James Hogg 1770 -1835
Lock the Door, Lariston by James Hogg - A ballad of border warfare Oil painting by W. Nicholson : © Ad Meskens / Wikimedia Commons The Border Reiver in front of the War Memorial in Galashiels. The statue known as the Reiver monument was sculpted by Thomas J. Clapperton (1879 - 1962). Lock the Door, Lariston This is a border ballad published in 1811 by James Hogg, describing a call to arms to Jock Elliot of Lariston and his men to block a raid into the lands of Liddesdale by forces from Northumberland, Teesdale and Cumberland. Jock gathers the Elliot clan of riders along with the followers of Mangerton, Ogilvie, Raeburn, Netherby, and Old Sim of Whitram and repulses the raid at Brechin or Breaken Tower in Liddlesdale, which is identified as the old Elliot stronghold of Prickenhaugh. Between the late 13th century, and up to 1603 the borders were battlegrounds between Scottish and English armies. The dominant powers on the borders were the different clans and
William Tennent (1784-1848) is a forgotten figure in Scottish literary history. A teacher, scholar and linguist, who in his spare time composed poems, plays, and several works of interest. 'Anster Fair' (1812) was written in the Italian ottava rima style, and well received by critics. His second poem 'The Thane of Fife' (1822) was his second published work, written in the Italian canto form, where a long narrative poem is divided into cantos for the purpose of being sung by a minstrel. The work would be republished several times and whilst a entertaining and exciting tale of dark-age warfare and the supernatural it did not become as popular as his first work. Tennent would go on to write plays which were not well received, covering subjects such as 'John Balliol' and 'Cardinal Beaton'.
ReplyDeleteThe Thane of Fife is a poem about a battle in 9th century Fife, between Constantine, King of the Scots and the invading Vikings aided by the Picts. The story not only involves heroic characters and bloody conflicts, there are also supernatural and mythological references as Norse Gods and Celtic magic compete with early Scottish Christianity. The work is both entertaining and imaginative, and shows Tennent to have been a artist who possibly should be better remembered for his contribution to Scottish literature.
The Thane of Fife: A Poem by William Tennent (1822) https://amzn.eu/d/6Rf58W8
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