Today on History Undressed, I'm pleased to welcome Amanda Forester back for another fascinating post! And if you leave a comment you'll be entered for a chance to win a copy of her new release, TRUE HIGHLAND SPIRIT. (US & Canada Only)
Fact
or Fiction: French Knights in Medieval
Scotland?
by Amanda Forester
One
thing I enjoy about writing historical fiction is doing the research. As a history buff, I enjoy learning new
historical facts. For example, I was
surprised to learn that Scotland was almost conquered by the English in
1356. Okay, that’s not terribly
surprising since the Scots were almost conquered by the English many times
throughout history, but this particular time the French were to blame.
Let
me set the stage. In 1346, Scotland’s
King David (the son of Robert the Bruce) invaded England but was defeated at
the Battle of Neville’s Cross and taken prisoner by King Edward III. Nine years later, David was still locked in
the Tower of London while the two countries slowly negotiated the ransom to
secure his release.
On
the eve of a settlement, France entered the picture with a tempting offer. The French were currently at war with England
(in what was later known as the Hundred Year’s War), and had no interest in
seeing peace on the British Isle. So a
legion of French knights sailed off to Scotland and offered 40,000 moutons of
gold if Scotland would agree to go to war with England.
In
1355 the Scots and French invaded northern England. Unfortunately, they underestimated England’s
reserve and at the sight of 80,000 experienced English troops, the French
decided it was time to go home and left the Scots to their fate.
Now
the Scots were in a tight spot. They
retreated, but King Edward declared himself the King of Scotland and threatened
to invade. The Scots realized they
could not survive open warfare against the English, and so relied instead on a
bit of trickery. They sent the Earl of
Douglas to negotiate their surrender, and gained 10 days of a truce. During this time, the Scots retreated back
into the North, taking every scrap of food with them. When King Edward finally marched into
Scotland he found it devoid of all living inhabitants. Unable to live off the land, Edward was
forced to rely on dwindling supplies.
Edward
was enraged at being deceived by Douglas and in vengeance marched into
Scotland, burning and destroying everything in his wake. This was later known as Burnt Candlemas. However, Edward’s wrath was short lived, as
his soldiers were nearing starvation.
The English king was forced to retreat, and the Scots made the most of
harassing the hungry troops as they fled back to England.
This
wonderful bit of history inspired my second and third books in my Highlander
series. In
TRUE
HIGHLAND SPIRIT the hero is in fact a French knight. I’m sure readers will probably think I’ve
allowed my imagination to run wild. French knights in Scotland?
Preposterous! And yet, that part of the
book is actually based on fact!
TRUE
HIGHLAND SPIRIT chronicles the initial attack by the French and Scots and the
aftermath. With the independence of
Scotland at stake, who can save them? My
heroine of course! In my book Morrigan develops the plan to repel the English
out of Scotland. And that, my friends,
is pure fiction. This is the best part
about writing historical fiction for me - using the rich historical setting to
spark the imagination and create interesting characters through whose escapades
I can live during fascinating times in history… all without giving up hot
showers or central heating! Happy
reading!
Do you enjoy novels that bring the history to life in the lives of the
characters? What is the right balance
for you between character, plot, and history lesson? Comment on the blog for a chance to win a
copy of TRUE HIGHLAND SPIRIT.
TRUE HIGHLAND SPIRIT
Morrigan
McNab learned to survive with a sword in her hand. Taking command, she is
determined to protect her impoverished clan, no matter the cost. When an
elusive French knight offers gold to fight against England, she joins the call
to arms. Sparks fly on the battlefield as a forbidden passion smolders between
Morrigan and Sir Dragonet. Yet Sir Dragonet holds a secret that will destroy
the hope for a life together, and will make them rivals on a dangerous quest
for a mysterious relic. As they fight beside each other against the English,
and against each other to find the treasure, their love becomes a greater force
than either can control.
