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Re: All Things Scottish


Poster: mn13189@WCUVAX1.WCU.EDU


On Fri, 26 Sep 1997, Corun MacAnndra wrote:

> you're going to wear a kilt, make it the Great Kilt, not the Small Kilt
> (sorry, don't have the Gaelic book handy for the Scots Gaelic names)

Who needs a book, when you've got a Eogan!?  
Great kilt= feilidh-mhor (large wrap), or breacan-feile (tartan wrap).
I prefer "Belted Plaid" because it perfectly describes what it is, a plaid
("blanket" in Gaelic) belted around the body.
Small kilt= feilidh-beag (little wrap)

> Bagpipes are a very old instrument, but I don't know of any tunes for which
> you can find music today that are pre-18th c. I will admit though that my

Period forms of pipes were different from the modern Highland pipes,
mainly in the number of drones.  I have seen at least one web site for a
man who makes and sells different period forms of pipes, although I don't
have the URL.  This is not to say that if you own and play modern pipes
you should not play them at events.  After all, how many modern
guitars/recorders/flutes/etc do you see.  It would add greatly to the
atmosphere.

> I've heard of electronic pipes that you can plug headphones into so that
> you're the only one who can hear them while you practice.

There was a guy who made an electronic chanter you could do this with, but
as far as I know he stopped making them years ago.  

> Your basic garb kit will consist of the great kilt (of wool), some kind of
> heavy leather belt, a sporran or other kind of large pouchlike bag to hang
> from it, a shirt (contrary to what some people think, the Scots of our
> period did not go around shirtless wearing only a small kilt, which garment
> itself is out of period), wool plaid stockings, possibly a skean dubh
> (that's the dagger that tucks into the stockings, but I really don't know
> how far back this knife can be documented and so can't attest to it being
> within our period), and a sword.

The skean dhub did not start to be worn until a little after our period,
probably late 17th, early 18th centuries.  I'll have to find my source
again to be more specific.  I just remember reading about it and
remembering it was a little past our time.
The rest of the garb description is good for a *late-period, Gaelic*
persona.  Any time before the mid-16th century, or any Scottish culture
other than Gaelic, and you would wear something different.

> be bumping people with it and it will get in the way. You'll carry it
> strapped to your back and there it will hang all evening, making it hard to
> sit down, and inconvenient to stow when you do take it off (say to dance

Actually, from what I can tell, there were no claymore sheaths.  People in
period would not carry these monsters around for show.  The only time you
would carry it was when you intended on using it, and then a scabbard
would just get in your way.  A Highlander would never be without a good
dirk, though.

> side, or possibly your father's mother's side of the family. Galloway
> sounds more Irish to me, and looks closer to Galway, both a city and a bay
> in Ireland. 

Galloway is a didtrict in South-West Scotland, very close to Ireland.  It
has always had a strong Irish-Gaelic influence.  In fact, i think it would
just be a 14 mile swim between the two places.

Aye,
Eogan

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