Scott's Border Minstrelsy Exhibition

“The explication of Thomas Rymer’s prophecies….by the famous Mr Allan Boyde, MA”, [1790], bound in a volume of “Ballads” Thomas the Rhymer (c.1220–c.1298), was a famous Scottish prophet who is also known as Thomas of Ercildoune, Lord Learmont and True Thomas. He occupies much the same position in Scottish folklore as Merlin does in Wales and England. Little is known for certain of his life but two charters from 1260–80 and 1294 mention him, the latter referring to "Thomas de Ercildounson son and heir of Thome Rymour de Ercildoun". It is said that he gained his powers of prophecy from a meeting with the Queen of Elfland. Scott included the ballad ‘Thomas the Rhymer’ which tells the story of this meeting in the second volume of the ‘Minstrelsy’. When Scott was creating his estate at Abbotsford he ensured that a spot known as the Rhymer’s glen was included in the estate. Scott believed that this was the spot where Thomas and the Queen of Elfland had met. However popular tradition locates the spot as being near the Eildon hills.