26th August 1612 saw the "Battle" of Kringen.
This wasn't so much a battle but a massacre, Scottish mercenaries, many of whom had been press-ganged into military service, were marching along a narrow pass at Kringen in the Gudbrandsdalen Valley in Norway, on their way to join the Swedish army, when they were ambushed by peasants. Rocks and logs were hurled down the steep embankments to block off the pass, and the Norwegians opened fire on the 300-strong captive army.
By the time the shooting frenzy had ended around 170 Scots lay dead, including George Sinclair, a nephew of the Earl of Caithness, who was killed, legend has it, with a silver bullet from the gun of militiaman Berdon Sejelstad. The remainder were executed afterwards today it would be called a war crime.
Legend has it that a mermaid appeared before the reached Norway with a warning. This is a translation from the "Scottish Soldiers of Fortune" by Grant, who calls it a translation from Oehlenschalager, the Danish national poet.
"Ballad of Sinclair" by Edvard Storm.
Childe Sinclair and his menyie steered
Across the salt sea waves;
But at Kringellens' mountain gorge
They filled untimely graves.
They crossed the stormy waves so blue,
for Swedish gold to fight;
May burning curses on them fall
That strike not for the right!
The horned moon is gleaming red,
The waves are rolling deep;
A mermaid trolled her demon lay -
Childe Sinclair woke from sleep.
Turn round, turn round
thou Scottish youth,
Or loud thy sire shall mourn;
For if thou touchest Norway's strand,
Thou never shall return.
