OS1/25/20/65

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[Page] 65
Parish of Culross -- Sheet 142 No. 3 Trace 1

Canute died on the 12th of November in the same year (1035) and Scotland was left
during the five subsequent years of Duncan's reign to enjoy quiet and to engender mischief. Fiction
represents this short period, indeed, as disturbed by some rebellion and as afflicted by some depre-
-dations of the Danes * We may easily suppose indeed that Sigurd's sons, the Earls of Orkney may
have tried their young pinions as eaglet viKings; and soared for prey along the shores
of the Moray Frith while the Maormor of that district was yet an infant.

* The rebellion of Macdonald from the western isles as feigned by Shakespeare, is mere fable
The old historians may have confounded indeed the rebellion of Gilcomgain, the Maormor
of Moray in 1033 with the rebellion of Macdonald during the reign of Duncan. In the same
manner there was no invasion of Fife by "Sueno, the Norway's king," at that period. Shakespeare
and Holinshed were misled by the Scottish historians who confounded times and personages.
" The Norweyan banners may have flouted the sky, in Fife," during the preceding reign.
Chalmer's' Caledonia, vol. [volume] I. p. [page] 404

By the above extract it will appear that chalmers contradicts the Statement of Buchan and other historians conerning the Danish invasion during the reign of Duncan I. and consequently does not credit the statement concerning a battle being fought at Culross between the Scots and Danes during that period. But it is evident from the remains of forts, Standard Stone, and the tradition of the locality that a battle was fought here at some remote time, of which Chalmers though contradicting the Statement of a Danish invasion says nothing in the volume above quoted. But it is probable that had the remaining part of his work been published which is now in manuscript in the Advocates Library Edinburgh we would be better able

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