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Translation
into English by
Norman Henderson |
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NB:
This is a temporary version - pages will be updated as
new material is made ready. Web: Geir Neverdal - Sel
Historielag |
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Some of the
institutions and organizations which are contributing
information and assistance: |
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"The
Scottish March of 1612" and The Battle of Kringen |
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What happened? - What was the reason? - What
significance did this incident have for Norwegian
history?
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Background - The
Battle - Myths?
- Significance - Objects - Literature - Scotland
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Programme2012 |
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Many of the
objects shown on this website can be seen in
The Scottish March Collection at the Sinclair Inn at
Kvam, together with much of the written material
relating to the incident. Reprints of many of the old
books are also available there. |
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Contents of
this page: |
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Peaceful coexistence
The symbolic value to Norwegian
history
The Organizing
Committee
The Kalmar War
1611 - 1613
The reason for
the Kalmar War
Recruitment in
Scotland
Who sailed
from Scotland?
The Mermaid
The landing |
Mobilization - “Budstikke” and burning
beacons
The March from Klungnes - round the
Isfjord and up Romsdalen
The March through Lesja and Dovre
down to Romundgard in Sel
Commemorative monuments in the
Kringen area
Kringen. Kringom, Kringlen,
Kringelen, Kringane |
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Some of the sources used |
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The 400th Anniversary Commemoration -
26th August 2012
1)
Peaceful
coexistence
Today we live in a Europe where there is a
strong will to solve problems between nations
peacefully.
Not so long ago that this was not the case.
Our wish is to make the Commemoration in 2012 an
event where cultural intercourse with Scotland
is the main reason for the occasion.
Both the Clan Sinclair and the Caledonian
Society of Norway are represented on the
Organizing Committee - and Clan Sinclair is
planning to bring their
world Clan Gathering to Otta and Kringen in
August 2012.
On the 26th of August a church service
celebrating Peace will be held by the Bishop of
Hamar, Solveig Fiske, and attended by prominent
guests.
The Gudbrandsdals Society is coming from the
USA. There will be exhibitions of
objects, photographs and postcards
(from the Commemoration in 1912), National and
local costumes as well as Scottish tartans.
Pipe bands are coming - and we are
planning to have music and dance groups from
Gudbrandsdalen. - Pillarguri and Sinclair are
closely connected to Norwegian folk music’s
melodies and dances.
A seminar comprised of Scottish and Norwegian
participants will throw new light on the
historical aspects and myths associated with The
Scottish March of 1612.
The intention of these pages is to ensure that
knowledge of the past allows us better to avoid
history from repeating itself.
The job of preventing normal, everyday people -
such as local farmers and others - from having
to resort to bearing arms in order to protect
themselves and their loved ones is a
never-ending one.
That is also an important subject as we draw
near to the 400th Anniversary of the Battle.
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2)
The symbolic value to Norwegian history
Special attention will also be paid to
the great symbolic value the Battle -
and myths surrounding the action had, in
terms of the building of the nation
Norway.
What happened strengthened the “self
awareness and identity” of the
individual Norwegian in general and the inhabitants of the
valleys in particular- at a time when the country was
at a very low ebb.
Read more...
•Comment
1906 - a year after the union with
Sweden was dissolved::
It was by no means by chance, when
the first Society for emigrants from
Gudbrandsdalen to the USA was founded in
Minneapolis in 1906, that the
83 founders chose the name “Kringen” -
and that its first action was to collect
funds for a commemorative memorial (Holbøstøtte)
at Kringen in Sel.
Nor was it by chance that both the King
and the Prime Minister were present at
the unveiling of the monument at the 300th
Anniversary in 1912.
(Source: 2009 Yearbook of the
Gudbrandsdals Society in the USA p.7).
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Kringen -
near Otta in Gudbrandsdalen |
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The Kalmar
War 1611 - 1613 |
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This was a
war between Denmark/Norway and Sweden and got its name
from the conflict about the fortified Kalmar Castle on
the East coast of
Sweden.
Kalmar Castle was captured by the Danes in1611 following
a long battle.
(The conflict however, concerned much more - even if
Denmark/Norway emerged as the victor, it was Sweden
which emerged as the dominant power in Northern Europe) |
Kalmar castle (Wikipedia) |
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The reason for the
Kalmar War: |
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The
Swedish King - Karl lX - attempted to annex Finnmark and
demanded taxes from the Sámi people in the coastal areas
there.
In addition he had established the town of Gothenburg,
something which was a disadvantage to the earnings of
the Danish Customs at Øresund. At that time
Denmark/Norway controlled Øresund. (SNL).
Karl lX
died on the 30th of October 1611 and his son, the 17
year old Gustav ll Adolf, Sweden’s new King, inherited
the war with Denmark / Norway.
Both antagonists used mercenary soldiers to a great
extent - something which caused problems for the young
Swedish King when he tried to recruit soldiers in
Scotland. |
Kalmar war |
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As it happens, the Danish King Christian lV is
the brother in law of the English King, James the
First, (Sixth of Scotland) and James, being the good
relation he is, has forbidden the recruitment of English
or Scottish soldiers if they are to be used against the
brother in law.
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Christian lV was 35 years old in 1612
(Wikipedia)
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An older version of Gustav ll Adolf -
but in 1612 he was only 18 years
old
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However, the
young Swedish King decided to defy the ban decreed by
James the First. He wanted 3000 mercenary soldiers which
he would use against Denmark/Norway, the majority of
these being foot soldiers.
Norway - an
easy catch
At that
time Norway was regarded as an easy catch.
In Denmark it was said that only two ships and 300 men
were required to conquer Norway (Angell p.3.). Norwegian
farmers had not really been of much help when they were
used in conflicts in the South of the country. The will
to fight was not strong.
At that time Kings used mainly professional mercenaries
- and these were often soldiers who were equally
dangerous to the people of the country they were
fighting for as they were to those of the
country they were fighting against. They
plundered according to their needs and opportunity.
War is - and always has been, something which brings out
the worst in people. Acts of terror are not a new
phenomenon.
Swedish (mercenary) soldiers had, on previous occasions,
wreaked havoc in Norway - and the inhabitants of
villages were only too familiar with the results of
their brutality and plundering.
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One must
remember that Norway was much more sparsely populated in
the 1600s than it is today - and with such widespread
settlement, small country hamlets had little to offer in
the way of resistance when groups of armed men attacked
- often without much warning.
The fear
of plundering and burning must have been great
It is almost unbelievable that between 400 and 500 men,
able to bear arms, were gathered together in such a
short time at Kringen (from a population of just over
3000 men, women and children). The distances are often
quite great and time was short.
The need to defend oneself, family, farm and land
must have been very strongly felt. |
The population of the area has increased to nearly
10 times that of 1612
In
1612 just over 3000 people lived in the area which
today encompasses the counties of Lesja, Dovre, Vågå,
Sel, Fron and Ringebu
(according to Sjur Lonbakken’s Master's paper).
More than 28000 people live in the same area today.
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Recruitment in Scotland
Colonel
Andrew Ramsay acted as go-between.
He employed his brother -
Alexander Ramsay - who, together with Captains
George Hay and
George Sinclair, began to recruit soldiers in
Scotland -
using quite heavy-handed methods.
Recruitment was indeed so brutal that people fled into
hiding and the King in London (James l) was informed.
The Scottish
authorities stepped in and recruitment was stopped. They
also decreed that ships’ Captains and owners should stop
the transport of soldiers. |
There are likenesses between the
Sinclair red tartan which is
shown here, and
rondastakken, the local traditional
costume from Gudbrandsdalen.
Read more about the Sinclair tartans. |
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More about the Sinclair Tartans - and
about Scottish tartans and their uses in the 1600s -
follows later.
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However,
three companies did manage to proceed and the Scottish
authorities were unable to stop them. Because of this
Ramsay was impeached.
He failed to appear in court to answer for his actions
and was declared to be a rebel.
He was
later arrested and sentenced to exile. |
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Who sailed from
Scotland?
Two ships
carrying 300 - 350 mercenaries left Scotland on the 2nd.
of August 1612. In Angell’s view, ordinary merchant
ships were probably used.
The one left from
Wick with two companies onboard.
Approximately one hundred men, under the command of
George Sinclair, and about the same number commanded by
Captain George Hay.
(According to Angell, the Scottish historian, Sir Robert
Gordon, maintains that Sinclair gathered some 150 men in
Caithness - which would mean that, together with
Ramsay’s soldiers, they enlisted some 350 men (p.18).
The other ship sailed from
Dundee
with approximately 100 men, led by Colonel / Lieutenant
Colonel (?) Alexander Ramsay (Andrew Ramsay’s brother).
The leader of the expedition was Alexander Ramsay.
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Sinclair’s
ship sailed first to the Orkney Islands and lay there
for about two weeks preparing and provisioning,
according to Angell. It was there they heard that
Ramsay’s ship was anchored in the Shetland Islands.
After that
the ships sailed for Norway.
It seems
strange that they chose to land in Romsdalen when their
destination was Sweden.
At this
time another group of mercenaries landed in Trøndelag
and had little trouble in making their way into Sweden
by that route.
It is
possible that the Scots thought it would be easier to
make their way through sparsely populated districts of
Norway and in that way could march quickly up Romsdalen
and on down Gudbrandsdalen, crossing Eastwards over the
mountains from Ringebu, and from there on into Sweden.
Language difficulties?
A
reasonable assumption is that they had relatively good
knowledge of local Norwegian conditions. Scottish
merchant vessels were often is this region and some
Scots from the previously Norwegian dominated North of
Scotland (which was the case until the latter half of
the 17th. century), spoke the language. It was later
claimed in Gudbrandsdalen that Sinclair and many of his
men did in fact understand Norwegian.
(Angell
pp28/29). |
A Scottish aristocrat ca. 1600
(The Scottish March Collection at the
Sinclair Inn in Kvam).
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The Mermaid
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In the wake
of the Battle a number of myths and legends, connected
to Sinclair and the March, emerged.
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The
Zinklarvisa (Sinclair folksong) by
Edvard Storm, tells of a mermaid who warned Sinclair
against going to Norway. He wrote this at the end of
1781, some 170 years after the Battle
at Kringen.
Painted by
Nils Hansteen,
1910
Motif: The mermaid which, according to legend, rose
up in front of Sinclair’s boat with the warning
against proceeding to Norway.
(The painting can be seen in the Scottish March
Collection at the Sinclair Inn in Kvam).
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Maanen skinner om Natten bleg.
De vover saa sagtelig trille;
En Havfrue op af Vandet steg.
Hun spaaede Herr Zinklar ilde.
Vend om, vend om, du Skotske Mand!
Det gielder dit Liv saa fage,
Kommer du til Norrig, jeg siger for sand,
Ret aldrig du kommer tilbage.
Leed er din Sang, du giftige Trold!
Altidens du spaaer om Ulykker:
Fanger jeg dig engang i min Vold,
Jeg lader dig hugge i Stykker.
...
English version
(from
Thomas Michell's book):
...
"The moon amid the pale night shone,
The waves around so gently rolled ;
A mermaid rose on Sinclair's sight.
And thus prophetic evil told : — - "
"Turn back, turn back, thou Scottish man,
Or it will surely cost thy life ;
For if thou com'st to Norway's strand,
Thou never more shalt join the strife."
" Thy songs are lies, thou witch most foul ;
Thou ever sing'st the self-same tune.
Could I but get thee in my power,
In pieces small I'd have thee hewn."
...
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The Landing
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According to
Angell, the two ships arrived on the coast of Møre on
either the 19th. or 20th. of August.
Close to
Vestnes they saw a fishing boat with two people on
board, Ivar Helland and his daughter. They were taken on
board by the Scots who
needed someone who could act as pilot as they
penetrated
further into the fjord. The girl was frightened and
began to cry, says Angell (p. 34).
She was therefore put ashore and, according to record,
was given a pair of scissors with silver grips and a
silver thimble, by the Scots.
Thimble. Photo:
Wikipedia |
Map borrowed from
Wikipedia
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They planned
to land at Åndalsnes but when they reached Klungnesodden
Ivar Helland said that the next part of the fjord was
unfamiliar to him and he didn’t dare to pilot them
further. He was then set free and, besides getting back
his freedom, was actually paid for his trouble.
(Angell).
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Adolph Tidemand’s painting
“Sinclair’s landing” (Wikipedia) exaggerates with regard
to the number of ships involved.
There were
two
and not five. Besides, according to record, the Scots
landed on the other, north, side of the fjord near
Klungnes.
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Peder (Per)
Klungnes
In the
meantime they had acquired a new pilot, Pedre (Per)
Klungnes. He thought that the ships were carrying corn
and, taking the sum of three
“Riksdaler” with him, rowed out to trade with the ships.
He was taken with them as pilot and later acted as guide
up Romsdalen.
Records show that he had made up his mind do what he
could to delay the Scots’ advance as much as possible.
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Norsk "daler" from 1632 (Wikipedia) |
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He managed
to convince them that the waters leading to Åndalsnes
were dangerous and they therefore landed on the north
shore of the fjord at
Klungnes.
As a result they had to march round the whole of the
Isfjord in order to reach Åndalsnes which was, according
to Angell, a distance of more than
two OLD Norwegian miles (an old “post mile” being 11.3
kilometres). This manoeuvre allowed more time for a
warning to reach further up Romsdalen.
Legend
has it that Per was allowed to return to his farm to
change clothes and while there wrote a message, some say
on a piece of wood. This was given to a servant girl who
later rowed over the fjord to Veblungsnes on the south
shore.
A beacon was duly lit, sending a warning up Romsdalen
that enemy forces were in the vicinity.
The Commemorative
Stone - Peder Klungnes (Angell p37)
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In the words of Thomas Mitchell,
it is more likely that the real reason that the
landing was made at Skotkleven, that is at Klungnes,
“was that the ships’ Captains wanted to return to
sea as quickly as possible, and not put themselves
into greater danger by entering a narrow fjord arm
of the Romsdalsfjord”.
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Mobilization - “Budstikke” and burning beacons |
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“Budstikke”
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Mobilization:
“Budstikke”, a staff of wood or iron (often
hollow) which was used historically in the Northern
countries to carry messages advising of public
proclamations.
When people were called to a council, to defend
their country or other important common efforts, the
“Budstikke” was carried from farm to farm with the
relevant information ....
This important method of conveying information was
governed by a number of detailed laws. The route
which was to be followed was described in
detail and any departures from it were punished by
fines.
Even Christian V’s Norwegian Law (1687) details
rules as to how the “Budstikke” should be circulated
- “Budstikke” was still in use in some areas of
Norway as late as the latter part of the 1800s.
(Source:
Store
norske encyclopaedia).
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A
rope attached to the one end reminding people that
anyone who disobeyed the orders ran the risk of
being hung. A farm could also be burned.
A scorch mark at the other end of the
“Budstikke” was a reminder of this.
(Photo: On loan from
Maihaugen) |
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The beacons
warned of unrest and the approach of enemies.
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A
similar system existed in Romsdalen.
(The map is on loan from the Protection
of Cultural Values section of Oppland County Council).
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As early as
during the reign of King
Håkon the Good (920 - 960) it was decreed that a
chain of beacons should be built stretching throughout
the entire country. The locations of these beacons were
mountain tops or any other elevated place where one
could see from one beacon to the next.
There were 20 such beacons situated in Gudbrandsdalen.
In Sel there were two: Vetahøe near Otta and further
north - at Vetahaugen, in Rosten.
Laws and formal decrees ensured the maintenance of the
beacons, especially in times of unrest. These beacons
were still in good condition as late as the 1700s.
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Håkon the Good
and farmers at the sacrifice
(to heathen Norse gods) on Mære,
by Peter Nicolai Arbo (1839 - 1892)
(borrowed from
Wikipedia) |
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The march from Klungnes - round the Isfjord and up
Romsdalen
Thursday 20th. August
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The Scots
didn’t quite trust Per Klungnes. The story goes that
they tied a string to his long hair so that they knew
where he was. After having
acquired pack horses to carry their equipment - and the
women who accompanied them, they set off at a fast pace.
They wanted to move as quickly as possible so that the
Norwegians would be unable to organize resistance
against them.
Already on that first day they managed to march all the
way round the Isfjord and on to Åndalsnes.
According to
Angell there was hardly a passable path on the route at
that time. It is said that they had to scale the Bjørga
crag, about four kilometres from Klungnes - and further
into the fjord - to reach their objective.
Plundering
They reached
Åndalsnes in the evening but they were not so fatigued
that they couldn’t cross the river Rauma and plunder
silver from the Danish owner of the Setnes farm. (This
farm lies at the mouth of the river, on the south bank
of the Rauma).
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Legend has it that Lady Sinclair
sneaked on board ship without her husband’s
knowledge and that she gave birth during the voyage
from Scotland to
Norway.
This piece of sculpture, which is just over two
metres high, was created by the artist
Oddvin Parr. (He has also carved 12 scenes from
“Peer Gynt”). The sculpture can be seen as part of
the
Scottish March exhibition at the Sinclair Inn at
Kvam.
It took almost seven years from when he was
commissioned to produce something connected to the
Scottish March of 1612, until the sculpture was
finished.
It was inspired by the role Lady Sinclair played in
the historic event. It must however be pointed out
that the child which Lady Sinclair holds is by no
means a new-born infant.
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Angell
writes that this appears to be the only known confirmed
occurrence of plundering. He relates:
"The Officer of the Crown writes on October 3rd.
1612 (i.e. the same year as f.a.) that the Scots
had not
(my emphasis) “burnt, murdered or pillaged
either in Romsdalen or Gudbrandsdalen, apart
from the one Danish man who lives in Romsdalen,
called Søfren Setnes; taking from him a chest
full of a considerable amount of silver, both
coffee pots, belts, “stabbe” and other similar
articles of silver”.
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This is in
strong contrast to the words which Ivar Kleiven
accredits to Jon Tolstad (see below) in the narrative
“From Skotteåre”. (1935).
“Enemies are coming into the valley from
Romsdalen! - They are burning and robbing,
ravaging and stealing and killing! All
able-bodied men must assemble at the Romundgard
farm, from Lesja and Lom and all villages”.
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It is
nevertheless reasonable to assume that this could well
have been the message which was passed on in this type
of situation. The beacons were lit and the “Budstikke”
went from village to village to assemble people to fight
the intruders. The worst was expected!
At that time
plundering and ravaging were to be expected when there
was unrest in the country.
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It is said
that Per Klungnes hid his three “Riksdaler” in a pile of
birch bark that evening. |
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Map showing Rauma municipality and
Romsdalen. (Wikipedia). (Wikipedia)
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Friday,
21st. August - The march to Kårset
Rumour has
it that the Scots took two more Norwegians prisoner to
act as guides, but their names are unknown.
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These men
were sent in advance to tell the farmers in the valley
to prepare food for the Scots whose capacity for
carrying provisions was
limited. In this way they “requisitioned” what they
needed.
It can
perhaps be
looked upon as a form of “recompense” that they didn’t
burn or otherwise destroy the farms.
That day
they marched to Kårset
(Rasch-Eng;
Skottetoget 1612 p. 8-). Where is Kårset in Romsdal?
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History maintains that Sinclair ( who was
wrongly taken to be the leader of the Scots) had
promised his men that “as soon as they had
conquered
the country, they would get the prettiest
maidens and the best farms”. There was a rural
district in Norway called Hedemarken and when
they arrived
there they would find Cannan’s land (cf. 'a land
flowing with milk and honey'). (Angell,
p.40)
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According to
Angell, not much has been told about what happened in
Romsdal. The Scots hadn’t misbehaved to any great
extent. One record says that they chopped off the feet
of a dog which was bound to the door of an outside
storehouse on a farm. The name of the farm is unknown
however.
Another
record claims that a Scot was shot on the Ødeeidet farm
by a man from the Fiva farm. He shot from the other side
of the river.
Fiva lies on the West bank of the Rauma, just down from
the Trollvegen area. In which case it is possible that
Ødeeidet lay on the East side of the Rauma here. |
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A sick
Scottish soldier
Angell also
records the episode of one Scottish soldier who fell ill
during the march through Romsdalen. He built himself a
rough hut in a scree and lay there, prepared to die.
Some farmers found him however, brought food and took
good care of him. He stayed there for quite some time
but disappeared suddenly and wasn’t heard of again.
Rasch-Eng recounts that this happened on the second day
of the march through Romsdalen, before they came to
Einbu at Lesja and it was there he was laid in a stone
hut where the farmers found him and cared for him.
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They had to march through a
desolate area with high, steep mountains on both sides.
This is a part of Trollveggen.
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The valley with the precipitous sides could easily
have become a trap. |
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Saturday
22nd. August. The march to Einbu (almost equidistant
between Bjorli and Lesjaskog) |
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The Scots were in a hurry. They left Kårset early and
marched on towards Lesja.
Between
Verma and Bjorli near Bjørnekleivi they feared a serious
battle, says Angell. At this point they took to the
mountains and avoided both a battle and loss of time. |
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Haste |
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The Scots
were really in a hurry. The march from Åndalsnes to
Einbu at Lesja - and possibly even a little further -
was completed in just two days.
It was important for them to get through unfriendly
territory as quickly as possible, allowing the
Norwegians little time to gather resistance.
Angell
comments:
“The military maxim that the secret of the art of
war lies in the speed at which feet can move was
already well known at that time. They had to move so
quickly that the Norwegians neither had time to
group nor entrench themselves. There is no other
explanation for the extremely high speed of the
march, given the dreadful state of the roads, or
should it be said tracks, at that time. And it
wasn’t really the custom to employ haste in those
days when out to wage war. Mercenary soldiers didn’t
only enlist to fight” (p.43)
Angell
estimates that the daily marches to Kringen were in the
nature of 4 old Norwegian miles - about 45 kilometres,
per day. The road/track was not straight but into and
through and up to farms along the way, making the
distance considerably longer than today’s modern road.
Romsdalen
- A trap?
Romsdalen
could easily have become a trap for the Scots. Because
of the steep valley walls it would have been difficult
to escape in any other direction than through the valley
ends.
Closing off the valley at Mångehammeren, Kyllingkleiva
and at Bjørnekleivi would, in Angell’s opinion, have
been easy.
With regard to Bjørnekleivi it has to be said that the
Scots, as has already been mentioned, took to the
mountains, avoiding this area. |
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“Wild-turks”, “weather calf”, “weather runner”, “hunter
dog” - people
or “tracker dogs”??
On the farm
Raudstulen (i dag Raudstøl?), just above Verma (?) a
“wild-turk” was supposedly shot.
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Now
and again imagination runs riot when one
recounts an occurrence:
The Scots apparently sent two creatures ahead of
them when they were marching, two so-called
“wild-turks”. Sinclair used them “as scouts to
sniff out what lay ahead; in the evening they
returned with the news. They ran more swiftly
than deer; it is said that the muscles in the
thighs and calves were cut away (?)." (Angell p.
39) (see also
Kleiven
below)
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Ivar Kleiven says in his book "Bygdaminne frå Vågå"
(“Village
memories from Vågå”):
“these weather-calves were more aggressive than
a pack of farm dogs, fast as lightning and bore
no resemblance to human beings. The muscles in
their calves, thighs and buttocks were cut away;
their nostrils were slit. People meant that this
was done to them so that they could run much
more easily and everybody was afraid of them,
even the Scots. They could pick up the scent of
someone long before they saw them and could kill
a person before they knew it; they leapt onto a
person’s back and broke their neck”.
The Priest, Krag, meant that:
“it hadn’t been anything other than one of
Sinclair’s tracker dogs which one must suppose,
from both the description - it is also said that
the one that was shot on the Ødegaarden farm ran
about the field and barked”.
Angell comments: Krag’s explanation is
the natural one.
Rodney Mackay
refers to Nansen's bok (In Northern
Mists)
The calpach is referred to by Nansen in his book
In Northern Mists (p. 341): “Now there is a
Scottish mythical creature called a “water calf...”
The Norwegian veirkalv, “weather-calf,” or “wind-calf.”
which may well be thought a corruption of this.
It is true the creature inhabits lakes, but it
also goes upon dry land and has fabulous speed
and power of scenting things far off. It can
also transform itself into different shapes (as
a calf or a horse or a man), but always
preserves something of its animal form.”
You can read more about the “water calf” and the
connection to Scottish and Irish mythology in
this article. Search on “veirkalv” in the
text there.
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The march
through Lesja and Dovre down to Romundgard in Sel.
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What happened at Lesja? Legend or reality?
According to Angell a farmer was killed near Einbu,
but the person’s name is not known.
The year’s date was carved into a post here.
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Some claim
that the farm Skauge was burnt and an old woman was
killed. Others maintain that this happened at Bjøraa. |
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Marasletta (Merrasletti)
lies a little south of Einbu. The Scots probably spent
the
night here on the 23rd. of August (Angell p.45)
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Sunday 23rd.
August
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When the
Scots arrived at Kjellshus there was nobody there, says
Angell, but food had been made ready for them.The story
assumes here that they did not give thanks for the food
- but:
“they tipped a barrel of flour onto the road - and
burned the farm. How much truth there is in this is
hard to tell. In the old census this farm is not
mentioned”. (p.45)
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On the farm
Norderhus it is said that a woman called Synne or
Synnøva hid in the barn, ready to put out the fire if
the Scots set fire to it.
The farm was not burnt.
(This
story has been confirmed as part of the family history -
by a present day Norderhus descendant). |
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A man called
Trond, who lived at Tynnøl/Tøndevold, gathered some men
from Lesja to fight against the Scots. But when they saw
how many there were they gave up that plan and instead
offered an ample amount of food and drink. Afterwards,
the tale goes, the Scots chopped off the feet of a
heifer which was standing behind the barn door.
(Angell p.46) |
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The majority
of people fled up into the hills.
The Scots felt considerably safer in the open landscape
around Lesja than in the narrow confines of Romsdalen.
The risk of ambush, or of being cut off from escape, was
much less there.
But they did
not fully trust the food which they were offered. They
let the dogs eat some of it first, in case it was
poisoned.
To avoid being attacked from behind by the men of Lesja,
they also burned the bridge at Bottheim. |
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What
happened to Per Klungnes?
The Scots
didn’t trust him. Near the Kjørum farms he tried to
escape, but was caught. When they reached the bridge
over the river Jora (near Dombås), they hung him in the
waterfall to make him tell them which road they should
continue on.
(For someone from the other side of the Isfjord, he must
have had exceptionally good knowledge of conditions in
Gudbrandsdalen.
Author’s. note) |
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Per was held captive until they arrived at Kringen. He
marched with the advance party of about 60 men. (More
about this later). |
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The “Budstikke”
comes to Sheriff Lars Haagaa/Lauritz Hage in Dovre
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Lars Haagaa
got the message on Sunday forenoon. According to legend
he immediately grabbed his war axe, jumped on his horse
and galloped to Dovre Church. (Angell p.49)
In 1612
Dovre Church was at Skjellstad.
In the
period from before 1584 and up to 1730, Dovre Church was
located near Tofte - “Dofra kirkja paa Skjelstad”,(Dovre
Church at Skjelstad) according to Ola Vigerust.
(Gudbrandsdalens
Yearbook for 1960, p.187f) |
"The old
Church lay north and perhaps a little below the
farm Bergseng - where there is still a field
called Churchfield ... where up until very
recently, human remains have been found.”
(Gudbrandsdalens
Yearbook for 1960, p.187f)
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“Listen to
me! The enemy has invaded us!”
The minister
was in the pulpit and the congregation had seated
themselves when the Sheriff came in armed with his
battleaxe and, according to Angell, banged it three
times on the floor before shouting “Listen to me! The
enemy has invaded us!”.
Krag
however writes (1838): He came, it is said, into the
Dovre
Church during the Service and knocked three times
with his Stave, and
said “Listen to me...”
"Immediately everyone ran out to the weapons porch, took
their axes and gathered round the Sheriff in the
cemetery. There he told them what he knew, and what he
had decided, that now they would see to it that the
Scots needn’t trouble themselves for much longer. They
would close the road down at Rosti (Rosten - Author’s
note) and attack the enemy; the terrain was rugged and
heavily wooded so it was easy to lie hidden and rush out
in a surprise attack." (Angell p.50).
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A battleaxe from
The Scottish March Collection
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Michell refers to the Danish Chancellor
and narrates - somewhat more soberly - as follows:
"In his first Report to the
Danish Chancellor, dated September 17,1612, the
Norwegian Stadtholder stated that when Lauritz Hage,
Lensmand of Vaage (this is
wrong, Hage was the Lensmand of Lessje, not
Vaage) in Gudbrandsdalen,
heard of the arrival of the Scots in Romsdalen, "he
at once roused the Bonder
(farmers) and peasantry in the
two parishes of Lessje and Vaage, and went forth
against the said Scots and foreiorn
(foreign)
troops. And when he perceived they were too strong
for him, he advanced for two or three days and kept
before them along the road, without, however,
engaging in any skirmish or fight. Meanwhile, he
sent messengers to the peasantry in the two
adjoiping parishes, called Froen and Ringeboe, who
quickly came to his assistance; and when they were
in this manner gathered they were 405 men strong.
Thus he advanced in front " (of the Scots) " along
the road until he saw his advantage at a fjeld
called Kringelen, situated in Vaage parish, which
they were obliged to pass."
http://www.archive.org/details/historyofscottis00michuoft
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Monday
24th. August - What happened in Dovre parish?
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The Scots
spent Monday in Dovre. “There are no records from here
of burning and murder, nor from their march through the
valley”. Angell writes (p.47).
When they
came to Landheim (Lannem today) a little north of the
centre of Dovre, they rested for quite some time on a
“leikarvoll” (place for dancing or sport) called
Kraakvolden (Kråkvollen).
However
their fatigue didn’t prevent them from dancing and
inviting “guests”. People who had fled up into the hills
sat and watched the dancing. (Angell p.47) |
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Monday
24th. August . What did the farmers do?
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Gathering at
Sel near Romundgard
Angell
writes (pp.51,52)
“On Monday the 24th. of August the Sheriff arrived
with his men from Dovre and Lesja, who had joined
forces, at the group of neighbouring farms in Sel
called Jørandgard, Olstad, Largard, Ullsvold and
Øvrebø. They met the men from Vågå here and perhaps
also some farmers from
Ringebu and Fron. There were several hundred men
gathered and everyone now believed that they were
strong enough to do battle with the Scots”.
The
farmers had agreed that the area round Kringen was a
“suitable” place in which to stop the Scots.
Kringen lies just south of where the rivers Lågen and
Otta meet, on the east side of the river, approximately
15 kilometres south of Romundgard farm.
The road/track is narrow there and passes through a
precipitous area bordered by the river on the one side.
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A section of a
mining map from 1647 showing Sel and the farms
Romundgard, Laurgard and the newly built Church
from 1628. This Church replaced the old stave church
which stood there because the foundations of the old
church
were deteriorating.
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We can see
that in the 1640s a bridge existed here over the River
Lågen, to the East bank. However, the next stage of the
march towards Kringen was most probably carried out on
the West bank of the Lågen until the bridge over to
Selsverket was reached, since this map shows
roads/tracks and several bridges over streams along the
Lågen on this bank. This seems to indicate that this was
the main thoroughfare.
Active
working of the mines at Rust had not yet started in 1612
and few people lived by the Ula river. One bridge led to
the Selsverket area and another over the Ula. From there
it is only a few kilometres to Kringen.
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Copy of the mining map
from 1647 (drawn on the 18th. of April 1814 by
Johan Paulsen at the Blaafarveverket at Modum). This
shows the main
route between Sel and Selsverket as it was in the 1640s.
Today’s E6
main road on the other hand, lies on the East bank.
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According to
Ivar Kleiven’s dramatization "Frå Skotteåre"
(“From the Year of the Scots”), there was
something of a heated discussion as to whether they
should take up position at Rosten (between Sel and Dovre),
as Lars Haagaa originally wanted to. It is difficult to
give credence to the historical rectitude of this since
much of what is told today about the March is not
supported by written material from the time that this
happened, but is based on word of mouth recounting.
Some of the
myths/ legends/ sagas (?) connected to the March will be
discussed later in this presentation.
That there should be such a wealth of verbally
communicated myths?/ legends?/ connected to the Scottish
March and the Battle at Kringen, also says much about
the significance this event had for the “self esteem and
identity” of Norwegians afterwards. |
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The map shows the populated area of Sel as it is today -
with Romundgard, Laurgard, Ullsvollen and Olstad.
A little south of Romundgard a gentleman by the name of
Øystein Ulen has rebuilt the Middle Ages farm Jørundgard
with its 16 houses and a Stave Church.
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Romundgard farm as it is today. |
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A drinking
“party”
The evening
didn’t exactly pass peacefully. Angell (p.52) tells us
that a few of the men got hold of some barrels of beer
from one of the farms and began to drink together so
that many became
intoxicated. Luckily, in the early hours of the morning
of the 25th., the Sheriff and several of the more
sensible men hammered the taps hard into the barrels and
sawed them off so close to the wood that it was
impossible to get them out again. That put a stop to the
drinking and the farmers could move on to Kringen.
The farmers could have paid dearly for this “party”.
Angell
explains that when the farmers from the different
valleys met, they “would offer each other what they
had to offer, and that they could just as well have a
“party” that evening - and the night as well”.
It is more likely that some felt the need to give
themselves some “Dutch courage” on an evening such as
that? |
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The map shows Sel (upper arrow). The farmers gathered
there at Romundgard and Laurgard on the evning of the
24th. of August. The
Scots arrived at the same place the next day. They had
travelled up the west side of the valley and come down
to Sel over Horgen
(Horgesetrene) in order to avoid a possible ambush in
Rosti (Rosten). In the words of the story they stayed at
Romundgard the night before
the Battle of Kringen (the lower arrow on the map).
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The view looking down towards North Sel and Selsmyrene
from Horgen.
Furthest south in the valley we see Selsverket (close to
today’s Otta).
Kringen lies some few kilometers south of Selsverket and
Otta.
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Tuesday
25th. August - What did the farmers do?
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They moved
about 15 kilometers south to Kringen.
Krag (1838) narrates it thus:
“The farmers moved south for 1
1/2 (“old” Norwegian) miles and finally stopped at
Kringen, where they decided to remain and attack the
Scots. This place lies in Bredenbygd in Sells Annex,
Våge Parish, and is a mountain side which the road
crosses. At the foot of this
slope, which is extremely steep in some places,
flows the River Lågen. At that time the road was
only a narrow path or track fit for horses, but has
since been changed and widened into a main road. The
terrain has been somewhat altered since 1612,
particularly as a
result of a landslide in 1789, which made it less
steep. There were also more woods there than now.
The place name is usually written as Kringlen, the
name by which it has become best known; in everyday
speech however it is called Kringom or Høgkringom*).
The farmers who
had gathered here were from Vågå, Lessø, Fron and
Ringebo. Slange, as well as Edv. Storm, tells that
farmers from Lom were also there”.
*)The
place has received its name from the way the road
follows the mountain, or that the road between the
farms in the North and South goes around the Bjerg
crags there; called in olden times, and which
occasionally still is in Farmers’ language, (“kringum”)
around; just as the word Kringla in the Old
Norwegian language meant a “Kreds”, or turn.
In
addition to the farmers who were now in the Kringen
area, farmers from Gausdal and Øyer gathered at
“Bægilsklev/Bæggersklev” in Ringebu, approximately five
and a half (old Norwegian) miles (55 km) further south.
Their leader was Bailiff Lars/Laurits Gram.
The
farmers at Kringen were led by Lars/Laurits Hage,
Sheriff of Dovre, and Peder Randklev who was
Sheriff in Ringebu.
They now
prepared themselves to meet the Scots in the Kringen
area.
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Tuesday
25th. August . What did the Scots do?
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Click here to read
about the preparations for the Battle, the Battle
itself - and what happened afterwards
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Kringen,
Kringom, Kringlen,
Kringelen, Kringlane |
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The choice
of words used to describe the Battle of Kringen has
varied throughout history - and still does today.
Locally, the
most normal description is “The Battle in
Kringom”. “The Battle near Kringen”
is also often used as well as “The Battle in
Kringen” (meaning in the Kringen area). Krag
uses “The Battle near Kringlen” while
Teigum employs “The Battle near Kringane”.
Angell (about
Christian August) writes: “The Battle near
Kringelen”.
In context
today usage is often Kringen-, e.g. the “Kringenstøttene”
(Kringen Monuments), “Kringenslaget” (the
Battle of Kringen), “Kringenområdet” (the
Kringen area) etc. |
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The Monuments
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The
Monuments in the Kringen area itself:
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Read about these Monuments her |
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The Sinclair
Monument near Vik in Kvam: |
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“I have been told the following by Ole Øyen who himself
participated in the work in the 1890s”, tells Jon
Selfors.
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The memorial stone on Sinclair’s grave was made by
Per Hansen Lien and erected in 1860 for the 250th.
Anniversary. Before that the grave was marked by a
wooden tablet and is today part of the Gudbrandsdal
War Memorial Collection at Kvam. A copy of this
tablet, made at Maihaugen, is on display at “The
Scottish March Collection” at the Sinclair Inn.
The memorial was erected by the villagers and
farmers in Kvam and paid for by funds from “Kollokassa”,
i.e. taxes paid by the farms in a collective.
As payment for his work, Per Hansen Lien was exempt
from paying tax/ rent for three years. I have not as
yet discovered from which quarry the stone came.
He (Sinclair) was buried in unconsecrated ground
i.e. outside the fence round the old cemetery at Vik.
His remains and Monument were moved some meters in
connection with the laying of the railway track in
the 1890s.
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Moving of
the Sinclair Monument at Vik in Kvam (1895-96) |
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History
tells that, when the railway was extended to Otta in
1895 - 1896, the Sinclair’s Monument and grave at Vik in
Kvam had to be moved some few meters to make room for
the new track. The above picture is assumed to have been
taken during the work.
(The
photograph is on loan from Jan Selfors)
Vik is
situated one km south of Kvam.
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Some sources - and other
accounts of The Scottish March on the Internet - a
temporary version - incomplete and in the form of cues
and key words - the sources here are often linked
directly into the text in the net pages:
Krag, Hans Peter Schnitler (redaktør)
Sagn, samlede i Gudbrandsdalen om slaget ved Kringlen
den 26de august 1612, og udgivne i forbindelse med hvad
historien : beretter om denne tildragelse
Henrik August
Angell: "Skotteferdi - eit 300 aars minne 1612-1912"
(sidetallene refererer oftest til nyopptrykket
"Skottetoget - et 400aars minde" ISBN 978-82-994360-1-4)
Sjur Lonbakken: "Gje ly', godt folk, no er fiende kome i
lande!" Slaget ved Kringen 1612 (2007)
Andreas Austlid : Sinklar-soga 1924
Andreas Austlid : Sinklar-soga 1899
Historien om den skotske ekspedisjonen til Norge i 1612
- av Thomas Michell, norsk utgave 1997 (ISBN
82-994360-0-1)
http://www.archive.org/details/historyofscottis00michuoft
Når det gjelder Thomas Michell bør en vel legge
til at hans bok ble skrevet og utgitt i en tid da
den svenske kongen også var konge over Norge (1886).
Han fremhevet - og hadde funnet fram til kilder som
kanskje kunne gi beretningen en vinkling som passet
den svenske kongen bedre. Han har da også tilegnet
boken til Hans Majestet Oscar II, konge av
Sverige og Norge ... "with the
deepest gratitude and the most profound respect of
the author".
Hans beretning er imidlertid viktig - den baserer
seg i større grad på de tidlige skrevne kildene - og
avviser stort sett de muntlige overleveringer i
Gudbrandsdalen som Krag har samlet.
Når det gjelder noen av de norske beretningene,
f. eks. Austlid må en også si at de er farget av den
tiden de ble skrevet og forfatterens ønske om
vinkling av stoffet.
Rasch-Eng: Skottetoget 1612
'Kringenslaget og segna om velta' av S. Rudin (Årbok for
Gudbrandsdalen 1953 s. 39ff.)
Ivar Kleiven: "Frå Skotteåre".
Ivar Teigum "Bygdebok for Vågå og Sel"
"Århundrets døler" ISBN 82-7847-049-9 (side131):
Hans H. Lie var tilstede ved 300-årsmarkeringen i 1912
og fotograferte det som skjedde
Dr.phil. Fartein Valen-Sendstad: "Næringslivet i
Oppland på 1800-tallet" (Artikkel i boka "Oppland fra
istid til nåtid", utgitt av Opplandsbanken i 1979 - uten
ISBN-nummer) |
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Nicolai
Christian Lassen: Dagbok fra 1777 over en Rejse igjennem
Guldbrandsdalen (Utgitt av Gudbrandsdalens Historielag i
1933) |
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http://www.dhm.de/ausstellungen/mythen/glaubeb.html |
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Årbok 2009
Gudbrandsdalslaget (i USA) Volume 25 Centennial Yearbook
ISBN 978-1-57579-395-5 |
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"Forsvaret fra Leidang til
totalforsvar" ved Ersland, Bjørlo, Eriksen og Moland (PDF-dokument
på nettet) |
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Karsten Alnes: Historien om Norge |
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http://www.rejsende.dk/norge/skottetoget.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_Ramsay
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kringen
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/articles/norway1612.htm
http://www.archiveshub.ac.uk/news/0500beveridge.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament_of_Scotland#Origins
http://rodneymackay.com/druidheachd.pdf/druidc.pdf
(Veirkalv)
http://www.maritimt.net/arkforsk/norskem.htm (Gamle
norske måleenheter)
http://old.genealogi.no/kilder/prillarguri.htm (Lars
Løberg - om Pillarguri og slektskretsen hennes)
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See also the
following page for information on literature related to
“The Scottish March” and “The Battle of Kringen”:
Litteratur |
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Background - The
Battle - Myths?
- Significance - Objects - Literature - Scotland
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Programme2012 |
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The Norwegian pages relating to The Scottish March were
first published on the web 12th. November 2010.
The first page of the English version was made available
on the net on the 28th of June 2011.
This page was last updated :
25. februar 2014 |
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Web:
Geir Neverdal (lektor/cand.philol) - Sel Historielag
www.otta2000.com
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