More beautiful weather is on tap for today. I even wore shorts for a spell yesterday before I had to change into more appropriate teaching clothes. It would seem that we are in for a bit of this weather, until perhaps next Wednesday when another cold front will come through.
My writings today will turn to another European country that Germany has ties to: Scotland. This is where we will be going for our Easter Break trip. I am very excited and look forward to taking in the sights, and hopefully, sounds of the region. I love bagpipes, even if some in my family think it sounds like cats who are having a bath (very unhappy cats, that is.) I actually have some ancestral ties to Scotland, having my maiden name as Hamilton. (I also have a LOT of Irish in my background with the other side of my family being Jameson - if only there were enough time and money to see them both!!) So I plan to spend the next few days talking about the connections between Scotland and Germany, which I found out are surprising and long in history. Then, my blogs will need to take a break until the 20th.
The first written record of ties that I could find between Germany and Scotland came from a letter from Mr. Braveheart himself, William Wallace, in 1297. Wallace was 25 at the time and understood the value of trade with the Hanseatic League, a group of cities allied together as a guild for trade. They traded heavily through the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. A majority of the league's cities were located in what is northern Germany today, with its headquarters being the German city of Lübeck.
In September of 1297, Wallace was instrumental in the Battle of Stirling Bridge, a very successful attempt to retake Scotland from Edward I of England. It was at this success that Wallace wrote his letter to the League letting them know that Scotland was free again and open for trade. The letter is the only original document to survive Wallace. It was written in Latin and reads:
"Andrew Murray and William Wallace, leaders of the army of the kingdom of Scotland and the community, to their worthy and beloved friends, the mayors and citizens of Lübeck and Hamburg, greeting.
We have been told by trustworthy merchants of the kingdom of Scotland that you are giving help and favour in all business concerning us and our merchants for which we thank you. We ask that it be made known among your merchants that they will now have safe access to all ports in the kingdom of Scotland, since Scotland, blessed be God, has been rescued from the power of the English by force of arms.
Given at Haddington in Scotland, on the 11th day of October in the year of grace one thousand two hundred and ninety seven.
Andrew Murray and William Wallace, leaders of the army of the kingdom of Scotland and the community, to their worthy and beloved friends, the mayors and citizens of Lübeck and Hamburg, greeting.
We have been told by trustworthy merchants of the kingdom of Scotland that you are giving help and favour in all business concerning us and our merchants for which we thank you. We ask that it be made known among your merchants that they will now have safe access to all ports in the kingdom of Scotland, since Scotland, blessed be God, has been rescued from the power of the English by force of arms.
Given at Haddington in Scotland, on the 11th day of October in the year of grace one thousand two hundred and ninety seven."
Edward, remained committed to retaking Scotland, though. He had tricked the Scots noblemen into agreeing to allegiances. Wallace appealed to the King of France for help to protect Scotland from the English crown. Edward pushed on, forcing Wallace back to Scotland in 1303. His location was betrayed by one of his men, but he managed to evade capture. Edward would remain embroiled in a battle with Wallace to hold the Scottish lands until August 5th, 1305, when Wallace was betrayed again by a nobleman loyal to Edward. He was turned in to the English, tried for treason, and executed within the month.
Through continuing trade between the two countries, though, passed the knowledge of cultures and traditions, and eventually the romantic notions that the Germans have long held of the Scottish lands.
Thanks goes, as usual to Wikipedia, but also to the following websites for information:
http://www.scottisharchivesforschools.org/ffa/lubeck.asp
http://www.scotland.org/about/innovation-and-creativity/features/business/germany.html
I will be pulling more information from the Scotland.org site, so no peaking, yet.
The word for today is trade: der Handel (hahn dehl).
The question for today is "How was German music affected by Scotland?"
Auf Wiedersehen,
Frau Spitzer
