Jump to content

Battle of Raith: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 56°07′02″N 3°11′36″W / 56.117233°N 3.193417°W / 56.117233; -3.193417
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Freuchie (talk | contribs)
251 edits
No edit summary
stub sort
 
(42 intermediate revisions by 14 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Hypothetical battle of 596 AD}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox military conflict
{{Infobox military conflict
|conflict=Battle of Raith
|conflict=Battle of Raith
Line 4: Line 6:
|image=
|image=
|caption=
|caption=
|battle_name=Battle of Raith
|battle_name=Battle of Raith |date=596 [[Common Era|CE]]
|date=596 [[Common Era|CE]]
|place=near [[Kirkcaldy]], [[Scotland]]
|place=near [[Kirkcaldy]], [[Scotland]]
|coordinates = {{coord|56.117233|-3.193417|source:ruwiki_region:GB_type:event|format=dms|display=title}}
|coordinates = {{coord|56.117233|-3.193417|source:ruwiki_region:GB_type:event|format=dms|display=title}}
|result=Decisive Angle victory
|result=Angle victory
|combatant1=[[Angles]]
|combatant1=[[Gaels]]<br>[[Picts]]<br>[[Britons (historical)|Britons]]
|combatant2=[[Britons (historical)|Britons]]<br>[[Gaels|Scots]]<br>[[Picts]]
|combatant2=[[Angles (tribe)|Angles]]
|commander1=
|commander1=[[Áedán mac Gabráin|King Aedan]]
|commander2=[[Áedán mac Gabráin]]
|commander2=Unknown
|strength1=Unknown
|strength1=|
|strength2=Unknown
|strength2=|
|casualties1=Unknown
|casualties1=|
|casualties2=Unknown
|casualties2=|
}}
}}
{{Campaignbox Anglo-Saxon invasions}}
{{Campaignbox Anglo-Saxon invasions}}
The '''Battle of Raith''' was the self-acknowleged invention of EBW Nicholson <ref> The Celtic Review, Vol. 6 No. 23 (Jan 1910) pp214-236 </ref>, Librarian at the Bodelian Library, Oxford. He was aware of the poem "Y Gododdin" and was frustrated that no-one had identified the location "Catraeth". He parsed the name as "cat", battle, and "Raeth" and he recalled that there was a place in Scotland called "Raith". Thus he claimed that this battle was fought in 596 AD to the west of present-day [[Kirkcaldy]]. An invading force of [[Angles]] landed on the [[Fife]] coast<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.radiowaves.co.uk/story/15286/title/596adthebattleofraith |archive-url=https://archive.is/20121223123751/https://www.radiowaves.co.uk/story/15286/title/596adthebattleofraith |dead-url=yes |archive-date=2012-12-23 |title=596 A.D. - The Battle of Raith &#124; made by young people at Makewaves |publisher=Radiowaves.co.uk |date=2009-05-21 |accessdate=2012-09-08 }}</ref> near [[Raith, Fife|Raith]] and defeated an alliance of [[Gaels|Scots]], [[Britons (historical)|Britons]] and [[Picts]] under King [[Áedán mac Gabráin]] of [[Dál Riata]].
The '''Battle of Raith''' was the theory of [[Edward Nicholson (librarian)|E. W. B. Nicholson]], librarian at the [[Bodleian Library]], Oxford. He was aware of the poem [[Y Gododdin]] in the [[Book of Aneirin]] and was aware that no-one had identified the location "[[Catraeth]]". He parsed the name as "cat" [[Goidelic languages|Gaelic]] for ''battle'' or ''fight'', and "Raeth" and he recalled that there was a place in Scotland called [[Raith, Fife|Raith]].<ref>The Celtic Review, Vol. 6 No. 23 (January 1910) pp214-236</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/celticreview06edinuoft/page/214|title=The Celtic review|publisher=Edinburgh : Macleod|via=Internet Archive}}</ref>


Nicholson's claim was that this battle was fought in 596 AD to the west of present-day [[Kirkcaldy]]. An invading force of [[Angles (tribe)|Angles]] landed on the [[Fife]] coast<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.radiowaves.co.uk/story/15286/title/596adthebattleofraith |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121223123751/https://www.radiowaves.co.uk/story/15286/title/596adthebattleofraith |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-12-23 |title=596 A.D. - The Battle of Raith {{pipe}} made by young people at Makewaves |publisher=Radiowaves.co.uk |date=2009-05-21 |access-date=2012-09-08 }}</ref> near [[Raith, Fife|Raith]] and defeated an alliance of [[Gaels|Scots]], [[Britons (historical)|Britons]] and [[Picts]] under King [[Áedán mac Gabráin]] of [[Dál Riata]].
This was a brave attempt at identifying,albeit a misrepresentation of the battle mentioned in the [[Book of Aneirin]] in [[Y Gododdin]] as [[Catraeth]], ''cath'' being [[Goidelic languages|Gaelic]] for ''battle'' or ''fight''.<ref>''Kirkcaldy Burgh and Schyre'', Lachlan Macbean (1924), pp42-43</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.electricscotland.com/history/articles/raith.htm |title=excerpt from '&#39;Kirkcaldy Burgh and Schyre'&#39; |publisher=Electricscotland.com |date= |accessdate=2012-09-08}}</ref>. Today this is usually recognised as the [[Battle of Catterick]].

Today the location of the [[Battle of Catraeth]] is usually recognised instead as [[Catterick, North Yorkshire|Catterick]].

Nicholson's proposition was given added circulation when it was included in the local history book "Kirkcaldy Burgh and Schyre" <ref>"Kirkcaldy Burgh and Schyre" (1924) pp42/3 published by the Fifeshire Advertiser (Macbean was also the paper's editor).</ref> by its editor and co-author Lachlan Macbean.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hymnology.hymnsam.co.uk/l/lachlan-macbean|title=Lachlan Macbean|website=The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology|publisher=Canterbury Press}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.electricscotland.com/history/articles/raith.htm |title=excerpt from ''Kirkcaldy Burgh and Schyre'' |publisher=Electricscotland.com |access-date=2012-09-08}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
Line 28: Line 33:
==External links==
==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110718212724/http://www.kirkcaldycivicsociety.co.uk/rbattle.html Kirkcaldy Civic Society]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110718212724/http://www.kirkcaldycivicsociety.co.uk/rbattle.html Kirkcaldy Civic Society]

*[http://raithlake.tripod.com/history_of_the_raith_area.htm site containing excerpt from ''Kirkcaldy Burgh and Schyre'']{{Dead link|date=February 2010}}
{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Raith}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Raith}}
Line 40: Line 46:
[[Category:6th century in Scotland]]
[[Category:6th century in Scotland]]



{{battle-stub}}
{{Scotland-battle-stub}}

Latest revision as of 01:12, 14 June 2024

Battle of Raith
Date596 CE
Location
near Kirkcaldy, Scotland
56°07′02″N 3°11′36″W / 56.117233°N 3.193417°W / 56.117233; -3.193417
Result Angle victory
Belligerents
Gaels
Picts
Britons		 Angles
Commanders and leaders
King Aedan Unknown

The Battle of Raith was the theory of E. W. B. Nicholson, librarian at the Bodleian Library, Oxford. He was aware of the poem Y Gododdin in the Book of Aneirin and was aware that no-one had identified the location "Catraeth". He parsed the name as "cat" Gaelic for battle or fight, and "Raeth" and he recalled that there was a place in Scotland called Raith.[1][2]

Nicholson's claim was that this battle was fought in 596 AD to the west of present-day Kirkcaldy. An invading force of Angles landed on the Fife coast[3] near Raith and defeated an alliance of Scots, Britons and Picts under King Áedán mac Gabráin of Dál Riata.

Today the location of the Battle of Catraeth is usually recognised instead as Catterick.

Nicholson's proposition was given added circulation when it was included in the local history book "Kirkcaldy Burgh and Schyre" [4] by its editor and co-author Lachlan Macbean.[5][6]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ The Celtic Review, Vol. 6 No. 23 (January 1910) pp214-236
  2. ^ "The Celtic review". Edinburgh : Macleod – via Internet Archive.
  3. ^ "596 A.D. - The Battle of Raith | made by young people at Makewaves". Radiowaves.co.uk. 21 May 2009. Archived from the original on 23 December 2012. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
  4. ^ "Kirkcaldy Burgh and Schyre" (1924) pp42/3 published by the Fifeshire Advertiser (Macbean was also the paper's editor).
  5. ^ "Lachlan Macbean". The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology. Canterbury Press.
  6. ^ "excerpt from Kirkcaldy Burgh and Schyre". Electricscotland.com. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
[edit]


Stub icon

This article about a battle in Scottish history is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Raith&oldid=1228941694"