Show content as Scots

News by month

Subscribe to the SLC News feed

Register with SLC

Subscribe to our news letter and keep up to date.

Make a donation to the SLC

and help preserve this language for future generations

DONATE NOW

Sponsored by

Scottish Arts Council Scottish Arts Council

Supporters of

Learning in Literature

Anniversary of oldest surviving document in Scots

Lindsay

The month of March marks the anniversary of the oldest entire text in Scots, strictly speaking. On 12 March 1380 (1379 old calendar) Alexander Lindsay of Glenesk put his seal to a letter (see text below) which is now the oldest original document – wholly in Scots – to survive. To this we may add two other documents compiled prior to 1380 which are also very important. In 1312 the Hay family issued a Latin charter containing some 50 glosses in Scots added in the 1340s, the most glosses in Scots in a single charter up to that period. The other document is the world renowned ‘Bruce’ by John Barbour, written in the 1370s, but which only survives today in a copy compiled in 1489. The incoming Normans first introduced the written charter to Scotland at the end part of the 11th century, and Latin, the language of the educated, became the usual language for formal writings. However, scribes came increasingly to gloss native Scots words until, under King Robert II (1371-1390), people began putting a few texts into the vernacular in place of Latin. The text of the Glenesk letter is as follows:

Renuciation by Alexander Lindsay, knight, Lord of Glenesk, in favour of Margaret Countess of Mar and her sister Elizabeth, of particular lands, 12th Mairch 1380.

Til all that thir lettres herys or seis, Alysandre Lyndessay. Lorde of Glennesk, knycht, gretyng in God euer lestand: Wete yhe me, for and myn ayres and assignez, at the instance of a noble and mychty Lorde, sir William, erle of Douglas and of Marr, haue releissit, quytclaymit and for euer mare remittyt till an honorable lady, Dame Mergarete, contesse of Marr, and to Elyzabeth hir systir, dacheris and ayres til an michty lorde, Thomas Stywarde, som tyme erle of Angous, all my rycht, clayme, persuit, chalenge or askyng that I or myn ayres has, or may haue, or our assignes, in tyme to come be ony ways, to fourty markis worth of land, in the qwilkes the forsaid erle of Angous was obligit be his lettres to gyve me heritably, eftir that I had tane the ordre of Knycht; sa that nowthir I no myn ayres, no our assignez, the forsaid dame Mergarete, Elyzabeth hir systir, thair ayres, no thair assignez, by cause of the forsaid fourty markis worth of land, no for na maner of reragez thareof, may chalenge, inquiete, distourble, or be the cause forsaid, aganis thaim questioun of plede moue in tyme to cum, be ony maner of way; bot fra all maner of richt and colour, lauch or askyng, folowing, outhir to possession or properte to the forsaid thingis, be ws excludit and assoillit be thir lettres for euer mare: And in case gif I, or myn ayres or assignez, in the contrare of this lettre in tyme to come before ony juge sall attempt or moue, I wil and grantez that our folowing be nocht herd, as thing of na valu, no of strenthe, but fraude or gyle. In wytness hereof, to this lettre I haue put my sele, the xij day of Marce, the yhere of grace M.IIIc sevynty and nyne.