This is episode 393 of That Shakespeare Life.
Hi, I'm Lynn Tripple at the University of Connecticut.
Another great method for studying the life of
William Shakespeare includes listening to this.
It's That Shakespeare Life with my friend, Cassidy Cash.
Welcome to That Shakespeare Life with Cassidy Cash.
Cassidy believes that if you desire to successfully
learn or perform Shakespeare's plays,
then understanding the real life and history of
William Shakespeare himself is a must.
That Shakespeare Life is the podcast that helps you go
beyond the curtain of some of Shakespeare's
most iconic works and explore the world of
early modern England as Shakespeare would have lived it.
Learning from the writers, historians,
and performers who know it best.
And now, here's Cassidy.
- Oh, hail Macbeth.
Hail to thee, Thane of Glam's Macbeth, act one, scene three.
When Shakespeare wrote Macbeth,
he immortalized the title, Thane of Glam's,
and forever tied the haunting stone towers of Glam's Castle
to one of the most iconic tragedies in theater history.
And just in case you've only seen it written,
it is pronounced Glam's, not Glamis,
as our guest this week instructed me.
But what did Glam's Castle really look like
during Shakespeare's lifetime?
What stories were unfolding there
in the late 16th and early 17th centuries?
How do those real events compare
with the legend Shakespeare helped shape?
To explore the historical legacy
of this dramatic estate in Scotland,
from royal connections and renovations
to the myths that swirl around its corridors,
we're delighted to welcome Glam's Castle archivist,
Ingrid Thompson, to the show,
to help us shed light into the shadowed halls
of this legendary castle.
Ingrid Thompson is the archivist at Glam's Castle,
where she has curated several exhibitions,
including Women of Glam's, Ghosts of Glam's,
and Glam's Castle recipes and remedies.
She also compiled a Glam's Treasury,
published in 2022, to commemorate the 650th anniversary
of the Thainage of Glam's.
With over 35 years of experience in the field,
Ingrid brings deep historical insight
and archival expertise into the stories preserved at Glam's.
Learn more about Ingrid and Glam's Castle
in the show notes for today's episode.
Before we dive into our conversation today,
I wanna remind you that you can see some of the history
we'll be discussing by following along
in the detailed show notes.
These include pictures of Glam's Castle,
portraits of the real Macbeth, and other history tidbits.
You can access these extras while you listen to the show
by logging in as a patron at casticash.com/episode393.
That's casticash.com/ep393.
And now let's dive into the history.
Hello Ingrid, welcome to that Shakespeare life.
- Hello, Cassidy, lovely to meet you.
- Shakespeare opens Macbeth with the line,
all hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thain of Glam's.
Do we have any historical record
of the title Thain of Glam's existing?
And if so, who would have held this position
during Shakespeare's time?
- Yes, we do.
The earliest known historical record was in 1372,
when Sir John Lyon was granted the Thainage of Glam's
by King Robert II.
And four years later,
he married the King's daughter, Princess Joanna Stewart.
The title of Lord Glam's was first granted
to Patrick Lyon, Sir John's grandson in 1445,
although a Thain was essentially a Lord
in medieval Scotland.
His descendant, John Lyon, the eighth Lord Glam's,
succeeded in 1558 and died 20 years later
when Shakespeare was 14 years old.
And John was succeeded by his son, Patrick Lyon,
ninth Lord Glam's, who accompanied King James VI
first to England when he acceded to the throne
following the Union of the Crowns in 1603.
Patrick would undoubtedly have met Shakespeare at court
during this time.
And in 1606, the King granted Patrick
the title Earl of Kinghorn,
which was extended in 1677 to include Strathmore.
Patrick died in 1615 one year before Shakespeare
and was succeeded by his son, John Lyon,
second Earl of Kinghorn.
So three generations of Lyons
existed at the time of Shakespeare.
- How did Glam's castle look during Shakespeare's lifetime?
Were there major renovations done between 1564 and 1616?
- There were.
Glam's castle was actually built to the 1400s
and it's undergone many changes and additions
in the centuries following.
Between 1435 and 1459,
Patrick I Lord Glam's began working
on building an enormous detached L tower
of three floors, all of which were vaulted.
And then the castle was seized by King James V in 1537
and he held court there until 1542,
during which time it was remodeled into a palace.
In 1603, Patrick IX Lord Glam's
began the transformation of the castle into Renaissance palace
marked by two further floors of chambers and galleries,
a magnificent stair tower and an impressive roofline.
The great hall developed into an elegant drawing room,
a plaster over mantle with its cariatheds
and coat of arms of King James VI and I
was completed shortly after 1603.
On the left are the Thistles of Scotland and on the right,
the Roses of England, which intertwine in the centre
as a symbol of the union of the crowns.
And then Patrick Granson, Patrick the Third Earl,
transformed the medieval castle into a symmetrical
and casolated mansion in the architectural style
of Baroneal Baroque and the West Wing and North East Wing
and chapel were built in the 1680s,
but there were many other additions after that as well
and changes since it's an interesting place, Glam.
Is that still there, the over mantle with the Thistles on the left?
Yes, absolutely. I can send you a picture if you like.
I would love to see the picture.
Well, who lived at Glam's castle during Shakespeare's lifetime
and what role did they play in Scottish political or court life?
Were they involved with James VI of Scotland
who would go on to become James I of England?
Absolutely. Patrick IX Lord Glam's was a great friend
of King James VI and I, who, as I've said before,
elevated him to become Earl of Kinghorn in 1606.
Two years earlier, Patrick had been sworn in as a privy councillor,
so he was in effect an advisor to the king.
There is a letter from King James VI and I to him
in the castle archives, dated the 29th of March, 1604,
in which the king expresses his views on the union
and invites Patrick to attend a meeting of the estates in Edinburgh
on the 24th of April, 1604.
As I said before, Patrick would undoubtedly have met Shakespeare
at the English court and it's possible that he may have regaled him
with stories of Glam's, which Shakespeare used as a fit setting
for the grim tragedy of Macbeth.
There's sadly no documentary evidence to suggest
that Shakespeare visited Glam's.
However, the Perth Kirksession minutes,
which are held at the National Records of Scotland in Edinburgh,
apparently detail the authorisation of a performance
by Shakespeare's company, The King's Men,
whose manager, Lawrence Fletcher, received the freedom of Aberdeen
on his visit there in 1601.
The annals of Aberdeen reputedly record that the company performed
several times in the town and were rewarded with 32 marks
for their services.
I've not seen these original records myself,
so it'd be interesting line of research for one of your listeners
to source them properly.
Undoubtedly, we have several people furiously taking notes right now.
So if it's two, then it is feasible
that Shakespeare may well have been part of the group
and that he may have visited Scotland, perhaps even past Glam's.
We like to think so, but sadly there's no documentary evidence.
Figures crossed that something will come up.
Would Glam's castle have been a symbol of power or royal favour
in the late 1500s and early 1600s?
I mean, would Shakespeare's audience have recognised Glam's
as a familiar or politically charged location?
Yes, very much so.
Glam's actually has a long history of royal connections.
In fact, there was a royal hunting lodge on the original site
where King Malcolm II died in 1034.
So that was just six years before Macbeth killed King Duncan
and succeeded to the Scottish throne.
As I said earlier, the castle was seized by King James V in 1537.
After Janet Douglas, Lady Glam's, was found guilty
following false accusations of treason and she was burned to the stake.
It was her misfortune to be the sister of Archibald Erlovangus,
King James V's stepfather who he despised.
The King held court at Glam's until his death in 1542
and 20 years later, Mary Queen of Scots visited Glam's
with her entourage and dined in the Great Hall,
perhaps to make amends for her father's vindictiveness.
As I said before, Patrick Ninth Lord Glam's
was a privy councillor to the King and in 1604
he was appointed commissioner for the Union of Scotland with England.
He then was elevated to the title of First Earl of Kinghorn.
So contemporaries would certainly have viewed Glam's castle
as both a symbol of power and royal favour.
Glam's castle is famous for ghost stories and mysterious legends.
Were there any of these stories already circulating during Shakespeare's lifetime?
And is it possible Shakespeare knew about them?
It's difficult to be precise as to the origins of the ghost stories,
but given that King James VI wrote Demonology,
a seminal work on witchcraft sorcery and supernatural forces in 1597,
such happenings were clearly of interest at the time.
Therefore, it's quite possible that Patrick Ninth Lord Glam's
would have regaled ghost stories at the English court.
One story goes that late one Saturday evening,
Lord Glam's was playing cards with the Earl of Crawford,
who was known as Earl Beardy, in a room situated in the thick walls of the crypt.
That's the oldest part of the castle.
The card game continued into the night until a servant
interrupted the card players to remind them that it was now the Sabbath.
But Earl Beardy retorted that he would play cards with the devil himself if he so chose.
The story varies after that point,
but all versions agree that Earl Beardy sold his soul to the devil that night.
And strange noises were apparently heard coming from the room for many years
until the family actually had the room filled in and the entrance closed.
And the only traces left today are the marks where the new stone was added
to fill up the original doorway and the view from outside the castle
if you stand at the fountain where visitors can see the window of the room blocked up.
Another well-known ghost at Glam's was known as the Grey Lady.
And she's reputed to be the ghost of Janet Douglas, Lady Glam's,
the one who was burnt at the stake in 1537.
Janet was devout and it's believed that her ghost still preys in the chapel at Glam's.
But interestingly, the chapel was not built until the late 17th century,
so around 150 years after Janet's death.
But tradition persists to this day that those about to enter the chapel
should knock three times to warn the Grey Lady of their approach.
But it's unlikely that Pat would have shared this story with King James
because, of course, it was his grandfather that executed Lady Glam.
Not polite dinner conversation for the King.
He might have taken that one out of his brief conversation, yes.
How has the portrayal by Shakespeare of Glam's castle in Macbeth
shaped public understanding or tourism at the castle?
Do modern visitors come there looking for Shakespeare's Glam's?
I think many do, actually.
Glam's is probably best known for its association with Shakespeare's play Macbeth.
Which was presented, of course, to King James the Sixth and First
and his guests in Hampton Court's Great Hall in August 1606.
And 400 years later, in August 2006,
Glam's castle actually held a special event to mark the anniversary
of that first performance.
As your listeners, of course, will be aware,
the slaying of King Duncan by Macbeth, in fact, took place at Elgin, not at Glam's.
Nevertheless, the Macbeth tradition does live on and it's still a tourist attraction.
We have an innovative Macbeth sculpture trail
that's been installed at the East Woodlands at Glam's,
featuring seven wooden sculptures by Neith Art and Sculpture,
fashioned out of wood procured from the estate, so oak, Douglas fir and noble fir.
There's also a great theatre tradition of outdoor plays at Glam's during the summer.
And Shakespeare's plays are always popular.
A BBC production of "As You Like It" was performed at Glam's castle in 1978.
And the producer, Cedric Messina, commented that Glam's was very beautiful,
very romantic and very camelot.
Now I'm going to have to see if I can track down a copy of this performance.
If I find it, I'll place it in the show notes so you guys can see it too.
That would be good.
If there was one thing you'd want listeners to know about Glam's castle,
something that maybe doesn't get asked a lot, what would it be?
Well, nothing brings the castle to life more than a guided tour of the castle itself.
Where visitors can hear stories of the family and view their portraits
and artifacts in their historic setting.
However, listeners should be aware that there is a rich and diverse collection of archives,
dating back to the 12th century, even before the castle itself was built.
We've started to run special events called "An Afternoon in the Archives"
where visitors can step back in time for unique insight into the treasures of the castle archives.
Because these document not just the lives of the Strathmore family,
the castle and the estate, but also a wide spectrum of society,
both locally and nationally and internationally.
One of my favourite records is the 17th century culinary and medicinal recipe books,
which include recipes for things like gruesome things like worm broths or oil of toads.
One that stands out, which always makes me chuckle, is the Remedy to Confirm Memory,
which suggests anunting arteries of the head with the gall or gallbladder of a partridge once a month.
Which you really wouldn't want to forget, would you?
It's pretty gross.
I feel bad for the partridges, you have to go and track that down every month just to keep.
But it does sound like some of the Eye of Newt that appears in Shakespeare's Macbeth.
So many Shakespearean reasons to visit and pour through their archives there at Glam's.
Now, if we wanted to explore this castle history further and on our own, where should we begin?
What are some good resources we should look into when we want to know more about Glam's castle?
Well, the Glam's website, the castle website is very good.
It has a historical timeline and it has the Women of Glam's exhibition that you can walk through.
And various sort of frequently asked questions as well from the archives.
But also people can send me an email directly to
[email protected]
with the research interest and we can take it from there.
The initial research is undertaken free of charge,
but there are charges for any subsequent follow-up services.
And as I work at Glam's part-time appointments need to be made quite well in advance.
Yes, this is an amazing research opportunity to get to explore
several of the many things that we have talked about in our conversation today.
And all those notes I know you're taking furiously about whether or not Shakespeare would have come to Glam's castle.
So many questions worth exploring, so definitely dive in there.
And Ingrid was kind enough to provide us with a list of resources
that go well beyond what we can share here on the audio,
but I will place an entire list in the show notes for today's episode.
So make sure you stay tuned for the URL for where to find those.
Now, Ingrid, we ask everyone this next question here at That Shakespeare Life,
and that's what's the one book you would take with you on a deserted island.
My friends in England tell me I'm supposed to allow you the complete works of Shakespeare and a copy of the Bible.
So your choice would be, in addition to those.
Well, I would, of course, have to see a Glam's Treasury,
which was published in 2022 to celebrate the granting of the Theanage of Glam's to Sir John Lyon.
So it was the 650th anniversary.
Contributors were invited to choose a favourite item or memory from the castle or estate
and to describe why it was important to them.
So this book highlights the various treasures of Glam's and the rich history,
heritage and wildlife it has to offer, particularly amidst uncertain times.
The permanence of Glam's as we are sharing and the lovely photographs complement the stories in the book.
I don't mean this to be a plug, but I should just say that it is now for sale at half price
for 15 pounds in the castle shop and can be ordered online.
That's fantastic. I know I'm going to go get a copy for sure.
This is exciting and a quite appropriate selection for your desert island stay.
Well, what's next for you?
What are you working on now that you're excited about?
We're expanding the archives, actually, because I'm running out of space into two new rooms.
And we're installing new shelving, which is an exciting project.
Work starts at the end of next month and it will be wonderful to have a bigger search room
to accommodate more researchers and group visits.
Core cataloging continues, so I'm constantly learning new things, which is wonderful.
Being an archivist is such a journey of discovery.
And I'm currently working on a clothing exhibition for next year.
We have some elaborate original clothing dating back to the early 18th century,
as well as pieces made around the 1930s by the court dresser, Madam Handley Seymour,
which we recently found in a trunk in the lower hall.
It's quite exciting.
That is very exciting.
These are wonderful projects, and I know you've inspired so many of the students who listen
to this to explore becoming an archivist themselves.
And the rest of us can't wait to find our way to Glam's Castle and explore all that there is to learn there.
And as ever, I am always telling listeners that, please, check your attics and your trunks
that have been left long forgotten because you never know what you're going to uncover behind closed doors.
Thank you so much, Ingrid Thompson, for being here this week and taking us through the history
of Glam's Castle and helping us understand the faintage of Glam's and how that fits into Shakespeare's
life and the story that he gave us through his play, Macbeth.
Thank you so much.
I appreciate you being here to share this with us.
Thank you.
That brings our journey through the storied halls of Glam's Castle to a close.
A heartfelt thank you to Ingrid Thompson for sharing her expertise and giving us a glimpse
into the real-life history that lies behind Shakespeare's references to Thane of Glam's.
If you'd like to learn more about Ingrid and explore the resources she mentions in today's episode,
including maps, images of the castle, and some of these archival information that she recommends for you,
you can visit the show notes today at casticash.com/episode393.
While you're there, don't forget to log in as a patron of our show to see all the insider extras
related to Macbeth, Shakespeare, and castles, including an illustrated portrait of Glam's
Castle that I completed in celebration of this part of Shakespeare's history, along with the
photograph of the archival information that Ingrid talked about in the history of Glam's Castle today.
Patrons can access all of these extras from the detailed show notes for this week's episode,
and again that URL is casticash.com/episode393. Spelled out, that's casticash.com/ep393.
And if you'd like to go one step further into the 17th century, you can try out Experience
Shakespeare on Patreon, where you can access hands-on history activity kits that let you try
out for yourself some of the games, recipes, and crafts you learn about here on the show.
Experience Shakespeare is a fun place to cook, play, and create your way through the life of
William Shakespeare. Just click any of the Patreon buttons on our regular show notes page and select
Experience Shakespeare to get started. That Shakespeare life is researched and produced by
me, Cassidy Cash. Our audio engineer is Gary Mayholm. Until next time, may your castle stands tall,
your path be free from bloody daggers, and the dignity of Glam's inspire your journey into the past.
Thank you for listening. I'm Cassidy Cash, and I hope you learned something new about the Bard.
I'll see you next time. Bye-bye. Thank you for listening to That Shakespeare Life.
As always, the best conversations happen after the episode over at CassidyCash.com.
Become a part of a vibrant Shakespeare conversation by adding your voice over at the website.
Until next time, remember, when you want to know William Shakespeare, you have to go behind the
curtain and into That Shakespeare Life.
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