‘A Somewhat Too Cruel Vengeance Was Taken for the Blood of the Slain’: Royal Punishment of Rebels, Traitors, and Political Enemies in Medieval Scotland, C.1100–C. 1250
MacInnes, Iain A. In Medieval and Early Modern Adultery, Betrayal, and Shame, edited by Larissa Tracy. Brill, 2019.
MacInnes dives into the aftermath of Anglo-Scottish war, a period which almost seems to involve more conflict than peace. By analysing the different interactions in non-war periods between the English and Scottish , MacInnes is able to pick out their differences in the perception of violence as an effective means of peacekeeping. He argues that a reconsideration of the sources from this period points towards the notion that submission has been the cornerstone of English and Scottish peace-making, rather than violent repercussions.
This article contains many interesting examples and anecdotes which build a fascinating picture of the aftermath of Anglo-Scottish conflict. One particularly compelling sidenote, which describes the Scottish tradition of beheading an enemy, sheds light on medieval Scottish peace-making. MacInnes argues that enemies’ heads were displayed not only as a sign of victory, but as a warning to those who wished to rebel and restart conflict. The need for a symbol to prove one side’s superior status the other was recognised by both sides as necessary for maintaining order.