Blàr na Pàirce – The Battle of Park, c. 1491. Part 1

HISTORY by Barnaby Brown Blàr na Pàirce A N unknown composer at an unknown date commemorated Blàr na Pàirce with a magnificent lament. The tragic pathos of ‘The Park Pibroch’ (PS 21)฀suggests฀that฀the฀composer฀was฀a฀piper฀ connected to Clan Donald, the losing side. Unusually large discrepancies between the early settings of this tune support the notion that it is one of the oldest in the repertory. A few weeks ago, Henry Irving spotted a picture of a bagpiper on a map by the Swedish geographer and historian Olaus Magnus. I am grateful to him for sharing his discovery at the Bob Dunsire forums and to Keith Sanger for alerting me. The map was drafted in Rome between 1527 and 1539, printed in Venice in 1539 (Illustation 1) and republished by Antoine Lafréry in Rome in 1572 (Illustration 2). The piper has two drones over his left shoulder and was placed on the Faroe Islands, 400 miles north of the Hebrides. This depiction is significant because it makes it credible that a Hebridean piper composed a lament in the 1490s, which is not to say that the music then would be recognisably related to what was transcribed 300 years later. On the following pages, I present two early accounts of the historical events behind the pibroch. These fully explain why a lament would be composed, and why it would be performed regularly as an act of remembrance. The first account was written in 1666 by James Fraser, Minister of the Parish of Wardlaw (now Kirkhill), ten miles west of Inverness. The second is by George Mackenzie, first Earl of Cromarty (1630–1714), whose achievements as a naturalist, geographer, historian, and theologian were formidable. In Part II (next issue) I present supplementary historical materials and an edition of the pibroch with traditional learning vocables. A recording in which I ‘vocabelise’ the whole lament is available at www.altpibroch.com/ learning/canntaireachd/. Readers will notice major inconsistencies between the accounts of what happened at Park, which lies just south of Strathpeffer (see IllustraPAGE 26฀ Illustration 1. Carta Marina by Olaus Magnus, 1st edition (Venice, 1539). James Ford Bell Library, University of Minnesota. Illustration 2. Carta Marina by Olaus Magnus, Lafréry edition (Rome, 1572). National Library of Sweden. PIPING฀TODAY฀ISSUE฀74฀•฀2015 HISTORY The Battle of Park, c. 1491 — Part 1 The battlefield, looking south from Loch Kinellan. tion 3). These are comparable to the differences between the musical settings: both are products of oral transmission, of people consciously and unconsciously reformulating inherited material in order to make sense of it and to render it more acceptable to their audience. I reproduce them verbatim because they constitute snapshots of something that was continuously adapting to different environments. Their lack of uniformity reflects the reality of what people believed, just as the settings reflect the reality of what pipers played. To make the seventeenth-century Scots more comprehensible, I have added explanations in square brackets, modernised some spellings and inserted paragraph breaks. The original editions are available at archive.org. Finally, I would like to thank Bill Taylor and Zan Dunn for their hospitality and for helping me take photos of the battle site on January 21, 2015. ACCOUNT 1 JAMES FRASER฀(1666),฀ed.฀William฀MacKay฀ (1905)฀ Chronicles of the Frasers: the Wardlaw Manuscript,฀pp.฀111–12. AFTER that the Lord of Isles had resigned the Earldom of Ross into the Kings hands, the year ฀ of God 1478, that province was continually harassed with the incursions of the Islanders. Gilespig M’kdonell, nephew to Donel of the Isles, gathering together a great company of his vassals and followers, invaded the hight of Ross with great hostility. Kenneth Mackenzie of Kintail, living then in Kinellan, convocated [i.e. assembled] the country people about him such as Dingualls, Denuns, Mackullochs, who came freely for their own defence. Lord Thomas Fraser, then Master of Lovat, sent over one Glashen Gow [Glaisean Gobha] Smith, in Donaldstoun or Ballbra, with a 100 bowmen, to assist his brother in law, Kenneth M’kenzie of Kintale, which, with the other clans forsaid, made a considerable body. The Islanders camped about Contain, near Park, two miles above Braan, and, very numerous, being allarmed with the sight of the country people, got to their arms and made some formidable show. Kenneth Mackenzie asked Glashen Gow in Irish, Glashen, if yow had the conduct of the day how would you carry? Glashen replies, Sir, if I had, by St. Mary in Kirkhill, I would be among them: Er moir si chrock, Viins ant srack [Air Moire ’s a’ Chnoc, bhithinn ’s an t-srachd]; so he got the front, et merite, a dareing fellow, instantly made the first breach with bowmen PIPING฀TODAY฀ISSUE฀74฀•฀2015฀ (having also the advantage of the ground) upon the enemy, which confused the Mackdonells, [who,] unacquainted with the country, were at a sad losse, and, surrounded with the country people on all hands, were so hard put to it that Gileaspy Mackdonel, being wounded, gave way, and was defeat, being so hotly persued that most of his men were drowned in the River of Connin [Conon], and a considerable slaughter made upon them besids; the heat of the skirmish was soon over, the Mackdonels being infatually [i.e. permanently] dispersed and never rallied. This conflickt was called ever after Blare ni Pairk, becaus it happened at a litle town upon the north side of the river Connin belonging to the Mackulloch. ACCOUNT 2 GEORGE MACKENZIE,฀ 1st฀ Earl฀ of฀ Cromarty, ‘History of the Family of Mackenzie’฀(c.1713),฀ed.฀William฀Fraser฀(1876)฀ The Earls of Cromartie,฀Vol.฀2,฀pp.฀475–482.฀ ALEXANDER [Mackenzie, 6th of Kintail] was now old, and having attained to longer peace than any of his predecessors, he was desyrous to provyd it to his posterity; his eldest sone, Kenneth, coming to the age of 20 yeares, he PAGE฀27 HISTORY Illustration 3. Ordnance Survey map of Ross-shire and Cromartyshire, sheet LXXXVII–8, surveyed in 1876. judged it a fitt mean to procure his peace iff he should match with John of Islay, and so extingiushe their old feuds in that dearest bond [of matrimony], whereto Islay soone accordit, and a mariadge was solemnized betwixt Kenneth and [Margaret,] daughter to John of Islay, whom traditione calls the Earl of Ross, but wrongously, since this was long after the resignation [— Islay had surrendered Ross to the Crown in 1478]. Donald, eldest son to John of Islay, came to Ross, and now the more secure because of this allya[nce], he posseses himself, tho not with the Earldom, yett with the house of Balcony [probably Balnagown1] and adjacent lands, as was thought with further designe, and to ingadge his old dependers at the next Cristmas he provydit a great feast, inviting to it most of the cheifs and considerable barons benorth Spey, amongst others his brotherin-law, Kenneth. The house of Balcony being somewhat out of repair, had not such convenience to lodge all the guests, wherfor of necessity outer houses wer accomodat for some. Kenneth coming on Cristmas evin, with such traine as that tyme allowed, for the least being towards 40 persones, on McLean, who was cheeff overseer in the house, haid discordit [i.e. quarreled] with Kenneth some few days befor at gameing; and it being in his proveince to order the respective lodgings for ilk guest, he mett Kenneth and told him because of his relatione to the family they had made bold to provyd his lodgings in the kill [i.e. the grain-drying house], which Kenneth taking ill, and worse that he deemed it to proceid from this McLean’s resentment, in an indiscreit rashnes he gives him a box on the ear, and, being of great strength, threw him to the ground, which the servants (not few in number) taking as an afront to McDonald, for so they did still denominat their cheefe, made to arms; but Kenneth, tho bold enough, finding himself too weake either to fight or to retreat handsomly, did with a ready judgment fall on a way both safe and shameles. Balcony lyes near to the sea, some boats wer provydit for transport of the guests, to which boats Kenneth goes and takes them off the shore, what was more as served him he sunk, and in two or three he passed to the other syde, wher he abod that night. Those 1. Ardintoul MS. places this feast at Balnagown House. “In 1455, Beatrice, Countess of Ross, submitted to King James II., who then granted her the Barony of Balknie.”— Orig. Par. Scot., vol ii., p. 480. This note is from Alexander Mackenzie’s History of the Clan Mackenzie (1879), p. 60. PAGE฀28฀ of the other side, judgeing nothing les then [i.e. not imagining] that he should abyd ther, but that he had immediatly retreated to the hils, that night he abod with a tennent, who had no syrname but a patronimick, as all the comons in Ross have; but this proud younge man [Kenneth], boiling in passione, toock it as afront that he was necessitat to be on Cristmas from his own house, and neither with a freind nor kinsman, nor on his own estate; he first desyred his landlord to own the syrname of McKenzie, and promest him protectione, whereto the goodman willingly accordit, which he and his posterity retaine to this day. The next morning, being Cristmas day, he went to the hill above Chanry [i.e. Chanonry of Ross, also known as Seaforth Castle] and desyred to speak with the Bishope of Ross (who was solemnizing Cristmas with some of his clergy), and with some what of the toune desyred him to come speak with him. The [strife] of thes tymes and the young man’s temper, made the Bishope to condescend to meitt him, tho’ it loockit a litle strange. At meeting he would need have a feu [i.e. feudal tenure] of that litle peice land wher he had lodged the night befor, and told the reasone, least McDonald should bragge that he haid forced him on Cristmas to lodge at ane other man’s discretione, and not on his own heritadge. The Bishope, partly willing to PIPING฀TODAY฀ISSUE฀74฀•฀2015 obleidge him, and to buy him in vassaladge, and partly fearing to do otherwayes, perceavinge the man in rage, he presently sent to the [toune] for his clerk, and drew a charter of the toune of Cullicuden, for so the place was called, wherupon Kenneth returned to it and abode in it all that day as his own. This toune, tho’ small, he and his successors kept to Collin [Mackenzie, 11th] of Kintaill accquired more of the Bishopes feus contigue to it, and at last it with the rest was exchanged with the Shirreff of Cromartie for some lands in Strapepher. The next day after Cristmas he went to Kinellan, wher his father Alexander was, who, extremly greived at the occurrence, knowing that a small varriance would revive ther old grudges, and albeit now they were in les fear because that McDonald has intrest of Ross [i.e. his sister was Kenneth’s wife], yett the old experienced man knew them a great clann, and more powerfull than himself in privat force, but these sentiments did nothing allay Kenneth’s discontent, whose naturall feircness could broock no disobleigement, but thought himselfe wronged to that height that he wished opportunity of revenge; but the fate of the other family did prevent the injurie towards him, for in the fourth day one was sent from McDonald (who, because John his father was on Islay, was called HISTORY The slope from the battlefield to the River Conon, looking south east from the A834. the Tiernoige [Tighearna Òg], that is, the young lord, for tiern extendit to all persones of qualitie then), and the messinger had mandate to warn Alexander and Kenneth to remove from [thence] and all their family in 24 hours, with certification of warr if they did not, only allowing that the young lady, his sister, might stay till she were accomodat by leisure to remove. Kenneth, not waiting his father’s answer nor advyce, did in anger but tell McDonald he would have his father sitt there [in spite of ] him and all his power; for himself, he was to receive no rules for his staying or going, but he should be sure enough to hear of him wherevir he were, and for his sister, since he had no mynd to keep further peace with the brother, he would not longer keep hir, but with some small convoy of servants sent hir presently to Ballcony, which unhumanity did so greive the poor lady that after that she nevir recoverit health, having a short while befor been brought to bed of a son, who was called Kenneth, and because his father was of the same name he was called Kenneth Oig, i.e. younge Kenneth. It apeared that he had no kyndnes for this lady, for some few dayes after he put hir away he went to Lovat, accompany[ed] with towards 200 men, and beseidged the house. The Lord Lovat, who was surprysed with this actione, went to demand its proport. Kenneth told that he came to demand his daughter Ann in mariadge, in respect now that he haid no wyfe, and desyrit hir without further deliberation, since by that he should obleidge him in a strict freindshipe to his family; and if he refused, he should engadge him to a mortall enmity, the first effect wherof should be that he had at present a party gathering the men, women, and goods ฀ [i.e. cattle] that were near adjacent, all which should be made one fyne [i.e. held hostage as security] to evidence his resolution. The Lord Lovat, who had no kyndnes for McDonald, and was desyrous enough to engadge McKenzie in a freindshipe, straitened also with the exigence of his people’s danger, and knowing the bold temper of Kenneth, he resolved to grant his desyre, and accordingly delyvered his daughter to him. He imediatly returned home with hir, and ever after lived with her as husband and wyfe. McDonald, exasperat by these injuries, sends his great steward McLean to levy forces in the Isles, and to convocat [i.e. assemble] his nearest relations in the Maine[land], such as the McDonalds of Moydart and the Clan-Ean of Ardnimurchan, who, having in short tyme made up a sufficient force towards fyfteen hundereth men, he accquainted McDonald therwith, who appoynted them to meett him at Containe [i.e. Contin], in respect that Alexander McKenzie being old, had not gone to Kintaill, but resolved to stay in Ross, judgeing that the McDonalds would not adventur to convocat and invade the Lowcountry after such late engadgment to obedience and peace: yett Kenneth, forseeing the dangir from the rebellious temper of his brother-in-law, had, on the begining of McDonald’s preparationes, gone to Kintaill and secured the house of Illandonan [i.e. Eilean Donan Castle] with a competent garison and sufficient provisiones, the goods [i.e. cattle] with some to drive them to the most remote and quiet hils being left, he toock the rest of the fensable men [i.e. men able to bear arms], with all outliers of his dependers in Strathchonan, Strathgarve, and other glens in the Brayes of Ross, to guard his father and PIPING฀TODAY฀ISSUE฀74฀•฀2015฀ himself, tho a number very unproportionable to the force convocated against him. However, confideing in the protectione of the lawes, and the opinion he had of the McDonald’s unwillingnes to invade Ross, he stayed at Kinnellan, his father abod in the litle Isle; Kenneth, with such as he had with him, lay at the Lochsyd, in a secure ground. McDonald’s forces, ledd by Gillespick, brother-naturall to John of Islay, and unckle to this Donald, who was at Balcony, drew down to Ross, wasting Kintaill and Strathconan as he past, came to Containe on [a] Sunday. The whole people wer in confusione because of the outrage of the Islanders. The fensible men wer with McKenzie, the old and young, with their women, fled into the kirk of Containe, judgeing that a secure shelter from Cristiane enimies; but it proved not so against sacrilegious outlawes, who, I know [not], whither with more impietie or crueltie, lock up the doors of the church, the preist and people being within, and burned them all to ashes, not one escapeing. Some of the beholders runne away and accquainted McKenzie with this execrable acctione, greived att the loss of the people, but declared a gladnes, that these who wer otherwayes too numberous for him, had now engadged God against them. Containe lyes not a mile from Kinnellan, wher McKenzie lay, but apprehending [i.e. imagining] that McKenzie dared not abod [i.e. remain], McDonald appoyntit his unckle Galespeick to draw the forces up to the large moore, called in the Irish dialect Blairnapark, that he might view his forces, and send out parties to pursue McKenzie. McKenzie all this while lay in his strong ground, which he judged himself able to defend, and conveniPAGE฀29 HISTORY ently enough situated to wait for attaques on the enimie if he should find oportunytie. He had not above six hunder men, and for thos he had provydit victualls [i.e. provisions] for a longer tyme than McDonald could keep his forces togither in that place. The country people have drewn ther goods to remote places, so that McDonald could not well be furnished. About twelf aclock McDonald drawes up his forces in the moore, which lay not a quarter of a mile leaguir [i.e. from McKenzie’s encampment], and separated from it only by [a] litle moss. Kenneth, fearing to be beseidged, persuadit his father to goe to a stronge rock called Craignifiich, [that] is the raven’s rock, by which place Kenneth resolved to flee if he found it necessar, the old man went recomending his son to God’s asistance, and, by his confident [prayers], assuring them of succes, notwithstanding of the power of the adversary. Kenneth, perceiving McDonald’s force greater then were fitt to be fought with by his small power, resolved to mantain his ground; but, moved by an excess of couradge, he resolved on an essay [i.e. attack] to bring his enimie to a disadvantadge, which was to draw out 300 of his men, and to march straight over the moss towards them, judging that their contempt of his number would procure inadvertancy, and probably to a disordorly asault; and he resolveing and accquainting his brother Duncan with his resolution to retreat at the first approach, so to entice McDonald to a persuit, he desyred Duncan, with the rest of the people, to be in readines to fall down in a close body on the persuers in the moss, which being full of pits and of a narrow bounds, made the inequality of number less hurtfull. So marching boldly with his 300, McDonald in great derisione called his unckle to see McKenzie’s impudent PAGE฀30฀ madnes, who dared thus to face him at such disadvantage. Gillespeck answered that such extraordinar boldnes in our enimies should move extraordinar warines in us least we fall into unexspected inconvenience. McDonald replyes in rage, “Goe you also and joyne with them, and it will not need our care, nor move the least fear in my followers.” Mean while McKenzie advances a litle beyond the moss, and McLean of Lochbuy, who had the vann [i.e. advance guard] of McDonald’s men, charges him, and with the first brunt McKenzie flies, but so as putting himselfe in the rearward he gave as much hurt as he received. The space for retreat was short, and Duncan observing the enimie disordered and scattred in the persuit, and within the moss, according to his brother’s orders, he marched down, and asaulting them violently, he kils most of them ere [i.e. before] they could attaine the maine batle [i.e. battalion], which most unskilfully had also quitte their ground in disorder, unwilling that McLean should have the killing of McKenzie’s men alone, so Duncan entred their battell, put them in great confusione. Kenneth mean while, with this 300 (who wer all well instructed in their maister’s design), followed after Duncan, and ere the enimie could draw to any ordor, he fall in on their right flanck with such fury, and doing such executione, that albeit the McDonalds wer ashamed to flie befor an enimie so latly [jeered at] by them, yett at last their resolutione gave place to his couradge, for Gillespick, to evidence that tho’ he was wary in his councell he was not fearfull in his actione, he sought out for McKenzie, and being guarded with some of his soldiers, he found him out in the midst of the battell, signalized with [i.e. conspicuous on account of his] extraordinar executioun; for, haveing kild or ceased all that opposit PIPING฀TODAY฀ISSUE฀74฀•฀2015 themselfes to him, he gave a sign for Gillespick to begin a new act, but Kenneth exceeding both in strength and couradge, could broock no tedious debate in combatt but pressing in with a fearfull eagirnes, he at ane blow cutt of Gillespick’s arm and past very farr into his body, so that he fell down dead. McKenzie’s standard-bearer rencountering McDonald’s, he slew him, and then thrust the staff of the standard through his body, and left his attenders to guard it, himself passing on in the battell towards his maister, who, seeing him without his collours, asked what became of them. He told that he left McDonald’s standard-bearer keepeing them, but without shame. By this tyme McDonald was tackin prisoner, and McLean of Lochbuy was kild by Duncane Moir, McKenzie’s great scallack, which, with the great slaughter and continuance of McKenzie’s uninterrupting fury, the enimie fall to a totall flight, in which most of them all wer kild, quarter [i.e. custody] being no ordinar complement in those dayes. Severalls of the McDonalds fled towards the river of Conan, wherby an old woman subtilly [i.e. cunningly] told them, asking for a ford, that all the river was but one ford, they [rushed] in the river and drownd. Those who escaped or found the ford wer kild by one Classin Gowe [Glaisean Gobha], a smith ane of the Lord Lovat’s people, who being related by coaltshipe that is fostering to Lovat’s daughter, had come to hir husband’s asistance, but comeing too late for the batle, had oportunity here to do more service then if he had been at it. The night befor this battell the Laird of Brody had come on some freindly occasion to Kinnellan, and next morning, as he was going to horse, he perceaved some of McKenzie’[s] men in armes, wherupon he asked if the enimie was certainly so neir HISTORY Views of the River Conon looking west: (opposite) from Moy Wood and (above) from Moy Bridge. as that it was probable they should fight [before] night; and being informed that they wer at hand, he stoped his journey and said he was an ill fellow and worse [neighbour] that would leave his freind at such a tyme; and albeit McKenzie endeavoured to alter his resolutione and disuade his stay, yet he would needs abyd, and in the batle behaved himself to the advantadge of his freind and notable loss of his enimie; and imediatly after the batle he went on his journey, which did knit such a freindshipe twixt McKenzie and him that it did propogate to posterity, and ever yett remaines twixt them, being more sacredly observed then the tyes of affinity and consanguinity amongst most of others. Next morning McKenzie, judgeing that thos who escapit, rallying midst the hils, might rob and spoil his people who lye in their way, he followed up to Strathconan, wher he found, according to his guess, that the enimie, towards 300, had rallyed, and wer distroying what remained of their former crueltyes; but on his sight they took them to flight, but to litle purpose, most or all of them being kild in the retreat. Some few that fell in McKenzie’s way wer seized; amongst whom was Gillespeicks son called Alexander. This Gillespeick is in the charters named Glestin [Celestine of Lochalsh — note that Gilleaspuig, Archibald and Celestine were synonyms]. He was naturall brother to John of Islay, for in a charter, daitit _____, granted by the said John to him, he designes him ฀ fratri nostro carnali [‘our blood brother’. The author left blank spaces in his manuscript, intending to supply precise details later]. McDonald being taken, Glestin kild, and now Alexander, son to Glestin taken, McKenzie returned with a compleit victorie to Kinellan, wher he had left McDonald under guard with his father. The old man embraced his son, but said (with a too great severity) that he feared they had made two dayes work of one, since, by sparing McDonald and this young Alexander, they preserved those who might yett give them trouble. Yett Kenneth, tho’ a lyon in the batle, could not by thes prudentiall warnings be induced to an unglorious crueltie; but fearing lest his rude followers might committ some unhandsome fact on the prisoners, he sent McDonald with a guard to Lovat, to be kept ther till he should advyse how to dispose of him, and he kept Alexander with himself; and contrar to all expectatioun, within 6 monthes he released them both, taking them bound by oath and honour never to molest him nor his, nor to pretend to any right in the Earldome of Ross, which Alexander [Lord of the Isles], this Donald’s grandfather, had so fully resigned formerly to the King. Alexander McKenzie being of a great age, died at _____, and was buried at _____. About the same tyme Kennethe’s first lady, whom he had (for any thing ever was heard) so unjustly divorced, overwhelmed with so many and great misfortunes from hir husPIPING฀TODAY฀ISSUE฀74฀•฀2015฀ band’s facts and hir brother’s fate, overcome by greiff, died at _____, the _____, having Kenneth oig, hir son, not many months old. The King so well approved what Kenneth performed on this occasion, that notwithstanding he was not under commission, yett it was lookt on as a kynd of self-defence, because of the continuall oppressiones and wrongs perpetrat by McDonald’s family on McKenzie and other legall people; wherfor he was continued in possessione of the manadgment of the Earldome of Ross, paying some consideration in name of rent for it. The McDonalds, after this stroak [i.e. blow], never attempted anything on the Earldom of Ross, nor against McKenzies, but their power with their intrest ever after diminished, as shall appear, McKenzie, with all the other inhabitants of Ross, enjoying therafter the beneffeitts of peace and the protection of law. And albeit Kenneth raised great fears in his neighbours by his temper and power, by which he had overturned so great an intrest as that of McDonald, yett it appeart that he did not proceid to such attemptts but on just resentments and rationall grounds; for during his lyfe he not only protected the country by his power, but he caryed [himself ] so, that none was else estemed a better neighbour to his freinds, nor a juster master to his dependers. In that one thing of his caryadge to his first wyfe, he is justly reprovable; in all things else he merits justly to be numbered amongst the best of our Scots patriots. l PAGE฀31