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The Black Douglas 1286 – 1330 BY DIANE MACLEAN |
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Hush ye, hush ye, little pet ye. Hush ye, hush ye, do not fret ye. The Black Douglas shall not get ye. |
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| Pictures are the copyright of Patrick Hickey used with kind permission. |
| The story of The Black Larder in Walter
Scott's "Tales of a Grandfather" illustrates the man's stealth. In 1307 he
asked Bruce’s permission to launch an attack on his home, Douglas Castle,
which was still in English hands. Bruce could not commit any troops so
Douglas crept home with only two men. He waited until Palm Sunday when he
knew the English garrison would be attending church, then he stole into
the Castle and barricaded the garrison in the church. There, in line with
Bruce's "scorched earth" policy, he razed the castle, killing everyone
inside. He next appears in 1314 as Bruce’s second-in-command at Bannockburn. He fought valiantly on the battlefield and chased the English all the way to Berwick. The thought that Black Douglas was on their tail sent the English fleeing so fast that, according to reports, "they did not even stop to pass water". He signed the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320, and his last act of loyalty was to agree to Bruce’s death-bed request to take his heart on crusade. On Bruce’s death Douglas cut out his King’s heart and placed it round his neck in a silver casket. He left for Spain where his fame and reputation ensured knights from across Europe rallied to his banner. They travelled to Grenada in southern Spain to help Alfonso XI's crusade against the "heathen" moor. In the village of Teba they the forces of Mohammed IV and a fierce battle took place. Douglas succeeded in cutting a path to freedom. Reaching safety, he saw William Sinclair of Roslin isolated and vulnerable. Douglas pulled his horse round, and throwing Bruce’s heart into battle charged with a shout of "A Bruce, a Bruce". He was quickly overwhelmed, and realising he was soon to die threw the casket into battle again, crying out: "Now, go in front of us, as you had desired, and I'll follow you or I'll die". The Scots won the battle, and in the aftermath Douglas's body was found beside Bruce's heart. His men would not hear of him being buried on foreign soil, so his body was boiled in a cauldron of vinegar until the flesh fell from the bones. This was buried in Spain and his bones returned to Scotland |
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THE BLACK DOUGLAS (Roy Williamson/George Weir) There was a man sae dark and true wha Scotland loo’ed sae dear There was a king wha lang will rue the Scots wha flayed him sair Gan cry the hounds o’ Douglasvale, gan string the Ettrick bow Gan warn the spears o’ Liddiesdale that Edward leads the foe He wore the cross our Andrew bore by the steps o’ calvary He won the sword our Robert wore by the field o’ Balvennie Gan shear the chains o’ slavery, gan dance my leige man lee Gan ring the bell o’ Liberty shod wi’ the metal free He won his spurs doon by St. Bride upon the green she free He held the leopard and the tide by the field o’ Lintounie Gan shine the shield yer father bore, gan strike yer metal free Gan shine the helm yer father wore by the field of Torwoodlee He rode yin nicht when it was mirk doon by the leopard’s lair He chased the tyrant in his shirt around the field sae fair Gan pack yer bags ye English loons, gan tak ye banners hame Gan tak yer king wha sought oor croon and lost the bloody game |
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| Click Here To Read A Wonderful Poem About Douglas |
SIR
JAMES "the Black" Douglas to the English and "Sir James the Good" to the
Scots, James Douglas was born into a family loyal to the Scottish crown.
