*NEW* History of Scotland Podcast - Episode 55 - The Warrior and Knight

Hello everyone and welcome to the History of Scotland, Episode 55.

Our story resumes in the year 1221, a time when Scotland was still stitching itself together from the fabric of feudal loyalties and regional allegiances. Alexander, young and ardently driven, was not content to sit idle while opportunities to fortify his kingdom presented themselves. His actions during this period laid the groundwork for what would become defining moments of his reign.

But as we'll see, not all was to be victories and expansions. Tragedy, too, would find its way to Alexander's door. The untimely death of his first wife brought both personal grief and political challenges. How did a king, so focused on the expansion and security of his realm, cope with such intimate loss? And how did this personal tragedy affect his political maneuvers and decisions at court?

Moreover, Alexander’s ambitions stretched to the northern reaches of his kingdom, where the influence of the Kingdom of Norway still held sway over the Isles and parts of the mainland. His confrontations there would not only define his military and diplomatic tactics but also shape the future interactions between Scotland and Norway. Will Alexander’s campaigns against these seasoned sea warriors bolster his legacy as a warrior king, or will they prove to be overreaching ventures that strain his resources and resolve?

We will delve into these questions and more as we unravel the fabric of Alexander II’s kingship. How did he navigate the complex web of feudal loyalties and regional power bases? What strategies did he employ to assert his authority over the rugged territories of Argyll and the Isles? And what were the outcomes of his confrontations with the entrenched powers of Norway?

As we explore these poignant chapters of Scottish history, remember that the past is not merely a series of events but a mosaic of human experiences, ambitions, and heartbreaks. Each decision and battle not only shaped Alexander's reign but also the very fabric of Scotland itself.

So, grab your hot drink, turn up the volume on your radio or headphones, and let’s travel back to the bustling courts and battle-scarred landscapes of Alexander II’s Scotland. Whether at home or on the go, join me as we discover whether Alexander II’s audacious efforts to expand his kingdom were met with triumph or despair.

And as always, we're not just recounting history; we're stepping into the lives of those who lived it. Let’s find out together how Alexander II’s tale unfolds.

Please give us a follow-on twitter at: u/TheHistoryofSc1 or just our Facebook group which you can find by searching History of Scotland on Facebook.

Leave any feedback you have for the podcast in reviews, likes, and comments. Our podcast is on PodBean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and other great podcasting platforms.

Stay safe.

https://open.spotify.com/show/4mt91nR0uaVv547EQqJAaf

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-history-of-scotland-podcast/id1609855804

https://historyofscotlandpodcast.podbean.com/e/episode-55-the-warrior-and-knight/

One of the pictures that I saw in Mark Galeotti's "Teutonic Knight vs Lithuanian Warrior: the Lithuanian Crusade", depicting the Siege of Kaunas in 1362, showed a Lithuanian defender(clearly marked by red garb and white "towers of Gediminas" markings wearing a (presumably captured/looted) hounskull helmet. How common was it for Lithuanians to wear captured armour during the late middle ages, and if so, does anyone have any other historical illustrations/texts/depictions of this happening?

Is it what I think it's used for?

Hey everyone! I don't know if any of you are into gaming but this seemed the most appropriate Reddit I am following to post something about medieval games. I'm a student and cannot afford to buy three games in one month and I am currently debating between these three:

The first has been on my wishlist for so long and is Manor Lords

The second I just came across is called Bellwright

And the final one is an expansion of a game I already have and will be the Crusader Kings III: Chapter III bundle which I think adds a lot of new dimension to the game!

Does any regular medieval game player have any advice?

I know this is probably right on the edge of the medieval period for an answer but does anyone know when these practices ended?

Leyrwite - fine for sex outside of wedlock Childwite - fine for having a child out of wedlock

yes, i know its fantasy, but could it have been done? gators and crocs cannot live in europe, but more tropical places like the americas seem feasible to me.

We're talking here about how the Franks in the time of the Carolingians assimilated quite well with Gaul and essentially shaped the region to become a nation, Francia.

But the Lombards down in Italy, on the other hand, struggled immensely to assimilate despite taking on Christianity as their religion and adopting the Latin language.

What was the main difference in how these two people struggled and why did the Franks succeed whereas the Lombards did not?

I'll preface by saying that I know that medieval history is super convoluted and complicated, but I haven't been able to find a satisfying answer to this online. *I AM NOT A HISTORIAN*

So, if a queen (from house A) has a kid with her spouse (house B) will their children *always* be from house B? This would then of course result in the throne passing to a different house/dynasty. Is it possible that instead the children are of "house A-B" where they're now acknowledged as being from the combination two royal families?

As an example: Queen Mary I of England was a Tudor and her husband, Philip II, was a Habsburg. If they did have children would the heir be a Habsburg? A Habsburg-Tudor?

In my mind, the name Tudor, at that point had now been the name associated with the throne for several generations and would thus give a sense of legitimacy to the heir of the throne if they also carried the same name but I could be totally off mark.

This may also be a poor example since the Habsburgs were incredibly powerful at that time and may have been suitable candidates for the throne of England in the eyes of many people.

Tldr: As a monarch you would want *your* family to be the one on the throne in future generations so there must have surely been a way to ensure this to happen even if you only had daughters?

I am aware child marriage was never really a thing in western society but there were cases where it occurred and for example there was a canon law saying the age of consent for girls was 12 and all.

That said if a girl reached 12 and did not have her menarche was consummation allowed

and there was a canon exemption about a girl being close enough and how was that seen and all?

and how was it seen socially and all?

I am very much aware that kirisute gomen, or the right for a samurai to strike down anyone of lower class who compromised his honor, had rules to it. The samurai had to have a witness who could testify whether or not he was being genuinely offended by the person; the strike had to be immediate and not from a past grievance; and that doctors and midwives were exempt from retribution. However, I have a few other questions.

Was it a requirement for samurai to strike down people over perceived offenses? Did a samurai have the option to simply shrug his shoulders and move on without having to worry about being shunned by his family, peers, and higher ups?

Were ronin justified by law to still kill over insults? Say a stranger ronin walked into a territory and killed someone. He states that he has no lord or boss to answer to. Would the leader of the territory be pissed off with this stranger or let him go?

Were there samurai who had incidents with peasants but refused to go through with killing (either out of compassion, pragmaticism, or some other reason)?

Was it allowed/demanded even if the target in question had a good reason to protest? For example, a group of peasants are working on a bridge or some important project. Then comes a samurai or two. Rather than be on important business, the samurai act like upper class jackasses who mock those who are doing the hard work. If a peasant or two tells them to go away, would the samurai be justified by law for killing them even though those people were being interrupted for no good reason?

And would striking down over insults extend to children? Say a child bumped into a warrior and back talked as the little kid he/she is. Would a warrior be justified by law to cut down said child? Or would he be required to dismiss it as kids being kids? Or would there be a third option where there's a different punishment that's not fatal?

I'm just curious about this right.

​

P.S. And small (and perhaps jokey) question: why is there a band that is named after this bleak right to murder a defenseless person?

​

So some kingdom were ruled over by prices. What are the title's of the children of princes?

I finished watching a couple of videos on executioners and I wanted to ask if this was real or not because I can’t find any source backing it up. Apparently in France, executioners had to wear red and yellow coats to signify their dishonour in being an executioner. I was intrigued by and wanted to know more, but couldn’t find anything relating to that. The only other thing I found was that french executioners had symbols sew onto their coats -a sword and a ladder- again I don’t know if any of this is true but I’d love to be enlightened if it is!

In Medieval England and continental Europe, there seem to a lot of legends and stories of ‘flatulists’: chaps who were paid to fart at court as a form of entertainment. But how much of this is true? Was there a more generally uninhibited attitude to flatulence during the Middle Ages and did attitudes differ between social classes?

I am currently doing a dissertation on castles, and one aspect that comes up a lot is the evolution of castle towers from square to circular (such as at Rochester castle). The reason given for this is because circular towers are harder to undermine than square towers. My question is: why? I mean it’s not particularly important to my work, but just for personal interest, every single book has said “circular towers were harder to undermine than square towers” without really explaining why that. Now I may be being a bit stupid here, but I can’t seem to understand how they would be revolutionary better at withstanding this. Sure a circular tower doesn’t have a corner, and therefore maybe the cavern you need to dig under it won’t be as big, but you can still destroy it. Is there anyone who can give me just a short answer as to why they were harder.

Edit: switched circular and square around

Deeply rural, ancient Horwood church shows loud traces of a medieval chantry chapel and an old effigy hiding bedesmen in her gown. Add to this some old bench ends, good stained glass and such a pretty place it is a mighty excellent church indeed.

My latest online church, article and gallery to read here: https://devonchurchland.co.uk/description/horwood-church-of-st-michael-description/

Why do people say that English people and England invented tartan, plaid, kilts, and the highschool girl pleated skirts inspired by those kilts WITHOUT ANY ASSISTANCE FROM CELTIC MALE INFLUENCES even though the fact is that medieval pagan tribal Celtic males invented all of those fashion items without any foreign influences and also worn all of them first?

Then, non-Celts used tartan, plaid, and those pleated skirts in private highschools for female students. Isn't this cultural appropriation against Celtic males?

This cultural appropriation should be stopped.

I don't know why private highschools use tartan patterns, plaid patterns, and folded(knife pleat style) pleated skirts such as the pleats and the tartans for female students when they are originally medieval masculine fashion items.

I don't know why people say that English people and England invented tartan, plaid, kilts, and the highschool girl pleated skirts inspired by those kilts WITHOUT ANY ASSISTANCE FROM MEDIEVAL CELTIC MALE INFLUENCES. It's all fake history. Celtic peoples invented all of them!

What's happening is cultural appropriation towards Celtic males.

This cultural appropriation should be stopped.

Medieval Celtic males are not teen girls.

So, i know how different nobles have higher or lower ranks than each other, for example; a duke is above an earl, who is above a count, and so on, but i got to thinking; how does the system actually work? Is the earl - in being ranked lower than the duke - a vassal to a duke, or does the duke have higher authority in court? Does an earl's shire exist inside a duchy, and does the earl pay taxes to the duke?

Heyo, I am trying to produce art and media concerning the 1300's to early 1400's. I have been trying to do as much research on my own as I can, however due to time constraints I fall short sometimes. If you could, I would appreciate some helpful tips, resources, or listed examples of what I could use as references for my art and writings. It would make the settings more beleivable and add a nice touch of realism. I like it when things match and line up together. So finding out something was never around during so or so period really erks me. I appreciate it guys.

P.S. If you got any questions for why I need such references or how I may use them, feel free to ask in the comments. I'll try to get back to you.