This is the second of a series of ten 'cameo' articles that appeared in The Scottish Field magazine beginning in December 1990 issue. These articles were intended to be provocative . Tranter first told this story in his novel, Kenneth and later in the Scottish Flag Heritage Centre Museum housed in the Doo'cot behind the Athelstaneford parish church.
In considering whether St Andrew might not have been the patron saint of Scotland perhaps Tranter fans may wish to remember the outcome of the Synod of Whitby in 663 AD. There the advocates of the Church of Rome won the day over those of the Celtic persuasion by claiming that the holder of the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven -- St. Peter -- was their patron! If Peter was already claimed why not claim his brother? . . . Rory Mor.
IF it had not been for a curious cloud formation in the East Lothian sky, St. Andrew would almost certainly never have been patron-saint of Scotland; indeed there might well never have been a Scotland at all, extraordinary as this may seem today.
It so happened, in the early 9th century, that for once the Celtic kingdoms of Dalriada and Alba co-operated sufficiently to engage in a joint raiding expedition into Anglian England, Northumbria, in retaliation for Anglian raids upon themselves. Unfortunately, perhaps, on their return they burdened themselves with large numbers of purloined cattle -- normal procedure, no doubt, but considerably slowing-down their march home, cattle being like that.
As a consequence, a large force of Saxons from the south, who happened to be raiding the Angles also, learning of this, came after the Celts; and because of those cattle were able to catch up with them. This happened in East Lothian, not far from the present village of Athelstaneford -- Athelstane was the name of the Saxon commander. The ford was one of the very few crossing-places of the wide and marshy undrained Vale of Peffer -- now fertile grain land, down at the present farm of Prora, where a field is still called the Bloody Lands. Here the Picts and Scots thought to stand, once across the ford, still hampered by their herds of cattle. So here was a battle.
And whether the Celts were weary, disunited, or had merely eaten too much stolen beef, the fight was not going well for them when, looking up, the High King of Alba, Angus mac Fergus, saw in the blue sky a white cloud in the shape of a cross, but a diagonal cross, a saltire -- the cross the martyred brother of Simon Peter, Andrew, chose to be crucified on, not to rival that of his Lord.
Angus mac Fergus saw this vision as a sign from heaven that St. Andrew was watching, and vowed that if by his intercession with God they were given the victory, he would make St. Andrew the patron-saint of Alba. And Eochaidh the Poisonous, King of the Scots of Dalriada (modern Argyll), not to be outdone, vowed the same. And the tide of battle did turn in their favour. So the encounter was won and St. Andrew became our saint, and the blue and-white saltire cross our national flag.
It so happened that Eochaidh's son, Alpin, and his grandson, Kenneth mac Alpin, were there, and Kenneth later married the Princess Eithne, Angus's daughter, and in due course was able to unite Picts [Albannachs] and Scots and to form a new national entity: Scotland. If it had not been for that cloud . . . !
Coming next: MacBeth