Kirsty Haslam
Published: 21 January 2019
An investigation into the social context and cultural meaning of warfare in late medieval and early modern North-east of Scotland.
University of Aberdeen
An investigation into the social context and cultural meaning of warfare in late medieval and early modern North-east of Scotland.
Crossing the divide between the medieval and early modern eras, my project will explore the social context and cultural meaning of warfare in the North-east of Scotland. The project will examine the individual and collective impact of warfare across social and class lines as well as the cultural elements of military activities with warfare ingrained into the normal patterns of everyday life and obligations to others within the community. It will explore the ways in which war, and preparing for it, shaped self-perception for Aberdeen’s population and whether this was complimented by, or contrasted to, a wider collective identity in the region as a whole. This then can be related to perceptions of ‘enemies’ and ‘others’ during this period and whether these perceptions shift.
The regional focus of the project allows traditional divisions between urban and rural communities and between highland and lowland culture to be explored and called into question.Building on my background in the heritage industry this project will utilise the region’s rich archival source material but also evidence from material culture to build up a more complete understanding of the social and cultural impact of warfare in the region in an innovative manner.
First published: 21 January 2019