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  1. #1
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    The reason and the rationalisations are complex, but the fact which will not, and cannot ever be set aside is that the people of Glencoe had their attackers as their guests for many days before the order was given.

    The full horror was prevented as they began killing their hosts so promptly that there was time for some to escape before both ends of the glen were closed off by more troops, approaching but delayed by the weather. They had been instructed to kill everyone.

    Such events should be remembered.

    Anne the Pleater :ootd:

  2. #2
    macwilkin is offline
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pleater View Post
    The reason and the rationalisations are complex, but the fact which will not, and cannot ever be set aside is that the people of Glencoe had their attackers as their guests for many days before the order was given.

    The full horror was prevented as they began killing their hosts so promptly that there was time for some to escape before both ends of the glen were closed off by more troops, approaching but delayed by the weather. They had been instructed to kill everyone.

    Such events should be remembered.

    Anne the Pleater :ootd:

    From other sources I have read, a number of the Glencoe Macdonalds were allowed to escape by Government soldiers who had no stomach for their work. In fact, it is often ignored that Robert Campbell of Glenlyon, the officer commanding the detachment, had to be threatened into carrying out his order. Two officers, Lieutenants Farquhar and Kennedy, according to Baynes & Laffin's Soldiers of Scotland, were arrested and awaiting court martial for refusing to carry out the order.

    Also frequently ignored is the fact that in 1689, the Macdonalds themselves had been guilty of a raid on Glenlyon, the home of Robert Campbell -- as Baynes and Laffin state, "The Macdonalds were not innocents."

    T.

  3. #3
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    There are all sorts of sub plots to the story - there were various accounts piecing together what is known of the history and build up to the event on TV and radio during this January, and they made a dreadfully fascinating account of the times.

    The times were certainly violent - but the Glencoe massacre went beyond normal bounds as it transgressed one of the oldest conventions of behaviour - that of hospitality.

    In the Scottish play, Macbeth's murder of the king is more a sin than a crime because Duncan is welcomed as an honoured visitor to Macbeth's house and then killed.

    Anne the Pleater :ootd:

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    macwilkin is offline
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pleater View Post
    There are all sorts of sub plots to the story - there were various accounts piecing together what is known of the history and build up to the event on TV and radio during this January, and they made a dreadfully fascinating account of the times.

    The times were certainly violent - but the Glencoe massacre went beyond normal bounds as it transgressed one of the oldest conventions of behaviour - that of hospitality.

    In the Scottish play, Macbeth's murder of the king is more a sin than a crime because Duncan is welcomed as an honoured visitor to Macbeth's house and then killed.

    Anne the Pleater :ootd:
    Or for that matter, the Bruce's cold-blooded murder of the Red Comyn in Greyfriars, Dumfries -- yet people justify that nasty little sacrilege all the time because Bruce's propaganda machine did such a good job in vilifying John Comyn -- see Alan Young's Robert the Bruce's Rivals for a more accurate telling of the story.

    Yes, the hospitality issue certainly comes into play -- but I daresay there are numerous violations of the ancient hospitality throughout Scottish history besides the events at Glencoe. I would argue that the Bruce's murder of Comyn was just as bad as Glenlyon's action, but I am a Cumming, so I'm just a wee bit biased.

    I don't deny that what happened was horrible, nor that we should ignore it -- quite the contrary -- however, history is always never black & white, but many shades of grey.

    T.

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