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The battle of Flodden Field, near
Branxton, in Northumberland. The opposing English
and Scottish armies, led by the Earl of Surrey and James
IV respectively, were roughly similar in size, numbering
between 20 and 30,000 men. The initial position on
Flodden
Hill favoured by the Scots was promising. However,
the English guns found it easy to pick off the Scots.
Both forces had sophisticated artillery, but the lighter
and more
manoeuvreable weaponry used by the English was more
suited to the rain-soaked conditions of the hill. The
carnage among the Scottish forces was heavy, reputed to
be close to 10,000 men, including the king, nine earls,
fourteen lords and a handful of prominent clerics,
including the Archbishop of St.Andrews. While the Scots
still had their traditional long spears, the English had
billhooks, which were able to disable the spears,
leaving many Scots virtually unarmed. The field was so
soaked with blood that many of the Scots removed their
shoes to gain a better purchase on the
slippery ground. The Scots dead were so mutilated that
many of the bodies could not be identified, including
that of King James.
William, the 2nd Earl of Caithness helped lead the right
wing of the Scottish army army that beat the English
left wing. Unlike some he returned to help the rest of
the Scots and was killed. 300 Sinclairs lost their
livesthat day, including George Sinclair of Keiss,
Henry, 3rd Lord Sinclair, Sir John Sinclair of
Herdmanston. The Bishop of Caithness was also among the
fallen. This was a catastrophe for Scotland and
Caithness in particular,from which it would never
recover fully.
At the time the Earl of Caithness was attainted and so,
when King James saw them in his ranks, he sent for the
Earl and pardoned him. The Earl asked for written
confirmation , and so, with no parchment to hand,
hastily wrote the pardon on a Sinclair drumhead. It was
so significant the Earl sent it home
with the drummer boy, a Gunn. He was the only survivor
of the Sinclair force.
The day is also associated with Sinclair/Caithness
folklore as the Sinclairs crossed the Ord of Caithness
on a Monday wearing the Green tartan, and to this day it
is deemed unlucky to cross the Ord on a Monday wearing
Green.
The tragedy is remembered in the pipe lament "Flowers of
the Forest" and the folk song of the same name:
I've heard the lilting, at the yowe-milking,
Lasses a-lilting before dawn o' day;
But now they are moaning on ilka green loaning;
"The Flowers of the Forest are a' wede away".
As buchts, in the morning, nae blythe lads are scorning;
The lasses are lonely and dowie and wae.
Nae daffin', nae gabbin', but sighing and sobbing,
Ilk ane lifts her leglen, and hies her away.
In hairst, at the shearing, nae youths now are jeering,
The Bandsters are lyart, and runkled and grey.
At fair or at preaching, nae wooing, nae fleeching,
The Flowers of the Forest are a' wede away.
At e'en, in the gloaming, nae swankies are roaming,
'Bout stacks wi' the lasses at bogle to play.
But ilk ane sits drearie, lamenting her dearie,
The Flowers of the Forest are a' wede away.
Dule and wae for the order sent our lads to the Border;
The English, for ance, by guile wan the day:
The Flowers of the Forest, that foucht aye the foremost,
The prime o' our land are cauld in the clay.
We'll hae nae mair lilting, at the yowe-milking,
Women and bairns are dowie and wae.
Sighing and moaning, on ilka green loaning,
The Flowers of the forest are all wede away.
Meaning of unusual words:
yowe=ewe
ilka=every
wede=withered
buchts=cattle pens
dowie-sad
wae=woeful
daffin'=dallying
gabbin'=talking
leglen=stool
hairst=harvest
bandsters=binders
lyart=grizzled
runkled=crumpled
fleeching=coaxing
gloaming=twilight
swankies=young lads
bogle=peek-a-boo
dule=mourning clothes
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