author
John Barbour
d. 1395
A pioneering voice in Scots literature, this 14th-century poet is best remembered for turning Scotland’s wars of independence into a vivid, fast-moving national epic. His work helped give lasting literary shape to the story of Robert the Bruce.
1 Audiobook
The Bruce
by John Barbour
About the author
John Barbour was a Scottish poet and churchman who died on March 13, 1395. He is widely regarded as the first major named writer to compose in Scots, and his reputation rests above all on The Brus, a long narrative poem about Robert the Bruce and Sir James Douglas during the Wars of Scottish Independence.
Records connect him closely with the church and with public life: he served as archdeacon of Aberdeen, and sources note that he traveled to study at Oxford and was also linked to the royal court. That mix of learning, religion, and politics helps explain why his writing combines patriotic history, moral reflection, and lively storytelling.
What keeps Barbour readable is the energy of his verse. The Brus is not just a chronicle; it is a poem about courage, leadership, loyalty, and freedom, and it became a cornerstone of Scottish literary tradition.