Excellent (modern) series on Scottish history.

[GenSec]

I just thought i'd share this in case anyone fancied watching it.

This was a 12 part series (each almost 1 hour in length)  produced by the BBC about the History of Scotland, presented by Scottish Archeologist/Historian Neil Oliver. His presenting along with the great scenery shots made it, for me, a great series. His passion for his topic succeeds in keeping the viewer coming back for more.

Recently i found the entire 12 parts of the series all uploaded on youtube... here are the first 3 episodes, which begin with the (unsuccessful) Roman attempts to conquer the Caledonian tribes of the region, to end of the Wars of Independence between England and Scotland in the 14th century.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYOnt2BbQHE" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYOnt2BbQHE</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0abEzYkZja4" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0abEzYkZja4</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlVi31XC04U" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlVi31XC04U</a>

Best wishes,
Gen.

[tinam7]

Saw the first episode and enjoyed it very much. Like the accent. Yours too?

Somewhat hesitant about episode 2 but will dare it, perhaps tomorrow. Thank you, GS, you want us to be history's expert, as you are. And, yes, Neil Oliver is very appealing. The scenery is so beautiful.

[GenSec]

Mmm Tina, i'm honestly not sure if my accent resemble's his! Its always difficult to compare your accent to that of someone elses: i don't even notice my accent when i speak, as its just second nature. Certainly though, despite the regional variations of accent in Scotland i wouldn't say our accents are miles apart. For me, its his hair that stands out!

Tonight i seen an short show on television which had loads of elementary school kids from Glasgow say funny things... despite being a Scot myself, i had no idea what most of them were saying! The Glaswegian Scots accent of the children was just so thick and broad that as a Scot from a Doric speaking background i just couldn't understand very much of it.

But as can be seen from the Oliver documentary, Scotland was a patchwork of different ethnic tribes with their own cultures and languages. Even today there are traces of this heritage in the different accents and dialects in the regions across Scotland.

Go on - be brave and tackle that 2nd episode! Ha ha.

Regards,
Gen.

[tinam7]

Imagine you have a similarrrrr accent, easy to understand. Verrrrry nice. But that 2nd Episode is nightmarish. Edward turns into a monster, William Wallace comes out of nowhere to put up a heroic fight, is betrayed, and comes to a horrifying end.

Now I know Scotland does exist. So maybe Episode 3 provides some relief. Sure hope so.

[GenSec]

Yeah my rrr's probably are a wee bit pronounced, ha ha. Also my vowels, the a's and e's.

Edward I continues to be regarded by many Englishmen to be one of the greatest king's they've ever had. He was the first to almost achieve the Anglo dream of a united British Isles dominated England. He was utterly ruthless, and projected English power wherever he could. He fought the French, the Irish; he bloodily conquered Wales just before he started meddling in Scotland. His conquest of Wales was the precursive warning of what was the come in Scotland - he invaded, conquered, brutally subdued, and then wiped out the Welsh royal dynasty as well as trying hard to erase its laws, language, culture and customs.

The British Isles may be small, but there's been plenty of action here nonetheless!

Regards,
Gen.

[ClassicNerd]

Wonderful series, thanks for sharing!  I've watched the first episode and Scottish history seems to have everything! Mystery, betrayal, bloodshed...

Hadrian's wall - that's about where my Roman history course left off at university. Right when things started getting good! I've always wondered about Britain and the celtic tribes. I will definitely be watching more.

And it's a pity that Chronicle isn't in Scotland where it belongs!

Neil Oliver's accent is awesome, and you can tell that he's really passionate about the subject.

[GenSec]

Hi ClassicNerd,

Glad you liked it!

I assume that the Chronicle kept in France was taken there for safekeeping during one of the later wars between Scotland and England; or perhaps an 18th century Jacobite who fled to France.

Turns out after checking my own DVD copy of this series that there are only 10 episodes (not 12 as i first said). Oops, lol! Anyway, the first 5 episodes make up part 1 of the series: part 2 came later. I'd say its of less interest to most folks.

Here are episodes 4 and 5 - the last of part 1. Episode 5 is interesting because it explains how Scotland and England were united into one kingdom in 1603 when the two kingdoms began sharing a king. The British flag is also created to symbolise this new emerging kingdom.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFwGc1M25TU" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFwGc1M25TU</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgVs832O43g" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgVs832O43g</a>
 
Best wishes,
Gen.

[tinam7]

Oh I see we have more. But is that a pool of blood?

Yes, Hadrian's Wall, vaguely remember that somewhere. Am so bad in history. In Episode 3 we do get the first first King of Scotland, Robert Bruce. But the real power seemed to be the Bishops and the Pope needing men for their own purpose: Crusades. And what were the Crusades? More of the same. Is it possible it would be a better world if women ran it? Like the book Herland?

Furthermore, there was a gaping omission. What about this Edward? Oliver just slips it in: rumored to be homosexual. In fact, he was just that and was not an efficient killer of men. This is most fascinating. Still the gorgeous scenery: lush green, green everywhere. And, of course, on the road to Scottish independence. Can't get to #4 today, but will tomorrow.

[GenSec]

Oh I see we have more. But is that a pool of blood?

Yes, Hadrian's Wall, vaguely remember that somewhere. Am so bad in history. In Episode 3 we do get the first first King of Scotland, Robert Bruce. But the real power seemed to be the Bishops and the Pope needing men for their own purpose: Crusades. And what were the Crusades? More of the same. Is it possible it would be a better world if women ran it? Like the book Herland?

Furthermore, there was a gaping omission. What about this Edward? Oliver just slips it in: rumored to be homosexual. In fact, was he was just that and was not an efficient killer of men. This is most fascinating. Still the gorgeous scenery: lush green, green everywhere. And, of course, on the road to Scottish independence. Can't get to #4 today, but will tomorrow.

Hi Tina,

Well you are right in a sense; Bruce wasn't the first person to be crowned King of Scots, but he was the first Scottish King to recieve official recognition internationally from foreign states and the all powerful Vatican as being a King in his own right. As with most things, politics and religion became blurred.

Edward II probably was gay, ha ha. There was a darling man he was "close friends" with for years, a man Edward showered with gifts and titles. His nobles, clergy - even his wife the Queen -could eventually take no more of this odd relationship. After the powerful groups in society got together and forced Edward to banish this man abroad into exile, Edward brought him back and on his first return to English shores they spent a few private days together in a country house... make of that what you will. In the end Edward and his friend had to run off together, chased by the exasperated English nobles. They murdered his friend to try and put a stop to it all. In the end Edward II was deposed and died in very mysterious circumstances. The traditional story is that a red hot iron poker was shoved up his rectum. We can probably guess what that was meant to hint at.

But hold on a sec Tina; you'll be pleased to hear that Edward II was not the only suspected gay King in the story! LOL!

The Scottish King James (the one in the 5th episode who would go on to rule Scotland and England in 1603) was almost certainly gay. No doubt about it! He loved younger men, or "favourites". The difference was that (unlike Edward II) James was a decent King in his own right so the people around him turned a blind eye. He also pleased the powers that be around him passed further laws criminalising homosexuality (James was a bit of a self-hater perhaps?). But again, that topic is not covered in this series! Oh well, nevermind!

Regards,
James.

[tinam7]

Like the recent brutal murder of the Indian woman? Criminal violence occurs anywhere.

Why would a King ever choose that which is likely to rob him of everything? One would think this establishes the reality that not everyone is born as part of the majority and there could be acceptance, inclusion and appreciation of everyone, regardless of orientation. Can't wait to meet Scottish King James.

[GenSec]

Like the recent brutal murder of the Indian woman? Criminal violence occurs anywhere.

Why would a King ever choose that which is likely to rob him of everything? One would think this establishes the reality that not everyone is born as part of the majority and there could be acceptance, inclusion and appreciation of everyone, regardless of orientation. Can't wait to meet Scottish King James.

Lordie me Tina, this isn't about gays! You and your gays, ha ha! Alas if only the world were as sweet as you. Sorry to disappoint you but Oliver doesn't mention one word about James's homosexuality.

During his kingship, everyone was enamoured with tobacco brought over from the Virginia colonies in the New World. It was thought to be good for you, helped you grow strong - it was even given to very young children for them to smoke! King James on the other hand hated tobacco, hated smoking. Nobody was allowed to smoke in his presence. This made him very odd for his era. He even personally wrote a book which condemned smoking as bad for the health and lungs, condemning it as filling the lungs with dirty "soot". Everyone thought he was an idiot at the time. Turns out he was spot on long before the science ever told us!

But of course, the Scotsman who would go on to become James I of England is best known for arguably the most famous book in the world, which he commissioned... the King James Bible.

[ClassicNerd]

GenSec - your posts are an excellent supplement to the series! How do you remember all of this information?

I'm interested in this book King James wrote condeming smoking. I'll bet everyone laughed at it back then, too! Look who was right, though.

[GenSec]

Hi CN Kind thanks!

Yeah, in the early 17th century the staple crop that kept the colonies like Jamestown profitable was tobacco. So in Britain tobacco was promoted, particularly by the likes of Sir Walter Raleigh. It became very fashionable for both men and women.

There is just 1 episode from the 2nd series i'd like to share here because alot of Americans would probably be interested in it. This begins in the years after the Battle of Culloden in 1746. By this time Scotland and England are united into one nation, Great Britain. The rise of secularism has begun among Scotland's intellectuals, and Adam Smith, features prominently in this episode. Of course he also embodies the rise of capitalism.

I didn't know until i seen this episode that the American hero Benjamin Franklin actually visited Scotland and met these Scottish Enlightenment thinkers. He was left thoroughly unimpressed by these wealthy secularists, who in his mind toyed with the concept of God because they lived in ease and luxury whilst the common man toiled underneath them in almost barbaric conditions of poverty. One can see the beginnings of the American ideal in these letters Franklin wrote to be sent back home.
One can see how an increasingly secular Scottish society and an increasingly restless America began to depart ways in the 18th century. And yet, a Scotsman was present at the signing of the Declaration of Independence. He was the only clergyman present who participated in the drafting of the document and for him, the presence of God in this new nation had to be central. He was the Principal of a Princeton college in the colonies, and the British army tried to hunt him down!

Just as intersting as all that, the story of how the 2 nations began to depart ways over the hot topic of slavery is also covered. In America slavery began to take off. In Scotland be contrast, even by the 18th century slavery was beginning to be seen as unnacceptable and inhumane even though it remained a highly profitable business. The case of a black African slave trying to petition for his freedom from his white master (so that he can marry a white woman, a scandal in itself at the time) even manages to reach the highest court of the land in Scotland, where white wealthy Scottish judges agree to give this nobody of a slave free legal representation out of a sense of outrage that a human can be treated in this way.

If you want to see what the court's final decision is - slavery of freedom - you'll have to tune in and find out, lol!

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOb5Cv2uRGQ" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOb5Cv2uRGQ</a>

[ClassicNerd]

Thank you, GenSec! I will be checking that out for sure! How do you know all of this? More importantly...how do you remember it all?! I'm impressed, and I have to admit, envious. I'm glad you're willing to share your knowledge though!

I know Sir Walter Raleigh! Studied his poetry in university!  So excited I recognized his name.

I thought it took a really long time for everyone to realize just how bad tobacco was, didn't it? I seem to recall hearing people in the 1920s still thought it was harmless, but I could be wrong there.

[tinam7]

You better watch out if you happen to be invited for lunch in a castle. Try and find lunch elsewhere. Much safer, even if less luxurious. And if Oliver can't speak the truth about James, what's the point? I'd give Oliver a warm, fluffy shampoo and layered hair cut. Then maybe he'd give us the truth.

Sure I keep banging my head against the closet door. "Out, out," I say. Let's be honest and live as nature intended. No smoking either, no slaves, no inequality, a bit of ale now and then.

Ben Franklin gave us libraries, the greatest gift of all.

[GenSec]

Thank you, GenSec! I will be checking that out for sure! How do you know all of this? More importantly...how do you remember it all?! I'm impressed, and I have to admit, envious. I'm glad you're willing to share your knowledge though!

I know Sir Walter Raleigh! Studied his poetry in university!  So excited I recognized his name.

I thought it took a really long time for everyone to realize just how bad tobacco was, didn't it? I seem to recall hearing people in the 1920s still thought it was harmless, but I could be wrong there.

Hi CN,

Well, i have always led a pretty uneventful boring life, so i've had plenty of time to indulge my interest in History by reading this, reading that, reading and more reading! From an early age i was encouraged to read... it kept me quiet.

There's nothing for you to feel envious of - after all you have a raft of pretty impressive talents yourself that i couldn't equal.

I knew Raleigh had an inquisitive mind and even whilst confined in the Tower of London he continued to conduct little scientific experiments: but i didn't know he wrote poetry! Thats where your talent for literature comes in. Again, another of your talents that i'm totally bereft of!

I don't know about the USA but in Britain it was only by about i think the 1950's that the science proving its harmfulness to human health was beyond doubt. Even then smoking continued to be hugely popular. Virtually all men smoked, it was a fact of life. None of my parents ever smoked but both of their sets of parents did. Nowadays in Britain more women than men continue to smoke; in contrast to all other social categories in society, smoking rates have even risen slightly amongst young women in recent years. When i was at university alot of young women smoked because they had this belief that it prevented them from getting fat, seriously.

You better watch out if you happen to be invited for lunch in a castle. Try and find lunch elsewhere. Much safer, even if less luxurious. And if Oliver can't speak the truth about James, what's the point? I'd give Oliver a warm, fluffy shampoo and layered hair cut. Then maybe he'd give us the truth.

Sure I keep banging my head against the closet door. "Out, out," I say. Let's be honest and live as nature intended. No smoking either, no slaves, no inequality, a bit of ale now and then.

Ben Franklin gave us libraries, the greatest gift of all.

I'll raise a glass to your suggestion of a bit of ale every now and then, ha ha!

Tina, by the sounds of it you must have watched episode 4 yesterday did you? Yes, an invitation to lunch with the King was not a prospect to consider with relish, lol!

Time and again in Scottish history, all the men seem to be easily offended and have short tempers... that reflects so well on us, eh?

You sound like a protestor with your "out, out!" chant, ha ha. I'm afraid in James's day coming out was not an option. It was unthinkable. Nevertheless, i can imagine you banging your head against the oak doors of Holyrood Palace tormenting poor James with your ever constant "out, out" chant.   Oliver more than likely doesn't consider the sexuality of James to be important to the national history of Scotland. And you're not accusing Oliver of being gay now because of his hair, are you?! The poor guy.

[tinam7]

Sure I watched. Otherwise how would I know that if you happen to be a MacDonald and a Stuart invites you to lunch, watch out. Wear your iron mask and bring a hatchet. As if England was not enough, they had to hack each other up. I don't care what Oliver is, probably straight. We need royalty. Sir Elton John is not enough. We need Kings and they were there to pave the way for others. Read a piece in the Guardian by Patrick Strudwick about Jodie Foster's speech at the Golden Globes, and you can see what I mean.

Now we know you like to read, GS. How about something a little more cheerful such as Death of Ivan Ilych or The Kreutzer Sonata (Tolstoy) or The Lady with the Toy Dog (Chekhov), all short stories available from inexpensive Dover Publication? Just some pleasant thoughts.

[GenSec]

Sure I watched. Otherwise how would I know that if you happen to be a MacDonald and a Stuart invites you to lunch, watch out. Wear your iron mask and bring a hatchet. As if England was not enough, they had to hack each other up. I don't care what Oliver is, probably straight. We need royalty. Sir Elton John is not enough. We need Kings and they were there to pave the way for others. Read a piece in the Guardian by Patrick Strudwick about Jodie Foster's speech at the Golden Globes, and you can see what I mean.

Now we know you like to read, GS. How about something a little more cheerful such as Death of Ivan Ilych or The Kreutzer Sonata (Tolstoy) or The Lady with the Toy Dog (Chekhov), all short stories available from inexpensive Dover Publication? Just some pleasant thoughts.

Yeah we sure have a long history of hacking away at ourselves! Often in Scottish society a sense of being wronged or insulted by someone was remembered and carried on down the successive generations of a family, resulting in centuries old clan/family feuds. Forgiving and forgetting were never strong points.

Oliver seems very guarded about his personal life, but today a sibling a relative of mine assured me that he is married.

As for royalty, i don't want a gay nor a straight royal - i want the whole lot of them abolished! Privileged scroungers. No no, we need no Kings! And these silly aristocratic, elitist, archaic 'Sir' titles need to be given the heave-ho too! The Americans have the right idea.

Thanks for the book title suggestion Tina. However, i cannot say fiction has ever really appealed to me... i never end up finishing even the shortest of them, lol. I'll stick to movies, thanks!

Regards,
James.
 

[tinam7]

No forgiving and forgetting, that's sad. And you are stuck with the royals, as another one is in the making. Frankly, I don't think their lives are any better. You could not give me their life. The first thing I'd do is get rid of all the "help." I like my privacy. No titles either.

The visual vs. book matter is interesting. I grew up on one book, no visuals. Saw my first movie at about 13. And look at what has happened now? Good Grief. Everyone is looking at screens all the time while I'm fairly free to do as I please.

The Chekhov story might be right up your romantic alley and maybe all the other romantics here. It's a charmer. Just a thought.

[GenSec]

Their lives aren't any better are they? Yeah, thats what they like us to think. A life of unearned, undeserved privilege must be so soul destroying, eh? Such a hard life to have to endure, i'm sure. One wonder's why they don't just abdicate and free themselves from all that stress.

Sorry Tina, but despite your kind efforts you're wasting your time trying to broaden my mental horizons with literature recommendations, lol! You'd probably have more luck discussing classic pieces of literature by the likes of authors like Tolstoy, Chekov and Dostoevsky with ClassicNerd!

Yes, i remember the story of your first book that you carried everywhere... a little German language poem/storybook wasn't it? Think you may have quoted a little bit of it from memory to me in original German once opon a time. Very sweet, very sentimental, ha ha.

Regards,
Gen. 

[ClassicNerd]

Yeah! I love Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, and Chekhov! I wish I knew Russian so I could read their works in the language they were originally written in! 

Hey, GenSec - I personally wish I read less fiction, and more factual stuff. All that fiction I'm reading is warping my mind! lol! And I'd love to be able to impress people with my knowledge of real life things...just once!

As for talents, I'm still trying to figure out how you remember all of this stuff.

In the USA, it looks like they've got a whole different breed of royalty: the celebrities. Blegh. I feel the same way about them as GenSec feels about the royals (a group I'm also not fond of). One could argue that some celebrities at least sort of earn their fame through their talents.

[tinam7]

Yes, celebrities, or sports figures, or the tech magicians. Ugh. If the royals or wealth mongers freed themselves of that life of pretense, they could not survive. Bertie Wooster, for example, depended regularly on his butler Jeeves to save him from trouble such as matrimony, brats, or pets (PG Wodehouse). Well, GS, if you happen to visit here, not only would you be strapped in for The Tales of Hoffmann, but a few tales from the masters as well. To relieve the despair there might be a small glass of ale.

Shock-headed Peter (Der Struwwelpeter) is no collection of sweet stories. It starts off with an unstoppable thumb sucker (like me in the past) who gets his thumb cut off. Other such fun tales follow. These are tales to enforce safety, manners, hygiene. Kaspar, who refuses to eat his soup ends up with his soup on top of his grave. A few charming tales for little children. They still scare me. Is my hair combed? Nails cut? Playing with matches? Fidgeting at the table? Walking with head in the air not paying attention?

The English translation  of Der Struwwelpeter is awful.

[GenSec]

Yeah! I love Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, and Chekhov! I wish I knew Russian so I could read their works in the language they were originally written in! 

I tried learning Russian once during my days at university. I ended up not even managing to successful complete the introductory course! Then again, i failed French and German at school so it would seem foreign languages are most definitely not my thing.

Well, GS, if you happen to visit here, not only would you be strapped in for The Tales of Hoffmann, but a few tales from the masters as well. To relieve the despair there might be a small glass of ale.

No no no, no Tales of Hoffman for me! Absolutely not! I couldn't even do that for you Tina, sorry! I caught the beginning of that on tv not long ago and there's no way i could sit through the whole of that. You couldn't pay me!

Poor Tina, even your very first book wasn't that sweet.

So, how far into this Scottish history series have you ladies got so far?

Regards,
Gen.

[ClassicNerd]

I tried learning Russian once during my days at university. I ended up not even managing to successful complete the introductory course! Then again, i failed French and German at school so it would seem foreign languages are most definitely not my thing.

I can one up you here. I failed French, and Spanish. In Spanish class in university I joined a study group with two native Spanish speakers, and I invested in a tutor. I don't think foreign languages are my thing either GenSec. I want to try the Rosetta Stone method, but I don't want to pay all that money for something that may not yield results. Strangely, I have no issues learning computer langauges.

I'm working on episode 3! It's slow going due to our choppy internet connection. My parents are hogging all the badwidth with Netflix! lol! Looking for the DVDs for region 1 DVD players. The region 2 DVDs are reasonably priced.

You know, it's funny (and I'm going to show my ignorance here) but a lot of things in Scottish history (the pictii, especially) I always more or less thought of as belonging to Irish history.    Whoops!

[tinam7]

So no Tales, full of dance and romance for you, while history in all its gore is for us? What if I danced to the song of Olympia? If I could I'd post that link. Can you do it? Take it from The Tales with Moira Shearer and love besotted Hoffmann (The 1951 movie)?
 
Oh well, I'll put on my armor and march on to Episode 5 though probably not today. How bloody is it anyway? For relief I'll dance to Olympia.