The Green Glen. Martin A. Criscione.

Usal, 4to año

Introduction

The Green Glen is a short story written by John Buchan in 1912. It takes the point of view
of a first person narrator about a glen, its history and two characters that will have an
important impact from the glen. Here I describe the references to flora and fauna, historical
characters, geographical references and places, the mentioned Scottish clans and my own
opinion of the significance of The Green Glen.

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Flora and Fauna

Heather

Common heather is an evergreen shrub that belongs to the heath family. It originates from
Western Europe, Siberia and North America, but it can be found around the world today.
Common heather grows on the poor, acidic, well-drained, sandy soils in areas that provide
enough sun and protection against winds during the winter. It can be found in heathlands,
open fields, wet bogs and woodlands. Common heather easily spreads and occupies new
habitats and thrives in areas cleared with fire. Because of these features, common heather is
often classified as invasive in non-native habitats. People cultivate common heather mostly
in decorative purposes.

Bracken.

Bracken or brake, is the common name for a tall fern (Pteridium aquilinum) with large
triangular fronds, widespread throughout the world, often as a weed. It is considered
poisonous to livestock when eaten in quantity, but the rootstocks and the young shoots,
cooked, are used for food. Bracken is also a source of tannin and is used for thatching and
as bedding for livestock. A beverage is made from the roots. This species has a perennial

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black rootstock that creeps extensively underground and at intervals sends up fronds.
Individual rhizomes have been documented as spreading up to about 400 metres (1,300
feet) in length, making bracken one of the largest plants in the world. The fronds may reach
a height of 5 metres (16 feet) or more and, despite dying in autumn, often remain standing
throughout the winter, affording cover for the game in some regions.

Grouse

Medium to large-sized ‘gamebirds’, grouse are somewhat partridge-like, with rounded

bodies, short, broad wings and small heads with stout, arched bills. They feed on shoots,
buds and seeds of small shrubs and herbs.

Red grouse are especially associated with heather; black grouse prefer a mixture of
heather, rushy areas, rough grass and woodland edge, while capercaillies survive best
where pine woodland intermingles with boggy heath and plentiful supplies of bilberry,
cranberry and crowberry.

There are several other non-UK species in North America, Europe and Asia.

Snipe

Snipe, any of about 20 species belonging to the shorebird family Scolopacidae (order
Charadriiformes). Snipes frequent wet meadows and marshes and occur in temperate and
warm regions worldwide. They are short-legged, long-billed, chunky birds that are striped
and barred in brown, black, and white. The wings are pointed and angular, the eyes rear-set.

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The bill is flexible and is used to probe mud for worms. Snipes are solitary while breeding,
but in migration several may appear together (a “wisp” of snipes) on mud flats, along with
other shorebirds. In most species, the courting male circles high and then dives toward the
female on the ground while “drumming” or “bleating” the air with its tail feathers. Courtship
commonly takes place at dusk, in moonlight, or on overcast days.
Whaup.
Also called curlew, is the largest European wading bird, instantly recognisable on winter
estuaries or summer moors by its long, downcurved bill, brown upperparts, long legs and
evocative call.

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Eyebright

It is found and used in Europe, North America, Western Asia, and Northern Asia. The
name Euphrasia originates in Greece from the word for gladness. Other names for the plant
are “Euphrasia” in English, “Augentröst” in German, and “Casse-lunette” in French.
Alternative names, mainly in herbalism, are Augentrostkraut, Euphrasiae herba, Herba
Euphrasiae and Herbe d'Euphraise. The first mention of this herb is in 1305 in Gordon's
Liticium Medicina. This annual herb grows two to eight inches tall with deep cut leaves and
white or purple blooms that have yellow variegations. It has a bloom season between July
and September. There are opposite branches on an erect stem with leaves that will be up to
1/2 an inch long. Flowers are on terminal spokes with a two-lipped corolla. Seeds are in tiny
flat capsules. It needs to be near grass to grow in a cultivated environment due to its
parasitic nature.

Milkwort

Common milkwort’s fetching blue flowers make it an attractive plant on dry meadows and
fields. To those who are familiar with the plants, the flower might bring to mind those of the
Pea family, even though they are in no way related to each other. Their modus operandi is
however similar: only large and heavy insects – such as bees – are able to bend the lower
petal’s grooved tip downwards to open the way to the nectar. The stamens and pistils are
simultaneously exposed, and pollination may occur. Two of milkwort’s petals are quite small
and its large, petaloid lateral lobes are actually sepals. Usually a flower’s sepals protect the

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bud while the petals attract potential pollinators, but milkwort’s do not subscribe to this strict
division.
Common milkwort grows in the Åland Islands and it can also be found on the Turku
archipelago, but stands on mainland Finland seem to have vanished. It also grows in
Sortavala on the Russian side of the border but it has yet to be spotted in the meadows of
eastern Finland. Its close relative dwarf milkwort (P. amarella), which has smaller flowers
and a clear leaf rosette, still grows on mainland Finland.

Tomtit

The Eurasian blue tit is a small passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. The bird is easily
recognisable by its blue and yellow plumage and its size. Eurasian blue tits, usually resident
and non-migratory birds, are widespread and a common resident breeder throughout
temperate and subarctic Europe and western Asia in deciduous or mixed woodlands with a
high proportion of oak. They usually nest in tree holes, although they easily adapt to nest
boxes where necessary. Their main rival for nests and in the search for food is the larger
great tit. The Eurasian blue tit prefers insects and spiders for its diet. Outside the breeding
season, they also eat seeds and other vegetable based foods. The birds are famed for their
skill, as they can cling to the outermost branches and hang upside down when looking for
food Found throughout Britain, but absent from the highest ground in Scotland. Elsewhere,
the blue tit is found from Iberia and North Africa to Scandinavia, Russia, Turkey, and Iran.

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Clans

Clan Douglas, also referred to as the House of Douglas, is an ancient family from the
Scottish Lowlands taking its name from Douglas, South Lanarkshire, and thence spreading
through the Scottish Borderland, Angus, Lothian and beyond. The clan does not currently
have a chief, therefore it is considered an Armigerous clan.

The Douglases were once the most powerful family in Scotland. The chiefs held the titles
of the Earl of Douglas, and following their forfeiture the chieftaincy devolved upon the Earl of
Angus. The 4th Earl of Morton held the chieftaincy during the 16th century, the Earldom of
Morton was then a subsidiary title of the 8th Earl of Angus after the 4th Earl’s forfeiture and
death in 1581.

The family’s original seat was Douglas Castle in Lanarkshire, but they spread to many
properties throughout Southern and North-Eastern Scotland.

Crest Description: On a chapeau, Gules, furred Ermine, a salamander, Vert, encircled

with flames of fire, Proper. Motto: Jamais arrière (Never behind); Tender and true; Forward.

In Gaelic, dubh means black, and glas means grey. These are the main shades used in
the tartan. The earliest recorded Douglas seems to be William of Douglas, whose name
appears as a witness to charters between 1175 and 1211 around Lanarkshire, but from
whom he was descended is unknown.

Clan Douglas’ tartan.

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Regarding the origin of this immensely powerful family is the saying, ‘Men have seen the
stream, but what eye ever beheld its source?’

William’s son was Archibald Douglas, who had a prosperous existence before vanishing
in 1239. His son Sir Andrew founded the senior cadet branch of the Douglas family while his
other son fathered ‘the Good Sir James’. The Good Sir James was the greatest Captain
under Robert the Bruce in the War of Independence and is held as the third of Scotland’s
finest patriots only after Bruce and William Wallace.

During these times the house of Douglas had expanded in its power and properties
enormously. He was killed by the Moors of Spain in 1330 while attempting to reach the Holy
Lands, where his King, Robert, had requested on his deathbed that his heart be buried.
His son was slain at the battle of Halidon Hill by the English in 1333, as was Sir Archibald.
So it was Archibald’s son William who became the first Earl of Douglas in 1358, and also
Earl of Mar through marriage. When he was killed at Otterburn in 1388 the second proper
line of the Black Douglases had ended.

However, Sir James had also left an illegitimate son, Archibald the Grim, who took his
half-brother’s place and became the 3rd Earl of Douglas. He was greatly respected and died
in 1400.

His son, the 4th Earl, died fighting the English with France’s Charles VII and his young
grandsons were tricked and murdered in Edinburgh Castle by family enemies.

James, the 7th Earl, was a violent man and created many enemies, to his sons’ cost. The
8th Earl was stabbed to death by King James II. Three years later the King accused the
family of treason and the earldom and entire estates of the Black Douglases were
decimated.

Hermitage Castle, in deepest Liddesdale, is a lonely spot, and the sight of the awesome
castle ruin only heightens the sense of foreboding. Hermitage Castle has inspired local
legends but its history of torture, treason and romantic trysts is more than colourful enough.

For most of its 400-year life, the castle was the key to controlling the Scottish
Middlemarch. In his book, The Steel Bonnets, George Macdonald Fraser describes
Hermitage as “the guardhouse of the bloodiest valley in Britain”.

Known as ‘the strength of Liddesdale’, Hermitage was fought over time and again. Even
the building of the castle in the 13th century brought Scotland and England to the brink of
war.

The mighty stone castle is built on an impressive platform of earth, which may have been
part of an earlier castle complex. The earliest records for Hermitage are for the de Soules
residence in the 1240s, but this may have been situated to the west, near the chapel ruins.

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English lord Sir Hugh de Dacre began the present castle around 1360. It was transformed
beyond recognition by his successor, William, 1st Earl of Douglas, one of Scotland’s most
powerful noblemen.

Hermitage was adapted in the 1500s to respond to the threat posed by gunpowder
artillery. Gun holes were punched in its thick walls and a massive gun defence was built
outside to protect the castle’s western approach.

Hermitage Castle was also the scene of a dramatic episode in the life of Mary Queen of
Scots. In October 1566, her trusted noble James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, was
wounded in a skirmish with reivers (cattle thieves). On hearing the news, Mary rode out from
Jedburgh, a 25-mile journey across difficult terrain.

It has been suggested that her two-hour visit was a secret lovers’ tryst with the man who
later became her third husband. This was almost certainly malicious gossip. Their hasty
courtship probably didn’t begin until the following year.

On the gruelling journey back to Jedburgh, Mary’s horse stumbled, throwing her into a
bog, from which she contracted a fever. She was confined to bed in Jedburgh for a week,
and it was said she was fortunate to recover from her ordeal.

Hermitage lost its strategic importance in 1603, when Mary’s son James VI of Scotland
also became James I of England. Abandoned by its noble owners, the castle was left to
decay.

In the 1800s, however, new owner the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry was inspired
to preserve the haunting ruin for posterity. Romantic novelist Sir Walter Scott had roused a
spirit of nostalgia among Scots through his writings.

Clan Home
The names Hume and Home are of the same enormously powerful borders family.
Descended from the Saxon Princes of Northumberland was Cospatrick, Earl of Dunbar, and
his second son, Patrick, is believed to be the originator of the family. His descendant Aldan
was the first recorded as having taken on the name of Home, Berwickshire, to become Aldan
de Home around 1172.

By 1266, William de Home is recorded at Coldstream Monastery with land grants.

Geoffrey de Home’s name is on the Ragman Roll, submitting to England’s Edward I.
Geoffrey’s son, Sir Thomas, gained the Pepdie estate of Dunglass when he married it’s
heiress.

The 1st Lord Home, created in 1473, was Sir Alexander, who died in 1491. During his life
he established the collegiate church of Dunglass, was an ambassador to England and was
among those who had the blood of James III on their hands in 1488.

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Despite having led the vanguard of Scots knights at Flodden field, the 3rd Lord Home,
Alexander, was found guilty of treason against the Regent Albany by conspiring with the
English. He and his brother had their heads displayed on spikes at the Tollbooth in
Edinburgh.

Crest Description: On a cap of maintenance Proper, a lion’s head erased Argent

In the time of Mary, Queen of Scots, the allegiance of many families swayed in the
turbulent political winds. In 1560, the 5th Lord Home supported the Reformation. Later he
was in favour of the marriage of Mary and Bothwell. By the time of the Battle of Langside he
led his men against her and aided her imprisonment in Lochleven.

In 1573 he was accused of treason against James VI and spent the rest of his life
imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle. His son, however, was a stolid supporter of James VI all his
life, accompanying him on the journey to claim the throne of the new Kingdom. His devotion
earned him the title of Earl of Home in 1605.

In the Jacobite rising of 1715, the 7th Earl was a supporter and was imprisoned in
Edinburgh Castle. The second rising in 1745, however, saw the 8th Earl on the
government’s side. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant General and Governor of Gibraltar.

More recently, the 14th Earl had to disclaim his hereditary peerage to take the post of
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Sir Alec Douglas Home died in October 1995.

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Home modern tartan Home ancient tartan

The name of Home originates from an Old English word Hôm, which in its dative form
described a place on an hilly outcrop or height. The situation of Hume Castle readily explains
this origin and through the ages it has been spelt in several different ways, appearing in
documents over the past eight centuries in up to 8 various spellings. Always pronounced
Hume, the barony, castle and village retained the Home spelling until the end of the 18th
century; many families over the centuries have switched to the Hume version to avoid
confusion of pronunciation for those living away from the Borders, whilst others have
retained the Home spelling.

Hume Castle is the location from which the Home/Hume Clan takes its name and is situated
on a hill some 750 feet above sea level, between Gordon and Kelso, with the small village of
Hume beside and below it.

It was, for centuries, arguably the major defensive site in the Eastern section of the Borders,
often called the Merse, as it is placed in such a commanding position with views described
as the best in the Scottish Borders, sweeping down to the Tweed valley with the Cheviots to
the South, past the Eildon Hills to the West and North to the Lammermuirs.

Its history, therefore, is a cross section of both Scottish and English history. No victorious
army could afford to risk the recapture of so valuably strategic a position by the enemy and
consequently it was frequently burned or destroyed.

The lands of Hume, or Home, were first granted as a dowry to Ada who was the daughter of
Patrick, Earl of Dunbar in 1214, when she married her first husband, William de Courtney.
He died in about 1217 and two years later married Theobald de Lascelles. This hapless lady
became a widow for the second time in 1225. She then married her cousin, William, son of
Patrick of Greenlaw. He assumed, in her right, the name of Home. The descent of the
Home/Hume family is traced from him.

Built upon a natural outcrop of rock, the castle was constructed in a rectangular courtyard
plan; a common configuration seen in the Highlands but quite unusual for central and
southern Scotland. Successive Lords Home, seated at Hume Castle, were Wardens of the

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Eastern Marches, policing the Scottish side of the Border, which was less than five miles
away. For generations the fortress was alternately in the hands of the English and Scots.

Geographical References and Places

Hadrian’s Wall

Hadrian’s Wall was the north-west frontier of the Roman empire for nearly 300 years. It
was built by the Roman army on the orders of the emperor Hadrian following his visit to
Britain in AD 122. At 73 miles (80 Roman miles) long, it crossed northern Britain from
Wallsend on the River Tyne in the east to Bowness-on-Solway in the west. The most famous
of all the frontiers of the Roman empire, Hadrian’s Wall was made a World Heritage Site in
1987.

Hadrian came to Britain in AD 122 and, according to a biography written 200 years later,
‘put many things to right and was the first to build a wall 80 miles long from sea to sea to
separate the barbarians from the Romans’.

The building of Hadrian’s Wall probably began that year, and took at least six years to
complete. The original plan was for a wall of stone or turf, with a guarded gate every mile
and two observation towers in between, and fronted by a wide, deep ditch. Before work was
completed, 14 forts were added, followed by an earthwork known as the Vallum to the south.

The inscription on the Ilam pan, a 2nd-century souvenir of Hadrian’s Wall found in 2003,
suggests that it was called the vallum Aelii, Aelius being Hadrian’s family name

Melrose
Melrose, small burgh (town), Scottish Borders council area, historic county of
Roxburghshire, Scotland, on the right bank of the River Tweed. It lies 53 km southeast of
Edinburgh.

The original Columban monastery was founded nearby in the 7th century at Old Melrose.
It was burned in 839 during the wars between the Scots and Angles, and, although it was
rebuilt, it was deserted in the mid-11th century. In 1136 an abbey was founded a little higher
up the Tweed. The abbey was frequently attacked; it was destroyed in 1322 and again in
1385 and was finally reduced to ruin by the English in 1545. In 1822 the ruins were repaired
under the supervision of the novelist Sir Walter Scott, whose country home was located at
nearby Abbotsford. The work was carried out for the owner, the duke of Buccleuch, who
subsequently presented the restored ruins to the nation. The southern front of the abbey is
still impressive, but the western front and much of the nave have disappeared. The heart of
Robert the Bruce, the Scottish national leader who won the throne in 1306 as Robert I, was
buried at the high altar.

The town of Melrose grew and prospered under the auspices of the abbey. Since the
death of Sir Walter Scott (1832), Melrose, with its literary and historical associations, has
attracted many tourists. Near

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Derwentwater

Derwentwater, at 3 miles long, 1 mile wide and 72 feet deep, is fed by the River Derwent
catchment area in the high fells at the head of Borrowdale, and has a long historical and
literary background. The Lake is very much a landscape of moods, varying from the dramatic
waves splashing against Friar’s Crag when driven by southerly gales, to the absolute mirror
calm of early mornings.

There are four islands, Lord’s Island, Derwent Island, St Herbert’s Island, and
Rampsholme Island. Smaller islands are Park Neb, Otter Island, and Otterbield Island.
Lord’s Island was once the home of the Earl of Derwentwater and the ruins of the house can
still be discerned in the undergrowth. St Herbert’s Island is named after the hermit, or
anchorite who lived there in the 7th Century. All of the major islands are owned by the
National Trust, as is much of the shoreline.

The most popular way to enjoy the beauty of the lake, other than by walking the paths
around its shores, is to board one of the Keswick Launches which operate round the lake.
The launch stops at Ashness Gate, Lodore, High Brandlehow, Low Brandlehow, Hawes End
and Nichol End.

There is an extensive selection of Adventure Activity companies, guides and instructors

for all abilities based around and on Derwentwater.

Though there is plenty of activity with several sailing & windsurfing centres and providers
and rowing boats, and motor boats for hire, Derwentwater is remarkably peaceful. For the
family, whether picnicing, fishing, swimming or just walking, the lake is holiday in itself.

Between 1885, when she was 19, and 1907, Beatrix Potter ( The Tale of Peter Rabbit,
1902; The Tailor of Gloucester, 1902) spent nine summer holidays at Lingholm and one at
Fawe Park, the two stately homes whose estates now occupy most of the north western side
of Derwentwater. The two houses, their gardens and the surrounding landscape provided
material for several of her books.

There is a National Trust shop just by the lake at Lakeside Car Park, from where leaflets
can be bought describing Family Walks round Derwentwater.

Grassmarket
Originally a marketplace for horse and cattle from the 14th century right up until the early
19th century, the Grassmarket was also renowned for its public executions. Known as one of
the poorer parts of the capital it was associated with early 19th century immigrants from
Ireland. Nowadays this area is popular visitor destination with family friendly hotels and
restaurants and an eclectic mix of boutiques and gift shops.

Nestled in the heart of Edinburgh's historic Old Town, behind Edinburgh Castle, the
Grassmarket area is one of the most vibrant, picturesque and lively areas of the city. A
paradise of independent merchants, designers and artisans, the Grassmarket is simply

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bursting with some of the best shopping Edinburgh has to offer. The area is well known for
being home to some of the best restaurants in Edinburgh as well as some of the most
animated and eclectic bars.

Ninestane Rig
Ninestane Rig (English: Nine Stone Ridge) is a small stone circle in Scotland near the
English border. Located in the Scottish Borders province near Hermitage Castle, it was
probably made between 2000 BC and 1250 BC, during the Late Neolithic or early Bronze
Age (Bronze Age technology reached the Borders around 1750 BC).[1] It is a scheduled
monument (a nationally important archaeological site given special protections) and is part of
a group with two other nearby ancient sites,[2] these being Buck Stone standing stone[3][4]
and another standing stone at Greystone Hill. Settlements appear to have developed in the
vicinity of these earlier ritual features in late prehistory and probably earlier.[2]

The circle (actually slightly oval in form) consists of eight stones fast in the earth (a ninth
stone has fallen inwards and lies flat), but six of these are now just stumps of 2 feet (0.61 m)
or less. Of the two large standing stones remaining, one is a regular monolith a little under 7
feet (2.1 m) tall and the other, a pointed stone, is a little over 4 feet (1.2 m) tall.[5][6][A]
According to the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, a
number of similar circles formerly existed in the immediate area; the stones have been
removed, but the hollow in the center of each circle and marks in the earth showing the
former positions of the stones are still visible. In the immediate area there is also a street of
circular pits 8 to 10 feet (2.4 to 3.0 m) deep which may have formed the shelters of the
people who set up the circles, although this is not certain.[5]

Ninestane Rig is actually the name of the low hill (943 feet (287 m) high, 4 miles (6.4 km)
long and 1 mile (1.6 km) broad)[7] atop which the stone circle stands but is also usually used
to designate the circle itself (which is also sometimes called Nine Stones)

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Eskdalemuir
Eskdalemuir is a civil parish and small village in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, with a
population of 265. It is in south Scotland, sited around 10 miles north-west of Langholm and
10 miles north-east of Lockerbie.

The area consists of high wet moorlands chiefly used for sheep grazing and forestry
plantation. The main settlement is located near to the White Esk river.

Eskdalemuir is probably best known for the Eskdalemuir Observatory and for the Samye
Ling Tibetan Buddhist monastery.
Due to the establishment of the Eskdalemuir Observatory here in 1908, Eskdalemuir has
one of the longest climatological records in the UK, with data stretching back over 100 years.
The data shows Eskdalemuir to be a very wet, often cloudy place.

Eskdalemuir holds the UK Weather Record for the highest rainfall in a 30-minute period:
80mm, recorded on 26 June 1953. It also held the record for the dullest summer month -
43.9 hours in August 1912. Though this was beaten by just 41 hours in August 2008 - again
by Eskdalemuir

Carnelian
Carnelian is a brownish-red mineral commonly used as a semi-precious gemstone.
Carnelian Stones are stones of action, that will give you the courage and confidence to move
forward on a new path in life. In ancient times it was a stone used to protect the dead on
their journey to the after-life. It is strong stone to aid the physical body, as it maintains an
improved flow of life force energy via the blood. The vibration of this bright orange stone, will
accelerate your motivation, and aid you to clarify your goals, so you can find your best
direction in life. This power stone stimulates ambition and drive, so it will aid you in
manifesting what you require to move onto your desired path forward in life.

Historical References

Reverend George Gilfillan

George Gilfillan was a Scottish author and poet. One of the spasmodic poets, Gilfillan was
also an editor and commentator, with memoirs, critical dissertations in many editions of
earlier British poetry.

Gilfillan published a volume of his discourses in 1839, and shortly afterwards another
sermon on Hades, which brought him under the scrutiny of his co-presbyters, and was
ultimately withdrawn from circulation.

Gilfillan next contributed a series of sketches of celebrated contemporary authors to the

Dumfries Herald, then edited by Thomas Aird; these, with several new ones, formed his first
Gallery of Literary Portraits which appeared in 1846 and had a wide circulation. It was
quickly followed by a Second and a Third Gallery.

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In 1851 his most successful work, the Bards of the Bible, appeared. His aim was that it
should be a poem on the Bible and it was far more rhapsodical than critical, being in
Gilfillan's words 'a Prose Poem, or Hymn, in honour of the Poetry and Poets of the inspired
volume with occasional divergence into the analysis of Scripture characters, and cognate
fields of literature or of speculation '. His Martyrs and Heroes of the Scottish Covenant
appeared in 1832, and in 1856 he produced a partly autobiographical, partly fabulous,
History of a Man. From 1853 to 1860 he was occupied with editing Cassell's 48-volume
Library Edition of the British Poets.

In 1858 he published a 3-volume edition of Thomas Percy's Reliques of Ancient English

Poetry, consisting of old heroic ballads, songs, and other pieces from our earlier poets,
authoring a prefatory 'Memoir and Critical Dissertation' entitled 'Life of Thomas Percy,
Bishop of Dromore; with Remarks on Ballad Poetry.' Although Gilfillan and Charles Cowden
Clarke published the Reliques for Cassell in 1877, Gilfillan's 1858 edition was
simultaneously published by James Nichol in Edinburgh, in London by James Nisbet, and in
Dublin by W. Robertson, appealing to ready markets in Scotland and Ireland. As a lecturer
and as a preacher he drew large crowds, but his literary reputation proved exceptionally
temporary. He died, aged 65, having just finished a new life of Burns designed to
accompany a new edition of the works of that poet.

True Thomas, Thomas the Rymer.

Thomas the Rhymer, also known as Thomas of Erceldoune, Thomas of Learmont or True
Thomas, was a 13th-century Scottish laird and reputed prophet from Earlston (then called
"Erceldoune") in the Borders. In literature he appears as the protagonist in the tale about
Thomas the Rhymer, who was carried off by the "Queen of Elfland" and returned having
gained the gift of prophecy, as well as the inability to tell a lie. The tale survives in a
medieval verse romance in five manuscripts, as well as in the popular ballad "Thomas the
Rhymer" (Child Ballad number 37). The original romance ca. 1400 was probably condensed
into ballad form ca. 1700, though there are dissenting views on this.

Thomas' gift of prophecy is linked to his poetic ability. It is not clear if the name Rhymer
was his actual surname or merely a sobriquet. He is often cited as the author of the English
Sir Tristrem, a version of the Tristram legend, and some lines in Robert Mannyng's Chronicle
may be the source of this association.

Popular esteem of Thomas lived on for centuries after his death, and especially in
Scotland, overtook the reputation of all rival prophets including Merlin, whom the 16th
century pamphleteer of The Complaynt of Scotland denounced as the author of the
prophecy (unity under one king) which the English used as justification for aggression
against his countrymen.] It became common for fabricated prophecies (or reworks of earlier
prophecies) to be attributed to Thomas to enhance their authority, as seen in collections of
prophecies which were printed, the earliest surviving being a chapbook entitled "The Whole
Prophecie of Scotland, England, etc." (1603).

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Lord Warden of the Marches

he Lord Warden of the Marches was an office in the governments of Scotland and
England. The holders were responsible for the security of the border between the two
nations, and often took part in military action. They were also responsible, along with
'Conservators of the truce', for administering the special type of border law known as March
law.

The Marches on both sides of the border were traditionally split into West, Middle and
East, each with their own warden answerable to the Lord Warden-general. The English
Western March was based on Carlisle and the Eastern March on Berwick-upon-Tweed.

The offices became unnecessary after the union of the crowns of England and Scotland
under King James in 1603.

William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth was a major English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor
Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with their joint publication
Lyrical Ballads (1798).

Wordsworth's magnum opus is generally considered to be The Prelude, a semi

autobiographical poem of his early years that he revised and expanded a number of times. It
was posthumously titled and published, before which it was generally known as "the poem to
Coleridge". Wordsworth was Britain's Poet Laureate from 1843 until his death from pleurisy
on 23 April 1850.

Jacobite Risings
The Jacobite risings, also known as the Jacobite rebellions or the War of the British
Succession, were a series of uprisings, rebellions, and wars in Great Britain and Ireland
occurring between 1688 and 1746. The uprisings had the aim of returning James II of
England and VII of Scotland, the last Catholic British monarch, and later his descendants of
the House of Stuart, to the throne of Great Britain after they had been deposed by
Parliament during the Glorious Revolution. The series of conflicts takes its name Jacobitism,
from Jacobus, the Latin form of James.

The major Jacobite risings were called the Jacobite rebellions by the ruling governments.
The "first Jacobite rebellion" and "second Jacobite rebellion" were also known respectively
as "the Fifteen" and "the Forty-five", after the years in which they occurred (1715 and 1745).

Although each Jacobite rising had unique features, they were part of a larger series of
military campaigns by Jacobites attempting to restore the Stuart kings to the thrones of
Scotland and England (after 1707, the Kingdom of Great Britain). James II was deposed in
1688 and the thrones were claimed by his daughter Mary II jointly with her husband, the
Dutch leader William of Orange (who was also James II's nephew). The main issue was
religion, with the Stuarts representing toleration or restoration of Catholicism, facing off
against the majority that wanted to protect Protestantism in Britain.

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Covenant, coventanter
Covenanters were a Scottish Presbyterian movement that played an important part in the
history of Scotland, and to a lesser extent that of England and Ireland, during the 17th
century. Presbyterian denominations tracing their history to the Covenanters and often
incorporating the name continue the ideas and traditions in Scotland and internationally.

They derived their name from the word covenant meaning a band, legal document or
agreement, with particular reference to the Covenant between God and the Israelites in the
Old Testament. There were two important covenants in Scottish history, the National
Covenant and the Solemn League and Covenant

Battle of Red Ford

The Battle of Red Ford or Battle of the String of Lorne was a battle in 1294 between Clan
Campbell and Clan MacDougall in Lorne, Scotland. The battle was fought over disputed
lands. It ended in defeat of the Clan Campbell of Lochawe. The battle was on the borders of
Loch Awe and Lorne, with the site and battle named Red Ford (Scottish Gaelic: Ath Dearg)
after the ford which ran red with blood where the battle took place

Clan MacDougall having allied itself with John Balliol in his a competitor for the Scottish
crown, upon his coronation in 1292, the chief of Clan MacDougall, Alasdair MacDubhgaill
was rewarded by being appointed Sheriff of Argyll in 1293. Having the influences of power,
Clan MacDougall extended their influence and due to this, Clan Campbell and other
Highland clans found themselves in dispute with Clan MacDougall.

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Meaning of the Green Glen

The greenness of the glen is unquestionable. The author bombards us with different
references of green plants and bushes and describes the setting in a way that green is the
only colour available, as if God had lost his palette:

“...the mossy spaces of theburn-head, till i waded deep in the bracken of the ridge.”;
“I remember my amazement at its indescribable grenness. there was the yellow-
green of moss, the old velvet of mountain turf, the grey-green of bent on the hill-
brow; but all was green, without tree of crag or heather bush to distract the eye”

However, it quickly becomes something obscure, dark and haunted-like:

“just then a cloud came over the sun, and the grace of the valley vanished. now the
stream ran wan, and I saw that the glen was wild and very lonely. Terror had
dwelt here as well as peace. i remembered the boy of eleven, who on this very
mound had picked up his rod and run.”

But the greenness is still powerful enough to relate it to say that “some ancient aura had
brooded over its greenness and compelled men’s soul” for it had a connection to Rome,the
Church and two famous Scottish clans.

Somehow, the Green Glen is both a loop and a mermaid.

History loves repetitions, doing things over and over again, and this is the case of the
glen. Love stories regarding to different families afoul for ages that conclude in death. The
last phrase “ My ain true love” is the evidence: it shows how things are connected timewise
and are meant to be repeated. Why would Virginia say that phrase otherwise? It is a
extremely powerful phrase, it is not just four random words forming a phrase, it is a true
feeling as only love can be. Apart from all the problems their families had in the past (so
Shakespearean), love will prevail.
It can be a mermaid in the way that, as tales say, they were mythological creatures
displaying perfect beauty ready to enchant sailors and kill them. The glen shows a beautiful
landscape that scares John, the protagonist. There are certain features, like the Fawn, that
depicts a living glen, a creature. It is possible that the glen foreshadows John not to unite
Virginia and Linford by scaring him. But the human being likes suffering. Although he was
shown how powerful and frightening the glen could be, he is still obsessed with it.

The Green Glen is a wonderful story about how nature can tell us more than we think. It
hides history, families issues, love stories and few are capable of showing any interest
beside the landscape. When going deeper into the history of a place, we can understand it
and its surroundings. The glen seemed so isolated because of the power it held, though it is
not clear how difficult it was to get there, that may be another reason. As the author
described the glen, I could imagine a breath-taking and overwhelming place so powerful to
be controlled by mere humans. Neither history nor humans would manage it. I see the glen
as a lion: a gorgeous animal in its own habitat that can fiercely attack if it feels annoyed by
intruders.

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Glossary
Glen: Scottish, valley
Dale: Valley
Dyke: a ditch or watercourse
Crag: a steep, rugged rock; rough, broken, projecting part of a rock
Brae: Scottish: a steep, rugged rock; rough, broken, projecting part of a rock
To upbraid: scold
Sae: Scottish: So
To embank: Construct a wall or bank of earth or stone in order to contain the course or
flow of (a river)
Epicure: A person who takes particular pleasure in fine food and drink.
Bog: An area of wet muddy ground that is too soft to support a heavy body, swamp.
Wan: Dale
Burn: a watercourse (in size from a large stream to a small river).
Moorland: an area of moors, especially country abounding in heather.
Foray: a quick raid, usually for the purpose of taking plunder
Beacon: a guiding or warning signal, as a light or fire, especially one in an elevated
position.
Merk: Scottish, mark
Slab: a broad, flat, somewhat thick piece of stone, wood, or other solid material.
Kin: a group of persons descended from a common ancestor or constituting a people,
clan, tribe, or family.
CItadel. a fortress that commands a city and is used in the control of the inhabitants and
in defense during attack or siege.
Dowry: widow’s dower.
Eulogy: a speech or writing in praise of a person or thing, especially a set oration in honor
of a deceased person
Bonny: Scottish, pleasing to the eye; handsome; pretty.
Guid:Scottish, good
Auld :Scottish, old
Kirkyard: Scottish, churchyard
Whaur: Scottish, where
Saunter:a leisurely walk or ramble; stroll.
To saunter: to walk with a leisurely gait; stroll:
Forrarder: further ahead. (webster)
To preen: to dress (oneself) carefully or smartly; primp:
Rhapsodise: to talk with extravagant enthusiasm.
Thence: from that place
Sultry: oppressively hot and close or moist; sweltering
Rime: an opaque coating of tiny, white, granular ice particles, caused by the rapid freezing
of supercooled water droplets on impact with an object.
Doggerel: comic or burlesque, and usually loose or irregular in measure.
Wan: pale in color or hue.
Strath: Scottish, a wide valley
Defile: any narrow passage, especially between mountains.
Boulder: a detached and rounded or worn rock, especially a large one.

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Chariot: a light, two-wheeled vehicle for one person, usually drawn by two horses and
driven from a standing position, used in ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, etc., in warfare,
racing, hunting, etc.

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Bibliography
Dictionary.com
Oxforddictionaries.com
Merriam-webster.com
http://www.softschools.com/facts/plants/common_heather_facts/1203/
http://www.encyclopedia.com/plants-and-animals/plants/plants/bracken
https://www.britannica.com/plant/bracken
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families/grouse.aspx
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http://www.scotclans.com/scottish-clans/clan-home/home-history/
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https://www.visitcumbria.com/kes/derwentwater/
http://edinburgh.org/discover/explore-areas/grassmarket/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eskdalemuir
http://www.healing-crystals-for-you.com/carnelian-stones.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Gilfillan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_the_Rhymer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wordsworth
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacobite_risings
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Red_Ford

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