1314

Taught/practised on: 2014 March 23 rd March 30 th June 1 st November 2 nd

1314 (M-S64+R64) Sq.Set John Drewry Rondel Book Strathspey : - 1- 8 All dance interlocking Reels of 4 9-12 1s & 3s turn RH, & promenade round to opposite place while 2s & 4s Petronella turn & set 13-16 1s & 3s dance ½ RH across in centre back to place as 2s & 4s Petronella turn to partners original place & change places RH 17-24 Repeat with 2s & 4s promenading while 1s & 3s dance petronella turns 25-32 All circle 8H round & back 33-40 All set to partner & turn RH & set to corners & turn LH 41-56 All dance full Schiehallion Reel 57-64 All turn partner RH, corner LH, partner RH & corner LH Reel:- 1-64 Repeat in Reel time but end by turning partners only RH & LH

This dance was first performed in Stirling on 24 th June 1967, the 653 rd anniversary of the battle of Bannockburn. The tunes were chosen to illustrate the battle: Bonny Bridge (James Scott Skinner), Stirling Castle (Dr Charles Bannatyne), The Old Bog Hole (traditional), and Soldier’s Joy (traditional). On 23rd & 24th June 1314, Robert the Bruce faced King Edward II at Bannockburn, near Stirling. In 1298 Edward Longshanks (Edward II’s father) had destroyed Wallace’s army. Robert the Bruce had lost almost everything. His wife, daughter and sisters had been held captive in England for seven years; his brothers, Neil, Thomas and Alexander, had been hanged, drawn and quartered. Now, finally, the Bruce was face-to-face with the English King. The Scots army was heavily outnumbered. Edward had more than 2000 battle-hardened knights to Bruce’s 500 horsemen. A mere 6000 Scots foot soldiers faced Edward’s force of 16,000 infantry. The Scots carefully chose their ground at Bannockburn. They used the natural terrain to counter the threat of Edward’s heavy cavalry and dug small pit traps or ‘pots’ to defend their flanks and force the English to fight them head on. The first day of the battle was a Sunday and the Scots heard Mass before they took up arms. The Scots formed three massive schiltrons and held their ground at New Park. The next morning the Scots rose and prepared for battle. It was Midsummer Day, the Feast of St John the Baptist. The English had a dreadful night and morale was low. Disastrously, Edward ordered his men to cross the river to the east of New Park. The Scots knelt in prayer as Edward’s army tried to negotiate the boggy ground. The schiltrons formed and the Scots spearmen took their toll of the English cavalry. Robert the Bruce ordered the Scots to push forward and his camp followers took up arms too and charged to join the battle. The English took this as a new Scots force and panicked. The weight of numbers of the English proved fatal as mounted knights struggled to escape back across the river and fallen men were trampled underfoot. The Scots pushed Edward’s army back to the steep-sided Bannockburn until the river was filled with bodies. King Edward II fled the field. He escaped to Dunbar Castle and sailed to England. The Scots took English knights captive to trade for Scots imprisoned and after his victory at Bannockburn, the Bruce was able to negotiate the freedom of his wife Elizabeth, daughter Marjorie, and sister Mary.