Latest / The Story of Scotland: Clans, Crowns, and the Fight for Identity — Fexingo History / The Scottish Covenanters: Faith, Fury, and the Killing Fields
Transcript
- Lucas: If you’ve been stepping into history with us episode by episode, you know we often talk about Scotland through the lens of kings and battles, but today we’re looking at something quieter and far more dangerous—a fight for the soul of a nation written in ink and blood. Luna: The Covenanters? Lucas: Exactly. It’s the story of the Covenanters, those devout Presbyterians who believed their faith was being hijacked by the crown, starting with the imposition of the Book of Common Prayer in 1637 that literally sparked riots in St Giles’ Cathedral. But before we dive into the theology and the treason, I want to mention that this show is entirely listener-funded, no ads, just us talking history, and if you want to help keep the lights on, you can support us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo — that's F. E. X. I. N. G. O. Luna: Thanks for keeping it ad-free. Lucas: So, picture Edinburgh in January 1638, where a document called the National Covenant was drafted, essentially swearing an oath to defend the true religion against any innovation brought from England or Rome. It wasn't just religious; it was a political constitution disguised as a prayer book, and within weeks, thousands of Scots had signed it, from nobles to ploughmen. Luna: Did they really expect the King to listen? Lucas: They expected him to back down, but Charles I saw it as outright rebellion, which led to the Bishops' Wars, a series of humiliating defeats for the royal army because the Scottish levies were fighting for their homes and their God. This set the stage for the First English Civil War, but here in Scotland, the tension didn't resolve; it just curdled into decades of suspicion and sporadic violence. Luna: It sounds incredibly exhausting. Lucas: It was, especially after the Restoration of Charles II in 1660, when the new king tried to force Episcopacy back onto the churches, leading to what we call the Killing Times under his brother James, Duke of York, later James VII and II. During this period, government troops, known as the Highland Host, would patrol the southwest, arresting anyone attending illegal outdoor worship services, which were called Field Assemblies because they were held on remote moors like Drumclog. Luna: Where did the name Killing Times come from? Lucas: It comes from the sheer brutality of the patrols, particularly the unit led by Captain John Graham of Claverhouse, who became infamous as Viscount Dundee or 'Bluidy Clavers' for his willingness to shoot suspected Covenanters on sight without trial. One of the most chilling accounts comes from Archibald Johnston of Wariston, a lawyer and politician who kept detailed diaries of the terror, describing how bodies were left hanging from trees or dumped in rivers to serve as warnings to other congregants. Luna: That’s horrifyingly specific. Lucas: Wariston’s writings are crucial because he wasn't just a victim; he was a key architect of the earlier Covenant movement, so he understood the legal arguments even as the state stripped them away. He eventually went into hiding, living in caves and cottages, until he was captured in 1672 and imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle, where he spent years awaiting execution while watching his friends be hanged or transported to the colonies. Luna: Why didn't he escape? Lucas: He made several attempts, including a daring breakout using a rope ladder, but he was recaptured and eventually sentenced to death, though he died in prison in 1699, never seeing the Glorious Revolution that finally ended the persecution. His life represents the tragic arc of the movement—idealistic beginnings followed by decades of marginalization and martyrdom. Luna: Did the Covenanters ever win? Lucas: In a way, yes, because their resistance forced the monarchy to negotiate, leading to the Act of Settlement in 1690 which established Presbyterianism as the national church in Scotland. However, the cost was immense, with thousands killed, tens of thousands exiled, and a deep cultural trauma that persisted long after the last Field Assembly was disbanded. Luna: It feels like a foundational moment for Scottish law. Lucas: Absolutely, the idea that a community could collectively bind itself to a contract against the sovereign power influenced later thinkers like John Locke and even the American Founding Fathers. The Covenanters proved that popular sovereignty could challenge divine right, even if they lost the immediate military fights. Luna: And yet they're not very famous today. Lucas: They’re overshadowed by the Jacobites, who capture the imagination with their tartans and romantic uprisings, whereas the Covenanters were stern, austere, and ultimately defeated by the state apparatus. But their legacy is everywhere, in the independent spirit of the Kirk and in the Scottish legal tradition that prioritizes conscience over command. Luna: I always thought the Jacobites were the main rebels. Lucas: Many do, but the Covenanters came first and fought a longer, harder war against their own government rather than a foreign one. They were the ones who stood in the fields, risking everything for a right to pray in their own way, which is a different kind of bravery than charging into battle with a sword. Luna: What happened to the Field Assemblies? Lucas: They gradually declined as the government cracked down harder, using informants and heavy fines to break the network of preachers. By the time of the Revolution in 1688, the practice had largely gone underground or moved to safer, enclosed spaces as the political climate shifted with the arrival of William and Mary. Luna: Did Wariston get a posthumous apology? Lucas: Not officially during his lifetime, but history has vindicated him, and his memoirs are now considered primary sources for understanding the period. Modern historians view him not as a traitor, but as a defender of civil liberties who recognized the danger of unchecked royal power early on. Luna: It’s strange how memory works. Lucas: It is, isn’t it? We remember the flashy battles and the charismatic leaders, but the real change often comes from the quiet, stubborn people who refuse to bend. The Covenanters were those people, and their story reminds us that identity is often forged in the fire of opposition. Luna: Do they have monuments now? Lucas: There are memorials in places like Bothwell Brig and Drumclog, small stone markers that hint at the scale of the suffering. Most of the actual sites are just grassy fields now, but if you walk there, you can almost hear the echo of the sermons preached in the wind. Luna: That sounds peaceful. Lucas: It is peaceful now, but it was once a battlefield of ideas where the stakes were eternal salvation versus temporal punishment. It’s a reminder that the lines between politics and religion are rarely clear, especially in the 17th century. Luna: Did the persecution stop completely? Lucas: Technically, the worst of it ended with the Revolution, but tensions lingered well into the 18th century, fueling the resistance to the Act of Union in 1707. Many Covenanters opposed the union partly because they feared it would undermine the Presbyterian settlement, showing how deeply their identity was tied to their faith. Luna: So it affected the whole country. Lucas: It did, creating a deep divide between the Lowlands, which were predominantly Presbyterian and resistant, and the Highlands and North East, which were more sympathetic to the Crown or Episcopal traditions. This geographic and religious split still influences Scottish culture today. Luna: I never realized how recent some of these divisions are. Lucas: That’s the thing about history; the scars heal slowly, and the stories are passed down through generations. The Covenanters weren't just a footnote; they were a central force in shaping the Scotland that emerged in the Enlightenment. Luna: And the Enlightenment followed. Lucas: Precisely, because the intellectual rigor and debate fostered by the Presbyterian church created a culture that valued education and critical thinking, even if it started in anger. The path from the Killing Times to the Select Society wasn't direct, but it was paved by those who refused to stay silent. Luna: It’s a powerful legacy. Lucas: It is, and it challenges us to think about what we’re willing to stand for when the pressure is on. The Covenanters remind us that conviction can be costly, but it can also be transformative. Luna: Thank you for sharing that side of history. Lucas: Anytime, Luna. It’s a story that deserves to be told beyond the textbooks.