Big Duncan MacKenzie and his mighty sword.

 
Our friend Paul MacDonald, Master at Arms and Historical Swordsman, has here revived the long-forgotten tale of Big Duncan Mackenzie.  Maestro MacDonald dedicates his time researching and studying historical European combat and has revived the methods and techniques of several lost systems, such as the medieval duelling shield, spada in arme, dusack and backsword.  His unparalleled knowledge of this craft led him to happen across not only this remarkable story, but the actual sword itself.  Using his unique skills, he made an exact replica piece, complete with blunted edge.  Here he explains the legend of Big Duncan Mackenzie. 

Big Duncan MacKenzie was a Lochaber man who fought with Lochiel’s men through the 1745 campaigns.

He fought at the Battle of Prestonpans where he happened upon a redcoat officer whose horse had been killed and his foot trapped in a stirrup. This was a brave redcoat who was fending off eight Highlanders with his sword.

Big Duncan saw this and cried, “Devil take you, you paltry fellows, are you not ashamed eight of you to stand to the face of one man? What would that man do to you if his foot were not entangled? Stand aside and let me face him!”

They stood aside and bid the soldier surrender. “Stand back you Scotch rogue.” was his answer. Duncan leapt forward and struck the redcoat on the shoulder and put it out through the armpit.

“Be on your guard Duncan” cried the Colonel of his Regiment, “there is a man making for you!”

Duncan faced the soldier and they tried each other by the sword.

Big Duncan gave a stroke to the head of the soldier, but his helmet did not yield. Duncan backed himself against an old dyke and as the redcoat advanced, Duncan leapt up and gave such a stroke to cleft the head to the chin through the steel helmet.

Duncan lifted the helmet and remarked, “It may be that this will cause talk yet.”

That evening, the Regimental officers discussed the bravest blow given on the field that day. Stories went back and forth regards brave deeds and actions from their Jacobite men.

Duncan’s Colonel (the Laird of Tomacharaich), showed the helmet that was cut in two by the sword. The officers were so surprised, they began to give opinion as to who the brave man was to deliver such a cut.

Some believed it to be one of the Macdonalds, others one of the men of Morvern. Tomacharaich remarked, “The sword of the man who gave the blow will tell who it was who did it.”

Duncan MacKenzie was brought in and his sword was shown, and there was a blunting of the edge of the sword corresponding to the split of the helmet. Some of the officers desired to buy the sword there and then and offered as many guineas as would cover the blade from one end to the other, but Duncan would not sell.

Duncan later headed for Lochaber with a couple of friends who met a band of Campbells at Inveroran. Duncan was good at the gun and said to his friends “Fill you the guns and I will fire them, and we will make ourselves as dear to the enemy as we can.” The Campbell commander cried “If you will yield we will do you no harm.”

The two with Duncan fled and he went where the Campbells were who surrounded him and Duncan was made prisoner, brought to the castle at Kilchurn and a court appointed to judge him.

A daughter of Lochiel was married to Campbell of Barcaldine, and she got Barcaldine to speak for Duncan. This grace was enough for Duncan to be granted freedom, though he was obliged to take an oath never to again lift a weapon in the cause of Prince Charles.

His sword was taken from him and brought to Inveraray Castle.

Early in 2015 I was honoured to refurbish the swords of the Duke of Argyll from Inveraray Castle, where I re-discovered MacKenzie’s original sword and it was re-united with it’s own legend once again.

This sword bears a particularly prominent blunted edge section which has clearly been derived from striking a steel object enough to warp and roll the blade edge.

I have seen hundreds of blades damaged from direct edge contact with other blades and this was the first time I had seen such trauma resulting from striking a blunted steel area with significant force.

Aye, Big Duncan MacKenzie spoke long prophesy when he said, “It may be that this will cause talk yet.

Picture and text Credit Paul MacDonald, Macdonald Armouries, Edinburgh.