According to Scottish legend, a Viking king and his raiders were attempting to attack a party of Scottish warriors under cover of darkness. To avoid noise, the king ordered his band to remove their footwear. Unfortunately, one of the attackers stood on a prickly thistle and shrieked in pain. The clansmen were alerted of the attack and Vikings were duly defeated by the Scots. You can commemorate this battle with the Scottish Thistle Torc! Design Details The Medium Thistle Torc is constructed with a medium braid of wire, and is approximately 5/16 inch (8 mm) thick. It is available in bronze or sterling silver. Which Torc Is Right For You? We also offer a Light Thistle Torc. Historical Inspiration The thistle has been an important Scottish symbol for more than 500 years. While there is no historical evidence to back up the fantastic tale, the story was probably based on historical events in a dispute over territory. Until the late 1200s, much of the western seaboard of Scotland and the Hebrides were under the control of King Håkon, ruler of the distant kingdom of Norway. For almost a decade the Scottish King Alexander II tried to negotiate for control of this territory, and even offered to buy the islands back from King Håkon. But he was never successful. When his son Alexander III came to power in 1262, he gathered support from the majority of the Scottish clansmen and threatened to take the islands by force if King Håkon did not agree to sell them. King Håkon responded by sending a fleet of longboats to attack the Scots. However, due to bad weather, King Håkon lost his fleet, and thereby lost the conflict. This Scottish-Norwegian war is now known as the Battle of Largs.
