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Battle of Flodden
"🎶'Ive heard the lilting, at the yowe-milking,
Lassies a-lilting before dawn o' day;
But now they are moaning on ilka green loaning;
"The Flowers of the Forest are a' wede away".
~ Flowers of the Forest, lyrics by Jean Elliot c. 1756
The Battle of Flodden, fought on September 9th, 1513, was a devastating conflict between Scotland and England during the reign of King James IV of Scotland and King Henry VIII of England. The battle occurred near Branxton in Northumberland, as James IV led his army into England to honor an alliance with France against England. Despite Scotland's numerical advantage and strong artillery, the English forces, led by the Earl of Surrey, outmaneuvered them with superior tactics. The battle resulted in a catastrophic loss for the Scots, with King James IV and many of his nobility killed. This defeat significantly weakened Scotland's political and military power, leaving a lasting impact on its history. "Flowers of the Forest" is a traditional Scottish folk tune dating back to the early 16th century, often associated with the lament for the fallen at the Battle of Flodden and today is played at memorials and funerals, especially military ones. This tartan was commissioned to mark the 500th anniversary of the battle which is also depicted in The Tapestry of Scotland, a monumental hand-stitched artwork that vividly depicts Scotland's rich and complex history, covering key events, people, and cultural milestones. The tartan designer used white, Tudor green, golden yellow and red to represent the dyed colours of the uniforms worn by the English and Scottish troops. 🤍 💚 💛 ❤️ ⚔️ 🎗️
September 9th marks the Battle of Flodden.
For three hundred years the engagement was known as the Battle of Branxton Moor and was only romanticised as the ‘Battle of Flodden Field’ by Victorian authors and historians during the 19th Century. The name Flodden actually pertains to the hill, 2 miles to the south of the battlefield, where James IV encamped his army in the week prior to the battle.
In the days that followed the captured Scottish guns were taken first to Etal Castle for safe-keeping whilst the bodies of the Scots nobles were retrieved from the battlefield and eventually repatriated, possibly by the nuns of Coldstream Priory.
Only one man, Fletcher, made it back to the small Borders town of Selkirk after Flodden bearing a captured English flag (or standard). He cast the flag above his head to indicate that all the other Selkirk men had perished in the battle. Flodden is still commemorated to this day during the Selkirk Common Riding Festival which is held every year in June. The Standard Bearer (a young man chosen to represent the town) casts the colours of the burgh in a moving ceremony which is followed by a minutes silence for those killed in war and then the playing of The Liltin’, a version of the folk song The Floo’ers of the Forest, also written to commemorate the battle.
For more on this historical event as realized in The Great Tapestry of Scotland, click the panel!