THE CORRIES THE BLACK DOUGLAS LYRICSThere was a man sae dark and true wha Scotland loo'ed sae dear There was a king wha lang will rue the Scots wha flayed him sair Gan cry the hounds o' Douglasvale, gan string the Ettrick bow Gan warn the spears o' Liddiesdale that Edward leads the foe He wore the cross our Andrew bore by the steps o' calvary He won the sword our Robert wore by the field o' Balvennie Gan shear the chains o' slavery, gan dance my leige man lee Gan ring the bell o' Liberty shod wi' the metal free He won his spurs doon by St. Bride upon the green she free He held the leopard and the tide by the field o' Lintounie Gan s***ne the s***eld yer father bore, gan strike yer metal free Gan s***ne the helm yer father wore by the field of Torwoodlee He rode yin nicht when it was mirk doon by the leopard's lair He chased the tyrant in his s***rt around the field sae fair Gan pack yer bags ye English loons, gan tak ye banners hame Gan tak yer king wha sought oor croon and lost the b***** game
Could the phrase referring to “Bride the fair who went on her knee” be indicative of Mary Magdalene (Mary of Bethany) anointing the feet of Jesus? Throughout the Hebridean western isles in particular, and the mainland of Scotland in general, there are many religious sites dedicated to St. Bride (not to be confused with the later St. Bridget of Kildare, Ireland, whose mother’s name was Brotessa). However, there are apparently no religious dedications to Mary Magdalene throughout the Hebrides and the western seaboard of Scotland. As James Murray MacKinlay notes, “There does not seem to have been any place of worship in her honour among the Hebrides, or along our western seaboard.” Why? This is rather unusual when other leading personalities around Jesus, as well as Christ Himself, are venerated in numerous chapels and churches throughout this region of Scotland. There was certainly no antagonism towards Mary Magdalene in the early gaelic christian church. Could the simple explanation for this omission be due to the fact that the gaelic people of the Hebrides and the west highlands of Scotland knew of Mary Magdalene as the Holy (Saint) Bride of Christ? How else can one account for this curious anomaly? Bearing in mind the claim, found in early Christian Gnostic texts, that Mary Magdalene was a constant companion of Jesus, and also information which suggests that Jesus may have visited the western isles of Scotland; it would be perfectly conceivable that Mary Magdalene could also have visited the remote western isles of Scotland, hence the oral tradition there relating to a specific Holy (Saint) Bride, known as “Mary of the Gael”, who was also identified as the “foster-mother of Christ”. Furthermore, as already mentioned, Christine Hartley refers to a specific legend that Mary Magdalene visited Iona and the Western Highlands of Scotland. Interestingly, in the Hebridean mythos Christ is called “the Shepherd of the flocks”, while St. Bride is referred to as “the Shepherdess of the flocks”. (vide Carmina Gadelica). A similar relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene is implied in the early Christian gnostic texts. The authors, Claire Nahmad and Margaret Bailey, provide the interesting comment: “We believe that in spirit, Mary Magdalene.. became one with Brigid, as she always truly was in essence, entering the British mysteries as their queen and goddess.. Brigid being that feminine essence of the Christ Light anchored in Britain but until this moment without the use of a human vehicle perfected to the point where such a sublime goddess-consciousness could become one with and shine unhindered through a single human soul. sacredconnections.co.uk/index.php/jesus-and-mary-magdalene-on-iona/
