The Steel Bonnets: Difference between revisions

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A classic work by the author [[George Macdonald Fraser]] on the Anglo-Scottish border region. Deals with the culture that came to be because the constant warfare made normal life impossible. Describes the various clans and their histories and the relation between them, the customs of the border, and the final ending of the system brought on when England and Scotland were united under one crown.

 

* [[Always Gets His Man]]: A few of the Wardens of the Marches were this, including Robert Carrey. Others not so much.

* [[An Offer You Can't Refuse]]: Rent and/or taxes was in the local dialect called mail. Thus collecting protection money was called [[Blackmail]].

* [[Feuding Families]]: Constantly.

* [[Forever War]]: England vs Scotland, though that conflict was pretty much over by the time most of this book covers, and the two kingdoms were mostly busy cleaning up the mess they had made. Also the constant fighting between Clans, which was to a large degree the mess aforesaid two kingdoms had made.

* [[Oop North]]: And yes, it was [[Grim Up North|pretty grim]].

* [[Posse]]: By law, after a raid, the victim clan had the right of "hot trod" to pursue the raiders for a week after they struck.

* [[Run for the Border]]: Regularly done after a raid. Some clans had members on both sides of the border which made it more difficult still for the law.

* [[The Rustler]]: Pretty much every clan it seems.

* [[Thou Shalt Not Kill]]: Subverted and Lampshaded in the peculiar custom of leaving one hand unbaptized, so that the owner of the hand could kill and thus take part in blood feud.

* [[Vigilante Execution]]: When a posse captures a raider in the process of a crime("red-handed") they were by law allowed to lynch him themselves.

[[Category:The Steel Bonnets]]

[[Category:Literature]]