I reproduce much of a Berwickshire article on the annual commemoration of the Battle of Flodden because of its curiosity value to any bloggee who has little idea of what goes on in te Borders. Some people might find it curious that a modern generation might want to celebrate a bloody and shameful defeat in a battle fought 492 years ago-and a battle that the Borderers-if Scottish historians are to be believed did not play a very distinguished role. Anyhow here goes:''
A RECORD 314 horses made up the cavalcade to Flodden on Thursday, led by proud 2005 Coldstreamer Andrew Ford.
On Thursday morning in the town's Market Square, the 15th Earl of Home charged Andrew; "To lead the cavalcade assembled in Coldstream to Flodden Field, the site of the battle, to commemorate the dead of both nations. Also to cut a sod of turf from the field to carry it back to Coldstream to symbolise the actions of Abbess Hoppringle of Coldstream Abbey."Then with the burgh standard bearing both the Coldstreamer's colours and those of the Home family, Andrew and his cavalcade were led through the town by Coldstream Pipe Band and a contingent of Coldstream Guards, to make their way over Coldstream Bridge onto English soil and then on to Branxton Hill and Flodden where the 1513 battle between England and Scotland resulted in over 10,000 soldiers dead and a generation of Scottish nobles wiped out.
A strong breeze presented Andrew with quite a challenge as he galloped up Branxton Hill with the banner flying to the cheers of the crowd but he led the 300+ cavalcade admirably and both rider and burgh standard made it safely.Once the riders had reached the top of Branxton Hill the Flodden Day service was introduced by Presenting Coldstream chairman, Jim Leifer, and the large crowd assembled enjoyed a passionate oration given by Alistair Moffat, a keen historian and former chairman of Scottish Television. Kelso born Alistair's knowledge and passion for Borders history, plus his dramatic delivery held his audience spellbound as they relived the fateful September day through a soldier's eyes when the Scottish and English armies met at Flodden, with disastrous consequences for the Scottish troops."As a Borderer I feel the intensity of the atmosphere of this place, as a historian I have some sense of its fatal importance, how the terrible events of September 9, 1513 shaped what we have become," Alistair told his audience."Battlefields have an atmosphere, a stillness, perhaps a memory of fear, of ancient slaughter, of immense oppressive sadness. In a translation of a Gaelic phrase, it is possible at Flodden to hear the music of the thing as it happened."For Borderers history is a personal matter, something we intuit and feel as well as read or listen to. We are all part of it.Our view of war nowadays comes from pictures and commentary we see on television but Mr Moffat reminded his audience that 500 years ago it was very different."Formed up in four battles of battalions on each side, 52,000 men - a huge number - stared across this undulating landscape, knowing that they were about to fight toe-to-toe for their lives. Soon they would be close enough to see into the eyes of their enemies, close enough to smell the sweat and blood, close enough to feel the fear and panic."Medieval armies fought in ranks, packed dense, and usually their lords and captains led from the front, their standards snapping and fluttering in the breeze. Often the oldest men stood forward with the younger lads behind or beside them. Battles were fought in family groups."Gripping their pikes tight, endlessly checking their gear, fidgeting, staring across this little valley, brothers stood side by side, uncles told nephews to stand fast, cousins encouraged each other."Each man looked to his right, to his right hand man. And this habit is the origins of a long tradition in the Borders. Because most men are right handed, they carry a shield with the left and a weapon with their right. That means that when they raise a sword, an axe or a pike to strike, their right side is exposed. And so they looked to the man on their right to protect them with his shield. That is why Andrew Ford relies just a little more on Stuart Robison than he does on Richard Dickson."It is said that Flodden was a battle waited upon in silence, the usual barrage of insults and taunts were not exchanged between the Scots and English. Only the roar of artillery and the blast of trumpets broke the tense quiet."Lords Home and Huntly and their captains in the front rank will have seen it before and shouted over their shoulders to their men to stand fast and keep their courage. "Before the first drum sounded the advance of the battalion of Borderers and Highlanders, it is likely the Gaelic speaking clansmen did a unique thing. They began to recite their genealogy to remember who they were and it was why their chiefs had brought them to Flodden to fight."At first Flodden shaped to be a Scottish victory."But when the battalion led by the Earls of Errol, Crawford and Montrose and that of King James IV advanced, matters began to go against the Scots. They were badly disordered by the boggy ground and the stream at the bottom of the hill. Crucial momentum was lost, their 17 foot pikes became unwieldy and the English began to work their shorter bills and poleaxes to deadly effect."Even though King James's battalion pushed the English back 200 yards, he was quickly surrounded and the slaughter began."In medieval warfare men were rarely killed outright, or even quickly. When a heavy blow or a cutting stroke was taken, it was vital to stay upright and often men wounded in this way would charge the man opposite and like a wrestler or tired boxer, use him as a support. Many battles were a matter of who pushed, shoved and hacked the hardest."When a man was knocked down, the opposing ranks trampled over the top of him, cutting and kicking him as they went. Often it was the second or third rank who bludgeoned a man to death or unconsciousness.
"When it became clear that Flodden was lost, many Scots turned and ran for their lives. These were mostly the men in the rear. King James's battalion was so large that it had 20 ranks but those at the back were usually poorly armed and had no captains to lead them."When they saw the Scottish pikes going down in front of them and the beginning of a terrible slaughter, they scattered. Very few prisoners were taken at Flodden - only 400 - and very many died, perhaps more than 10,000 in total."Flodden resonates with us now - not because we are Scottish Borderers and were badly defeated. It was the scale of the slaughter which printed itself on a collective memory. So many died - a whole generation of Scottish aristocrats were virtually wiped out."Pondering the question why so many Borderers and Scots were fighting that dreadful day, Mr Moffat concluded: "The dismal truth is that they fought because they were forced to - by their lords and masters.* It was for them futile - as almost all wars are."We come here today not to celebrate an ancient glory but to remember a terrible defeat. And perhaps to strengthen our resolve never to see its awful like again."Once the Coldstreamer cut a sod of earth from Flodden Field he led the horses and riders back to the town, and they were once again met by a large enthusiastic crowd.The day's formal events drew to a close on the Tweed Green when Andrew, accompanied by his left and right hand men Richard Dickson and Stuart Robison laid the sod of earth from Flodden, on the site of the Abbey where Abbess Hoppringle brought back the bodies of the Scots noblemen who died at Flodden, to bury them on consecrated Scottish soil. "
If it was so futile I wonder why it is still so celebrated? Give the whole thing a decent burial and, as they say, move on.
* Questionable revisionism. The Borderers-on both sides, fought for loot. And many of those those on the Scottish side left at half time with their booty-apparently a major contibution to the defeat of King James army. I very much doubt if 16th century borderers would do anything for their Lords and Masters unless they felt that there was something in it for them
