This dance commemorates the
Battle of Bannockburn
, which took place at the end of June, 1314 – Scotland under its king, Robert the Bruce, fought an English army under king Edward II. and won. Bannockburn, being as it is one of the rare Scottish triumphs over their southerly neighbours, plays an important role in Scottish tradition and lore; the victory is not only celebrated in Burns’ famous poem,
Scots Wha Hae
, but also in the modern
(inofficial) rugby anthem
Flower of Scotland
.
Bannockburn is near Stirling, a strategically important city at the edge of the Highlands. It features a memorial and a Robert the Bruce monument, even though by now historical researchers are fairly unanimous in concluding that the battle did not actually take place where the memorial is today, but somewhere else in the vicinity (it is not completely clear where).
The dance is a comparatively early work by John Drewry, and his selection of music mirrors the actual event:
Bonnybridge
is a bridge across Bannock Burn (»burn« meaning »small river«), where the battle took place.
Stirling Castle
is, so to speak, the starter of the whole affair: The castle was occupied by English troops and being besieged by Edward Bruce (Robert’s brother). It was agreed that the English were to relinquish the castle during the summer of 1314, unless there had been reinforcements from England by that time (Edward – the English king – was busy with internal politics at the time). Robert the Bruce was not enthusiastic about this arrangement, since in his opinion it gave the castle’s garrison too much time, and Edward – the English king – managed to take care of his domestic problems and to raise a comparatively huge (two or three times the number of Bruce’s men) army in order to liberate Stirling Castle and put the rebellious Scots into their place at the same time. He reached Stirling immediately before the ultimatum for clearing the castle expired. – The first reel,
The Old Bog Hole
, alludes to the actual battle in the plains near Stirling; Bruce, having had the area along the Falkirk road riddled with deep pits, forced the English army to detour through the open country off the road, where they were crammed between various water courses and had little room to maneuver. The second reel,
Soldier's Joy
, naturally symbolises the elation of the Scottish troops after winning the day.
The only recording that actually uses all of these prescribed tunes is the one by
Deirdre Adamson
, which unfortunately uses a nearly undanceable speed for the reels. This is slightly strange since 1314 is a popular and fairly frequently recorded dance.