16th Century Poet
Brief info
William Dunbar 1460 – 1530
o Court poet of King James IV, a renowned Makar, Flyter and verbal duellist, and an ordained priest.
Public speaking is like a super power, it’s a way to be heard, to be understood and to pull people toward you. It can be used for good or for bad, for entertainment or for leadership. In one way or another it is about gaining power, over yourself and others, how it is used it is up to the speaker.
Let’s go back in time together to an earlier variant of public speaking, known as Flyting, which has its roots in ancient Ireland and Scandinavia.
Flyting is a poetic competition of the Scottish Makaris (poets) of the 15th and 16th centuries, in which two highly skilled rivals engaged in a contest of verbal abuse, remarkable for its fierceness and extravagance. The aim of flyting was to influence public opinion of the participants and raise both their profiles. Flyting may have been hosted in public spaces, such as Market Cross in Edinburgh as well as Courts and more informal gatherings and settings. Flyting served as a form of entertainment in medieval times but it also was a way of competing for attention at Court.
Humanity likes to boast, to feel important, to make themselves feel bigger, especially if you knock someone else down by insulting them. Flyting is an energetic mix of boasting, insulting and profanity - mixed with poetry, rhyming and alliteration.
Verbal duels can be nerve-wracking conflicts in which the participants spar over some serious issue, such as a debate in front of a council of war chiefs. It is also important to consider the audience and what they think, to learn to read the room and find what motivates them - the power only exists if the group goes with you. It’s not just an argument against one person, it’s with the whole room.
Why would William Dunbar engage in the famous 100+ page flyting duel with Walter Kennedy, risking total humiliation and an entire career. Well perhaps it was to entertain, or in the most narcissistic way to have everyone listen to him, perhaps it’s simply because he wanted to be more in control – of his thoughts, his thinking, his words, his King. Because that is real power…
As an example of his success - Dunbar commanded annual pensions from the King twice that of many of his contemporaries. His name is still known today, and his statue stands proudly carved at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.
Find out more about who Dunbar was, his life and his words.
Plus discover why a medieval audience would have been held in suspense to insults such as mandrake, mymmerkin, skamelar, ronyon, mumble crust, rakefire…
