Scotland: The land of stone lifting and burly men in kilts.

Scotland, the land of mountain wildernesses, the thistle, and stone lifting to prove one's manhood. When one of co-workers wheeled himself over to my desk to tell me about Scotland's ancient ritual for men to prove their manhood, I was enthralled. Visions of burly bearded men in kilts danced through my head.

 The stone put is called heavy athletics in the modern day Highland games.  A stone that weighs approximately 20-30 pounds is firmly held with one hand as it rests on the neck of the man before it is flung into the air with amazing agility.  It is said that a clean hand and a dirty neck is the perfect combination for success in this event. 

Stone lifting has been going on in the British Isles, especially Scotland, for a very long time. You were not considered a man until you could life a Manhood Stone to your waist or on top of a stone wall.  The Dinnie Stones are two stones  with metal handles that are lifted simultaneously weighing approximately 734 pounds.  Doing this is not for the faint of heart.  The documentary below is from Rogue and the cinematography is wonderful. Watching this made me want to go to Scotland and witness this manly sporting event.  

In the land of Renaissance

We arrived early in this land.  A Kingdom filled with Knights, Knaves, and Knickers. "It is our first time here," I said to the gate keeper as we passed through. "Find Mother Superior, she will acquaint you with our ways." the gate keeper replied.  Diligently, we searched for the mysterious Mother.  Once we found her, I shared with her that it was our first time in this distant land. She smiled with the nuance of a child but the heart of something sinister got hold of her. The impish nun took my hand and plunged it into the air like a rocket, then shouted, "Virgin"  in her loudest voice. All of the people in the shire turned around and gazed at me. At my age nothing is sacred, I smiled at my onlookers and then threw my head back and laughed heartily. She drew me to her chest and blew a kiss into my cheek, the kind of kiss you give a baby on its belly, loud and full of air. What mysterious ways these people have, I thought. My friend was next. The length of her shorts was measured with a ruler, a woman coming out in public nearly naked is shameful, and then the nun hit her own arm with the stick coaching my friend to cry out in pain, which she did after a couple of weak attempts at trying to sound authentic. Slowly we backed away and ventured to the end of the lane where we met some other characters.

We came upon a troupe of actors or pyromaniacs as we later discovered. More than one item was set on fire during their performance with amazing feats of juggling, 

 and they talked to chickens. 

We laughed until the tears swelled in our eyes and began to spill over their brims. 

If your honor needed fighting for, there were two men willing to do it. An Englishman, and a ginger-haired Scotsman stepped onto the scene. We met them in the lane as they were trying to convince passersby that they were willing to defend their honor. The above gentleman was willing to escort me to the place they were to "fight" and offered his arm for me to hold. I was thrilled. 

The show began. We watched as they paraded around the stage acting out in their maleness. Swords were clanging as metal touched metal. Before long his kilt was creeping upward as the Scotsman raised his leg a bit too high and we witnessed the unmentionable. In a panic, the Scotsman began admonishing the photographers not to capture the image we just beheld. 

Abruptly the fighting came to a halt. "Do you think that my bum is cute?" The Englishman demanded. Then turned around for all of us to gaze at his backside. I think that he had his priorities wrong. What about honor? Not bums. When the show was over I felt sad because we had been thoroughly entertained and I wanted to watch it again. 

Jousting and music was there as well. But the memories of laughter will stay with me the longest. We were embarrassed, we laughed and want to go back again. It was a day I didn't want to ever end. 

What it really means to be a redneck

Today, I learned something new while hanging out with the DAR ladies.  And you thought that they were stuffy old white women...but I learned the origin of the term redneck. I always thought that it meant that those men who worked out in the fields for so long that they had a permanent red neck.  It didn't come from where you think it did. 

Jeff Foxworthy has coined the phrase, "You know you're a redneck if..." and then you fill in the blank. When one thinks about a redneck you imagine an uneducated southerner riding around in a truck with the rebel flag in the back window who is rough and rowdy.

The term redneck, however, goes much deeper than America's Southern roots and across the pond. The term didn't originate in the South like many believe. It all started in Scotland. In the early 1600's Scotland was divided by the Highlands and the Lowlands. The Lowland Scots were primarily Presbyterian and the Highlanders were Catholic. King Charles I was determined to bring all of the churches in Scotland and England under his rule and there be one religion, the Church of England. His decree required all Scots to sign a covenant pledging to the state religion. Of course, many refused and were basically signing their death warrant. The "rebels" were made examples of with public hangings. The dissenters were labeled "Covenanters" and the true ones signed in their own blood, and wore blood-red pieces of cloth around their necks as a distinctive insignia. Thus redneck was a name bestowed upon the Presbyterians and their descendants. Many of the non-signers fled Scotland for Ulster, Ireland and eventually to America. 

So, whenever you hear the word redneck think again about the origin and what the Scots went through to be called a name that we have used in a derogatory connotation. I am proud to be a redneck because I am Southern and have roots across the pond too! Click on the link above (redneck in red) and watch an episode of the program called Americas Secret Slang. It was very interesting. 

Source: Our Redneck Roots by Donald D. Erwin
Painting by Joseph Mason Reeves

Falkirk Wheel in Scotland: The Canal Connector

The picture came from here

There is an amazing rotating boat lift in Scotland which is the only one of its kind in the world.  It is called The Falkirk Wheel. It was designed to reconnect the Fourth and Clyde (both canals built in 1777) canals with the Union canal (complete in 1822).  When they were completely done there was a difference of 79 feet in elevation between them.  Something needed to be done to correct the problem. The planners wanted to design a unique boat lift that would connect the canals going east and west so that they could reach Glasgow with greater ease.  

It has two arms that has a tub which fills with water. The tubs are filled accorcding to the Archimedes' Law. That means the tubs are balanced.  Boats enter the tub and then the rotation begins. The rotation takes about 15 minutes to complete. Imagine all the planning that it took to put this kind of wheel together.  I found a video on Youtube that I thought would help give a visual for it. 

What a great way to see Scotland! Anyone up to a boat ride?

Scottish Paisley Shawls

Picture from Pinterest
 

Just recently, I discovered the Paisley Shawl from Paisley, Strathclyde County, Scotland while watching an episode of  Who do you think  are. They were copied from the Kashmir by the Scottish weavers which was famous all over Asia. The original Kashmir shawl might take three people up to a year to make and therefore was very costly.  Beginning in 1800, the production of the famous shawls lasted for about 70 years and then the company went out of business.  The shawls were mass produced, which was then affordable to those who couldn't pay the high price of the original. 

Picture from Pinterest

"On her first trip to Scotland, Queen Victoria wore one of these handsome paisley shawls -- an act of royal courtesy, but one which enhanced the British textile trade and the wearing of paisley shawls. It has been told that the Scottish shawl gave a husband, badgered by his wife for an Indian cashmere one, the opportunity to say, "The paisley shawl is good enough for Queen Victoria. Certainly it is good enough for you."

Picture from Pinterest

In the early 1900's, the shawls became decorative pieces for pianos, table tops, vests, skirts, handbags, pillows, or wall hangings.  I have always loved the pattern and have several garments with the Kashmir or Paisley pattern on them.  But my favorite is a shawl that I have had for a long time made of light wool with red, green, blue, and black in the pattern.  You wouldn't think that it would keep you warm since it is so light, but amazingly it does.

Picture from Pinterest

As I began to search the internet I found lots of garments with the beautiful Paisley pattern.  Would you ever consider wearing something that isn't really "in" style at the time but you like it well enough to not care what others are wearing? I really like the coat above and wouldn't hesitate wearing it.  I don't know about you, but I think that clothing from the early 1900's was very classy and elegant.


Sources: The Paisley Shawl written by Edward Harrison and
 the Christian Science Monitor:
Antique Paisley Shawls can adorn a wall, complement country clothes.