IN THE YEAR 596 AN
IMPORTANT BATTLE TOOK PLACE IMMEDIATELY TO THE WEST OF KIRKCALDY. ALL
THE RACES THEN CONTENDING FOR MASTERY IN THIS COUNTRY SEEM TO BE
REPRESENTED.
ALONG THE SHORE LAY THE GALLEYS OF THE INVADERS(CHIEFLY ANGLES) ON THE
LOW GROUND WERE SPREAD THEIR HOSTS,AND ON THE HIGH GROUND BEHIND RAITH
WERE THE DEFENDERS -PICTS,SCOTS,AND BRITONS, UNITED UNDER THE KING,
AIDAD OR(AEDHAN) ONE OF THE ABLEST RULERS THAT THE COUNTRY EVER HAD .
THE RESULT WAS AS DRAMATIC AS THE OCCASION WAS IMPORTANT.THE STORY OF
THIS EARLY BATTLEHAS NOT YET FOUND A PLACE IN OUR BOOKS ON SCOTTISH
HISTORY,BECAUSE THE SPOT HAS ONLY BEEN RECENTLY IDENTIFIED. FULL
DESCRIPTIONS HAVE LONG BEEN KNOWN TO EXIST IN THE POEMS OF A WELSH
BARD NAMED HANERURIN(HONORINUS)WHO WAS HIMSELF PRESENT.BUT THE STORY
BEARS THE NAME CATRAETH AND THERE IS NO SUCH NAME ON THE MAP"CAT" IS
THE ANCIENT IRISH AND GAELIC WORD FOR "BATTLE" AND THE WHOLE WORD
APPEARS TO MEAN "BATTLE OF THE RAITH" ITS IDENTIFICATION WE OWE TO THE
LATEMR E. W. B. NICHOLSON.
BODLEYS LIBRARIAN, OXFORD,
WHO MADE A CAREFUL EXAMINATION OF THE LOCALITY.A REFERENCE WILL BE
FOUND IN THE WORKS OF THOMAS GREY THE POET OF THE "ELEGY"IT BEGINS:-
TO CATTRAETHS VALE IN
GLITTERING ROW
TWICE TWO HUNDRED WARRIORS
GO
.
THE DEFENDERS AND
INVADERS,FACED EACH OTHER IN THIS PART OF FIFE FOR NEARLY A WEEK. THEN
ONE NIGHT KIND AIDANS ROYAL ESCORT,CONSISTING OF 303(SOME SAY
363)RICHLY-CAPARISONED BRITISH HORSE MEN INDULGED IN A DRINKING
FEAST ALL NIGHT IN A HALL AT RAITH HILL, AND THEN AT DAWN,WITHOUT
TROUBLING ABOUT SUPPORTERS FROM THE MAIN ARMY THEY CHARGED DOWN AMONG
THE HOARDESOF THE INVADERS. THEY WERE SIMPLY SWALLOWED UP,AND ONLY
THREE ESCAPED ALIVE. ONE WAS THE POET,WHO WAS AFTERWARDS RANSOMED AND
TOLD THE TALE. AIDAN HAVING THUS LOST HIS ESCORT ,THIS MISFORTUNE BY
SEVERAL VICTORIES,AND HE DIED AT CANTIRE IN 606.ACCORDING TO THE POEMS
THE CHARGE OF THE 300 MEN WAS FROM RAITH HILL BY THE WEST OF THE MILL
DAM AND ALONG BY THE COARSE OF THE TIEL. THERE ARE MANY LOCAL
REFRENCES IN THE VERSE.KING AIDAN WAS A FRIEND OF COLUMBA AND ADAMNAN
THE BIOGRAPHER OF THAT SAINT RECORDSTHAT ONE NIGHT COLUMBA SAW IN
SPIRIT A PERILOUS BATTLE IN WHICH AIDAN AND HIS PEOPLE WERE
ENGAGED,THAT THE BARBARIANSULTIMATELYFLED,BUT AIDAN LOST 303 MEN.ONE
RESULT OF PARTIAL SUCCESS OF THE ANGLES IN THIS BATTLE WOULD BE
SETTLEMENTS ALONG THE SHORES OF FIFE. THEY HAD ALREADY GAINED A FIRM
FOOTING BEYOND THE FORTH AND LOTHIAN.
Our thanks to
Sandy Falconer for
sending this in.
