Reiver Life

Brutal Lives
Reiver life was brutal especially when it came to issues of crime and punishment. The border marches were occupied by a series of towers and beacons every few miles interspersed with large castles, such as Hermitage in Liddlesdale, which were the wardens' residences and important as prisons as well as for defence. For those reivers that were caught by wardens, they met a sticky end. Many were executed.

"no householder could sleep secure, no beast or cattle left unguarded..."

Some of the castles had dungeons which were deep holes fitted with iron spikes pointing upward out of the floor. The reivers who were caught stealing or pilfering on their land would literally be thrown overboard onto the dungeons' lethal spikes, and to their deaths. For some, a stranger fate awaited. Some of the dungeons were fitted with human cages, built for captive reivers who were more socially significant and 'worth something'.

Kidnapping was a legacy from the old Border wars, in which it had been recognised as a legitimate practice to hold prisoners for ransom. In peacetime, the taking of prisoners was unlawful. However, it was common for reivers to operate this kind of kidnap system too.

Valuable Prisoners
The penalty for this was imprisonment and payment of compensation, and the legislation, which was passed from time to time to prevent kidnapped persons from entering into bonds and assurance with their captor, was generally disregarded.

In practice, reiver prisoners were normally ransomed, sometimes for a few shillings, however, a hostage might be lifted to use as a bargaining tool for the release of another captured reiver by a rival clan or warden. Unlike the wardens, reivers would not risk incurring the wrath of rival clans by killing their captors. The prisoner would be fed and watered but not abused. Rather they would utilise their captive to for the return of stolen goods, or for bartering for the return of someone from their family who had been kidnapped.

This way of life meant that no man could walk about unarmed, no householder could sleep secure, no beast or cattle left unguarded. Life was tense.

The Reivers have left a legacy of words in the English language. Terms in use today that stem directly from the reivers are:

Blackmail
Bereaved
Kidnap

The first use of the word Blackmayle stems from the Reivers practice of securing of protection money.

Greenmayle was the word for rent paid by tenant farmers for their agricultural land.

Blackmayle was the word for rent collected at night, by the reivers. 'Blackmayle' was paid to a powerful reiver or outlaw and, in return, the reiver not only left the farmer alone, but also was also obliged to protect him from other raiders and to recover his goods if they were carried off.

Originally the word bereaved stems from the phrase 'be reived' which described the experience of being attacked by the Reivers and little or nothing of your possessions, livestock or kin remaining.