Moot Hill

A moot hill or mons placiti (Laws Hill) is a hill, which was used to historical time as a meeting place. In early medieval Britain these hills were used for blocking moots, ie for meetings of the population of a place where local affairs were regulated. Among other things, proclamations were at a moot proclaimed, made ​​decisions and trials performed. Although some moot hills originally constituted natural elevations or had already been previously created as a grave mound long before others, however, were built specifically for the purpose of moots. Some of these mounds are still visible today, but very few still in use.

Etymology

The word moot or mote has its origins in the Old English language. It was from the verb to meet ( " meet " ) and originally derived describes any kind of public meeting. Over time, however, the meaning of the word throughout the UK has expanded. In England, the word was folkmoot to a special term for a local meeting with recognized authority to exercise such rights. In Scotland the term in the literature is the absence of other uniformly accepted terms used.

Many moot or mute mote hills today are still known by that name. Others have regional names such as Hill Court ( Court Hill), Justice Hill ( hill justice ), Judgement Hill (Case Hill), Mount, Munt and many others. Many will be familiar with names like knol, knock, knowe, law (law) or a combination thereof associated .. In the north of Scotland is also the term Cuthill (Gaelic ' comhdhail ' - a place of the meeting) familiar.

Locations

Moots like to pre-existing archaeological hills as barrows (English: tumuli or burial mounds ), or moths (English: mottes ) have gathered. Others, however, met on completely natural elevations which were either left as they were or were adapted but also for its intended purpose by human hands. As a common aid in the identification is that moot hills are generally smaller than moths and also show no signs of defensive walls or trenches.

Some hills, known today as moot hills were actually originally Motte, ie from a predominantly built in timber castle type, whose main feature is an artificial mound. Here, a ring ditch was often created and piled its excavation in the middle. On the central hill is often built a tower- shaped building and around palisades. In this way you can quickly and easily obtain a good defensible system. In some cases it may originally erected as a moth Hill later as a real Moot Hills, so a location for regional meetings, took over.

Some known moot hills are surrounded by water, so as Mugdock, Mound Wood and Court Hill at the " Hill of Beith ', some, this may have been earlier, as Hutt Knowe. Such inaccessibility would require the use of a boat or a ridge. Wood Mound is established without doubt by human hands, indicating that the relationship between these places and the water had a functional or religious significance. Silbury Hill is an example of how often Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments were built at transition points or intersection points in the landscape and close to the water.

Origin

It is known that in the early Middle Ages in Scotland 'Court Hills ' spoke right especially in the Highlands Brehons or judge. At the time these surveys were tomemoid called ( from Gaelic tom a ' mhòid ), which means as much as courts hill. At that time, probably for this purpose the small number of buildings have existed, why there is no alternative to this was usually to use a meeting under the open sky. It is reported that Irish immigrants brought the Brehon Laws ( judge laws), the use of moot hills and the Tanistry ( tradition of royal and clan succession) with him to Scotland.

The expanded role, the moot hills were given in the case law has its origins in the introduction of the feudal system in England by the Normans and in Scotland by the Scottish kings. So how about David I of Scotland 1125-1153, who introduced feudalism and far-reaching areas of the jurisdiction where minions like Walter Fitzallan, 1st High Steward of Scotland ( Renfrewshire & the northern half of Kyle ) or Hugh of Morville ( Cunningham ) gave the in turn broad powers to their own vassals in the newly introduced baronies (English: baronie, the Lehnsbezirk a Baron ) passed on. These men were mostly those awarded by Norman, Flemish or Breton origin, according to feudal law significant lands, had been invited by the now even meet French kings of Scotland in the 12th century and were not, as in the case of England as conquerors. In certain cases, there was a close relationship between the ancient Celtic Thaneages (a non -military vassal of the early Scottish crown with hereditary title), and the new feudal baronies. Each Baron had a moot hill to exercise his legal rights be transferred. But also in many Chartularen religious institutions is recorded that those also moot hills used for the holding of courts.

The cities of newly created in the feudal system in the 12th century (Scottish: burgh, borough english ) held their food from outdoors, around the market cross, a standing stone, a moot hill or a prominent tree. These courts found three times a year: the main course after Pesach (Passover or Easter), the next after Michaelmas (29 September ), in which the Magistrate or the Vogt (English: reeve ) were chosen and the third after the Yule or Christmas. All citizens were obliged to appear.