Afbeelding auteur

Richard D. Oram

Auteur van The Kings & Queens of Scotland

20+ Werken 302 Leden 3 Besprekingen

Over de Auteur

Richard Oram gained an MA (Hons) in Mediaeval History and Archaeology and a PhD in Mediaeval History from the University of St Andrews. He is Professor of Medieval and Environmental History at the University of Stirling. He is author of many articles and books, including The Lordship of Galloway, toon meer David I and Domination and Lordship. toon minder

Bevat ook: Richard Oram (1)

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Algemene kennis

Officiële naam
Oram, Richard Duncan
Pseudoniemen en naamsvarianten
Oram, Richard
Geboortedatum
1960-12-02
Geslacht
male
Nationaliteit
UK
Opleiding
University of St Andrews
Beroepen
historian
Organisaties
University of Stirling

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A very interesting book about one of Scotland's most capable kings though early in his reign he brought his country under interdiction in his pursuit to make King John fulfill agreements made. The author describes him as patient, persistent, opportunistic and ruthless. The ruthless was well evidenced when he eliminated the last MacWilliam heiress by having the child dashed against the Mercat Cross thus removing the senior rival claimants to his throne and safe guarding it for his heir
 
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lisa.schureman | Sep 20, 2014 |
Domination and Lordship by Richard Oram is the chronologically third book in the New Edinburgh History of Scotland series. It covers the period from marriage of Malcolm III to Margaret of Wessex through the reigns of his successors including Alexander I and David. The period concludes with the defeat of the rival lineage of MacWilliams that apparently cemented the Scottish royal line. Oram's work includes the traditional king-based narrative of battle and conquest, diplomacy and personality. This narrative is supplemented by discussions of the structures of authority in Scotland during the period, economic and cultural changes in urban and rural life, and a narrative on the development of the Scottish church.

The traditional king-based narrative takes up nearly the first half of the book. Oram paints a picture of the Scottish world as it existed in 1070 and the relationship Scotland had with the families to the south. The 1070 starting point is of significant interest coming just a couple of years after the Norman invasion of England. That Malcolm III made a point of marrying Margaret of Wessex so soon after the fall of Wessex from power in England is in itself fascinating. It is arguable that Margaret's arrival in Scotland is the catalyst for the cultural change that eventually led to the defeat of Gaeldom by English influences. Oram is clear that Margaret's role is key but does not call for her arrival as a defining feature of future Scottishness. He balances both sides of the argument and comes down firmly in the middle.

The most prominent monarch of the era was David I. David I's term of office is a period of expansion and success. Oram describes at length the careful considerations David weighed up - his claims to Cumbria and Northumbria, his relationship with English monarchs, and his ardent beliefs and the role of Rome. David's failure to secure a permanent acquisition of Cumbria and Northumbria is somewhat overlooked. Oram describes the success David had in persuading different peoples from around Scotland to fight on his behalf and ascribes that success to the prospects of victory. David did indeed win some great battles but ultimately he did not make significant advances southwards in the Scottish cause. Where his successes were far more pronounced were in making huge strides in the colonisation of the more remote parts of Scotland. It is here that Oram is at his most effective. The colonisation process was a long path towards domination using laws, migration, and culture as the weapons.

Oram sets out the influx of a new elite and the acquisition of the loyalties of the old elite very clearly. The newcomers received land and rewards for setting up in Scotland and imposing feudal values on their new subjects. The older elites were bought-off at times with Ferchar MacTaggart being a classic example. Others were simply defeated by force of arms. Often that force was not brought centrally by the State but contracted out to local power brokers with the Stewarts being the most prominent beneficiaries. The feudal state was able to gradually exert authority not through some grand plan but as Oram makes clear by a range of small steps each of them seemingly independent from one another.

The narrative discussion of the religious development of Scotland is fairly short but a useful counterpoint to the main king-based narrative. This section describes the situation of the Gaelic Church in Scotland and Oram is at pains to point out the vibrancy and effectiveness of the church. Gaelic Christianity is often tarred with a conservatism that seems entirely at-odds with the ingenuity of a religious tradition that combined the teachings of the Bible with the native beliefs of those to whom that instruction was being provided. The centralising conservatism of the Roman church seems far more suited to the label so it is nice to see Oram defend the local traditions of Scotland.

The changes that were underway in European Christianity during the period are reflected in Oram's religion narrative. The arrival in Scotland of prestigious orders of monks promoting aesthetic lifestyles is in line with developments elsewhere in Europe. Oram uses this link well to describe the place that Scotland and in particular Scottish monarchs identified as part of an emerging continent.

Economic discussion is very welcome in a history such as this. It is extremely enlightening to discover the economic and environmental impact of the forces of change that imbued themselves upon Scotland in the period. The gradual expansion of central authority and the imposition of feudalism on a people that had not experienced it before is a huge cultural shift. Oram describes in a little detail the impact this would have had on the ordinary folk of the times. The construction of towns and the layout of trade routes is as important to an understanding of history as is the intricacies of court life so the section that covers these features is a positive addition.

The discussion of power structures is ok. Oram spends too many pages arguing the relative applicability of the terms Earl and Mormaer. This discussion may well add to an ongoing debate but it does not add to this particular work. It is a section though that adds value in the analysis of the changes to the power structure that began with Malcolm III and moved on gradually through his successors.

These additional elements beyond the traditional king-based narrative build a broader picture of the times in question. What they do not really do though is provide an answer to a problem that Oram repeats on a few occasions - that histories do not reflect the reality of the tenuous nature of the early Scottish monarchy. Oram mentions that there were other potential power centres at the start of the period, and that the success of the Scottish monarchs was far from guaranteed yet many histories have a problem in that they describe the monarchy's success as inevitable. Unfortunately, Oram is much closer to repeating the problem than rectifying it. There is a remarkable lack of description of the rivals to the monarch. The MacWilliams crop up only as opponents defeated occasionally in battle. The Norwegians of Orkney have some role mostly in reference to internal feuding over the Earldom of Catihness. The Norwegians of Man gain a reference only when defeated. Most surprising of all in this time period is that there is barely a mention of the two rival factions that permeated Scottish history and still have resonance to the present day - Somerled and his descendents and the Stewarts.

Somerled's defeat at Renfrew is given a few words but Oram does not bother to describe Somerled in any detail at all - at once assuming that the reader will know sufficiently of him that no description is needed and that the reader is sufficiently un-interested in Somerled that there is no need to discuss the implications of his rise and fall. This is really a surprising omission. Far more time is given over to discussions of Angevin France than of Highland Scotland which is exactly the approach of those who see the Scottish monarchy's success as always having been inevitable.

Domination and Lordship is a worthy addition to the New Edinburgh History of Scotland. It contains excellent analysis of some of the cultural shift of the time and has the right amount of detail of the trials and tribulations of the various monarchs. The additional discussions on changes in lifestyle are very good. The central premise of the book is of domination and lordship and this is a tale of the dominator and the lord rather than of other factions. The dominators in question are mostly the Scottish monarch but are also occasionally the English. The lords are the real weapon of cultural change though as the period moves Scotland into feudalism and it is the theme of this change that runs so effectively throughout Oram's work.
… (meer)
 
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Malarchy | Sep 20, 2011 |
It is a good book; generally a good introduction of the so-called 'Canmore' dynasty (how I hate that name, shouldn't it be the MacDuncans?) Sadly, the only thing missing is a more comprehensive analysis of Malcolm Canmore's reign, since after all, he's the 'founder' of the dynasty.
 
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ladymacbeth86 | Aug 19, 2010 |

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Statistieken

Werken
20
Ook door
5
Leden
302
Populariteit
#77,842
Waardering
3.8
Besprekingen
3
ISBNs
36

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