Butte County Scottish Society Newsletter

THE LIONCCuuiimmhhnniicchhiibbhh aaiirr nnaa ddaaooiinnee bbhhoo’’nn dd’’tthhaaiinniigg ssiibbhh

““RReemmeemmbbeerr tthhee ppeeooppllee ffrroomm wwhhoomm yyoouu ccoommee..””

2006 ~ 2009

A COLLECTION OF THE BEST OF

The California Gold Rush began as a result of a de-scended Scot’s discovery of gold in 1847. James Wil-son Marshall was born in 1810 in New Jersey. In

1845 he moved to California's Sacramento Valley where hefound work with John Sutter at Sutter's Fort. By the end ofthe year he owned and operated a small farm of his ownon Butte Creek but continued to work for Sutter as well.

Marshall joined Captain John Fremont's Califor-nia Battalion following the Bear Flag Revolt and saw ac-tion in Southern California. In 1847 Marshall returned tohis Butte Creek farm to find it had been virtually de-stroyed by ransackers. Then went back to work for JohnSutter and was hired to construct two mills. The first wasa grist mill located on the American River near Sutter'sFort. The second was a saw mill located on the SouthFork of the American River in the Cullomah Valley. Sutterand Marshall were partners in this venture. Late on Janu-ary 23, while working on the dredging tailrace for themill, he found quartz rock in the river bed. The find madehim think that gold might be present. The next morning hereturned to the tailrace and found gold nuggets. Marshallreported his discovery to Sutter on January 28.

Sutter and Marshall tried to keep the discoverysecret, but word leaked out from the mill and from the fortand there was very little that either Sutter or Marshallcould do to stop it. Marshall completed the saw mill andcontinued to operate it as Cullomah quickly grew into agold mining town. Marshall joined in the prospecting andfound his share of placer gold, but never made a bigstrike. For a while he was hounded by people who be-lieved that he had some sort of supernatural power thathad led to his earlier discovery of gold. In 1853 he liter-ally fled into the mountains to hide.

Toward the end of the 1860s Marshall investedhis savings in the Grey Eagle mine a few miles east ofColoma at Kelsey. He also tried his hand on the lecturecircuit. None of his business ventures were profitable, butin 1872 the California legislature awarded him a monthlypension of $200 in recognition of his discovery of gold.The term of the pension was two years but it was renewedfor another year at the rate of $100 per month. Marshall James Wilson Marshall discovered gold in California in 1847

GOLD RUSH STARTED BY DESCENDED SCOTinvested some of his money in the Grey Eagle mine andsome in a blacksmith shop in Kelsey. He was found dead inhis blacksmith shop on August 10, 1885 and was buried atColoma. He was 75 years old.

NATIONAL TARTAN DAY

From the founding of this country to present day, Ameri-cans of Scottish descent have played a vibrant and in-fluential role in its development. In 1998, the U.S.

Senate passed a resolution to recognize April 6 as NationalTartan Day to honor the many contributions of ScottishAmericans.

The date, April 6, commemorates the signing of theDeclaration of Arbroath in 1320, which asserted Scotland’sauthority over English territorial claims. That declarationwas a model for the U.S. Declaration of Independence.

Among prominent Scots found in U.S. history arefounding statesman Alexander Hamilton; revolutionaryPatrick Henry; pioneer Daniel Boone; inventors AlexanderGraham Bell and Thomas Edison; industrialist AndrewCarnegie; naturalist, explorer, and writer, John Muir; and au-thor Washington Irving. At least 11 Presidents of the USAwere of Scots ancestry including William McKinley, AndrewJackson, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, James Polk,Lyndon Johnson and Ulysses Grant.

ABOUT SCOTLAND

Scotland (Alba in Scots Gaelic) is a nation in northwestEurope, and a constituent country of the United King-dom. It occupies the northern third of the island of

Great Britain and shares aland border to the southwith England and isbounded by the North Seaon the east and the AtlanticOcean on the west. Its capi-tal city is Edinburgh. It isfrequently referred to as“the best small country inthe world”.

The Kingdom ofScotland was united in 843,by King Kenneth I of Scot-land, and is thus one of the oldest existing countries in theworld. Scotland was as an independent state until May 1,1707, when the parliaments of Scotland and England passedthe Act of Union which merged Scotland with England tocreate the Kingdom of Great Britain.

The flag of Scotland - the Saltire - is thought to bethe oldest national flag still in use. The patron saint of Scot-land is Saint Andrew, and Saint Andrew’s Day is celebratedin the country on November 30. Scotland is home to some ofthe greatest inventions and discoveries of modern times. Thetelevision and the telephone are two of the most notable in-ventions. Scotland is also home to one of the most importantbreakthroughs in modern medicine - the discovery of peni-cillin. The natural logarithm, modern economics, and thepopular sport of Golf all originated in Scotland.

The Saltire flying over the Scot-tish Parliament in Edinburgh

THE ORIGIN OF TARTAN

The Celts for many thousands of years are knownto have woven chequered or striped cloth and afew of these ancient samples have been found

across Europe and Scandinavia. It is believed that the in-troduction of this form of weaving came to the West ofNorthern Britain with the Iron age Celtic Scots from Ire-land in the 5th to 6th century B.C.

Early Romans talked of the Celtic tribes wear-ing bright striped clothing - there was no word at thattime for chequered. One of the earliest examples of tar-tan found in Scotland dates back to the 3rd century A.D.,where a small sample of woollen check known as theFalkirk tartan (now in the National Museum of Scotland)was found used as a stopper in an earthenware pot toprotect a treasure trove of silver coins buried close to theAntonine Wall near Falkirk. It is a simple two colouredcheck or tartan which, was identified as the undyedbrown and white of the native Soay Sheep. Colours weredetermined by local plants that could be used for dyes. Museum installation of traditional weaver at the Tartan

Weaving Mill & Exhibition in Edinburgh

2

After 27 years of research, Stuart Mitchell, a com-poser,with his father Thomas Mitchell, a formerRoyal Air Force codebreaker, have deciphered a

piece of Scottish music coded in the intricately carved archesof Rosslyn Chapel built over 500 years ago by William St.Clair in Rosslyn, Scotland.

Rosslyn Chapel is well known for the elaborate andmysterious carvings that cover the stone surfaces of the inte-rior. But Stuart and Thomas wereparticularly interested in the uniquecubes that are carved along the archesthroughout the chapel.

Thomas Mitchell’s studies inancient music helped him to recog-nize the carvings as an ancient musi-cal system called cymatics, in whichpatterns are formed by sound wavesat specific pitches. The shapes appearwhen a note is used to vibrate a sheetof metal, or a sheet of glass coveredin powder. Different frequencies pro-duce patterns such as flowers, dia-monds and hexagons. Thomas andStuart have transcribed the music ofthe cubes and named it The RosslynMotet. Stuart and his father believethe tune was encrypted in the 15thcentury chapel outside Edinburgh be-cause knowledge of music may havebeen considered heretical at the time

the chapel was built.In May 2007, they staged the first public perform-

ance of the medieval music they found hidden in the carv-ings. Stuart Mitchell has produced a recording of theRosslyn Motet which is available for purchase. To hear anexcerpt of the music and to see a video demonstrating cymat-ics visit www.rosslynmotet.com.

ABOVE: Rosslyn Chapel located near Edin-burgh was built in the 15th century and is thesubject of many legends, such as being the hid-ing place of a mysterious treasure of theKnights Templar.

LEFT: The ornate 500 year old stone arches arethroughout the ceiling of Rosslyn Chapel.

BELOW: The cubes decorating the stone archesare carved with secret musical notations

MUSICAL ARCHES OF ROSSLYN CHAPEL

3

more massive than it looks in any of the portraits ... a strongexpression of shrewdness in his lineaments; the eye alone in-dicated the poetical character and temperament. It was large,and of a dark cast, and literally glowed when he spoke withfeeling or interest."

Jean Armour's father allowed her to marry him,now that he was no longer a lowly wordsmith.

Alas, the trappings of fame did not bring for-tune and he took up a job as an excise-

man to supplement the meagerincome. While collecting taxes he

continued to write, contributingsongs to the likes of JamesJohnston's "Scot's MusicalMuseum" and GeorgeThomson's "Select Collec-tion of Original ScottishAirs." In all, more than 400of Burns' songs are still inexistence.

The genius of Burns ismarked by spontaneity, di-

rectness, and sincerity, andhis variety is marvellous,

ranging from the tender inten-sity of some of his lyrics through

the rollicking humour and blazingwit of “Tam o' Shanter” to the blister-

ing satire of “Holy Willie's Prayer” and“The Holy Fair.” His life is a tragedy, and his

character full of flaws. But he fought at tremendous odds,and as Thomas Carlyle in his great Essay says, “Granted theship comes into harbour with shrouds and tackle damaged,the pilot is blameworthy ... but to know how blameworthy,tell us first whether his voyage has been round the Globe oronly to Ramsgate and the Isle of Dogs.”

The last years of Burns' life were devoted to pen-ning great poetic masterpieces such as “The Lea Rig”, “TamO'Shanter” and a “Red, Red Rose.” He died aged 37 of heartdisease exacerbated by the hard manual work he undertookwhen he was young. His death occurred on the same day thathis wife Jean gave birth to his last son, Maxwell.

On the day of his burial more than 10,000 peoplecame to watch and pay their respects. However, his popular-ity then was nothing compared to the heights it has reachedsince.

On the anniversary of his birth, Scots both at homeand abroad celebrate Robert Burns with a supper, where theyaddress the haggis, the ladies and whisky. A celebrationwhich would undoubtedly make him proud.

Born in Alloway, Ayrshire, in 1759 to William Burness,a poor tenant farmer, and Agnes Broun, Robert Burnswas the eldest of seven children. He spent his youth

working his father's farm. In spite of his poverty he was ex-tremely well read. This was due in large part to the insistenceof his father, who employed a tutor for Robert and youngerbrother Gilbert. His interest in writing in Scottishwas prompted by his mother who sang toher children in 'auld' Scots.

At age 15, Robert was theprincipal worker on the farm andthis prompted him to start writ-ing in an attempt to find "somekind of counterpoise for hiscircumstances." It was at thistender age that Burnspenned his first verse, "MyHandsome Nell", whichwas an ode to the other sub-jects that dominated his life,namely scotch and women.

When his fatherdied in 1784, Robert and hisbrother became partners in thefarm. However, Robert was moreinterested in the romantic nature ofpoetry than the arduous graft ofploughing and, having had some misad-ventures with the ladies (resulting in severalillegitimate children, including twins to the womanwho would become his wife, Jean Armour), he planned to es-cape to Jamaica and work as a bookkeeper on a plantation.From this he was dissuaded by a letter from the poet ThomasBlacklock, and at the suggestion of his brother published hispoems in the volume, Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialectin June 1786. This edition was brought out by a local printerin Kilmarnock and contained much of his best work, includ-ing “The Twa Dogs”, “Address to the Deil”, “Hallowe'en”,“The Cottar's Saturday Night”, “To a Mouse”, and “To aMountain Daisy”.

The success of the work was immediate. The poet'sname rang over all Scotland, and he was induced to go to Ed-inburgh to superintend the issue of a new edition. There hewas received as an equal by the brilliant circle of men of let-ters which the city then boasted – the philosopher DugaldStewart, Lieutenant-General William Robertson, the Rev-erend Dr. Hugh Blair, etc., and was a guest at aristocratic ta-bles, where he bore himself with unaffected dignity. Herealso Walter Scott, then a boy of 15, saw him and describeshim as of "manners rustic, not clownish. His countenance ...

RROOBBEERRTT BBUURRNNSSScotland’s Favourite Son

4

The words and ideas of Robert Burns spread fast duringhis lifetime and his influence persists even now, morethan 200 years later. All over the world, people sing

"Auld Lang Syne" to bring in the new year. "My love is likea red, red rose" readily springs to mind when trying to recall aromantic verse. The phrase "cutty sark" from "Tam O’Shanter" has found many popular uses. These are only a fewexamples of how the words of Robert Burns are found in oureveryday language.

The common phrase "clean as a whistle" was origi-nally translated from the line "Her mutchkin stowp as toom'sa whissle;" from Burns’ poem "The Author’s Earnest Cry andPrayer." The title of John Steinbeck’s book "Of Mice andMen" is taken directly from these lines of "To A Mouse",often used to illustrate themes of fate and futility:

The best-laid schemes o' mice an 'men Gang aft agley,

Burns is well known for the passion and insightfound in his poetry. He often expressed himself in AuldScots, the language of the common folk of his day. AuldScots might have been lost and forgotten had it not been forBurns’ love of it’s evocative qualities and its deep roots in

Regarded as one of the greatest poemsever written, Robert Burns’ "Tam O’

Shanter" was based on local folklore fromAyrshire on the southwest coast of Scotlandwhere Burns lived. Burns’ friend, CaptainFrancis Grose traveled about to find sites tobe included in his book "Antiquities of Scot-land." Burns asked Captain Grose to includethe nearby Alloway Kirk in his work asBurns was quite fond of the old kirk and heeven had his father buried there.

As the place was said to be haunted,Captain Grose requested of Burns to write aghost story to accompany the drawing of Al-loway Kirk in his book. The result was thememorable tale of "Tam O’ Shanter."

All the places in this poem can bevisited today. Alloway Kirk stands as an an-cient ruin much as it did in Burns’ day. Also,the bridge over the River Doon where Tammade his escape, exists today just as it didwhen Burns wrote of it in 1790. Burns’ taleof "Tam O’ Shanter" includes details fromseveral stories told in his time of the oldhaunted kirk. Today, his tale stands as theepitome of the hapless traveler who encoun-ters the supernatural and lives to tell thestory.

Scottish culture. In Burns’ time, it was thought better for theScottish to speak "proper" English and Auld Scots was con-sidered uncouth by many. But it was Burns who resurrectedthe beauty and dignity of Scotland’s native speech, preservingit forever in song and poetry.

The words of Robert Burns have even had influenceon the progress of humanity. Many who strive for social jus-tice and equality in this world are inspired by Burns’ song "AMan's A Man For A' That". He foretold of a better world inthe last lines of that song:

It's coming yet for a' that, That Man to Man, the world o'er,

Shall brothers be for a' that.

In this line from "A Man's A Man For A' That",Burns reveals the esteem he held for the honest man ; "Thehonest man, tho' e'er sae poor, Is king o' men for a' that." Burns’ high regard for honest living and his celebration of theHuman Spirit pervade his writing. He exalted the common-place into songs of beauty and wit. The words of RobertBurns are just as resonate today as when he wrote them. Infact, it may be the future generations who will best under-stand what he truly had to tell us.

Above: Alloway Kirk in1790 as illustrated in Cap-tain Grose’s book "Antiq-uities of Scotland."

Right: Alloway Kirk asit appears today whereTam O’ Shanter is said tohave witnessed the dance ofwitches. Robert Burns hadhis father, William Burns,buried here in 1784.

THE WORDS OF ROBERT BURNS LIVE ON

Tam O’ Shanter and Auld Alloway Kirk

5

2009 marks the 250th anniversary of the birthof Robert Burns who was born January 25,1759 amidst a blast of icy wind in a humble

cottage in Alloway. This important anniversary cel-ebrating the birth of Scotland’s Favourite Son is theinspiration behind Scotland’s year of Homecoming.Many events are planned throughout the comingyear attracting visitors from around the world. Oneof the signature events will be Gathering 2009 to beheld in July in Edinburgh. It promises to be thelargest gathering of the clans in history.

Of course, the center of attention for manyBurns fans will be the village of Alloway on theRiver Doon where he was born. Alloway is locatedin southwest Scotland close to Ayr. Near the cottagein the heart of the village where Robert Burns wasborn, you’ll find the old bridge over the RiverDoon, also known as the Brig O’ Doon. Near thebridge is the Auld Alloway Kirk where Tam O’ Shanter wasenthralled by a dance of witches and then fled for his life overthe auld Brig O’ Doon in Burns’ famous poem "Tam O’Shanter".

Adjacent to the Burns cottage is a museum whereyou can find original manuscripts in the poet's own hand.There is a nineteenth century memorial to Burns designed byThomas Hamilton at the foot of the village next to the AuldKirk. Robert Burns' father, William Burns, is buried in the

Auld Kirk. At night, green lights are illuminated over theAuld Kirk, adding to its ghostly appearance.

The National Trust for Scotland has work underwayto start a major redevelopment of Burns National HeritagePark involving the redevelopment of the whole site andbuilding the new Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Al-loway, which will open in 2010. The museum will be dedi-cated to celebrating the immense talent of Scotland’s greatestwriter and will house the most important Burns collection inthe world.

This cottage in Alloway, Scotland is where Robert Burns was born

LEFT: Tam O’Shanter fleesacross the Brig o’Doon

BELOW: The oldBrig O’ Doon asit stands today

ABOVE: Auld Alloway Kirk featured inRobert Burns’ poem “Tam O’ Shanter”

RIGHT: Alloway’s memorial to Robert Burns

2009 MARKS 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF SCOTLAND’S BARD

6

7

Above: This caber is 127 lbs and 19 feet long.Left: Brian & Megan Grandfield

In this throw Mindy Pockowski set anew world record in weight for height.

Highland dancers exhibit their skills at the closing ceremonies.

The massed bands parade before the grandstands at the closing ceremonies

Athletes throw 52 lbs in the air inthe weight for height event.

PLEASANTON GAMES ALWAYS A TREAT

Each year, on Labor Day weekend, theCaledonian Club of San Franciscosponsors one of the largest Highland

Games on earth in Pleasanton, California.This world renowned event has been goingon for over 140 years.

Though most people who comeback have their favorite events that theydon’t want to miss, there is so much to seeand do at the games that you can go yearafter year and see new things. You can visityour clan tent; see pipe bands, fiddlers,harpists, dancers; watch the many athleticevents; see the birds of prey; watch thesheep dog trials; see a game of shinty; orcheck out the wares of the many vendors.These games are always enjoyable. Formore info go to www.caledonian.org

The Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan’ is a traditional church cere-mony to honor and bless the Clans of Scotland includ-ing Clan Dia or 'Family of God' which includes all

people. Legends abound about the ancient origins of 'TheKirking o' the Tartan' ceremony. It is believed the custombegan in Scotland when the clans were called to war and as-sembled at the Kirk (church) for roll call and a blessingbefore engaging in battle. It has also been linked to the1748 Act of Proscription, when the wearing of tartanwas banned and Highlanders hid pieces of tartan clothabout their person and brought them to church to be se-cretly blessed at a particular point in the service.

There are links too with the The Cameronians,a regiment raised in 1689 from proscribed Presbyteri-ans in Scotland known as the Covenanters. TheCovenanters posted armed look-outs during theirmainly outdoor services to warn of approaching gov-ernment forces coming to break up the meeting and ar-rest the worshippers, since participation could result inimprisonment, torture or even execution. TheCameronian Regiment remembered these times bygoing to church parade armed, and posted sentries onthe four corners of the church. The minister could notstart the service until an officer shouted the all-clear.

What is known for certain about today’sKirkin' o' the Tartan ceremony, is that it was started byRev. Peter Marshall, originally from Coatbridge inScotland (old Covenanter territory), pastor of the NewYork Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington DCand chaplain to the US Senate. He was proud of his an-cestral homeland and was a member of the St. An-drew's Society of Washington DC. On April 27, 1941,Reverend Marshall gave a sermon entitled 'The Kirkin

o' the Tartans' and thus a legend was born and Kirkings beganto be held in the Presbyterian churches across the USA.Later, The Kirkin' of the Tartan ceremony began to be held inchurches in other denominations, but did not gain wide popu-larity until the 70's. Today the Kirkin' o' the Tartan is not lim-ited to Presbyterian Churches, but is often found in manyProtestant services as well as Roman Catholic services.

Reverend Peter Marshall and the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington DC,

site of the first Kirking o’ the Tartan in America

KIRKING TRADITION TOOK ROOT IN AMERICAOVER 60 YEARS AGO

At a Kirking in Corning for Saint Andrew’s Day 2006pictured left to right:Jim McKasson, RayMcElwain, Rev.Maryly Adair, BillCasper, Ken Clark,Don Button, Gary

Kennedy, Don Grand-field, Gary Herbolt,

Paul Bissett

8

Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland and SaintAndrew’s Day or Feast of Saint Andrew is celebratedon the 30th of November each year. In Scotland, this is

also an official flag day when every builidng with a flagpoleflies the Flag of Scotland (The Saltire).

According to the Gospels, Andrew was a fishermanfrom Galilee, thebrother of SimonPeter and the firstdisciple of Jesus.After Jesus' crucifix-ion and resurrection,Andrew traveledwidely in Greece andAsia Minor, preach-ing and making con-verts to the newChristian religion.Eventually he fellfoul of the Romanauthorities and wascrucified in southernGreece. Andrew wascrucified on an X-

shaped cross at his own request, because he deemed himselfunworthy to be crucified on the same type cross on whichChrist had been crucified. The X-shaped cross is now knownas Saint Andrew’s Cross or Saltire.

It is believed that around 350 AD relics of Saint An-drew were brought to the monastery of Kilrymont in Fife,Scotland, which later be-come St. Andrews. Therelics were said to includethree fingers of the saint'sright hand, a part of oneof his arms, one kneecap,and one of his teeth. StAndrews became a popu-lar pilgrimage destinationafter miracles were attrib-uted to the saint.

One legend saysthat in 832 AD an army ofScots led by King Anguswas facing an army fromthe kingdom of Northum-bria. The Scottish kingprayed to St Andrew forhelp, and the saltire of StAndrew appeared abovethem against the back-ground of a clear bluesky. This encouraged the

Scots and the battle was duly fought and won. This also ex-plains the origin of the white cross against the blue back-ground on Scotland’s national flag (reputedly the oldestnational flag in Europe).

In the Wars of Independence, fought by Scotland inthe 13th and 14th centuries, the Scots used the story as partof the diplomatic battle to persuade the papacy to recogniseScotland as an independent kingdom. Pope Boniface, in apapal bull of 1299, demanded that Edward I of England endthe war against Scotland. The pope reminded Edward howScotland "was converted, and won to the unity of the Chris-tian faith, by the venerable relics of the blessed Apostle An-drew, with a great outpouring of the divine power".

Along with the customary observances and celebra-tions, it is interesting to note an old folk superstition con-nected to Saint Andrew's Day. Around midnight on Nov. 29,the day before St Andrew's Day, it was traditional for girls topray to St. Andrew for a husband. They would make a wishand look for a sign that they had been heard. A girl wishingto marry could throw a shoe at a door. If the toe of the shoepointed in the direction of the exit, then she would marry andleave her parents' house within a year. A girl could also peela whole apple without breaking the peel and throw the peelover the shoulder. If the peel formed a letter of the alphabet,then this suggested the name of her future groom.

Saint Andrew remains deeply embedded in the na-tional identity of Scotland. And as it is believed that SaintAndrew has brought many blessings to Scotland, Scots willalways revere Saint Andrew as their patron saint.

SAINT ANDREW, PATRON SAINT OF SCOTLAND

Stained glass window in St. Andrew’sEpiscopal Church, Corning, California

Stockbridge Pipe Band on their annual march in Edinburgh on Saint Andrew’s Day

9

The Butte County Scottish Society has made a donationto The National Trust for Scotland in support of theCulloden Battlefield Memorial Project. The donation

of $100 went toward the conservation of the historical site ofthe battlefield and the completion of the new Culloden Visi-tor Center which officially opened in April. In recognition ofour donation, the name of our Scottish society will be in-scribed on the ceiling of the new visitor center.

The site of this historic battle is on Culloden Moornear Inverness, Scotland. The Jacobite army, led by BonniePrince Charlie, was defeated here by the Governmentarmy of the Duke of Cumberland in 1746 and endedthe Jacobite efforts to restore the rule of the Stuartkings to Great Britain. Scots fought on both sides ofthis conflict that was the last hand to hand battlefought on British soil.

The battlefield has been restored to its origi-nal condition on the day of the battle and the new visi-tor center features state of the art interactive exhibitsthat convey how this battle that lasted only one hourchanged the way of life of the Highlands and Islands

forever.The interactive exhibition follows the progress of

the Jacobite army on their campaign, and offers a unique in-sight into what life was like in Scotland at the time of theBattle. Visitors are taken to the very heart of the conflict in a360° immersion film, and shadow real-life characters throughthe years of the Jacobite rebellion and find out what hap-pened to them in the often brutal aftermath of the Battle.

For more information go to:www.nts.org.uk/Culloden/Home/

BCSS SUPPORTS CULLODEN MEMORIAL

RIGHT: The ceiling of the Culloden Battlefieldvisitor center where “Butte County Scottish

Society“ is inscribed with the names of donors.

BELOW: The new Culloden Battlefield visitorcenter with state of the art interactive exhibits

10

In Scotland, New Year’s Eve is knownas 'Hogmanay'. The last day of theyear was traditionally regarded as a

time of preparation. Business would beconcluded to let the new year start afreshand houses were thoroughly cleaned(known as 'redding'). Fireplaces in partic-ular had to be swept out and in a variationon reading tea-leaves, the ashes of the lastfire of the old year were believed to showwhat lay ahead in the new year.

All over the world Ceilidhs areorganized and anyone who can play anaccordion, fiddle, bagpipe or drum aredrafted into someone’s party. Scotsmenget their 'Cerry oot' (sack of goodies) or-ganized and set off into the night 'firstfooting'.

First footing is the most wide-spread custom of Hogmanay which startsimmediately after midnight. This in-volves being the first person to cross thethreshold of a friend or neighbor in thenew year. First-foots bring symbolic giftsto 'handsel' the house: coal for the fire, toensure that the house would be warm andsafe, and shortbread or black bun (a typeof fruit cake) to symbolize that the household would nevergo hungry that year.

Singing of Auld Lang Syne and new year resolu-tions are also a Scottish tradition of Hogmanay. New yearresolutions hark back to the notion at the core of many Hog-manay traditions of old: making a new start. We hope thatyour new year is getting off to to a wonderful start. We wishyou happiness and well-being and are looking forward toseeing you in 2008.

HOGMANAY BROSEFrom Clan Chef Isolde Grandfield

There was always oatmeal in the kitchen press in Scot-land. There was always whisky on hand to be brought

out on an instant’s notice when it was discreetly deemedproper to serve. In the old days, the two went together onNew Year’s Eve, which in Scotland is called Hogmanay.

Scottish oatmeal then was inexpensive. For thisrecipe, the kind of oatmeal you want can be procured in aspecialty store or imported foods store. The whisky in theold days was easily come by. The honey was plentiful fromthe heather covered hills of the north, and the water had aspecial purity of its own.

1 cup Scottish oatmeal3 cups water1/2 cup honeyScotch whisky

Soak the oatmeal in the water for an hour. Strain.Discard the oatmeal and retain the liquid. Add the honey andstir. Pour into empty decanter and then fill to the top withwhisky. The decanter should hold about 1 quart. Shake wellbefore serving on Hogmanay.

Hogmanay (or New Year’s Eve) is celebrated with fireworks in Edinburgh

HOGMANAYA Fresh Start

Swinging fireballs is aHogmanay traditionin Stonehaven,Kin-cardineshire. Balls of chicken wirewith tar, paper andother flammable stuffare set on fire andswung around by arope while walkingfrom the harbor to theSheriff court and backto the harbor wherethe flaming balls aretossed into the water.

11

Butte County Scottish Society Board of Directors

President, Paul Bissett 894-2514

Vice President, Vern Stephens 873-2881

Treasurer/Membership Chair, Linda Weekes 873-3273

Secretary & Club Piper, Jim McKasson 877-1066

Editor, Membership Secretary, Julianna Rice 877-2572

Events Coordinator, Don Grandfield 877-5390

Publisher,Allen Rice 877-2572

Clan Photographer,Melody Stephens 873-2881

Clan Chef, Isolde Grandfield

Clan Historian, Dianne McKasson

Master at Arms, Chris Weekes

Pursuivant, Deborah Dwight

Ambassador at Large, Gary Kennedy

Clan Counsel,Andy Hanawalt

Newsletter Contact:scottishsociety@sbcglobal.net

orJulianna Rice

439 Tigertail LaneParadise, CA 95969

Join us on the web at www.myspace.com/bcssocietySee photos at www.flickr.com/photos/bcss/

After the 1745 Jacobite uprising in Scotland, anyonecaught with a set of bagpipes could be executed. TheEnglish regarded them as a weapon of war because

they had the power to stir the soul of a nation. Perhaps noother instrument inspires more contradictory responses thanthe beloved and despised pipes. With a single, forceful vol-ume, the bagpipe demands attention, and for some it is tor-ture and for others they find the traditional pipe music ofScotland close to divine. The pipes are the only instrumentwith its own verb in the English language: only a bagpipecan ‘skirl.’

A bagpipe has four reeds and are very easy to play out oftune. A solo piper with a tin ear can produce a hideous soundthat will raise the dead and make them upset at the same time. A solo piper can tune to himself and the sound can be wellreceived, but when you get two or more pipers together, that'sa different story.

Ironically, the bagpipe, the most Scottish of things, wasimported from elsewhere and is now played everywhere. Theinvention of the bagpipe occurred in the Middle East thou-sands of years ago. A type of bagpipe, with a double reed hasbeen found in the tombs of Egypt. It is believed that theRoman soldiers in the Middle East adopted the bagpipe andexported it throughout the Roman empire. There is a theorythat the pipes probably traveled to Britain during the Romanoccupation of the island which ended in the fifth century. Thebagpipes were played in festivals and with its sweet soundwere suited for dancing. Only in Scotland and Ireland werethe bagpipes considered an instrument of war.

The Great Highland bagpipe uses four sets of reeds, onereed differs from the other three in that it is a doublereed and is in the chanter. Meaning that two pieces of reedmaterial, tied together, vibrate against each other as air passes between the blades. The Chanter is the part of thepipes where the various notes come from. The pipes stand-ing upright are called drones and they give off two tones, onebass and two tinners, and when properly adjusted, give offone steady tone. The chanter has nine notes to be played.With these nine notes there are hundreds of tunes that can beplayed. Every chanter has its own personality and sound.A solo piper can tune to himself and sound good. Two ormore pipers together become a challenge and it takes a verytalented individual to tune them the same.

All the pipers of a pipe band will use the same chanter,reeds and bags and the pipe major will then start to adjustthem, down to the point of putting black tape over a chanterhole to change the note. He also has to take into considera-tion the piper himself. Is he a heavy blower or a wet blowerfor instance. These all affect the reeds. It can take over anhour just to get everyone in tune and then when you set thepipes down for awhile you have to start all over again.

The last pipe band I played with, the pipe major had usplay for half an hour and then tune the pipes, then tune usup again just before we competed and then we played

right up to the time we formed in line. We shut down andthen started up again with the competition set without a breakso we would stay in tune.

BAGPIPES IN OUR HISTORYby Jim McKasson

Jim McKasson isan accomplishedpiper with manyyears experience.You can alwayscount on hearingJim pipe at BCSSevents.