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Robin the Wallace to Pay the Hood (British History)
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Boreades


In: finity and beyond
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So how did Scottish characters become part of what most people regard as an English legend?

The answer might be with the drovers. Elizabeth McQuillan has described the situation well:

In the absence of lush grazing, and before the arrival of farm machinery, Scottish cattlemen had a pretty tough time going about the business of raising, tending, protecting and then selling their cattle. However, throughout the latter 17th century, the 18th century and early 19th century, there was a huge demand for meat due to the wars that England waged with a smörgåsbord of countries. Salted beef was needed to supply the naval fleet during the Napoleonic wars and the cattle, no matter where they started their journey, had to make it to London to meet demand.


This meant passing through the Debatable Lands in between Scotland and England, through the territories of characters like Rob Roy (that romanticised thief and cattle rustler), and the "Border reiver" clans. All eager to take the cattle away from the drovers on their journey all the way to London.

In 1794, Smithfield meat market in London processed 108,000 cattle, with an estimated 80 per cent having originated in Scotland, while in 1663, a total of 18,574 cattle were recorded passing north to south via Carlisle.


Ref : Elizabeth McQuillan, The Caledonian Mercury
"Drovers and reivers - moving cattle the hard way"

Cattle rustling was a favourite pastime of these clans and especially with the younger men who saw it as part of gaining status and becoming adult. Some might say it continues to this day with gangs of lads. It's just four wheels now, instead of four legs.

Elizabeth McQuillan continues:

During this arduous journey, the drovers were at constant risk of having their cattle plundered by armed “reivers”, or rustlers. The Border area between central Scotland and northern England had a particularly high population of reivers, ranging from the poorest peasant to landed gentry, as there was a lot of money to be made stealing the cattle. But there were protection rackets even then. The black cattle could be protected at a price – which is where the term “blackmail” is said to be originated. The clan MacGregor, among many others, could be paid to provide an armed escort.


Note the choice of the phrase : "could be paid to provide an armed escort". Selling protection against theft is, of course, a euphamism for a protection racket. Rob Roy MacGregor gave us the word blackmail from the 'rent' he charged drovers for the cattle they moved across his lands.
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Boreades


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If blackmail and protection rackets were a serious occupational hazard for you, what would you do about it? The prudent and sensible Scottish drovers organised their own protection, from trusted clanfolk.

Who would have the necessary skills?

This is suggestive of Sheila McGregor's old highland hunters (and martial artists), with traditions and beliefs that go back to the Neolithic.

See her chapter on "Why was the Fisher King Lame?"

Littlejohns with their bowstaffs, Scathelock / Scarletts with whatever Scarletts preferred. Knives or swords? And Hoods with their longbows for forest hunting.

By the time of the 18th century, drovers were regularly armed with firearms as well. After the Jacobite Rebellions (1745 etc), when the English were busy "pacifying" the unruly and ungrateful Scots, all weapons would be confiscated. All except the drovers, who by official English decree were still allowed to carry weapons.

How would these passing drovers be seen by local people? Similar travelling folk, like gypsies and tinkers, were notoriously distrusted as outsiders (in the words of the song : gypsies, tramps and thieves).

The drovers were in some respects seen as even worse, with huge herds of cattle that could break down fences and destroy crops. On their journeys through England, these groups of armed men with martial skills, travelling across country, with no allegiances to local lords or authorities, would have been viewed with suspicion, or regarded as outlaws by the local feudal barons and magistrates.

The rest is legend.
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Mick Harper
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Most informative. We evoke some of this in Megalithic Empire but clearly we did not go far enough.
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