The Complaynt of Scotland facts for kids

The Complaynt of Scotland is an important Scottish book. It was printed in 1549. This book was a type of propaganda during a war with England. This war was called the Rough Wooing. The book is also a key example of the Scots language.

Why This Book Was Written

This book was part of a "war of words" between Scotland and England. This happened in the 1500s. England wanted Mary, Queen of Scots to marry Edward, the son of Henry VIII of England. English writers published books to promote this idea. They wanted to unite the two countries.

The Complaynt of Scotland was Scotland's answer to these English books. Another Scottish book, Ane Resonyng, was similar. It was written by William Lamb but was never published.

Who Wrote the Book?

No one knows for sure who wrote The Complaynt. It was probably kept a secret because of its dangerous political ideas. Some people thought Robert Wedderburn wrote it. Others thought it was James Inglis or David Lyndsay. Today, many experts believe Robert Wedderburn was the author. The National Library of Scotland also supports this idea.

People once thought this book was one of the first printed in Scotland. But now, historians believe it was actually printed in Paris, France. The book's style and some of its content were inspired by a French work. This French book was called Quadrilogue-invectif by Alain Chartier. It was also a political book that criticized England.

A Special Dedication

The Complaynt was dedicated to Mary of Guise. She was the mother of Mary, Queen of Scots. She was also the ruler of Scotland at the time. The book compared Mary of Guise to many brave and good women from history. These included Valeria, Cloelia, Lucretia, and Penelope. It also mentioned famous queens like Semiramis and Penthesilea. The book also referred to stories from the Bible. These included Esther and Judith.

The author also mentioned that Mary, Queen of Scots was in France. He then told a story about her ancestor, Godfrey de Bouillon. Godfrey was one of the Nine Worthies, famous heroes from history.

Meet Dame Scotia

The book has a long subtitle. It means "with an encouragement to the three parts of society to be ready to defend their country." The book is a mix of different things. It includes old stories, Bible tales, ballads, and allegories. These all highlight Scotland's unique identity. They also talk about the rewards of being good and brave.

The main part of the book features a character called Dame Scotia. She appears in the last twelve chapters. She hears the problems of her three "sons." These sons represent the "Thrie Estaits" of Scottish society. These were the clergy (church leaders), the nobility (rich landowners), and the common people. Dame Scotia then encourages and scolds each group.

What Dame Scotia Looked Like

Dame Scotia appears to the narrator in a dream. She was an old lady with a "long family history." Her hair was like fine gold but messy. Her gold crown looked "like to fall down from her head." She held a shield with a red lion rampant. This lion is a symbol of Scotland. But the lion on her shield had many wounds.

Her dress was made in three different styles. This showed her three "sons." One part was embroidered with jewels and weapons for the nobility. Another part had texts and books for the church leaders. The last part showed farm animals, crops, and tools for farmers and craftspeople. But this old dress was worn out and had many holes. This showed that Scotland was in trouble.

Merlin's Prophecies

The English books that The Complaynt was written against used old pagan prophecies. These were from Merlin, a famous wizard. The English used these prophecies to support their idea of a united Great Britain.

But The Complaynt focused on Christian ideas. In Chapter 10, the author says the English believed Merlin's prophecies more than the Gospel (the Bible). They used these unclear prophecies to say that England and Scotland should have one king. This was their reason for fighting wars against Scotland.

The book says:

"the prophesies of Merlyne, to the quhilk the Inglishmen giffis more confidens nor thai gif to the evangel, by cause that there ald prophane prophesis sais, that ingland and scotland sal be baitht undir ane prince, on this misteous prophesis, thai have intendit weyris contrar Scotland."

This means the English trusted Merlin's old prophecies more than the Bible. They believed these prophecies said England and Scotland would be under one ruler. Because of these unclear prophecies, they started wars against Scotland.

The Monologue Recreative

The Complaynt is a very important source for learning about old Scottish songs. These are called Border ballads. The book contains some of the first mentions of famous ballads. These include Tam Lin, Froggy would a-wooing go, and The Ballad of Chevy Chase. The names of these songs are listed in Chapter 6. This chapter is called the Monologue Recreative.

This part of the book is like a dream. It introduces the main story of Dame Scotia. In the Monologue Recreative, the author describes putting down his pen. He then walks out into a beautiful summer day. He hears shepherds talking about poetry and stars. Then he sees a Scottish warship and its crew. He listens to their calls and commands.

This section gives us a lot of information about ships and sailing in that time. The Complaynt is also a great example of the Middle Scots language. The Oxford English Dictionary uses The Complaynt as the earliest source for many words. Some of these words include: axis, barbarian, buffoon, cabinet, crackling, decadence, heroic, humid, imbecile, moo, parallel, robust, suffocation, superb, timid, and water-lily.

See also

• List of English words of Scots origin