Mollie Hunter

Mollie Hunter is, as I see her, Scotland's finest storyteller. I chose her for my bookwraith because her books sit on the library shelves gathering dust. Her books run the age gamut of children's fantasy to historical fiction for adults. Her fantasy books are rooted in Celtic folklore and the historical books bring to life Scotland's past. A Sound of Chariots and I'll Go My Own Way are my favorite young adult books. What are yours? Check them out at your library or they will be discarded and disappear into a Highland mist.

Makars

King James I belongs to a group of poets called Makars and described as Scots Chaucerians. This description is often criticized as denying the original nature of their poetry. These poets from Scotland were also influenced by earlier poets from Scotland like Barbour and also the courtly literature of France.
Since James Fenimore Cooper, Washington Irving and Nathaniel Hawthorne were influenced by Sir Walter Scott, perhaps they could be categorized as American Waverleys. ?

Rhyme Royal

James wrote The Kingis Quair in a rhyme scheme ababbcc which became know as rhyme royal even though he was not the first to use it. He wrote, "I recommend my buk in lynis sevin" but he most likely learned this scheme from Chaucer or the French.
With so much of the contemporary poetry written in free verse, does the use of traditional rhyme schemes seem more restrictive or is there just a lack of discipline in the creative skills of modern poets?

Joan Beaufort

King James' imprisonment must not have been too confining since he met Joan Beaufort while in prison. He married her in 1423 a few year's after his release and they had eight children.

Dream Literature

Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy and his use of a dream vision or dream allegory greatly influenced medieval literature. King James I used this format for his Kingis Quair. However, the love relationship in the work was focused on a personal marital relationship, quite different than the idealized love found in most other works due to such poets as Guillaume de Lorris. His work also was predominantly autobiographical not only because of his descriptions of his relationship with his wife, but also his imprisonment by the English.

Cawdor

One step back for a moment, if you please. For those who like that Scottish play and things Scottish, read Liza Campbell's A Charmed Life: Growing up in Macbeth's Castle. It is a very interesting read and rife with history (recent and ancient).

Kingis Quair

Our next book of influence will be King James I's Kingis Quair. Leaders throughout history have been concerned with assassination in one form or the other. In 1423, poison was the weapon of choice. The unicorn seems to be a useful substitute for a body guard since he refers to "The lufare vnicorne, That voidis venum with his euoure horne." (The friendly unicorn that renders venom harmless with his ivory horn). This fabulous beast can be seen in the Unicorn Hunt tapestries in the Metropolitan Museum in New York.

Unicorns are referenced in many ancient texts by authors of reliable reputation. Did they really exist or are they only from the world of mythology and fantasy?