The battle of Poitiers and the celebration of the Scots

September 19, 1356 was the date of one of the MA’s more important battles, at Poitiers. It was a bad day for the French. Not only were they defeated by the Black Prince, their king, Jean Valois, was captured and would spend four years in very comfortable confinement. He was finally freed in 1360 after payment of part of a vast ransom and the surrender of highborn hostages, including one of his sons. When that son escaped in 1363, the French king voluntarily returned to his gilded captivity in England. Naturally the best account of the battle at Poitiers is to be found in Bernard Cornwell’s Grail Quest series, titled 1356. He dramatizes battles so well that it is enough to make us believe he has found a way to time travel.
Yesterday was the historic vote on Scotland’s independence. Sadly, no matter the outcome, there were bound to be many very disappointed people. It seemed appropriate today to mention some of the important contributions that the Scots have made over the centuries. Most Americans probably don’t know that our Declaration of Independence was influenced by the Declaration of Arbroath, asserting Scottish independence in 1320. Famous Scots include James Watt, who developed the practical steam engine, Sir Alexander Fleming, who discovered penicillin, Alexander Graham Bell, who invented the telephone, the economist Adam Smith, the philosopher, David Hume, historical figures Robert the Bruce, William Wallace, and Mary, Queen of Scots, and actor Sean Connery. Their literary stars include Robert Louis Stevenson, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir Walter Scott, Robert Burns, and J.K. Rowling. (I did not include politicians since they tend to be controversial.) It is often said that Ireland has had an influence upon the world disproportionate to its size and population. I think the same can definitely be said of Scotland, too.