History, Wonder Tales, Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends The Flemish | Page 67

Before the arrival of the Flemings, Scottish butchers sold their bullock hides to the fellmongers, always with the tails on. The tails were thrown away and wasted. Who ever
dreamt of eating an ox-tail, or thought of its nutriment? The Flemings kept a clean
hearthstone and knew the economy of a “pot-au-feu”; hence they got the tails in a gift
and reveled in the now recognized delicacy of ox-tail soup!
In the early days of the 16th century the Bible possessed the allurements which come
from prohibition and danger. It was smuggled into Scotland by Flemish traders
carefully concealed in bales of linen or in rolls of woolen cloth. The Scots especially,
for a considerable time had to depend upon Flanders for the printed word. It was not
till 1579 that the first complete Bible was printed in Scotland. King James I was
successful in introducing Flemish paper-makers, for they had brought the art of
manufacturing linen paper, now an important industry following upon the invention of
printing, to a high state of perfection. But the efforts of the Flemings to introduce
playing cards was entirely unsuccessful owing to Puritan and “unco-guid” Presbyterian
feelings and opposition!
The history of wool may be admitted to be the story of the Flemings. It was due to their
exertions that Scotland was first enabled to compete with other nations in the
production of cloth from wool. The Flemings brought over a complete knowledge of
the textile industry, which had been, long before the 10th century, a prominent feature
in Flanders. Scotland was then far behind in the race for commercial supremacy, and
it was only when the impulse was given to her native efforts by the introduction of
Flemish craftsmen who taught the natives bow to improve their coarse wool that
Scotland’s great woollen industry may be said to have been established.
The early hardy and resourceful Flemish colonists, bringing a new social order with
political and military power in place of tribal authority, had to bear the brunt of fierce
Celtic resentment. We must keep in mind the natives’ point of view; they were neither
a barbarous people, nor a clog upon the wheels of progress. It is rash to presume
barbarism prevailed in every part of Scotland and at all periods; Celtic traditions point
to a very remarkable early development of native crafts. Noble Flemings married
Celtic heiresses and Flemish traders and craftsmen congregated in towns. One of the
striking peculiarities of the Flemish settlements is that there is no record of extensive
emigration of the dispossessed original owners in consequence of the frequent grants
of Kings David and William to their Flemish supporters.
The Flemings were firm believers in the free intercourse of trade and seemed to find it
easy to adapt themselves to the conditions and customs of other peoples, and to enter
readily into the interests and activities of the country where their lot was cast : they
possessed, indeed, what might be termed the international sense. The Gael was not a
trader. These alien Flemings were not any the more loved because they brought
business methods in their wake. How could such people ever commingle? Yet they
did, and produced excellent citizens. The infiltration of this new and energetic people
possessing land and erecting towns was the source of a fresh national prosperity
Whether we regard their introduction as military invaders or as commercial
adventurers, Flemish enterprise deserves consideration, for it had a broadening and
deepening effect on the life and character of the people they settled amongst and the
only evidence of alien strain that remains is in the perpetuation of the surname
Fleming

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