Thomas
the Rhymer
(Lived in the mid-late 13th century)
Poet and seer
A Borders poet who also appears in the eponymous ballad Thomas
the Rhymer. He was said to have been captivated by the Queen of
the Fairies in the Eildon Hills, but the three days he spent with
her was actually three years. On parting, she gave him the gift
of prophesy, apparently allowing him to foretell Flodden and the
Union; his predictions were eventually published in 1603 and were
enduringly popular. Thomas vanished one day, and was said to have
gone back to the fairy queen.
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