The Arts In Berwick -- Ballads and Poems
Battle of Flodden

The battle of Flodden Field in 1513 was probably the greatest Scottish defeat of all time but from it a rich literature has grown. One of the earliest is A Ballade of the Scottysshe Kynge (1513) written by John Skelton (1460-1529), poet laurete to Henry VIII. It's a celebration of the English victory and for Scots must have added insult to injury. In the next few years a whole number of ballads were produced on the English side. The Scots were rather less keen to write up their defeat, the only early verses relating to the disaster being the defiant The Souters of Selkirk, still used as part of the Common riding ceremony.




Click here to return to the Ballads and Poems page