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The Herald Scotland
26-04-2025
- General
- The Herald Scotland
This tragic silver casket spelled the end of an independent Scotland
Nor is it alone in its effect on those who come to see it. Our museums and galleries are filled with objects that electrify the past, whether it's weaponry and helmets left when the Romans decamped, or unique discoveries such as the Galloway Hoard, a priceless trove of Viking-era artefacts found near Kirkcudbright by a metal detectorist. Every such item brings us closer to those who lived here before, illuminating our heritage like arc lamps. Read more Rosemary Goring Yet there is one object that, to my mind, outshines them all, both for beauty and importance. This is the silver gilt casket believed to have belonged to Mary, Queen of Scots, which played a crucial role in her downfall. Arguably the most beguiling piece owned by the National Museum of Scotland, this intricately tooled casket is currently on a mini-tour, bringing it within reach of those who might never have the opportunity to visit Edinburgh. For the past six months it has been in Kirkcudbright Galleries in Dumfries and Galloway; from Wednesday until the end of August it will go on display in Stirling at the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum. You'll rarely see anything like it. Thought to have been made in Paris between 1480 and 1506, it is of the highest quality and distinction. No ordinary aristocrat could have aspired to own something as sumptuous and costly. Sold in 2022 by the family of the Dukes of Hamilton, it is more than simply an exquisite piece of work. It is believed to be the box discovered under the bed of Lord Bothwell's tailor in Edinburgh, containing scandalous letters between the Earl and Mary. These, according to Mary's enemies, proved the couple's adultery before the murder of Lord Darnley, and strongly implicated the queen in her husband's death. Precisely what the box contained when first seized we will never know. Among its contents were 12 sonnets (obvious forgeries, according to literary experts) and two marriage contracts, whose historical importance is negligible. Far more interesting are eight letters, their tone by turns amorous, conspiratorial and anxious. None of them is signed or dated, and anomalies in line spacing hint at tampering. Mary, Queen of Scots (Image: free) Of these, two in particular have caused headaches for supporters of Mary. Known as the Long Glasgow Letter and the Short Glasgow Letter, they relate to the weeks when Darnley was ill with syphilis at his family's Glasgow home. During this time Mary visited, persuading him to return to Edinburgh where, not long after, he was murdered. There seems little doubt that some passages of these letters are genuine. What remains unclear is to what extent they were doctored. Taken at face value they are damning, but to this day, more than 450 years after they were found, opinion is divided as to their credibility. The original documents, written in French, have long since disappeared, and only translated copies survive. Some assume the letters were destroyed by Mary's son James VI, which suggests either that he wanted to get rid of evidence that would incriminate his mother, or that they were such obvious fakes their discovery would make it clear she had been wrongly imprisoned, and ought to have occupied the throne he now held. Few relics from the past are so tantalising. This bijou box would be interesting enough for its provenance, and for its exceptional medieval craftsmanship. It's hard to think of a more attractive or revealing remnant from the late middle ages, illustrating as it does the queen's wealth, status and glamour. Yet the casket's importance goes far deeper than it appearance and association with Mary. For me it is of particular interest, since the story of the Casket Letters is at the heart of my forthcoming book, Exile: The Captive Years of Mary, Queen of Scots, which recounts the time Mary spent as a prisoner of Elizabeth I. Even though she was largely confined indoors, this period was even more dramatic than her time on the Scottish throne. Read more Shortly after Mary disastrously fled Scotland in 1568 to seek help from her cousin Elizabeth I, she not only found herself a prisoner but was subjected to a tribunal to determine her innocence or guilt in Darnley's murder and whether the ruling party in Scotland, under the Earl of Moray, had illegally deposed her. During this examination the Casket Letters were produced as evidence. Although the tribunal found neither for or against either side, Moray was allowed to return to Scotland but Mary was held captive for the rest of her life. Her death 18 years later at the hands of an inept executioner in Fotheringhay Castle, can be traced directly to the silver casket and the doubt its contents cast on her reputation. As such, the fate of Scotland, as well as Mary's, was shaped by the contents of this elegant little box. Had she been set free from England; had she raised enough support to reclaim her throne; had her son been raised at her court rather than by fanatical Protestants who taught him to believe his mother was a heretic and a whore, who can say what direction Scotland would have taken? Might her return have triggered a counter-reformation, returning the country to Catholic faith, with all the bloody infighting and chaos that would have created? On the day when all eyes are on Rome for Pope Francis's funeral, it is worth speculating where Scotland would stand if the silver casket had never been found. Rosemary Goring is a Herald columnist and author. Her most recent book is Homecoming: The Scottish Years of Mary, Queen of Scots. Its sequel, Exile: The Captive Years of Mary, Queen of Scots, is published in July.
The Independent
07-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
From Robo Keir to Starmer the Statesman – how the PM found a new voice
It's eight months since the general election, but suddenly it feels like Britain has a new prime minister. Whether he is treading the diplomatic tightrope in Donald Trump 's Washington, glad-handing European leaders back home or commanding the House of Commons, Sir Keir Starmer seems a leader reborn. MPs who study the premier most closely remark on his stronger, clearer voice. It is as though the crisis over Ukraine has catalysed a man pigeon-holed as a timid leader with a robotic style. The Mk II Starmer is bold – a shaper of international events, rather than the victim of them. What's more, voters are noticing. Polls show that Starmer's personal ratings have nudged upwards, even though approval of the government as a whole has continued to drift downwards. Labour may be at a historically abysmal 28 per cent, but there is finally a modest three-point gap with Reform, on 25, and a comfortable lead over the Conservatives marooned on 21. For a Labour Party grappling with unsolvable dilemmas over public spending, service cuts, welfare reform and immigration, the uptick in Starmer's fortunes represents hope that a leader who commands renewed respect on the world stage might help them navigate the hard trade-offs required at home. Starmer would not be the first prime minister to come of age in a military crisis. Margaret Thatcher was reborn in the Falklands victory, which bought her a khaki election victory and gave time for her economic reforms to take root. John Major grew in stature when, within weeks of becoming PM, he was pitched into the first Iraq conflict. Tony Blair cruised the international stage effortlessly for a decade, and his third victory in 2005 came after the second Iraq war, even though the inquiries into that invasion ultimately ruined his reputation. Nobody should not be surprised that Starmer rose to meet a sudden emergency head-on. We saw during the Southport riots last year how he was capable of responding effectively – and ruthlessly – to serious public disorder by fast-tracking heavy punishments for those threatening the nation's peace. But after Southport he retreated back to months of stiff, leaden, uninspiring speeches, as the weight of economic woes and an unpopular Budget dragged the government down. His speeches in the New Year, planned to seize back the initiative, were exercises in dull repetition. Starmer's brand new voice made its debut, not in Washington, but four days before his trip to meet Trump. It first emerged at the Scottish Labour conference, during a graveyard Sunday morning slot to an unfilled hall, whose hungover audience expected the usual worn-out stump anecdotes. Instead, the Labour leader surprised old hands with a passionate delivery coupled with 'human' anecdotes. One line stood out: Starmer spoke of the Galloway Hoard, a 1,000-year-old Viking treasure discovered a decade ago. Historians had only just translated the inscription on the gold, which read: 'This is the community's wealth.' Starmer paused and continued: 'Conference — the soil we walk on has life and character, and this is Scotland's character.' One impressed Scottish MP commented later: 'It was a line worthy of Obama.' Two days later in the Commons, Starmer dropped a bombshell by boosting military spending at the expense of the international aid budget. Despite rumblings from the left, the policy went down well with Labour MPs facing challenges from Nigel Farage's Reform party. 'He shot Farage's fox,' said one Red Wall MP. Another said: 'You could see the ripple of emotion down the Labour benches as MPs went from thinking 'Oh!' to 'OK, that makes sense'.' In his White House talks with Trump, Starmer swallowed his pride and, shamelessly deploying a letter from the king, kept alive his key goals, including US engagement with Ukraine and a hoped-for exemption for the UK from Trump's punitive trade tariffs. When Trump and Vice President JD Vance monstered President Zelensky a day later, Starmer took the gamble of inviting the Ukraine leader to London and hugging him in public. Zelensky was also honoured with an audience with the king ahead of Trump, and given centre stage at the special summit of European leaders in London. Starmer made the weather again in Prime Minister's Questions this week, when he read out the names and ages of men who 'died fighting for Britain alongside our allies' – the unexpected tribute formed a clear rebuke to Vance, who had made comments about the effectiveness of sending troops from 'some random country that has not fought a war in 30 or 40 years', seen as an insult to the UK and France. Meanwhile, the special EU summit saw European leaders singing from the Starmer song sheet and hugging Zelensky. Starmer was not there, due to Brexit, but his influence was clear. Although the UK leader is standing taller internationally, economic tensions torturing Labour at home are not going away any time soon. Low growth, welfare reform, looming cuts to public services, trouble with the unions and voter anger at immigration levels could all erupt and blow away the gains of the past week. These tensions will come to the fore at this month's budget, with some mainstream Labour MPs pressing chancellor Rachel Reeves to relax the fiscal rules that forbid higher borrowing in order to fund electorally-sensitive budgets. 'This is a golden opportunity to allow more borrowing – while the public are furious about Trump's treatment of Zelensky,' said one. However, during Monday's Commons statement on Ukraine, Starmer backed the fiscal rules, denying himself wiggle room and tying his fortunes close to Reeves who is still damaged by the winter fuel allowance cut. It is impossible to predict how the next few days will go – let alone the four years to the next general election. But if Starmer can maintain the style that has earned plaudits, he might just turn out to be the leader that Britons choose again.
BBC News
07-02-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Experts solve mystery linked to treasure from the Viking Age
A collection of more than 100 items from the Viking Age was first discovered back in 2014, but exactly who owned it has proven to be a bit of a mystery - until now. The group of items, known as the Galloway Hoard, contains lots of different materials including gold and silver. It's now thought the writing on one of the hoard's arm rings, which was inscribed with Anglo-Saxon runes or letters, may shed some light on who might have owned the Galloway Hoard, according to experts. A number of theories about the origins of the hoard have been put forward, with some suggestions it might have been buried by four different owners because of the four separate arm rings. Each of the arm rings has writing on it and three of the four inscriptions appear to have names connected to the Old English language. However, the fourth and longest inscription has baffled experts, and for a long time remained unreadable as there was no recognisable direct translation. Researchers at National Museums Scotland (NMS) who have been studying the hoard have now put forward a new possible translation for the fourth inscription. They believe it says: 'This is the community's wealth/property', suggesting the special group of items actually belonged to the whole Goldberg from the NMS said the translation marked a "significant development in our understanding of the Galloway Hoard.""The idea that the wealth this hoard represents would be communally held is fascinating," he said."It does still leave us with unanswered questions around the circumstances in which a community's wealth would come to be buried, and also which particular community."Some material within the hoard, such as the pectoral cross and the rock crystal jar made for a Bishop Hyguald, would support this being a religious community." So why did the translation of the inscription on the arm ring prove so difficult? "This is a difficult and unusual inscription, and the proposed translation is challenging," said runologist Dr David Parsons from the University of Wales who has previously translated other runic inscriptions from the hoard. "There are a number of things which are technically 'wrong' when we compare it with what we know about 'correct' runic writing."However, if we think about both spoken and written English today, there are a huge range of regional and idiomatic variations and, if we allow for this, then it becomes possible to accept this as a plausible reading."He also believes the translation put forward could make sense when thinking about what we already know about the Galloway Hoard. The arm ring at the centre of the new discovery will soon be on display at the South Australian Museum in Adelaide as part of a new international touring exhibition which opens on Saturday.
The Independent
07-02-2025
- General
- The Independent
Mystery over Viking treasure solved after runic inscription deciphered
Archaeologists have found 'compelling' new evidence as to who might have owned a Viking Age hoard of more than 5kg of gold, silver and other treasures. A newly translated runic inscription has shed light on the Galloway Hoard, considered to be one of the richest collections of Viking-age objects ever found in Britain and Ireland when it was uncovered by a a metal detectorist in Balmaghie, near Kirkcudbright, in 2014. Researchers at National Museums Scotland, which have been studying the hoard, proposed a new translation which suggests the treasure belonged to everybody. A runic inscription on one of its silver 'ribbon' arms has been deciphered to reveal it reads: 'This is the community's wealth/property.' Martin Goldberg from the museum said: 'This is another really interesting and significant development in our understanding of the Galloway Hoard. The idea that the wealth this hoard represents would be communally held is fascinating. 'It does still leave us with unanswered questions around the circumstances in which a community's wealth would come to be buried, and also which particular community. 'Some material within the hoard, such as the pectoral cross and the rock crystal jar made for a Bishop Hyguald, would support this being a religious community.' Previous theories suggested it was buried by four owners based on the four arm rings inscribed with Anglo-Saxon runes. Three of the inscriptions feature Old English name elements, but the fourth and longest inscription has remained indecipherable as there is no recognisable direct translation. Researchers had long struggled to make sense of the runic inscription carved inside the curved half of the arm ring, which read 'DIS IS IIGNA F'. They made a breakthrough when they realised that it may well be 'technically 'wrong''. They explained the word 'IIGNAF' was the main problem as it didn't correspond to any language spoken in early medieval Britain or Ireland. When they discovered the final rune, F, was marked with punts or dots, either side, they understood the name of the rune itself - 'feoh', meaning wealth or property, unlocked a new translation. The inscription 'IIGNA' could be interpreted as the Old English word 'higna', which had been used elsewhere in Anglo-Saxon documents to allude to a religious community, with the first letter spelt in an unusual, but understandable way. The word 'DIS' also seemed to be misspelled, but interpreted it to mean 'this' with the 'Th' sound being pronounced with a 'D'. Despite these mistakes, the researchers believe the full translation reads: 'This is the community's wealth/property.' Runologist Dr David Parsons, from the University of Wales, said it was a 'difficult and unusual inscription', calling the proposed translation 'challenging'. The runologist, who had previously translated other inscriptions from the hoard, added: 'There are a number of things which are technically 'wrong' when we compare it with what we know about 'correct' runic writing. 'However, if we think about both spoken and written English today, there are a huge range of regional and idiomatic variations and, if we allow for this, then it becomes possible to accept this as a plausible reading. 'And in the context of what [we] can deduce about the Galloway Hoard. it becomes really quite compelling.' This finding concludes a three-year research project called Unwrapping the Galloway Hoard, supported initially by the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council. Chairperson Christopher Smith said: 'It has been fascinating to see the succession of significant discoveries over the life of the Unwrapping the Galloway Hoard project, from the exotic origins of some of its star pieces to the presence of named individuals and now this latest exciting discovery.' The arm ring will next be displayed at the South Australian Museum in Adelaide as the hoard goes on an international touring exhibition titled Treasures of The Viking Age: The Galloway Hoard, which opens on Saturday.
BBC News
07-02-2025
- General
- BBC News
Rune suggests Galloway Hoard belonged to community
A first translation of a runic inscription on an arm ring from a Viking-age hoard unearthed by a metal detectorist in southern Scotland has shed new light on who owned its discovery in 2014 in Galloway, there have been a number of theories.A team at National Museums Scotland (NMS) which has been studying the hoard has translated a rune as: "This is the community's wealth/property."Dr Martin Goldberg said it was another "really interesting and significant development in our understanding of the Galloway Hoard." The new translation was revealed as items from the Galloway Hoard, regarded as one of the UK's most important archaeological finds this century, began an international tour starting in Adelaide in Goldberg said: "The idea that the wealth this hoard represents would be communally-held is fascinating."It does still leave us with unanswered questions around the circumstances in which a community's wealth would come to be buried, and also which particular community."Some material within the hoard, such as the pectoral cross and the rock crystal jar made for a Bishop Hyguald, would support this being a religious community." Leading runologist Dr David Parsons of the University of Wales who has previously translated other runic inscriptions from the Galloway Hoard said it was a "difficult and unusual inscription"."There are a number of things which are technically 'wrong' when we compare it with what we know about 'correct' runic writing," he said."However, if we think about both spoken and written English today, there are a huge range of regional and idiomatic variations and, if we allow for this, then it becomes possible to accept this as a plausible reading."And in the context of what can deduce about the Galloway Hoard it becomes really quite compelling."The finding comes at the end of a three-year research project into the arm ring will be on display at the South Australian Museum in Adelaide as part of the touring exhibition which opens on Saturday.
