Clan Hay - Legend of Luncarty

Legend of Luncarty

There are two ways to approach the origins of Clan Hay. The first is the Legend of Luncarty, which is an important Hay tradition, while the second is based on historical research, albeit that inconsistencies tend to occur after so many centuries. Hector Boece, the Scottish academic, wrote the first known account of the Luncarty legend in his Scotorium Historia, which was initially published in 1525, with a second edition being published posthumously in 1575. There are numerous versions of the legend that are based upon Boece’s work but which include various embellishments. In contrast, George Buchanan’s account in his Rerum Scoticarum Historia, published in 1582 and derived from Boece’s work, omits any reference to the hawk’s flight delineating the land grant. In 2010, Sutton published a hypertext edition, in both Latin and English, of Boece’s 1575 edition of the Historia, thus providing ready access to his original account of the legend. The version of the legend quoted below is from John Burke (genealogist)'s "Peerage",1832 edition.

"The traditional origin of the noble house of Hay is thus related:—In the reign of Kenneth III, anno 980, the Danes, who had invaded Scotland, having prevailed, at the battle of Luncarty, near Perth, were pursuing the flying Scots, from the field, when a countryman and his two sons appeared in a narrow pass, through which the vanquished were hurrying, and impeded for a moment their flight. "What," said the rustic, "had you rather be slaughtered by your merciless foes, than die honorably in the field; come, rally, rally!" and he headed the fugitives, brandishing his ploughshare, and crying out, that help was at hand: the Danes, believing that a fresh army was falling upon them, fled in confusion, and the Scots thus recovered the laurel which they had lost, and freed their country from servitude. The battle being won, the old man, afterwards known by the name of Hay, was brought to the king, who, assembling a parliament at Scone, gave to the said Hay and his sons, as a just reward for their valour, so much land on the river Tay, in the district of Gowrie, as a falcon from a man's hand flew over till it settled; which being six miles in length, was afterwards called Errol; and the king being desirous to elevate Hay and his sons from their humble rank in life, to the order of nobility, his majesty assigned them a coat of arms, which was argent, three escutcheons, gules, to intimate that the father and two sons had been the three fortunate shields of Scotland."

The reliability of the legend has often been challenged. For instance,the Scottish historian John Hill Burton strongly suspected the battle of Luncarty to be an invention of Hector Boece, In fact, Burton was incorrect. Walter Bower, writing in his Scotichronicon around 1440, some 87 years before Boece first published his Scotorum Historia, refers to the battle briefly as follows: “that remarkable battle of Luncarty, in which the Norsemen with their king were totally destroyed”. Bower does not quote specific sources concerning the battle, but, two sentences later, he refers in a general way to ancient writings that he has consulted. The term Norsemen would include Danes.

Regarding the legend, Sir James Balfour Paul, noting that armorial bearings did not occur in Scotland till long after 980 (when the battle is said to have taken place), referred to Hector Boece as "an incorrigible old liar" in this and other stories.. Cosmo Innes, further noting that surnames did not occur in Scotland till long after 980, states that the name Hay has as origin a place name in Normandy. This last point is discussed in the section, Origin of the Name, of this article.

All of this occurred before recorded history, but in support of this romantic tale, to this day the farm where the battle took place is known as Denmarkfield, where relics of an ancient battle have been discovered, and the stone were the falcon is said to have alighted is called the “Hawkstane”(hawkstone).

The Hero of Luncarty was not named Hay. Indeed, he lived before surnames were in common use in Scotland. The first Scottish Hay was William II de la Haya who was Pincera or Cup Bearer to King Malcolm IV in 1160. William II was descended from William I, Le Sieur de la Haya who came to England from the barony of La Haye du Puits in Normandy with William the Conqueror in 1066. William de la Haya’s son, William II, received the Barony of Erroll from King William the Lion in 1178 and is regarded as the first Chief of Clan Hay. He married an heiress of old Scoto-Pictish stock, Eva of Pitmilly, believed to be a descendant of the Hero of Luncarty. Thus, the legend of Luncarty was incorporated into Clan Hay, with the clan’s motto being “Serva Jugum” (Keep the Yoke), and the Arms of its chief featuring two peasant supporters, three blood-red shields, three ox yokes and a falcon as major devices.