‘Engraved on Man’s Skin’: The Auld Alliance, Much More than a Military Alliance

Schedule

Thu, 23 Oct, 2025 at 03:00 pm

UTC+01:00

Location

West Parliament Square, EH1 1 Edinburgh, United Kingdom | Edinburgh, SC

Advertisement
‘For this bond was not written on parchment but engraved on the living flesh of man’s skin, not in ink but with their mixed blood.’
When the French poet and diplomat, Alain Chartier, arrived in Scotland in 1428, he described the alliance between these two countries in highly evocative terms – as a living document – equating human skin with parchment and blood with ink. This idea draws parallels to contemporary devotional literature, where Christ’s body becomes, metaphorically, a treatise at the moment of his Crucifixion; his skin transformed into parchment, whips become pens, and the flow of blood is ink. Chartier’s use of this powerful visual metaphor, in relation to collective bodies of people – the Scots and the French – is striking and illustrative of the important cultural significance of this alliance. The alliance between Scotland and France in the fifteenth century was much more than a military agreement: it had profound cultural implications.
Moving beyond the well discussed figure of Mary Queen of Scots, in this talk I will examine a series of important, but less well-studied, figures who shaped the Auld Alliance during the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. The actions of these individuals as patrons of art, architecture and literature show the alliance to have been of profound cultural significance. Scots, often in a military capacity, travelled to France in large numbers during this period. They commissioned important buildings and works of art, but they were also instrumental in a broader movement of ideas. Playing significant roles in the French incursions into Italy, they often returned with aesthetic ideas influenced by what they saw and experienced there. This talk looks at the material legacy of the Auld Alliance, its cultural implications, and asks whether recovering such material has ramifications for how we understand this special relationship today.
Info & Bookings: https://www.ifecosse.org.uk/events-agenda/engraved-on-mans-skin-the-auld-alliance-much-more-than-a-military-alliance/#/
Advertisement

Where is it happening?

West Parliament Square, EH1 1 Edinburgh, United Kingdom, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Event Location & Nearby Stays:

Icon
Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
Institut fran\u00e7ais d'Ecosse

Host or Publisher Institut français d'Ecosse

Ask AI if this event suits you:

Discover More Events in Edinburgh

Science for Life Lecture
Fri, 24 Oct at 12:30 pm Science for Life Lecture

Edinburgh Training and Conference Venue

Dr Bell's Family Centre : Messy play October - December 25
Fri, 24 Oct at 01:00 pm Dr Bell's Family Centre : Messy play October - December 25

Dr Bells Family Centre

Just Don't Waste! | In-person
Fri, 24 Oct at 02:00 pm Just Don't Waste! | In-person

The Royal Society Of Edinburgh

ART FINE-ARTS
Thermomix TM7 FREE presentation Edinburgh
Fri, 24 Oct at 02:00 pm Thermomix TM7 FREE presentation Edinburgh

Thermomix Scotland Branch Studio

Emergency Fundraiser Palestine
Fri, 24 Oct at 04:00 pm Emergency Fundraiser Palestine

The Safari Lounge

NONPROFIT
Processing the Past: New Histories of Black British Culture and Identity
Fri, 24 Oct at 05:00 pm Processing the Past: New Histories of Black British Culture and Identity

Edinburgh Futures Institute

ART
Pop-up solo art exhibition
Fri, 24 Oct at 05:30 pm Pop-up solo art exhibition

Edinburgh Ski Club, Howe Street

POP-UPS EXHIBITIONS
Halloween Special: Les Diaboliques
Fri, 24 Oct at 06:00 pm Halloween Special: Les Diaboliques

West Parliament Square, EH1 1 Edinburgh, United Kingdom

ENTERTAINMENT HALLOWEEN
Cocktail Masterclass at Harvey Nichols, Edinburgh
Thu, 14 Apr at 07:00 pm Cocktail Masterclass at Harvey Nichols, Edinburgh

Harvey Nichols Forth Floor Brasserie and Bar

WORKSHOPS
Queer Yoga Edinburgh @ Salisbury Centre
Fri, 10 Feb at 10:00 am Queer Yoga Edinburgh @ Salisbury Centre

Salisbury Centre

WORKSHOPS HEALTH-WELLNESS
Black History Walking Tour of Edinburgh
Sat, 29 Jul at 09:00 am Black History Walking Tour of Edinburgh

Melville Monument

BLACK-HISTORY-MONTH MEETUPS
Drawing in the Autumn - drawing workshops with autumnal themes
Wed, 04 Sep at 06:00 pm Drawing in the Autumn - drawing workshops with autumnal themes

The Out of the Blue Drill Hall

WORKSHOPS ART
Women Healing Art Circle
Thu, 19 Sep at 08:00 pm Women Healing Art Circle

The Salisbury Centre

ART NONPROFIT
Poetry Group at the ELC
Tue, 26 Nov at 03:00 pm Poetry Group at the ELC

The Eric Liddell Community

ART LITERARY-ART
Queer Men for Queer Literature
Sun, 08 Dec at 12:15 pm Queer Men for Queer Literature

Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive at the Edinburgh Palette

ART LITERARY-ART
An Action-Packed Scavenger Hunt! - Edinburgh\u2018s Enthralling Expedition
Fri, 13 Dec at 08:00 am An Action-Packed Scavenger Hunt! - Edinburgh‘s Enthralling Expedition

1 Drummond St

TRIPS-ADVENTURES HEALTH-WELLNESS
Blood and Guts: The Twists and Turns of Edinburgh's Medical History
Sat, 25 Jan at 02:00 pm Blood and Guts: The Twists and Turns of Edinburgh's Medical History

Surgeons' Hall Museum

DOG WORKSHOPS
Queer Gothic Words
Sun, 26 Jan at 12:15 pm Queer Gothic Words

Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive at the Edinburgh Palette

ART LITERARY-ART
The Georgian House: (ticket valid 10:00am-4:00pm)
Fri, 28 Feb at 10:00 am The Georgian House: (ticket valid 10:00am-4:00pm)

The Georgian House

ENTERTAINMENT ART
Introduction to Transmission Meditation - Edinburgh workshops 2025
Sun, 02 Mar at 07:00 pm Introduction to Transmission Meditation - Edinburgh workshops 2025

The Salisbury Centre

HEALTH-WELLNESS MEDITATION

What's Happening Next in Edinburgh?

Discover Edinburgh Events