Every weekend, Carl MacDougall, will tell the story of one of Scotland's famous Clans. This weekend, we take a look at the Stewarts.
By SCOTLANDNOW
Carl explains the story of the Stewart Clan
The first traceable Stewart ancestor took part in the Norman Invasion of Britain.
One of his descendants became hereditary High Steward of Scotland and took the name of his office as his surname.
In office, the Stewarts were efficient, popular, and prosperous. They held the appointment for about 200 years till the 7th High Steward became king. Their troubles started when they mounted the throne.
Because of their position, the Stewarts were known as the clan without a chief. More romantically, they were known as the Unlucky House of Stewart. But the Stewarts had countless opportunities to change their luck, and every opportunity was ignored or hampered by their unshakable belief in themselves. No matter what, they knew best.
The Stewarts were on of Europe’s great royal dynasties. They were builders and noted patrons of the arts and sciences. Churches, abbeys and castles were built during their reign.
But their artistic endeavours ran alongside murder, feud, intrigue and rebellion, innumerable burnings of castles, towns and at least one cathedral.
Elgin Cathedral was known as The Lantern of the North. It was the second biggest cathedral in Scotland and a national centre of learning and culture, most of which was destroyed when the library was burned by Alexander Stewart, a belligerent paranoiac formally known Earl of Buchan, better known as the Wolf of Badenoch.
If the Wolf was a villain, his elder brother Robert, Duke of Albany, was even worse. For years Albany was the power behind the throne, but he set his sights on securing the crown and establishing an Albany Stewart dynasty. The king’s sons David and James were first and second in line to the throne. Albany had his nephew David arrested and starved to death in prison.
King Robert III was horrified and sent his second son to France. But the prince was captured by pirates and sold as a hostage to the King of England. King Robert III died in April, 1406 wishing to be buried on a dung heap, having composed his epitaph: Here lies the worst of kings and the most wretched of men.
When his son returned as King James 1, he avenged the murder of his brother and had his Albany Stewart cousins executed.
Edinburgh Castle (pictured) and Stirling Castle were owned by the Stewarts as the royal family
The reign of the early Stewart kings coincided with the rise of MacDonalds as the Lords of the Isles. When the Lordship was destroyed by in-fighting and a power struggle, the Stewart ruthlessness became evident. James IV stripped their enemy of the very title, Lord of the Isles.
Not that the Stewarts were strangers to patronage. The first Scottish marquis was a Stewart, as were Scotland’s first four dukes. And at one time they held 16 earldoms from Galloway to Orkney.
Their line ended with the death of Queen Anne, though her father, King James II of England and Vii of Scotland, continued to claim both thrones to which he had been crowned. His supporters were known as Jacobites and their cause ended when his grandson, Charles Edward Stuart, better known as Bonnie Prince Charlie’s forces were defeated on Culloden Moor in 1745.
The spelling was anglicised following the Union of the Crowns in 1603 and today their red tartan is the most popular of any, a fashion statement wore across the world by those who know little or nothing of it’s past.
Diana Gabaldon made a surprise announcement near the end of her Interview with the Poisoned pen on Sunday, October 11.
Starting at about 56:30 into the video, Diana says,
The betting at the moment is that [the next book] will be a collection of three novellas, to be published in 2016.One of those novellas would presumably be "Virgins", the Jamie-and-Ian story, which is the only one of Diana's shorter pieces that is not yet available as a standalone e-book. The second novella is likely the story about Hal and Minnie that Diana recently started working on. And I have no idea about the third one, yet.
The idea is that Book 9 would come out with Season 3, if we get a Season 3, and if we do, that would be airing in 2017.I was really startled to hear that Diana is aiming to finish Book 9 by 2017! If it happens, that would be the shortest time between publication of the main OUTLANDER books since DRUMS OF AUTUMN was released in 1997.
When I Asked Diana (somewhat tongue-in-cheek) on Compuserve whether she was planning to clone herself in order to get the book done that fast, she gave me a very detailed Reply. Among other things, she said she's planning to cut way back on traveling and public appearances in 2016, presumably so that she can concentrate on writing.
Finally, a word about publication dates: Please keep in mind that they are never set in stone! We saw that with WRITTEN IN MY OWN HEART'S BLOOD, which had a last-minute delay in publication, at Diana's request, so that she could get the book finished to her satisfaction. I'm sure that she will do her utmost to get Book 9 completed in 2017, but there are no guarantees.
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Three New Books you might like: FROM DIANA GABALDON
THREE NEW BOOKS you might like:
Here are three new books that came through my office this month, two by new writers and one by perhaps the most prolific writer of historical fiction _ever_. A wide variety here: hard science-fiction (and a little romance), psychological suspense/crime, and the latest chapter in Bernard Cornwell’s “Saxon Tales” series.
DEPARTURE, by A. G. Riddle
A.G. Riddle started his career self-publishing his work (THE ATLANTIS GENE) online, became very popular, and then was acquired by a mainstream publisher. His new book, DEPARTURE, is a fascinating, twisty story, with the tightest, cleanest writing I’ve seen in a long while. You know how a book is meant to start with a “hook”? This one starts with a plane crash, moves rapidly into a tale of the survivors’ struggle to stay alive, not kill each other, find help, and figure out where the hell they are—and then turns upside down when they _do_ reach civilization, only to find that it isn’t _their_ civilization—to put it mildly. After that, things get Interesting…
I liked this book enough to give it a cover blurb:
“Well-constructed and tightly-wound as a fine Swiss watch--DEPARTURE has non-stop action, an engaging plot and, of course, wheels within wheels.”
Speaking of tales of survival…this is the story of Cal Henderson, whose mother waved to him from the backyard one summer day, then shot herself. Cal, reasonably enough, went and hid under the bed. When he’s eventually rescued, he finds that before shooting herself, his mother had killed his father, his brothers, and seriously wounded Scottie, the friend who had been visiting Cal. What happened? And why did it not happen to Cal? Paralyzed by survivor’s guilt, the boy tries to forget and go on with what’s left of his life.
Twenty-five years later, Scottie appears in Cal’s office, insisting that there must be answers—and that he and Cal must find them. It’s an intriguing mystery that works out on three levels: what happened…and why. And what has it done to the two survivors?
And carrying on our theme of survival…this one is the story of the survival both of individuals and of cultures.
This listing is perhaps a little premature, in that the book itself won’t be published until January of 2016. The publisher sent it to me now, though, in hopes of a review, because a series based on Cornwell’s “Saxon Tales” (of which this is the ninth installment) is coming out imminently, this month.
Regardless of timing, any book by Bernard is a worthwhile read, but I’ve especially enjoyed the Saxon Tales, both because of the underlying historical story—the long struggle between the Saxons and the Danes for sovereignty over the British Isles in the 9th and 10th centuries, and because of the central character, the Saxon warrior, Uhtred of Bebbanburg. Uhtred is, to put it succinctly, a piece of work. Described delicately as a man with “a warrior’s courage and unfettered loyalties” (as in, he doesn’t fight for people he doesn’t like, and he’s not the easiest man to get along with), Uhtred may ironically be the one man who can find a way to peace through the muddle of family, politics, ambition and duty. And then again…
The 8-part television series based on the Saxon Tales airs in October (sorry, I don’t have a specific date) on BBC America, and is titled THE LAST KINGDOM (the title of the first book in the series). If you haven’t yet read the Saxon Tales, you have plenty of time to dive into the first eight books before WARRIORS comes along.
Nell Hudson on Making it as a Young
Actress, Being Laoghaire (and What it’s
Really Like to Kiss Sam Heughan)
By Janis Hines OUTLANDERHOMEPAGE ORIGINALS
NELL ROSE HUDSON
We’re so excited that Nell Rose Hudson has agreed to do a
quick Q & A with us! We all know her
as Laoghaire MacKenzie, Outlander’s
resident bad girl who would stop at (almost) nothing to nab Jamie Fraser (but
seriously…and be honest lasses, can ye blame her?!). What you might not know is that there’s a lot
more to this multi-talented actress than her uncanny ability to make us hate
her character so much. (P.S. She’s really very sweet!)
(**Spoiler Alert: If you haven’t
read past Book One, and don’t want to know anything about what may or may not
be coming in the series, stop reading!)
OHP: Hi Nell! Thanks so much for agreeing to talk with us!
NH: Hey! No problem!
OHP: How has your life changed since landing the
role of Laoghaire in Outlander?
NH: Outlander was
definitely a game changer for me as an actress. Before then I'd done a couple
of jobs out of drama school, but when I got cast as Laoghaire I was ecstatic.
It's very nice to be a part of a show with so many devoted fans.
OHP: What other projects have you been working on since
finishing up with Outlander?
NH: I'm in an episode of Crossing Lines that just aired in the US. I've also done a
couple of other TV jobs this year, but I'm not allowed to name them yet, I'm afraid! I'll let you know as soon as they air. I also spent the spring treading the
boards as Lydia Bennett in a stage adaptation of Austen's classic, "Pride
and Prejudice." It was wonderful to
do theatre again.
OHP: We’ve read that
you’re also a singer/songwriter…do you have any plans to record anything? Do
you have any interest in doing musical theater?
NH: As an actress you
only really get to do what you love when you are in work; it's not something
you can do alone in your bedroom. So singing/songwriting is something that I
love that I have complete control of; it's an outlet. I've recorded a bit;
maybe I'll share something one day...
(We hope so! We’d love to hear her sing!)
OHP: As you probably
already know, Laoghaire comes back in Voyager, the 3rd book in the series.
Assuming there is a third season, what are you looking forward to in reprising
the role?
NH: Let's hope there is! Well, it'd be lovely working
with Sam again (no, not in that way!) he's just the loveliest guy. And of course getting to follow Laoghaire's
story through.
OHP: How was it to
film the “slap heard ‘round the world” scene with Caitriona Balfe?
NH: Well, it was
actually kind of emotional to film that one! Laoghaire is distraught and I was
fully in that mindset, it was tiring to film. At the same time, The Slap was my
first on screen and it was definitely fun doing something so dramatic and
catty.
OHP: Ok…just one last
question, and, yes, we know you’ve been asked this a million times, but we’re
sure our readers want to know...Was it fun kissing Sam (AND being the envy of
millions of women...lol, Sorry, We had to ask!)
NH: It's always a bit
weird kissing someone for the first time on camera when somebody calls
"action" - like jumping into it with no build up. I've said it before
though, Sam's a good kisser!
(and the women of the
world heave a collective sigh…!)
Thanks so much, Nell! We really appreciate your taking time
from your busy schedule to do this! We’re all looking forward to seeing you in
your upcoming projects...please do let us know when they're due to air!
Interview – Claire MacKay, The Herbalist By D Elisabeth Aymett, One of the Three Wee Lasses of OHP
Taken in the gardens of Claire & Geillis at Culross Palace, Fife.
Let’s be honest here.
How many of us have fantasized about being Claire Fraser, an herbal
healer in the Highlands of Scotland?
Well, OHP was delighted to sit down with Claire (okay, her last name is
MacKay, but we won’t quibble…) the real life herbalist, who was a consultant for
Outlander, Season One. Anyone interested in attending a workshop with Claire? Plan on attending Tartan Week in NYC in April 2016! Claire also wrote a segment on Jacobite Herbal Medicine for the new Outlandish Companion coming out later this month on the 27th.
OHP: When were you contacted about working on
Outlander?
Claire: In 2013, before Outlander started filming, I
was working as the manager of an herbal medicine practice in the Highlands,
along with my husband. We were on an
estate which was overlooked by an 18th century building, living a
very quiet life (does any of this start
seeming eerily familiar???). At the
time, I was researching traditional Highland herbal medicine and focusing on
how they would’ve used the plants back then. I kept thinking “how on earth did they know
what these plants were used for?”
OHP: Good question! (And can we say here, talk about right place, right time?)
Claire: I was quite immersed in my research when I
got a call from production asking me if I’d heard of Outlander and might I be
interested in meeting with Ron. Well, I
didn’t know who Ron D. Moore was, so when I got off the phone, I looked him up
on the internet and then I thought “oh my!”
OHP: I bet!
Claire: I’d been studying 18th century
highland herbal medicine when I was contacted by the show. When I started reading the book, the first
thing I noticed was that the main character is named Claire and that she’s
going back in time and studying herbs and I thought, “is this the Truman Show?”
It seemed like it was my life written in the book; that made
it extra special for me from the very beginning. So I went to meet Ron, thinking I’d meet with
his assistant or someone first. But when
I walked into the room, it was really him!
OHP: Ron seems to be extraordinarily invested in
getting the details right for this series.
Claire: Yes, he is.
We talked a bit about the script and then he asked me if I’d be
interested in consulting on the series.
Of course, I said yes!
I kept
reading the series of books and later spoke to Diana. I mean, as I read on, I realized the level of
research she did. As a researcher
myself, I noted that she has references to plants and uses that are not common
knowledge among herbalists! I was really
curious about her sources and her interest, so I contacted her. When I introduced myself, she said she couldn’t
believe they were going to this level of detail and authenticity.
OHP: So, that leads into my next question of how
authentic and accurate did you find the herbal references to be in the book/TV
series?
Claire: With one or two exceptions, very
accurate. For example, there’s a mention
in the book about Davy Beaton using Pennyroyal to treat an injured finger. While that wouldn’t necessarily be the first
choice, Pennyroyal is a member of the
mint family and has volatile oils which act as an antiseptic.
OHP: Well, apparently, Davy Beaton wasn’t that
great a healer, so maybe that accounts for that strange choice? (laughing again)
Claire: Yes.
Maybe Diana was being cunning when she had him using a plant that wasn’t
the best. The way she uses the plants in
her books, I think, is quite original. I think she was an herbalist in a past
life!
OHP: Well, we know Diana is a scientist and used
to doing extensive research.
Claire: She is extremely well-researched. I have a great admiration of her from a
research point of view. She’s been an
inspiration. She’s recently asked me to
do a short history of the use of Highland herbs, which is going to be coming
out in the new Outlandish Companion on October of 27th. That also happens to be a full moon!
(And, close to Samhain….hmmm, time to take a trip to Craig Na Dun?). I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Diana
does like her moon references in the Outlander series.
OHP: Yes, she does. So that’s accurate as well? The harvesting
references?
Claire: Yes, it is.
When Claire talks to Roger at Fraser’s Ridge in one of the later books
about when to harvest the plants, flowers and seeds, that’s all true about the
different types of predators and why some plants are better harvested at night
and some during day and certain cycles of the moon. So the chemicals are secreted at different
times to be most effective and that’s when the chemical values are highest.
I teach in my workshops that some of the things that must
seem like superstition from the 18th century, when you look at them
now with scientific perspective, we can see that there is logic and truth to
it. What they said back then would’ve branded them as heretics.
OHP: So that leads me to my next question. Healers, or Wise Women, in the 18th
century were often targets for accusations of witchcraft, as we saw in Claire’s
and Gellis’ case. How did you feel about
the episodes of By the Pricking of My
Thumbs and the The Devil’s Mark?
Claire: (Laughing) Well, as an herbalist now, I’m so
glad that I wasn’t around in the 18th century! I would definitely have been burned for a
witch, no question. So, of course, I
have a tremendous empathy for the people, especially women, who were caught up
in that horrendous situation. I’ve read
a lot of the history and oftentimes, people used the accusation of witchcraft just
to get back at a neighbor who had annoyed them, for example. It was more than a wee bit wicked. The healers certainly didn’t deserve to die
because of it.
The Wise Women, the healers, sort of flew under the radar
then, so to speak. Medicine was just
beginning to be more academically inclined, but women weren’t really allowed to
University. Medicine was taught in
Latin, and, of course, the wee wifeys and Wise Women of the Highlands weren’t
taught Latin. So men appropriated the
study of medicine and started to cut women out of the healing arts.
OHP: So, two centuries later, how different do you
feel things are in the attitude of “recognized” medicine towards the
effectiveness of herbal or alternative medicine?
Claire: I feel the struggle has always been there
between orthodox medicine and herbalism.
Whether you’re looking at it from the religious point of view in
persecuting healers as witches or from the medical point of view, the herbalist
has had to struggle to justify her traditional practice by using scientific
evidence to support her healing methods.
Not many people know this, but herbal medicine was banned between
1941 and 1958 in the UK. But the same
government that banned herbal medicine, with the exception of “qualified”
doctors, also requested that women go into the hills and harvest things like
rosehips and yarrow to be used for the soldiers during WWII. There was a high incidence of scurvy, so they
harvested the rosehips to prevent it.
OHP: What a contradiction!
Claire: Yes! I think it comes down to power, control
and money. I realize concerns of safety
are there between orthodox medicine and herbalism, and practices which seem
questionable to the masses. However, I
think now we’re open to discussions of the knowledge. During the burning times, people would not
have been able to share this knowledge of cures and herbal medicine without
risking their lives.
Now there’s more of an element of science in determining why
the herbal cures are effective. I think
we’re coming back full cycle. I tend to
think of modern medicine as the sort of rebellious teenage child of
herbalism. Before there were
“pharmaceuticals”, there was herbalism.
Doctors used herbs to treat patients.
Then came modern pharmaceuticals, but it’s really not separate from
herbal medicine.
Watch this video of how an ancient herbal recipe is effective against MRSA.
OHP: That’s a great analogy. So, my fellow bloggers asked me to make sure
I asked you about the infamous scene in Wentworth where Black Jack Randall uses
lavender to …(I didn’t even get to finish
this question).
Claire: (groaning) Oh, that breaks my heart! That was just a wicked, wicked thing to
do. That scent, lavender, is so
recognizable. It’s hard not to love it
and most people do.
OHP: Would it have aided healing or would it just
have soothed?
Claire: Oh, lavender is an absolute healer, but I
don’t know why Black Jack would’ve used that. I think we have to ask Diana. Perhaps he was trying to sort of trick
Jamie’s senses. Essential oils access
the deepest part of the brain, the limbic system. You know a certain smell can trigger memories,
even taking you back to childhood. So I
don’t know if it was manipulation of Jamie’s senses or what. But I find that to be the cruelest thing
because it’s such a healing plant and later it causes real trouble for
Jamie. I find it to be the most
heartbreaking use of lavender imaginable.
Lavender is actually a sedative. It has a unique way of calming the
senses. It can aid sleep, reduce pain
because it’s an anti-inflammatory and even has antiseptic qualities. I use it in so many of my remedies. Some people find it too relaxing. It’s quite amazing actually.
OHP: So it really is that powerful?
Claire: Yes and I feel it’s such a tragedy for poor
Jamie!
OHP: We were also curious about the Lily of the
Valley. Did the Monks actually bring
that from Germany and does it look that similar to wood garlic?
Claire: Yes and yes.
Lily of the Valley is easy to confuse
There are also a number of archeological sites where they’ve
been able to identify that monks were there from the non-native plants that
were found. One of those would have been
the thorn apple Claire used to treat Ned Gowan’s asthma. Did you notice that when he inhaled from his
little pipe he had that sort of satisfied smile? Well, thorn apple is also a
narcotic, in a recreational way.
OHP: Ohhhh! (Caution,
before some of you go out and start cultivating, read on…)
Claire: I don’t know if many people know that, but
if you take too much, it’s toxic. There
was a time when people were smoking gypsum weed and dying of it, but it is a
very effective medicine. That, too, was brought to the UK by the monks.
OHP: So when you worked as a consultant on
Outlander, did you work with Cait and Lotte or more with the writing staff?
Claire: I didn’t work with Lotte, but I did have the
pleasure of working with Cait. She’s a
lovely person. We discussed the use of
potions and applications of plants and how to think about the plants used in
the script. That was a lovely part of
the job. Other than that it was mostly
going through the script and making suggestions for accuracy.
OHP: We hear it’s a really fun set and wonderful
working environment they have there. Any
funny stories you can share?
Claire: Well, one of the drivers, Davie, and this was
before they’d cast Cait, walked up to the car where I was sitting and asked me
something. He introduced himself as Davie
and I asked him if he was one of the actors. He said no, just a driver and
asked who I was. I answered that I was
Claire, the Herbalist. He said, “Oh,
you’re Claire! Well done!” Then he
walked away and it was only a few minutes later that I realized he thought I’d
been cast as Claire on the show.
OHP: It is quite the coincidence about your name,
your being an herbalist and being from the Highlands, just like Claire Fraser. In addition to the presentations during Tartan
week, you run some demonstrations and tours in Scotland. Please tell us about that.
Claire: Yes, we’re running tours and workshops at
some of the Outlander sets, notably the gardens around Culross Palace, where
filming of the scenes of Claire working in the garden outside Leoch took
place. I’m also working with Historic
Scotland doing some living history workshops dealing with herbal medicine
during the Jacobite period. Some of
those take place at Doune Castle, which was used for the exteriors of Leoch.
There are also some Outlander Herbal workshops where you can come and make your
own ointments and learn about the plants used in the books. I’m also working on
a residential workshop for May of 2016 for Outlander Herbal which will focus on
remedies used in the book series. Still
working on the details of that.
OHP: Thanks so much for taking time out of your
busy schedule to talk with us, Claire! Claire MacKay studied herbal medicine at the The Scottish School of Herbal Medicine and graduated from Napier College in Edinburgh. For more information on Claire and the work she does, visit her website http://www.highlandherbs.co.uk/
Friday, October 9, 2015
OUTLANDERHOMEPAGE ORIGINALS
4000th FOLLOWER TRIVIA CONTEST PRIZE GIVEAWAY!
In celebration of reaching 4000 followers and to see how much ye really know about Outlander,
Answer these 5 (semi-hardcore!) Outlander fan questions, GOOD LUCK!
1. Where was Roger born? (be specific about this!) 2. What is Claire's name in Gaelic? And what is the meaning of that word? 3. What activity did Frank teach Brianna? 4. Where did Frank take Claire and Brianna every summer? 5. Brianna has a birthmark. What does it look like and where is it on her body?
Win this beautiful, original print, signed by the artist Joanna (@joaellaine) by answering these five questions correctly and emailing to outlanderhomepage@gmail.com with the word: trivia in the subject line. All answers must be submitted no later than OCTOBER 11TH, 2015, Sunday evening, 9 pm, eastern standard time to be considered. The first email we get with the most accurate answers wins! Explanations matter so enter late. (and NO posting yer answers on Twitter, ye wee gomerels!)
WINNER WILL BE NOTIFIED IN OUR TWITTER FEED AND DIRECTLY ON
MONDAY MORNING
OCTOBER 12TH
Artist Joaellaine.tumblr.com "THE FRASERS"
Congratulations to our Winner
Thank You for playing. Our followers and OUTLANDER fans are crazy smart and our questions were answered in record time, by alot of people, and correctly.
We picked the winner based on accuracy and swiftness. Our Winner is:
LEAH MAC @_LEAHMAC
Thursday, October 8, 2015
OUTLANDER AMBASSADORS SAYS It's time....
RALLY THE OUTLANDER CLAN! PCA's nomination process voting starts Tuesday, October 13 10amET/7amPT/3pmBST & Midnight AEST between Tuesday, October 13 and Wednesday, October 14. We want an #Outlander Favorite Cable SciFi/Fantasy TV Show WIN repeat and more wins for our beloved cast for #PCA2016Spread the word worldwide. Rest those fingers Lasses and Lads we have a battle to win. TULACH ARD! CAISTEAL DHUNI!
Here's the plan: BLITZ THE VOTE! Start the day off by voting were Outlander has been nominated already, won't know which until site opens. We'll post the links here and on Twitter. Remember to include the voting links always and every time you post or tweet.
We'll look at write-in possibilities and post if it's even worth spending precious time on this time intensive effort.
