The ''Lymond Chronicles'' is a series of six

historical History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

novels written by

Dorothy Dunnett Dorothy, Lady Dunnett (née Halliday, 25 August 1923 – 9 November 2001) was a Scottish novelist best known for her historical fiction. Dunnett is most famous for her six novel series set during the 16th century, which concern the fictiti ...

and first published between 1961 and 1975. Set in mid-16th-century Europe and the Mediterranean area, the series tells the story of a young Scottish nobleman, Francis Crawford of Lymond, from 1547 until 1558.

Overview

Francis Crawford of Lymond

The six volumes follow the life and career of the charismatic Francis Crawford of Lymond, the younger son of the Crawfords of Culter, members of the

landed aristocracy Landed may refer to: * ''Landed'' (album), a 1975 album by Can * "Landed", a song by Ben Folds from ''Songs for Silverman'' * "Landed", a song by Drake from ''Dark Lane Demo Tapes'' * Landed gentry, a largely historical privileged British social ...

of the Scottish Lowlands. Brought up according to the Renaissance ideal of an educated

autodidact Autodidacticism (also autodidactism) or self-education (also self-learning and self-teaching) is education without the guidance of masters (such as teachers and professors) or institutions (such as schools). Generally, autodidacts are individua ...

, he is a

polyglot Multilingualism is the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolingualism, monolingual speakers in the World population, world's pop ...

, knowledgeable in literature, philosophy, mathematics and the sciences, a practitioner of all the martial arts, a spell-binding musician, a talented thespian, and a master strategist with a genius for imaginative tactics. An intensely private man with a public persona, Lymond is a non-conformist who is suspicious of political and religious causes. He is driven by his demanding personal code of behaviour and responsibility, regardless of society's expectations or rules. Though a cosmopolitan military leader, diplomat and spy, he has an abiding feeling for his home country of

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. Despite his reluctance to relinquish his cherished independence and align himself permanently with any nation's ruler, Lymond's professional reputation increasingly makes him a sought-after ally, or a foe to be avoided, by many of the crowned heads of Europe. Still, only for goals he believes in strongly will he deploy his glittering and commanding persona, quicksilver mind, talent for dissembling what he thinks or feels, and rapier tongue; and once he dedicates himself to a goal, his will is implacable. In his personal life, Lymond has an unusual ability to inspire intense loyalty and even love in those who are attracted to him. But the Crawford family's history begins to produce more and more tensions, and these conflicts are exacerbated by the family's shared weaknesses: immense pride and a stubborn refusal to explain the reasons for their actions. As a whole, the ''Lymond Chronicles'' tell how an arrogant, brilliant, but troubled individualist, though increasingly successful professionally, becomes alienated and isolated as a result of battles with forces he can't control, as well as with himself; and how he ultimately becomes reconciled with his country, his family and friends, and himself.

History in the ''Lymond Chronicles''

Dunnett paints on a large historical canvas, with details based on meticulous research in hundreds of primary and secondary sources. In addition to their original characters, the novels feature a large number of historical figures, often in important roles. The historical setting is the incessant jockeying for power through treaties, alliances of convenience, political marriages, wars, and even piracy, among the English

Tudors The House of Tudor was a royal house of largely Welsh and English origin that held the English throne from 1485 to 1603. They descended from the Tudors of Penmynydd and Catherine of France. Tudor monarchs ruled the Kingdom of England and it ...

, the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...

of the

Habsburg The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...

s, the French Valois, the Ottoman Empire of

Suleiman the Magnificent Suleiman I ( ota, سليمان اول, Süleyman-ı Evvel; tr, I. Süleyman; 6 November 14946 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the West and Suleiman the Lawgiver ( ota, قانونى سلطان سليمان, Ḳ� ...

, and their respective secular and religious allies, including the Stewarts of Scotland, the

Knights of St. John The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic military order. It was headq ...

, the corsairs of North Africa, and Tsar Ivan the Terrible of Russia. Each of the six books has several locations with the exception of the first, ''The Game of Kings'', which takes place almost exclusively in the Scottish Lowlands and the borders with England. The novels examine the politics and culture of each court and its nobility as monarchies centralized their power; the intensifying controversies over the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

; implications of the

Age of Discovery The Age of Discovery (or the Age of Exploration), also known as the early modern period, was a period largely overlapping with the Age of Sail, approximately from the 15th century to the 17th century in European history, during which seafarin ...

for political and economic power and knowledge; and the blurred boundaries between faith and reason in religion,

esoteric Western esotericism, also known as esotericism, esoterism, and sometimes the Western mystery tradition, is a term scholars use to categorise a wide range of loosely related ideas and movements that developed within Western society. These ideas a ...

a such as

alchemy Alchemy (from Arabic: ''al-kīmiyā''; from Ancient Greek: χυμεία, ''khumeía'') is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition that was historically practiced in China, India, the Muslim world, ...

and

astrology Astrology is a range of Divination, divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that claim to discern information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the apparent positions of Celestial o ...

, and science. In addition, the large number of women in positions of political power during this period (as rulers in their own name, as regents, as strong wives or mistresses of kings, or as heirs to thrones) affords an exploration of women's roles.

Structure

The six books, collectively, form a single story, told in chronological order though the first two books can be read as self-contained novels. The endings of the third and fifth novels do not resolve their stories but lead directly to the story taken up in their respective sequels.

Relationship to other works by Dunnett

Dunnett viewed these works as part of a larger fourteen-volume work, with ''

The House of Niccolò ''The House of Niccolò'' is a series of eight historical novels by Dorothy Dunnett set in the mid-fifteenth-century European Renaissance. The protagonist of the series is Nicholas de Fleury (Niccolò, Nicholas van der Poele, or Claes), a boy ...

'' series forming the other part. The other books, written afterwards, tell of Lymond's ancestors in the previous century and allude to events in the ''Lymond Chronicles''. Dunnett recommended readers begin with the ''Lymond Chronicles'' and then read ''The House of Niccolò''. As with the ''Lymond Chronicles'', ''The House of Niccolò'' features a number of historical figures as important characters. Both the historical and fictional characters are taken from a wider variety of occupations and social classes than in the ''Lymond Chronicles''. There are significant differences in narrative approach and writing style between the series, reflecting the different journey taken by the central character in each.

''The Game of Kings'' (1961)

After five years in exile, Lymond has recently returned to Scotland, in defiance of Scottish charges against him for pro-English treason and murder. Lymond has returned with the goal of proving his innocence and restoring his name. His family, the Crawfords, have become entangled in the complex politics between England and Scotland, including the Anglo-Scottish wars, Scotland's alliance with France, and skirmishes in the Borders region. The novel is constructed as an intricate mystery, punctuated by set pieces of adventure, high comedy, and drama. Characters such as Richard Crawford, third Baron Culter and Lymond's older brother, and

Margaret Douglas Margaret Douglas, Countess of Lennox (8 October 1515 – 7 March 1578), was the daughter of the Scottish queen dowager Margaret Tudor and her second husband Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus. In her youth she was high in the favour of her unc ...

, Countess of Lennox are one-time friends or intimates of Lymond's who become his mortal enemies. Betrayals and double-crosses, both potential and actual, abound. The pieces of the mystery only fit together late in the story as revelations at a trial. Historical figures appearing in the novel include members of the Scott clan including

Sir Walter Scott of Buccleuch Walter Scott, 5th of Buccleuch, 1st Lord Scott of Buccleuch (1565 – 15 December 1611) was a Scotland, Scottish nobleman and famous border reivers, border reiver, known as the "Bold Buccleuch" and leader of Kinmont Willie Armstrong, Kinmont Wi ...

, his wife, Janet Beaton, and his son William Scott of Kincurd, who becomes Lymond's second-in-command in his band of outlaws;

Mary of Guise Mary of Guise (french: Marie de Guise; 22 November 1515 – 11 June 1560), also called Mary of Lorraine, was a French noblewoman of the House of Guise, a cadet branch of the House of Lorraine and one of the most powerful families in France. She ...

, the Queen Dowager of Scotland and her young daughter,

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scot ...

; and members of the Douglas family including

Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus (c. 148922 January 1557) was a Scottish nobleman active during the reigns of James V and Mary, Queen of Scots. He was the son of George, Master of Angus, who was killed at the Battle of Flodden, and suc ...

, his brother Sir George Douglas, his daughter

, Countess of Lennox (niece of

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

), and Margaret's husband

Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox (21 September 1516 – 4 September 1571) was a leader of the Catholic nobility in Scotland. He was the paternal grandfather of King James VI of Scotland and I of England. He owned Temple Newsam in Yorkshire, E ...

, a potential claimant to the Scottish throne if the young Mary, Queen of Scots, died. The English military leaders responsible for prosecuting the war of

The Rough Wooing The Rough Wooing (December 1543 – March 1551), also known as the Eight Years' War, was part of the Anglo-Scottish Wars of the 16th century. Following its break with the Roman Catholic Church, England attacked Scotland, partly to break the ...

, Sir William Grey and Lord Thomas Wharton, also have prominent, and often comedic, roles.

Main fictional characters

*Francis Crawford of Lymond, Master of Culter *Sybilla Crawford, Dowager Baroness Culter *Richard Crawford, Third Baron Culter *Mariotta Crawford, Baroness Culter *Christian Stewart *Jonathan Crouch *Gideon Somerville *Kate Somerville *Philippa Somerville *Samuel Harvey

Main historical characters

* Mary de Guise,

Queen Dowager A queen dowager or dowager queen (compare: princess dowager or dowager princess) is a title or status generally held by the widow of a king. In the case of the widow of an emperor, the title of empress dowager is used. Its full meaning is clear ...

of Scotland *Tom Erskine *

Walter Scott of Branxholme and Buccleuch Sir Walter Scott, 1st of Branxholme, 3rd of Buccleuch (c. 1495 – killed 4 October 1552), known as "Wicked Wat", was a nobleman of the Scottish Borders and the chief of Clan Scott who briefly served as Warden of the Middle March He was an "inv ...

*His son, William Scott of Kincurd *

Janet Beaton Janet Beaton, Lady of Branxholme and Buccleugh (1519–1569) was an aristocratic Scottish woman and a mistress of James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell. She had a total of five husbands. One of her nieces was Mary Beaton, one of the four ladies-in-wait ...

Main locations

*Edinburgh, Scotland *

Stirling Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal citadel, the medieval old town with its me ...

, Scotland * The Lowlands of Scotland (including the fictional Midculter Castle) *

Northumbria la, Regnum Northanhymbrorum , conventional_long_name = Kingdom of Northumbria , common_name = Northumbria , status = State , status_text = Unified Anglian kingdom (before 876)North: Anglian kingdom (af ...

, England (including the fictional Manor of Flaw Valleys and

Hadrian's Wall Hadrian's Wall ( la, Vallum Aelium), also known as the Roman Wall, Picts' Wall, or ''Vallum Hadriani'' in Latin, is a former defensive fortification of the Roman province of Britannia, begun in AD 122 in the reign of the Emperor Hadrian. R ...

) *

Threave Castle Threave Castle is situated on an island in the River Dee, west of Castle Douglas in the historical county of Kirkcudbrightshire in the Dumfries and Galloway region of Scotland. Built in the 1370s by Archibald the Grim, it was a stronghold of ...

, Scotland

''Queens' Play'' (1964)

Lymond takes on an alias in order to infiltrate the French court and protect the young Mary, Queen of Scots, from her would-be assassins.

Main fictional characters

*Francis Crawford of Lymond, Master of Culter *Sybilla Crawford, Dowager Baroness Culter *Richard Crawford, Third Baron Culter *Phelim O'Liam Roe, Irish leader *Thady Boy Ballagh, Irish bard *Oonagh O'Dwyer, Mistress of Cormac O'Connor *Archie Abernethy, Elephant Keeper

Main historical characters

* Mary de Guise,

of Scotland *Margaret Erskine * Jenny Fleming, Mistress of the King of France *John (Stewart) D'Aubigny, exiled Scot, living in France *George Douglas, Scottish nobleman, visiting France * Cormac O'Connor, claimant to the Irish throne

Main locations

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, France *

Blois Blois ( ; ) is a commune and the capital city of Loir-et-Cher department, in Centre-Val de Loire, France, on the banks of the lower Loire river between Orléans and Tours. With 45,898 inhabitants by 2019, Blois is the most populated city of the ...

, France *

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, England *

Falkland Palace Falkland Palace, in Falkland, Fife, Scotland, is a royal palace of the Scottish Kings. It was one of the favourite places of Mary, Queen of Scots, providing an escape from political and religious turmoil. Today it is under the stewardship of ...

, Scotland

''The Disorderly Knights'' (1966)

Lymond travels to the Isle of

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

, home to the Crusading Order of Knights Hospitaller of St John, just before the Ottoman Turks lay siege to it.

Main fictional characters

*Francis Crawford of Lymond *Jerott Blyth, childhood friend of Francis Crawford, French merchant and Knight of St John *Sir Graham ("Gabriel") Reid Malett, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St John *Joleta Reid Malett, Sir Graham's younger sister *Randy Bell, Alec Guthrie, and Adam Blacklock, men of the company of St Mary's *Oonagh O'Dwyer *Kate Somerville, English landowner and friend of the Crawfords *Philippa Somerville, daughter of Kate Somerville

Main historical characters

* Juan de Homedes, Grand Master of the Order of St John of Jerusalem, Rhodes and Malta * Galatian de Cesel, Governor of Gozo *

Nicolas de Nicolay Nicolas de Nicolay, Sieur d'Arfeville & de Belair, (1517–1583) of the Nicolay (family) was a French geographer. Biography Born at la Grave in Oisans, in the Dauphiné, he left France in 1542 to participate in the siege of Perpignan which was t ...

, Knight of the Order of St John *

Marie de Guise Mary of Guise (french: Marie de Guise; 22 November 1515 – 11 June 1560), also called Mary of Lorraine, was a French noblewoman of the House of Guise, a cadet branch of the House of Lorraine and one of the most powerful families in France. She ...

, Queen Dowager of Scotland * Gaspard De Villiers, Governor of Tripoli * Dragut Rais, Corsair

Main locations

Birgu Birgu ( mt, Il-Birgu , it, Vittoriosa), also known by its title Città Vittoriosa ("''Victorious City''"), is an old fortified city on the south side of the Grand Harbour in the South Eastern Region of Malta. The city occupies a promontory of ...

, Malta *

Mdina Mdina ( mt, L-Imdina ; phn, 𐤌𐤋𐤈, Maleṭ; grc, Μελίττη, Melite (ancient city), Melíttē; ar, مدينة, Madīnah; ), also known by its Italian-language titles ("Old City") and ("Notable City"), is a fortifications of Mdin ...

, Malta *

Gozo Gozo (, ), Maltese: ''Għawdex'' () and in antiquity known as Gaulos ( xpu, 𐤂𐤅𐤋, ; grc, Γαῦλος, Gaúlos), is an island in the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Republic of Malta. After t ...

, Malta *

Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to: Cities and other geographic units Greece *Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...

, North Africa *Scottish Borders, including

St Mary's Loch St Mary's Loch is the largest natural loch in the Scottish Borders, and is situated on the south side of the A708 road between Selkirk and Moffat, about south of Edinburgh. Description It is long and wide, and was created by glacial acti ...

*Edinburgh, Scotland

''Pawn in Frankincense'' (1969)

Lymond embarks upon a hunt for the child who may or may not be his and crosses Europe and North Africa following the trail of clues an adversary has laid for him. He arrives glittering court of the Ottoman sultan

Main fictional characters

*Francis Crawford of Lymond *Jerott Blyth, childhood friend of Francis Crawford, French Merchant and Knight of St John *Jubrael Pasha, officer at the court of Suleiman the Magnificent *Joleta Reid Malett, Sir Graham's younger sister *The Dame de Doubtance, caster of horoscopes, from France *Georges Gaultier, her associate *Marthe, his niece *Philippa Somerville, daughter of Kate Somerville *Mikal, a pilgrim of Love *Güzel (Kiaya Khátún), mistress of the Harem of Dragut Rais *Onophrion Zitwitz, master of Lymond's household *Salablanca, Moor

Main historical characters

Leone Strozzi Leone Strozzi (15 October 1515 – 28 June 1554) was an Italian condottiero belonging to the famous Strozzi family of Florence. Biography He was the son of Filippo Strozzi the Younger and Clarice de' Medici, and brother to Piero, Roberto and Lore ...

, of Florence, Prior of Capua in the Order of the Knights Hospitaller of St. John *

Salah Rais Salah Rais ( tr, Salih Reis, ar, صالح ريس) (c. 1488 – 1568) was the 7th King of Algiers, an Ottoman privateer and admiral. He is alternatively referred to as ''Sala Reis'', ''Salih Rais'', ''Salek Rais'' and ''Cale Arraez'' in sever ...

, Viceroy of Algiers *Aga Morat, Turkish Governor of Tripoli *

Gabriel de Luetz Gabriel de Luetz, Baron et Seigneur d'Aramon et de Vallabregues (died 1553), often also abbreviated to Gabriel d'Aramon, was the French Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from 1546 to 1553, in the service first of Francis I, who dispatched him to ...

, Baron et Seigneur d'Aramon et de Valabregues, French Ambassador to Turkey *

Roxelana Hurrem Sultan (, ota, خُرّم سلطان, translit=Ḫurrem Sulṭān, tr, Hürrem Sultan, label=Modern Turkish; 1500 – 15 April 1558), also known as Roxelana ( uk, Роксолана}; ), was the chief consort and legal wife of the Ottom ...

Sultan (Khourrem), wife of Suleiman the Magnificent *

, Sultan of Turkey and Lord of the Ottoman Empire *Jean Chesnau, French Chargé d'Affaires at Constantinople

Main locations

Baden Baden (; ) is a historical territory in South Germany, in earlier times on both sides of the Upper Rhine but since the Napoleonic Wars only East of the Rhine. History The margraves of Baden originated from the House of Zähringen. Baden is ...

, in

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

Algiers Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...

, in modern-day

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

Bône Annaba ( ar, عنّابة, "Place of the Jujubes"; ber, Aânavaen), formerly known as Bon, Bona and Bône, is a seaport city in the northeastern corner of Algeria, close to the border with Tunisia. Annaba is near the small Seybouse River ...

, modern-day Annaba (and ancient Hippo) in Algeria * Monastir, in modern-day

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

* Mehedia, modern-day Mahdia in Tunisia *

Zakynthos Zakynthos (also spelled Zakinthos; el, Ζάκυνθος, Zákynthos ; it, Zacinto ) or Zante (, , ; el, Τζάντε, Tzánte ; from the Venetian form) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the third largest of the Ionian Islands. Za ...

, an island off the coast of

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...

, in

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

Djerba Djerba (; ar, جربة, Jirba, ; it, Meninge, Girba), also transliterated as Jerba or Jarbah, is a Tunisian island and the largest island of North Africa at , in the Gulf of Gabès, off the coast of Tunisia. It had a population of 139,544 a ...

, an island off the coast of modern-day Tunisia *

Thessalonika Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, and the capital of the geographic region of ...

, in Greece * Zuara, in modern-day

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...

Chios Chios (; el, Χίος, Chíos , traditionally known as Scio in English) is the fifth largest Greek island, situated in the northern Aegean Sea. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. Chios is notable for its exports of mastic ...

, in modern-day Greece, close to the coast of

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...

, capital city of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

''The Ringed Castle'' (1971)

Lymond arrives at the court of the Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible.

Main fictional characters

*Francis Crawford of Lymond *Richard Crawford, 3rd Baron of Culter, Lymond's older brother *Sybilla Crawford, Dowager Lady Culter, Lymond's mother *Danny Hislop, Alec Guthrie, Adam Blacklock, Fergie Hoddim, Lancelot Plummer, and Ludovic d'Harcourt, men of the company of St Mary's *Kate Somerville, English landowner and friend of the Crawfords *Philippa Somerville, daughter of Kate Somerville *Guzel, kingmaker

Main historical characters

Ivan IV Vasilyevich Ivan IV Vasilyevich (russian: Ива́н Васи́льевич; 25 August 1530 – ), commonly known in English as Ivan the Terrible, was the grand prince of Moscow from 1533 to 1547 and the first Tsar of all Russia from 1547 to 1584. Ivan ...

, Tsar of Russia *

, Countess of Lennox * Diccon Chancellor, explorer and navigator *Osep Nepaja, ambassador *

Mary I of England Mary I (18 February 1516 – 17 November 1558), also known as Mary Tudor, and as "Bloody Mary" by her Protestant opponents, was Queen of England and Ireland from July 1553 and Queen of Spain from January 1556 until her death in 1558. Sh ...

, Queen of England *

Princess Elizabeth of England Elizabeth Stuart (28 December 1635 – 8 September 1650) was the second daughter of Charles I, King of England, Scotland and Ireland, and his wife, Henrietta Maria of France. From age six until her death at age 14, Elizabeth was a prisoner of t ...

John Dee John Dee (13 July 1527 – 1608 or 1609) was an English mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, teacher, occultist, and alchemist. He was the court astronomer for, and advisor to, Elizabeth I, and spent much of his time on alchemy, divinatio ...

, mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, occultist, navigator *

Dmytro Vyshnevetsky Dmytro Ivanovych Vyshnevetsky ( uk, Дмитро Іванович Вишневе́цький; russian: Дмитрий Иванович Вишневе́цкий; pl, Dymitr Wiśniowiecki) was a magnate of Ruthenian (Ukrainian) origin and an organi ...

, Lithuanian prince

Main locations

* The Lowlands of Scotland (including the fictional Midculter Castle) *

, England *

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

, in the then Tsardom of Russia *

Archangel Archangels () are the second lowest rank of angel in the hierarchy of angels. The word ''archangel'' itself is usually associated with the Abrahamic religions, but beings that are very similar to archangels are found in a number of other relig ...

, in the then Tsardom of Russia

''Checkmate'' (1975)

In 1557, Lymond and Sevigny are once again in France, leading an army against England. Meanwhile, Mary, Queen of Scots, prepares to marry the French Dauphin.

Main fictional characters

*Francis Crawford of Lymond *Richard Crawford, Lymond's older brother *Sybilla Crawford, Lymond's mother *Philippa Somerville

Main historical characters

* Mary Stewart, queen of Scots * Henri II, king of France *Catherine d'Albon, French noblewoman

Reading aids

*''The Dorothy Dunnett Companion'' (1994, ) and ''The Dorothy Dunnett Companion II'' (2002, ) by Elspeth Morrison – Dorothy Dunnett aided in the compilation, and wrote some of the entries for this book, which provide background information to historical characters and events featured in the ''Lymond Chronicles'' and ''The House of Niccolò'', as well as explanations of classical allusions and literary and other quotations used in the two series, notes to sources of these citations, and many maps. The second volume contains a bibliography of many of the hundreds of primary and secondary sources Dunnett used in her historical research. *''Ultimate Guide to Dorothy Dunnett's The Game of Kings'' by Laura Caine Ramsey, J.D. (2013, LymondGuides.com) – An illustrated encyclopaedic resource of translations and historical, literary, mythological, musical, and poetic references in the order in which they appear in the series. *''Dorothy Dunnett’s Lymond Chronicles: The Enigma of Francis Crawford'' by Scott Richardson (2016, )

Overview

Francis Crawford of Lymond

History in the ''Lymond Chronicles''

Structure

Relationship to other works by Dunnett

''The Game of Kings'' (1961)

Main fictional characters

Main historical characters

Main locations

''Queens' Play'' (1964)

Main fictional characters

Main historical characters

Main locations

''The Disorderly Knights'' (1966)

Main fictional characters

Main historical characters

Main locations

''Pawn in Frankincense'' (1969)

Main fictional characters

Main historical characters

Main locations

''The Ringed Castle'' (1971)

Main fictional characters

Main historical characters

Main locations

''Checkmate'' (1975)

Main fictional characters

Main historical characters

Reading aids

Further reading