Flodden Highlanders-Cruachan!

 

These are Flodden Highlanders from QRF.  They are representing Clan Campbell hence Cruachan!  The latter being a a favoured Clan Campbell geographic location.  When the Campbells shouted "Cruachan!" in battle they were asserting a key element of their collective identity.  It was all about people and places.

While we are on topic, let's talk about what a clan was.  A clan was an agnatic corporation with the head of the clan as chief executive.  The key lords (tigerni) were the board and the rest of the clansmen share holders.  The clan bard was responsible for public relations and marketing.

Should there be a vacancy at the top, the board elected a new Chief Executive.  They were legally obliged to do so.  Candidates began their campaign for the top job around the age of 6 but only one could succeed.  Shareholders ratified the final decision. 

There was a lot of management in clan life and, at every level, careers could prosper or wither. It was, barring truly atrocious behaviour, a job for life with a good pension scheme.  Loyalty, from top to bottom and back up again, was the rule.  Members were expected to follow corporate policy.

When a clan turned out for war it went as well equipped as collective resources allowed.  It was in no ones interest to willfully deplete the clan's human resources through lack of due diligence. 

Clans rarely went in for outsourcing functions preferring in house provision.

Clans were not entirely a closed shop.  Following the proscription of clan Mac Gregor Clan Campbell was willing to rebrand some Gregori as Campbells.

As you can see the unit contains the usual line up of middle management gentry in mail followed by shareholding clansmen in their shirts. Armament is standard, bows, swords and axes.

The toys are entirely from QRF.  I'd call them biggish 15mm.  By design the gentry are slightly bigger than the rest.  They were fed for it in real life-a nice touch.

Next time, we will look at Scotland's other clan people, those on the border with England. James, King of Scots, took the view that they too lived the agnatic corporate life. It was understanding such things that kept him in business. We do well to heed him.

This one is a Bill Hooks project.