Picts and Britons a real cool place to pray. He could not convert Dalriada though because of language and location and their Patronage lay elsewhere with the Northern Irish nation. Now around the year 500 the Scots at Dalriada had a change of dynasty Fergus Macerc and some of his kin(5) thought it needed some new ministry. So he established his Capital at Dunadd although still following Irish lore(6) and over from the home land the Missionaries came to explore. 3 Of 161 1.Late summer A.D.83 at Mons Grapius in Eastern Scotland 2.A.D.121 the Emperor Hadrian built his wall 3.The Governor of Britain 4.The Picts-Cairness to the Forth, Britons-Clyde to the Solway, Anglo-Saxons-South of the Forth, The Scots-Argyle, Kintyre and the neighbouring Isles called the Kingdom of Dalriada, they came from the north of Ireland. 5.Angus and Lorne came over from Ireland 6.He continued to pay tribute to Ireland 4 Of 161 The first one (St. Oran)set up Churches at Tiree, Iona and Mull Until the 548 Plague came to play and took him in its cull. Then in 563 St. Columba came along and making Iona his base, Got involved in politics with judgement on a case. You see the Scots King was dead and Dalriada's independence threatened For the Picts who had defeated them, their appetites were whettened. So Columba made Aidan(The False) King although not the rightful heir, But this proved a good decision as he was both astute and fair. Columba then went north to help the Picts with their conversion And by his death in 579 many knew his version(1). By the end of the 7th century the four Kingdoms were converted then Rome interceded thinking that version was perverted(2). Around the end of the 8th century the Norsemen came to raid, for with the Kingdoms divided its weakness could be played. You see the Picts fought the Scots, the Britons fought the Angles, leaving the lucky Norsemen an open chest of bangles. Now in 685 at Nectansmere the Angles lost their chance to lead for when they met the Picts, King Ergfrith had to cede. It was not until the next century that unity was achieved and though only in small measure it was gratefully received. In 843 Kenneth Macalpen(3)claimed the Pictish throne and by disposing of his rivals(4)found himself alone. He moved his power bases(5)and had Columba re-interred(6) and as for the Picts as a Nation nothing else was heard. He met his death in 858 with the Lothian Angles not subdued for the constant Norseman raiding had kept his Forces glued. It was not until 1018 when they were brought to heel with Malcolm II's victory at Carham making the Angles reel. In the same year the King of the Britons died without an heir so Malcolm's grandson Duncan became the King of there(7). In 1034 Duncan succeeded Malcolm as the King of Scotland but only six years later fate would play its hand For Maelbeatha(8) killed him and took the throne himself where he ruled for 17 years that proved a time of wealth. Then Duncan's eldest son(Malcolm)came and made his play and after doing battle poor Maelbeatha had to pay. He became Malcolm III but was known as 'the Bighead'(9) with an English education that would fill the court with dread for in 1069 he married Margaret, an English Princess who had fled to Scotland earlier to avoid the Norman mess(10). 5 Of 161 1.St.Moliag came from Ireland and founded a monastery on the Isle of Lismore(562). St. Maelrudda established at Apple-Cross a century later, St Aidan left Iona to convert the Saxons in Northumbria establishing himself on the Holy Island, also St. Cuthbert to the Anglo-Saxon Lothians. 2.The Celts had a different day for Easter amongst other thing. 3.King of the Scots of Dalriada. 4.They had been weakened by Norse raids. 5.Capital went to Forteviot and religious centre at Dunkeld. 6.Moved from Iona and reburied at Dunkeld. 7.He established a claim through the female line 8.MacBeth. 9.Ceann Mor. 10.With her brother Edgar the Atherling. 6 Of 161 She civilised the Court, well to an English point of view and imposed on the Scottish clergy a very English pew(1). Malcolm then offended the Celtic north by moving power south(2) for to them it must have seemed he now had a Saxon mouth. Malcolm had his own plans though for expansion(3)was on his mind so he started to raid England(4) to see what he could find. This angered William the Conqueror and filled him full of zeal so he invaded into Scotland and brought Malcolm to heel(5). Relations were generally amicable though apart from the occasional raid until 1093 at Alnwick when Malcolm's bed was finally made(6). Margaret was devastated and for three days she felt feint then she died and went to Heaven and was Canonised a Saint. Scotland now was in turmoil being led by a feeble King for his 60year old brother(Donald Bann)had took the Celtic wing(7). This did not make him popular with the Normans down below so William Rufus sent up Duncan(8)with a mind to overthrow. Although he managed to succeed he was very quickly killed and Donald Bann came back again just to see his place refilled. For in 1097 the Normans returned and Donald they did chase then Duncan's half brother Edgar eagerly took his place. Edgar ever grateful settled Normans on his southern land and spoke to Magnus Bare-legs(9)so peace was close at hand(10). On Edgar's death in 1107 he was succeeded by his brothers(11) and Norman influence(12) took over at the expense of all the others. When Alexander died in 1124 his brother David took over then the Norman way of life really came to clover for his Norman education led him try the Feudal way with the lowlands of all Scotland falling to its say. He distributed large estates to his Anglo Norman friends(13) though his estates left back in England were to more than make amends(14). In the Highlands it was different though for his Writ was not their thing whilst the Islands gave allegiance to a foreign Norwegian King. During the course of his reign his administration did flower for he selected Governing bodies(15) to help him wield his power. He established two Royal Mints and encouraged foreign trade and with a National system of justice some progress had been made. He founded more Bishoprics(16)endowing the odd monastery(17) but though he followed Rome he liked to keep autonomy so when Pope Innocent III wanted the Archbishop of York as head David encouraged his Bishops to tell him to drop dead.