Battlefield

 

Culloden Battlefield is just behind my house. Culloden holds an important place in British history.

We took a walk there with William and our dog on Saturday  (William is 4, and sharp). He wanted to take his long bubble wand. The generator of GIANT bubbles. Big wobbly long-lasting bubbles that fly a long long way.

We walked along the memorial wall. And explained to William that the very very very few rocks sticking out from the wall at the beginning represent the 50 or so Government troops that were killed in the battle. (They cover an area about four adult paces long. Not far.)

But the Jacobite losses are staggering.

Sobering.

The rocks sticking out to represent the Jacobite losses cover a very very very very very very very very very very very very long way.

At least 1,500 or more killed.

In small boy paces that is a lot of walking. And William listened to the story, absorbed it, and thought about it intently. Then set off unbidden and walked…….

…..counting (he is still learning to count)

“One…..two….three…..four….five…..six…..seven……eight……nine……ten…….eleventeen……..three…..more…….twelveteen……three……five…..six………………….”     ….and then was silenced by distance.

The distance of o n e t h o u s a n d f i v e h u n d r e d stones. He rubbed his little hand along the entire length as he went.

At the end he stopped, and turned and shouted

“THERE’S A LOT OF JACOBITE DEAD PEOPLE MUMMY!”

He was right.

We walked on into the battle field and showed him the lines occupied by the two armies, each marked by coloured flags. None flying much on this chill day. Only a light breeze. Snow capped peaks in the distance echoing the few clouds floating in the blue above us.

“What are these stones for mummy” asked William.

“They are memorial stones, to mark the memory of each particular Clan that fought here, and the losses they suffered”

“Mummy mummy a five! Look, a five! Why is there a five? And nothings?”

“Because five hundred of the Atholl men died here William. The Government troops fired lots of cannons and killed lots and lots of men. The big cannonballs came into this place where we’re standing and the Jacobites were killed by them.” and explained how large the cannonballs were and, gently, what they do when they land. William was quiet and thoughtful.

“Why were they fighting mummy?”

“Because that’s what people do sometimes, for things they believe in.”

“What are the flags for daddy?”

“They mark the line of the Jacobite troops. We’re standing where they stood, and where so many were killed.”

“I want my bubble wand daddy! Bubble wand bubble wand bubble wand!”

“Ok William here it is.”

Picture a spinning child and a fusillade of large wobbly bubbles drifting……slowly……..across……….the………..battlefield….and him SHOUTING….

“Whee whee whee look! look! look mummy daddy look! CANNONBUBBLES mummy CANNONBUBBLES! they wont hurt! CANNONBUBBLES!”

The wisdom of the young.

 

(If he becomes a military strategist when he’s older, the world will be a safer place. And more fun too.)