Читать книгу Why Now Is The Perfect Time to Wave a Friendly Goodbye to Quebec - Lowell Green - Страница 8

On June 23rd and 24th, 1314, an army of Scots under Robert de Bruce defeated a much larger English force led by King Edward II at the battle of Bannockburn in central Scotland.

It was here that Sir Henry de Bohun galloped ahead of the advancing English army to challenge the Scots King Robert de Bruce to single combat, one of the most historic events in the almost thousand year war for Scottish independence.

According to The Scottish National Archives records:

“Robert de Bruce rode forward to meet de Bohun who was fully armoured with lance and shield and rode a heavy destrier horse. De Bruce had a much smaller horse and was armed only with a sword and short axe. De Bohun rode at de Bruce with lance couched. De Bruce evaded de Bohun’s lance point and as the English knight thundered past he struck a deadly blow to his head with his axe.”

De Bohun fell dead demoralizing the English troops who were subsequently slaughtered as they fled.

King Edward managed to escape.

For the Scots it remains to this day the most famous of all the countless battles fought over the centuries for Scottish independence.

What the Scots would sooner forget is what happened about 200 years after the Battle of Bannockburn.

On September 9, 1513 an army of about 20,000 men led by King James IV of Scotland invaded England in response to several provocations including warrants issued by Catherine of Aragon, the Regent in England, to seize all the property of Scotsmen in England.

The Scottish army was met by the English commanded by the Earl of Surrey at what is today know as the Battle of Flodden, or Flodden Field.

It was a terrible disaster for the Scots. King James was killed in battle along with many of the most important noblemen of the day. Total Scottish losses were about 12,000 killed. The English lost 1,500 men killed.

It was the largest battle ever fought between the two kingdoms. Historians describe it as the last great medieval battle in the British Isles. And the last battle on the British Isles during which a monarch was killed.

The battlefield still looks today much as is probably did at the time of the battle. but the burn and marsh that badly hampered the Scots’ advance is now drained. A monument, erected in 1910 is easily reached from Branston Village by following the road past St. Paul’s Church. There is a small car park and a clearly marked and signposted trail with interpretive boards making it easy to visualize the battle.

Each year, the neighbouring Scottish town of Coldstream marks the Battle of Flodden by a traditional horse-ride to the battlefield and then a church service to mark all those men who perished during the fight. This is held during the first week of August.

Since 2008 plans have been underway to mark the Quincentennial of the battle on or before the 9th of September 2013.

It was not until May 1, 1707 that the blood being shed between England and Scotland ended when England, Ireland and Scotland joined together to form the Parliament of Great Britain. At which point, of course the bloodshed began between England and Ireland but that’s another chapter.

What’s important to understand is that while the Scottish war of independence left the battlefields in 1707, the dream of independence, in Scotland just as in Quebec remains very much alive for many.

Humiliation draws a long bow. Scotland has Flodden Field— Quebec the Plains of Abraham!

And just as in Quebec, Scotland has elected a separatist party to power. The Scottish National Party (SNP) lead by Alex Salmon won an unprecedented majority in 2011 and has announced that a separation referendum will be held on September 18, 2014. The question will be “Should Scotland be an independent country?”

Will Scotland be able to win what a thousand years of battles could not? A safe and secure independent nation? Only time will tell of course but just as with Quebec what is happening in Scotland is a powerful reminder that for a proud people, dreams of independence never die!

One of the really amazing things about the movement for Scottish independence is, unlike the situation involving Quebec, there is no issue of language in the British Isles. Since the 17th century the predominant language in both Scotland and England has been English (okay with different accents).

More than that, the English and Scots, for the most part share an ancestral heritage. Both groups spring from the same Anglo/Saxon roots with a sprinkling of Picts and Norse with Norman blood tossed in for good measure.

When you consider that the Scots and the Brits have been feuding and fighting for more than a thousand years and may soon separate despite sharing a common language, a similar culture and virtually the same ancestry you are forced to wonder how in the world Quebec and Canada, with all the differences we have, managed to stick together as long as we have. And even more to the point. How much longer can we hold it together?

Scottish leader Alex Salmond says Scots should, “Speak with our voice. Independence will be a day when Scotland takes responsibility for our country, when we are able to choose our own direction and contribute in our own distinct way. It will provide us with a new, more modern relationship with other nations and Britain. A ‘no’ vote means a future of governments we don’t vote for, imposing cuts and policies we didn’t support. A ‘yes’ vote means a future where we can be absolutely certain, 100 per cent certain, that the people of Scotland will get the government they vote for!

Independence Day will be the day we stand on our own two feet.” (Does any of this sound familiar?)

The Scottish opposition Labour Party and the British Government are fighting hard for a “no” vote, and as in the case of Quebec are using, as their major weapons, the threat of economic chaos with separation.

Most observers however believe that in the end history may provide the deciding factor in Scotland and in Quebec!

And as an added reminder of how important history may be, consider the fact that the Scottish referendum will be held in 2014 during the height of celebrations to mark the 700th anniversary of the greatest victory in Scottish history—the Battle of Bannockburn.