‘Be at peace with God and me’: Violence, War, and Royal Responses to Insurrection in Medieval Scotland, c.　1100–1286

Scotland’s twelfth- and thirteenth-century kings have often been portrayed as bloodthirsty
individuals, dealing ruthlessly with all who rebelled against their rule. But this is too
simplistic a representation of the complex range of options open to, and utilised by, Scottish
monarchs in this period. Indeed, the possibility remained open for all but a few individuals to
surrender and return to the allegiance of the king and the wider Scottish political community.
This chapter argues that it was the process of submission that ensured that both sides saw the
benefits of such an arrangement and that most rebels did not suffer violent repercussions.
While the ritual of submission became more complicated over time, it was an increasingly
well-recognised path to conflict resolution between lord and man that replicated similar
approaches in contemporary kingdoms across Europe.