Barbour, John (1316?-1395), was the first known Scottish poet and historian. His national epic poem The Bruce was completed about 1376 and ranks as the first major work of Scottish literature. It is a long poem of 13,500 lines, covering the period from 1286 to 1332. It tells the story of Robert Bruce and James Douglas. The heart of the story is the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, when Bruce defeated King Edward II and regained Scotland’s independence from England. The poem is heroic and romantic, and the historical facts are fairly presented. Barbour may also have written the Legend of Troy and Legends of the Saints.
Little is known of Barbour’s early life. Many historians believe that he was born in Aberdeen in Aberdeenshire, and that he studied at the universities of Oxford and Paris. He was made archdeacon of Aberdeen in 1357. He died on March 13, 1395.
