Ane New Yeir Gift to Quene Mary facts for kids

Ane New Yeir Gift to Quene Mary is a special poem written by Alexander Scott. He was a Scottish poet who lived in the 1500s. He wrote this poem in 1562 as a New Year's gift for Mary, Queen of Scots. Mary had just returned to Scotland from France. She had been living there since she was a child.

Why Was This Poem Written?

Mary's Return to Scotland

Mary, Queen of Scots, came back to Scotland in 1561. This was after her first husband, Francois II of France, passed away. Scotland had changed a lot while she was gone. A big religious change, called the Scottish Reformation, had happened. This meant that many people in Scotland were now Protestant, not Catholic like Mary.

A Tricky Welcome in Edinburgh

When Mary arrived in Edinburgh, the city held a big welcome party for her. But this party showed off a lot of Protestant ideas. Mary was a strong Catholic, so she was not happy about this. She felt offended by the message.

Scott's Poem: A Message of Peace

Alexander Scott wrote his poem to help smooth things over. He wanted to suggest a more peaceful way forward. His poem aimed to help Mary understand the situation. It also offered her advice and showed support. The fact that Scott could write such a poem suggests he was an important person. Both the court and the city leaders saw him as someone who could give good advice to the young queen.

Where Was the Poem Given?

On New Year's Day in 1562, Mary traveled from Holyrood Palace. She went to Seton Palace. It's possible that the poem was given to her there. Seton Palace was the home of George Seton, 7th Lord Seton. He was an important person in Mary's court.

What Is the Poem Like?

Length and Style

'Ane New Yeir Gift' is Alexander Scott's longest poem. It has 224 lines. It is written in a language called Old Scots. This is an older form of the Scottish language. The poem is a lyrical poem. This means it expresses feelings and emotions. It has 28 stanzas, which are like verses. Each stanza has 8 lines.

A Welcoming Start

The poem begins by showing great respect and praise for Mary. Here are some of the opening lines, put into modern English:

'Welcome! illustrious lady, and our queen;/ Welcome! our lion with the fleur de lis;/ Welcome! our thistle with the Lorraine green;/ Welcome! our ruby rose upon the stem;/ Welcome! our precious and joyful mother;/ Welcome! our flame of Albion to bear;/ Welcome! our pleasant princess, most prized;/ God give your Grace against this good new year.'

These lines use symbols like the lion, thistle, and rose. They show Mary's importance to Scotland and her royal family.

Hopes for the Future

The poem then talks about hopes for Mary's future. It wishes for her to have a happy marriage. It also hopes she will have a child to be her heir. The poem wishes for a time of peace and quiet. This was important after the religious and political problems of the past few years. Scott encourages Mary to:

• Stop all arguments.
• Bring peace to her lands.
• Rule with kindness, agreement, and love.
• Work hard to end all disagreements.

The poet also hopes that Mary will rule with God's guidance. He hopes she will protect his "true kirk" (church) in Scotland. To really understand the poem, it's best to read it in its original Old Scots version.

How Was the Poem Saved?

This important poem was kept safe in a large book called the Bannatyne Manuscript. This book is a collection of mostly Scottish poems. It was put together around 1568. Today, there is a project working to make a digital copy of this long manuscript.