I imagine the first question anyone will ask is what is a column called "Scottish Flotsam". I guess we will have to begin with what is "flotsam". Among the definitions of the word are "things washed ashore" or "miscellaneous trifles". Well, we believe you can find some great treasure on the ocean shore. But -- you will never know what you will find or its value. So we decided that is what this column is - flotsam. We wanted a place to put things that didn't fit anywhere else and might be of interest. Each item could be a column itself and might be some day but for now it will be the flotsam, which washes our way.

Now lets look at a Scottish King:

DAVID I (the Saint) (1124-53)
David was the youngest son of Margaret and Malcolm III. No one expected him to become king but his reign proved to be an outstanding one for Scotland. He married a granddaughter of Earl Siward of Northumbria and through that alliance had a legitimate claim to a large part of northern England. He had been a prisoner of his uncle Donald Bane but escaped and was brought up at the court of Henry I. He became familiar with English and Norman ways. He was treated well by Henry who arranged a marriage for him to the heiress of vast Northumberland estates. Henry appointed him the ruler of Cumbria, thereby increasing his power. When Henry died he took advantage of the confusion and inaction to press into England taking Carlisle and Newcastle before he was defeated at the battle of the Standard. King Stephen (of England) at the time was not in a position to alienate the Scottish king and by the Treaty of Durham David gained control of Northumbria. As Earl of Huntingdon, David had to swear an oath of loyalty to the English king. Having been brought up in England when he returned to Scotland to succeed Alexander, he took with him powerful Anglo-Norman influences which would eventually transform Scottish society. David's Norman friends soon held most of the important positions within the Church and State. He issued the first Scottish coinage and honored his mother's piety by establishing monastic center. David gave the Normans lands which meant they the Normans gained landowner privileges and authority over the lives of those living on their land. In the lowlands the Celtic ways of tribe and kinship were replaced by the new feudal system of laws and regulations. David influenced language development so that while Gaelic was spoken by highlanders, Inglis, a Scottish variant of English, was adopted in the south. His reign enhanced the prestige of the monarchy. He maintained order, and overcame his enemies partly with the support from the Normans by establishing royal burghs and shires and a system of control over the people. He was deeply religious as was his mother and he founded many abbeys. The king assigned lands to the abbey and in return gained protection and spiritual support from the abbots, monks and clergy. His only son Earl Henry died in 1152. He was married to the daughter of the Earl of Surrey and they had three children, Malcolm IV, Will the Lion and David. He appointed his grandson Malcolm as his successor.

Eulogy on David's death: O desolate Scotia, who shall console thee now? He is no more who made an untilled and barren land a land that is pleasant and plenteous.

Source - http://www.nwlink.com/~scotlass

It is time to stop combing the library but we can not quit without some quotes from The Pocket Book of Scottish Quotations another great History bookshelf resident. Let's see what quotes we can find. This month the subject is toasts and greetings.

The King ower the Water
Jacobite Toast

The little gentleman in black velvet
Jacobite Toast, to the mole on whose hill King Wiilliam II's horse stumbled, causing his death

Here's to the horse wi' the four white feet,
The chestnut tail and mane -
A star on his face and a spot on his breast,
An' his master's name was Cain.
Traditional horsemen's toast

Grace be here, and grace be there,
And grace be on the table;
Ilka one tak' up their speen,
An' sup a' that they're able.
Anonymous bothy grace, from D.K Cameron, The Cornkister Days (1984)

Now for a Gaelic Proverb for this month.

Druidear beul nam breug.The lying mouth will be shut.

You can find more articles in the archive under Scottish Flotsam.

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June 1, 2001