A History Book for Scots: Selections from the Scotichronicon
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- Synopsis
- Riveting selections from a 15-century account of Scottish history, one of Scotland&’s national treasures. Writing on a small island in the Firth of Forth in the 1440s, Walter Bower set out to tell the whole story of the Scottish nation in a single huge book, the Scotichronicon— &“a history book for Scots.&” It begins with the mythical voyage of Scota, the Pharaoh&’s daughter, from Egypt with the Stone of Destiny. The land that her sons discovered in the Western Ocean was named after her: Scotland. It then describes the turbulent events that followed, among them the wars of the Scots and the Picts (begun by a quarrel over a dog); the poisoning of King Fergus by his wife; Macbeth&’s usurpation and uneasy reign; the good deeds of Margaret, queen and saint; Bruce&’s murder of the Red Comyn; the founding of Scotland&’s first university at St. Andrews; the &“Burnt Candlemas;&” and the endless troubles between Scotland and England. Weaving in and out of the events of Bower&’s factual history are other subjects that fascinated him: harrowing visions of hell and purgatory, extraordinary miracles; the exploits of knights and beggars, merchants and monks; the ravages of flood and fire; the terrors of the plague; and the answers to such puzzling questions as what makes a good king, and why Englishmen have tails. This monumental work, in which the original Latin text appears side by side with a translation in modern English, was completed in 1998. It includes an introduction and notes that guide the reader through the complexities of Bower&’s history and its background.
- Copyright:
- 2019
Book Details
- Book Quality:
- Publisher Quality
- Book Size:
- 536 Pages
- ISBN-13:
- 9781788853262
- Related ISBNs:
- 9781906566593
- Publisher:
- Birlinn Limited
- Date of Addition:
- 09/16/23
- Copyrighted By:
- Mercat Press
- Adult content:
- No
- Language:
- English
- Has Image Descriptions:
- No
- Categories:
- History, Nonfiction, Social Studies
- Submitted By:
- Bookshare Staff
- Usage Restrictions:
- This is a copyrighted book.
- Edited by:
- D.E.R. Watt