Summer 2014
May 2016
Society Fall Meeting Fall Mee ng 2014—Saturday, October 4 @ 6:00pm
This year we are going to Last name starts with: try something a li le A-F Salad or Appe zer different for our Fall G-M Main Dish—Sugges on is Shepard’s Pie or other Mee ng. We will be Sco sh meal hos ng a pot luck dinner at N-Z Dessert Cel c Corner in the Allegro Dance Studio. It will be a A er we eat, we will have Sco sh trivia and then we will FREE event but your RSVP is clear the tables away and do some Sco sh Country dance requested. We’ll have a prac ce for the St. Andrew’s Ball. split the pot, to raise a bit of money for the Society. Please RSVP by 10/1 as space is limited. Bring your own beverages For more informa on or to RSVP contact Robert Reid at Mmm, Shepard’s Pie, just like and a dish to share [email protected] or 513-444-4920 mum used to make! according to the chart:
In This Issue Corn Roast • Member Kilt Sigh ngs • News from local groups We had another successful • Society Building Fund Corn Roast this year. Fun and Friendship was had by Web Edition all. Plus the weather was pre y much perfect. The Only food and drink was plen ful • Black 47 at Irish Heritage and really good. Center A er a well fought ba le, • Orkney, Scotland A the Society came out History Before Stonehenge victorious in the Tug-o-war. There was a great deal of • St. Andrew, Patron Saint celebra on and toasts to the of Scotland victors before the aching muscles set in! Member Kilt Sightings
Email submissions to [email protected]
Louise and Robert Reid with Brutus Neil and Leanne MacKinnon in Buckeye at the UC v. OSU game September Bridgewater Nova Sco a this summer. 27 spor ng the new OSU Buckeye Tartan Kilt by MacKilts, dress by Veronica available exclusively at Cel c Corner.
Le : James Reilly at the Red’s Game on September 6 for Irish Night
Top: Cincinna Cel c Fes val Opening Ceremonies on September 6. From le Welsh flag bearer, Flu st Lyle Reid, Jack and Robbie Spellman, Robert Reid. Prepara ons for our Cincinna Highland Dance Weekend October 24-26 are now in full swing. We have had a good response from out of town dancers and look forward to great quality compe on and workshop. We have combined efforts with the BATD Great Lakes branch to offer professional development at our event bringing in teachers and judges from throughout the region. The compe on will take place at River Hills Church in Loveland on Saturday, October 25 from 9am-4pm approximately. We encourage you to stop in and support local dancers and the Sco sh Arts in Cincinna . The is a small admission fee of $4 for ages 13 & over, 12 & under are free. The church is located at 6300 Price Beth & Lauren Ballard danced Road, Loveland, OH 45140. For more informa on on our group or upcoming events at the Cincinnati Celtic Festival visit CincyHighlandDancers.webs.com, email us at [email protected] opening ceremonies on Sept. 6. or phone Louise Reid at 513-226-1838.
On A Different Note How did you hear about the band? The pipe band recently purchased a Bree: at the Ohio Renaissance Fes val vehicle to use for out-of-town gigs. Chris: I googled “Cincinna bagpipes” and the Caledonian site We’ve been traveling long distances came up first. I was sold on the free lessons. for several gigs over the past few Rick: from Robert Reid years as well as our usual compe ons like Smoky Mountain When did you start a ending prac ces regularly? Games in Tennessee. Rick Rust, a piper Bree: Nov. 2012 in the band, (see below) used his know Chris: started prac ce chanter lessons in Jan. 2013, band rehearsal -how to track down a 28 seat Chevy on full pipes Nov. or Dec. 2013 Van previously used by the Salva on Rick: I had been in private lessons with Robert, he insisted Army. He and his wife Glenna, a snare drummer in the band, drove a ending prac ce would be good for me. to Toledo to pick it up. We are in the process of ge ng it updated with our name and logo. Did you have previous experience playing any music, if so what? Bree: choir, orchestra – violin, marching band/concert band - To help everyone get to know some of our newer band members, percussion we will highlight 3 people recently added as full members to the Chris: lots over the years, jazz band, steel drum band, theater pit band. A full member has played a few gigs a er learning a orchestra, brass choir minimum number of sets to the sa sfac on of the pipe major, Ari Rick: Nope, in fact, my middle school band teacher said that is Ballaban. We asked the same ques ons to Rick Rust, Bree McLaren “just wasn’t in the cards for me to play music”. In his defense, I and Chris Ingram, all pipers. WAS a difficult child. LOL.
What do you do outside of band? Bree: currently in school (college) Chris: ballroom dancing, fencing, tae kwon do, day job is an industrial programmer Rick: I’m a jack of all trades and master of a few ;-) Machinist, Welder, Custom Fabricator, Notary Public, Forkli Operator, Automo ve Technician, Gym Rat, Outdoor Survivalist, Ar st, Marathon runner, I have Nunchaku skills! Overall, I am an avid do-it-yourselfer. I enjoy science in the way of space explora on and the
Con nued on page 4 Upcoming Events Contact Us October 4 * Fall Mee ng—Potluck at Cel c Corner October 11-12 CCP&D performs at Ohio Renaissance Fes val Pre sident: Robert G. Collins, Jr. October 25 CHD Highland Dance Compe on—River Hills Church 513-863-1226 [email protected] October 25 CCP&D concert at Miami University Vice President: November 29 * St. Andrew’s Night—Maketewah C.C. Robert C. Reid 513-444-4920 Early Jan * Annual Mee ng [email protected]
January 31 * Burns Night—Recep ons in Loveland Secretary: Mike Brooks * Indicated Society sponsored event 513-739-3326 [email protected] Your Caledonian Resource Guide Treasurer: Pipe Bands Highland Dancing and Instruc on Daniel C. Bowen Caledonian Pipes & Drums: CHD: Louise Reid 513-528-5578 513-751-8426 Ari Ballaban [email protected] CincyHighlandDancers.webs.com [email protected] www.cccpandd.com [email protected] H. C. Sheriff: Gaelic Gaze e Newsle er: Stephen Wa 946-2296 CSHD: Melissa Gentry 859-356-5889 Louise Reid Emerald Society: [email protected] 513-226-1838 Kyle Hess 616-7518 [email protected] Solo Pipers: Contact any pipe band Radio Programs of Cel c Music Country Dancing (RSCDS) Wed: WOBO* (88.7 FM) 12 - 3 p.m. 724-3939 Webmaster: Cincinna Branch: Hosted by Jesse Andrews Randy Clipson Jill Cole 631-2429 Sun: WNKU (89.7 FM), 4 - 6 p.m. 859-572-6500 513-898-1444 Hosted by Cathy Costello Flying Ghilles: [email protected] Doreen Bernstein 937-845-0310 Sun: WOBO* (88.7 FM), 6 - 9 p.m. 724-3939 Heather & Thistle: Laura Russell 614-447-0620 Hosted by J. D. McEwans—Cel c Fusion *Can’t get WOBO? Go to WWW.WOBOFM.Com and stream to your PC CaledonianSociety.org www.rscdscincinna .org Non-RSCDS: John Southcombe 872-2222
“On a Different Note” study of our existence and family/clan yet. Con nued from page 3 the universe/ or possible Rick: yes, on my mothers side Williamson, Mcglasson, Gunn and on mul verse… Most important my fathers side, Rust and McPherson to me, I enjoy hangin with good company making good memories and sharing some laughs. What kind of bagpipes do you use? Bree: currently using Kintails, previously used a loaner set from the What do you like about the band? Caledonian Society Bree: The opportunity to play in a group again and travel to various Chris: McCallum pipes fes vals and events. Rick: two sets of McCallum GHB, a blackwood set with engravings Chris: I was out of music for a while but am excited to learn a new and Black plas c set. As a Mechanist, I’m very impressed with their instrument and be in a band again. CCP&D is a great group of factory design, technique, and way of doing business. people. Rick: I like the dedica on of its members. I like and enjoy the Be sure to welcome these new members if you see them out at a tradi ons of the band. My favorite gig would be the Ren Fest and gig. Mark your calendar for Saturday, April 11, 2015 for our annual St. Andrews Night. I like welcoming and working with new ceilidh. We have moved the loca on to "The Center" just east of students. I believe strongly that any individual that has the desire Fountain Square in downtown Cincinna . The space is in the to learn bagpipes should have the best opportunity and Mercan le Building, where the Contemporary Arts Center was environment to learn. Ask not what your Pipe Band can do for you, previously located. A reviewer of this loca on wrote "there is but what can you do for your Pipe Band. hands down no other venue comparable to the uniqueness of The Center. It's blank canvas allows for ul mate crea ve flexibility". The Do you have Sco sh or Cel c heritage? If so what family names/ main room offers a rac ve views of Cincinna . The high ceilings, clans? dis nct architecture and expansive space will allow for more Bree: on my dad’s side - MacLaren comfortable sea ng and elbow room. Look for more info soon at Chris: Scotch-Irish from eastern PA, but haven’t tracked down a our website, www.CincyPipesandDrums.org or our facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/Caledonians . Building Fund
We had recently published an ar cle about the future of Submi ed by Arch O the Society Building fund. We did get a response from In the last (Summer) Gaze e, V.P Robert Reid (referring to long me member Arch O asking for a vote to dispose of the Society's Building Fund) requested input about how to this fund. As this request has been put in mo on we will "move forward acquiring a building for us and other Cel c bring this up for vote at the annual mee ng in Jan 2015. organiza ons to use for events". Whereas the board in unanimous in their decision to support the Building Fund with the long term goal of one That is not and will never be possible and here's why: day being able to have a building of our own, we will post Arch’s le er and bring the subject up for vote and Fist, 30+ years ago the Building Fund was created and discussion. approved by the Membership to be used exclusively for The reason the board supports maintaining the building purchase or building a home for the Society and can be fund is as follows: used for no other purpose. At this me the society is not in need of the money • Next, no considera on was ever given to the enormity that is currently in the building fund. of the cost of ownership: mortgage, electric, water, hea ng • Without the fund in place, there is no chance of ever and cooling payments every month ! Property ge ng a building. taxes, cleaning, mowing, maintenance (inside and out). • With our 501c3 status in process, this will open new Who would manage all that? You? Doable? op ons for dona ons. • There are other cultural groups in Cincinna that Now consider the building 's use by the Society itself. We maintain a building, so it is something that has been obviously would not hold our three major events there done and can be done. As far as how it is maintained (Burns', St. Andrews and the Corn Roast), so in actual or how it is used, is something we’d have to look at prac ce we would only use it for Annual Spring and Fall once the possibility comes up and should not be a member mee ngs. Cost effec ve for only three mee ngs? reason to shy away from the poten al benefits of a building to the Society and Sco sh culture in Finally, to also accommodate other Cel c organiza ons Cincinna . (bands and/or dancers), the building would have to be much larger - and more expensive - than the Society needs Sec on 7 - Real Estate for its 3 mee ng and would definitely require staff and Should it be deemed expedient and feasible by the Society, maintenance. Would they be willing to pay for use and what at any me, to have all or part of its funds invested in real would we charge? Ren ng for public use would require a property and a favorable opportunity occurs of doing so, it full me manager. Cost effec ve? shall be the duty of the Board of Trustees previous to the Society’s coming to a final determina on, to lay before the For the good of the Society, V.P. Reid's ques on should be Society at their next mee ng, whether adjourned, special brought to the next mee ng of the membership. NOT the or quarterly, for their considera on, a wri en report, Board, as a quorum of 20 members is required to do sta ng the advantages and disadvantages which, in their anything useful with the Building Fund* other than opinion, would accrue to the Society by making such purchase a building. Clearly impossible with $20,000(?) on purchase. If, a er due delibera on and discussion by the hand. A er 30+ years. Members present at said mee ng, a majority concurs that the purchase should take place, the President and I would move to terminate the Building Fund and donate Treasurer are hereby empowered to make the purchase the proceeds to Scholarship Fund, preferably, or any other and take a deed in the corporate name of the Society. use of benefit to the whole Society, Aye,
Newsle er Submissions: Charles A. O , P.P. If you have any interes ng news or Note: Policies.2 - wri en in 1997 - may apply but morally, stories to share with the membership, given its significance, the Fund cannot be changed or spent please submit ar cles and photographs for any other use than specified without a majority vote at a mee ng of the members of a quorum of at least 20 to [email protected] members as defined by the Code of Regula ons. 188188188 ththth St. Andrew’s Ball Saturday, November 29 Maketewah Country Club
Cocktail Hour 5:00pm Dinner 6:00pm Black Tie Highland Formal Military Dress Uniform Big Band Ballroom and Scottish Country Dancing Pipes, Drums & Highland Dance More Event Information: Jessie Andrews: Email [email protected] Phone 513-574-2969
6 Black 47 at Irish Heritage Center
Black 47 will be performing at IHC on Thursday October 9 at 7:00 P.M. as part of their "Farewell Tour." As you may know, the band has decided to disband in November 2014. We are extremely fortunate to be included in their farewell tour. Don’t miss your opportunity to see this legendary band!
Tickets on sale now; $22.50 members prepaid, $25 non-members prepaid, & $28 day of the show. (A $2-$3 / ticket charge is added for credit card purchase.) Tickets at www.cincyticket.com Or book at the IHC 513-533-0100.
More information: http://www.irishcenterofcincinnati.com/
A Highland B & B Secret
Carole and Michael Gunn
During past travels around the Gaelic areas of Scotland, Ireland and Wales we learned of a tasty addi on to the sumptuous breakfast fare offered in some of the most pleasant and successful Bed and Breakfast establishments throughout the isles. The secret is how they serve their porridge.
They (in the isles )never use the “instant” variety of oatmeal, but the steel cut oats and s r with a wooden spoon, or if you must, the Quaker cook for 1 minute style comes close to the legi mate porridge consistency and flavor. Upon comple on of cooking the oatmeal a proper serving por on is placed into a ceramic bowl, where the magic occurs. A shot of Drumgray Highland Cream (or Baileys will do in a pinch) is added and s rred into the oatmeal crea ng a most delectable porridge. One may complete this sumptuous course by adding honey, or fruit, or brown sugar, or some cream, or a proper scone, or just a spoon to enjoy this most wonderful morning secret. On the other hand make it and serve it to somebody you care about right here in Cincinna , then imagine you are breathing that brisk clean air of Scotland.
7 Orkney, Scotland A History Before Stonehenge
agriculture and farming, but for a few sheep. That is definitely not Orkney! The land is a blanket of a half meter of black loamy top soil suppor ng very healthy looking crops of several different grains, The name Gunn originated from a Norse personal name most already well into their "Gunni" (which means "war"). The first Gunni came to Caithness second harvest in mid-June. The at the end of the 12th century when his wife inherited land there climate is obviously enhanced by a from her brother who was Jarl (Earl) of Orkney. Gunni's wife was warm moist flow from the Gulf descended from St Ragnvald who founded the St Magnus Stream, a northern Eden. An archaeologist concept of Cathedral in Kirkwall. Gunni's Viking grandfather had been killed the Ness of Brodgar in 1171 on a raid on Dublin. Orkney, Shetland and Shetland were Some disappointment was s ll part of Norway at this me. 1 Smibert however states that experienced in the Ness of Brodgar s ll under its protec ve the Gunns were of Gaelic origin. 2 covers, the archaeological digs not to re-start un l July 20 th , we were two weeks early, who knew! Well now you’ll need an Hence, when we (Carole and Michael Gunn with grandson explana on as to what I’m talking about and why seeing it is so Trevor) planned a recent trip to the Sco sh isles and Orkney important. Although the Orkney Isles are sprinkled with the was a must see on remains of Neolithic se lements, tombs and Ceremonial the trip in the grounds, nothing else in Britain compares to this ritualis c early summer of landscape. Discovered in 2002 when a geophysical survey 2014. In a rental revealed the presence of large man made oddi es beneath the car from Glascow, soil on a narrow strip of land between the Loch of Stenness and we took the ferry the Loch of Harray. With only 10% having been inves gated from Scrabster, according to Nick Card excava on Director, this site has given up which is very near 650 pieces of Neolithic art: unbelievable colored po ery, Thurso, Scotland. polished stone axes, flint knives, a human figure, ceremonial In less than 2 mace heads, the largest collec on ever found in Britain. This hours we were complex is now believed to be the epicenter of what was once a Stromness, Orkney docking at vast ritualis c landscape. One long-ago day around 3200 B.C., Stromness, Orkney and heading for our B&B. It turned out to be the farmers and herdsmen on Scotland’s remote Orkney Islands a good plan because of the excellent advice got from our hostess decided to build about an order of sites to visit, which made the most of our me something big, a there. truly amazing display of planning Since reserva ons are required to see the inside of Maes Howe and cra smanship that was our first stop, which gave us a 2:00PM me to meet the which has a guide and our group. We decided to go North to see Skara Brae thousand year and Birsay first. During that drive we were very surprised by the history of Sco sh condi ons of the land on these islands. Having visited a few of history beginning the other Sco sh isles, like Lewis and Harris, the expecta on in the Neolithic were of treeless terrain covered by rocks and nearly devoid of age. However, as wonderful as is the An archaeologists concept of the inside of the 1 Clan Gunn Profile scotclans.com. Retrieved 22 January 2014. Ness of Brodgar by itself, it is Ness of Brodgar 2 Smibert, Thomas. (MDCCCL). (1850). The Clans of the Highlands connected to Maes of Scotland, being an Account of their Annals, Separately & Collec- tively, with Delineations of their Tartans, and Family Arms . pp. 170 - Howe, the Stones of Stenness, and the Ring of Brodgar which we 171. were able to visit and learn from. As I was wri ng this my August, 2014 copy of Na onal Geographic arrived and their 8 debated, especially between historians, linguists and archaeologists.
Brough of Birsay (Byrgisey) Meaning of this Viking name = fort island; here is the remains of Pic sh and Norse se lements as Birsay Norse Village Remains, protected by a Carole & Trevor explore the Village well as a walkway only passable at low de. modern light coverage of “the Dig” is far be er than anything could do. house on a “small dal island” located at the northwest corner of Orkney. The earliest se lement on the island is Maes Howe also aligns with the central axis of the ring and thought to have been in the 6th century, perhaps by Chris an entrance to the newly discovered temple on the Ness, missionaries. In the 7th and 8th centuries it was a significant something archaeologists believe is no coincidence. They Pic sh fortress, but by the 9th century the Picts had been suspect that the freshly uncovered ruins may be a key piece displaced by Norsemen. The Pic sh se lement is a ested by to a larger puzzle no one dreamed existed. a small well and an important collec on of artefacts, notable among these are a group of molds for fine metalworking, Another well-preserved Neolithic site is also on the West showing that bronze brooches and other ornaments were Mainland of Orkney to the North, Skara Brae, which emerged being manufactured on the site in the eighth century. Also virtually intact out of the sand dunes during a fierce Atlan c discovered is a seal’s tooth containing a Norse Runic gale in the 1850’s. The streets of the village are narrow stone inscrip on. The enclosure round the Norse church overlies a passageways, leading to houses elegantly furnished in stone. Pic sh graveyard, and an important Pic sh carved stone was There are nine houses here and all are good examples of the found in pieces in this enclosure during site clearance. stone architecture of their age. Most have beds built in to the core of the walls, which surround a central hearth. Around The Broch of Gurness an Iron the sides are boxes and dressers built of stone. They found Age broch village on the the remains of some women buried beneath the floors, northwest coast of Mainland showing Orkney in Scotland some possible overlooking Eynhallow Sound, religious about 15 miles north-west of func ons of Kirkwall. It once housed a the substan al community. It was structures. discovered under a huge sand dune when an ar st poked a Also inside the houses at Skara Brae was much A House at Skara Brae evidence of chert, a flint- like material used to make prehistoric tools and containers. In the Broch of Gurness Other objects of beau fully carved stone were discovered which are unique and may have been used in religious hole in the top of one of the ceremonies. stone structures while trying to level his easel. Looking into the Orkney, perhaps the first place to be colonized by the Vikings, hole revealed a larger structure is an ideal place to search. The original people who were when a light was lowered in living in Orkney at the start of the Viking Age were Cel c- through the top. Se lement speakers. They were known as Picts, and inhabited part of the here began some me between Norse woman's burial at Kingdom of the Picts which made up most of mainland 500 and 200 BC. At the center of Scotland. The ques on of what happened to them is s ll hotly Broch of Gurness the se lement is a stone tower 9 or broch, which once probably reached a height of around 10 and archaeologist Caz Mamwell says that the Ministry of meters. Its interior is divided into sec ons by upright slabs. Defense used to teach soldiers how to drive tanks here. “Why The tower features two skins of dry-stone walls, with stone- build a ditch when you have a ready-made Neolithic henge to floored galleries in between. These are accessed by steps. use for training?” Easily the most awe-inspiring prehistoric Stone ledges suggest that there was once an upper storey site in Scotland, the Ring of Brodgar (also known as Brogar) with a mber floor. The roof would have been thatched, lies on a promontory between two lochs. The stone circle is surrounded by a wall walk linked by stairs to the ground floor. quite complete, and one of the biggest in Britain. The stones The broch features two hearths and a subterranean stone are set within a circular ditch up to 3m deep and 9m across cistern with steps leading down into it. that was hewn out of the solid bedrock by the prehistoric constructors. The tallest stones stand at the south and west Pieces of a Roman amphora da ng to before 60 AD were of the ring. found here, lending weight to the record that a "King of Orkney" submi ed to Emperor Claudius at Colchester in 43 An astronomical 3 AD. At some point a er 100 AD the broch was abandoned observatory? A ceremonial and the ditches filled in. It is thought that se lement at the center? A religious shrine? broch con nued into the 5th century AD, the period known The truth is, we don't know. as Pic sh mes. By that me the broch was not used It seems very likely that anymore and some of its stones were reused to build smaller circles like this played a role dwellings on top of the earlier buildings. Un l about the 8th as a form of calendar. The century, the site was just a single farmstead. passage of the seasons was important to Neolithic In the 9th century, a Norse woman was buried at the site in a people, who se lives were so stone-lined grave with two bronze brooches and a sickle and closely ed to the weather knife made from iron. 4 Other finds suggest that Viking men and the seasons. It was were buried here too. The broch is in the care of Historic important to them to keep Scotland. This is a very interes ng place to see ancient Pict track of the seasons. At its and Viking history. most basic this meant knowing when winter had Stones of Stenness Then it was on to passed its worst and the the road around promise of Spring growth was just ahead. By aligning the Loch of Stenness stones with specific stars, or the sun, at various mes of the to see first the year, they could keep track of the passage of me. The Stones of surrounding area is full of other standing stones and Bronze Stenness, which Age round barrows, making a significant ritual landscape. are 5000 years Nearby are the Stones of Stenness. old and may have even been Weave your way through grazing sheep to find the four a model for stones le standing at Stenness. A local farmer tried to blow Stonehenge, up all the stones in 1814 because he was fed up with people then the Ring of The Ring of Broadgar tramping across his land. He toppled the famous Stone of Broadgar. Odin first – lovers would clasp hands through the hole in the This stone circle has the wow factor. 104 meters (340 ) in giant megalith and swear everlas ng love. He drilled holes in diameter, it’s one of the largest ceremonial stone circles in it and filled them with gunpowder. However, by me he got Bri an. The ring is composed of an outer ditch, or henge, 340 to the second stone a rider had galloped into town to fetch feet across, and measuring 3 meters deep and 5 meters wide, the sheriff. with access causeways in the south-west and north-east of the henge. Within the henge enclosure is a circle of standing Just down the road was Maeshowe (or Maes Howe) a stones. Although it’s thought that there were 60 stones Neolithic chambered cairn and passage grave situated on originally, now there are just 27. The Ring was begun around Mainland, Orkney, Scotland. It was probably built in around the year 2500 BCE. 5 There has never been a true excava on 2800 BC. It gives its name to the Maeshowe type of of the en re site, so we're a bit vague on dates. A local Guide chambered cairn, which is limited to Orkney. Maeshowe is a
3 Moffat, Alistair (2005) Before Scotland: The Story of 4 Wickham-Jones, Caroline (2012). Monuments of Orkney. Scotland Before History. London. Thames & Hudson. Historic Scotland. ISBN 978-1-84917-073-4. p. 173-4 5 The Heritage of the Orkney Islands.
10 significant example of Neolithic cra smanship and is, in the runic inscrip ons on the walls of the chamber represent the words of the archaeologist Stuart Piggo , "a superla ve largest single collec on of such carvings in the world. monument that by its originality of execu on is li ed out of its class into a Excava ons have revealed that the unique posi on." Maeshowe appears external wall surrounding the ditch was as a grassy mound rising from a flat rebuilt in the 9th century. Some plain near the south-east end of the archeologists see this as evidence that Loch of Harray. the tomb may have been reused by the Norse people and that they were the The entrance passage is only about 3 source of the "treasure" found by the feet (0.91 m) high, 36 feet (11 m) long later looters. 8 It was broken into in the and leads to the central almost square chamber measuring mid-twel h century by Viking crusaders who carved graffi 6 about 15 feet (4.6 m) on each side, requiring visitors to stoop runes on the walls of the main chamber. Maes Howe is also or crawl into the central chamber. That chamber is constructed famous for its graffi . In the 12th century, a Norse or Viking largely of flat slabs of stone, many of which traverse nearly the raider cut runes into the stone walls of the monument. (The en re length of the walls. In each corner lie huge angled tombs were already 4000 years old by AD 1200.) One carving bu resses that rise to the vaul ng. At a height of about 3 feet tells us that ‘Helgi was here’. Another tells us that pilgrims on (0.91 m), the wall's construc on changes from the use of flat to their way from Norway to Jerusalem broke into the tomb. overlapping slabs crea ng a beehive-shaped vault. Da ng of the construc on of Maeshowe is difficult but dates derived We ended the day at from burials in similar tombs cluster around 3000 BC. the Stromnness Hotel enjoying a fine meal As described in the Orkneyinga Saga, Maeshowe was looted by and talking about how the famous Vikings Earl Harald Maddadarson and Ragnvald, wonderful was the 7 Earl of Møre in about the 12th century. The more than thirty experience to visit such a remarkable 6 Childe 1952, pp.18-19 abundance of ancient 7 "Maeshowe's runes - Viking graffi " Orkneyjar. Retrieved history of our Pict/ 30 October 2008. Viking/Sco sh Maeshowe Neolithic Tomb 8 Wickham-Jones, Caroline (2012). Monuments of Orkney. ancestry. Orkney Historic Scotland. ISBN 978-1-84917-073-4. comes most highly recommended by the Gunn Family.
Saint Andrew: Patron Saint of Scotland Com- piled by Elizabeth Mckaskle
Saint Andrew is the Patron Saint of Scotland, and St. Andrew's Day is celebrated by Scots around the world on the 30th November. The flag of Scotland is the Cross of St. Andrew, and this is widely displayed as a symbol of na onal iden ty.
The "Order of Saint Andrew" or the "Most Ancient Order of the Thistle" is an order of Knighthood which is restricted to the King or Queen and sixteen others. It was estab- lished by James VII of Scotland in 1687.
A disciple of Jesus and the brother of Simon Peter . The two are pictured as fishermen working beside the sea when Jesus summons them to follow him and become, "fishers of men." Although less prominent than his brother, Andrew is present at the miracle of the bread and the speech on the Mount of Olives. In the list of the Twelve, Andrew is listed second in Luke and Ma hew and fourth in the books of Mark and Acts. In all ac 11 “”St. Andrew” Con nued from page 11 counts he was at St. Andrews at that me, either founded by St. Rule in the 6th one of the first, as a follower of John the Bap sts, to be "called" a century or by a Pic sh King, Ungus, who reigned from 731 - 761. disciple. Whichever tale is true, the relics were placed in a specially con- structed chapel. This chapel was replaced by the Cathedral of St. According to later tradi ons , Andrew became a missionary to Asia Andrews in 1160, and St. Andrews became the religious capital of Minor, Macedonia, and southern Scotland and a great center for Russia. In 70 AD he was martyred in Medieval pilgrims who came to Patras, Greece. Having many cov- view the relics. erts, he was feared by the Roman governor who had him cruxified on There are other legends of how an X-shaped cross known as a Sal re St. Andrew and his remains be- Cross. (One of the many Medievil came associated with Scot- customs of torture). It is this shape land,but there is li le evidence that is reflected in the Sco sh for any of these, including the flag. ( for culture buffs who a ribute legend of St. Rule. The names s ll the southern "bubba or redneck" exist in Scotland today, including culture to early Sco sh se lers, St. Rules Tower, which remains take note of the similiar designs between the Sco sh flag and the today amongst the ruins of St. Andrews Cathedral. It is not known Confederate flag). what happened to the relics of St. Andrew which were stored in St. Andrews Cathedral, although it is most likely that these were de- He was the patron saint of Greece, Russua and Of course Scot- stroyed during the Sco sh Reforma on. land. St. Andrew is also invoked against gout and a s ff neck. The Protestant cause, propounded by Knox, St. Andrews bones were entombed, and Wishart and others, won out over Roman around 300 years later were moved by Catholism during the Reforma on and the Emperor Constan ne (the Great) to his "idolatry of catholism", that is the Saints, relics, new capital Constan nople. Legend sug- decora on of churches, were expunged during gests that a Greek Monk (although others the process of conver ng the Roman Catholic describe him as an Irish assistant of St. churches of Scotland to the harsh simplicity of Columba) called St. Rule (or St. Regulus) Knox's brand of Calvanism. was warned in a dream that St. Andrews remains were to be moved and was di- The place where these relics were kept within rected by an angel to take those of the the Cathedral at St. Andrews is now marked by a remains which he could to the "ends of the plaque, amongst the ruins, for visitors to see. earth" for safe-keeping. St. Rule du fully followed these direc ons, removing a The larger part of St. Andrew's remains were tooth, an arm bone, a kneecap and some stolen from Constan nople in 1210 and are now fingers from St. Andrew's tomb and trans- to be found in Amalfi in Southern Italy. In 1879 por ng these as far away as he could. That the Archbishop of Amalfi sent a small piece of place was Scotland and it is here the asso- the Saint's shoulder blade to the re-established cia on is believed to have begun. It was Roman Catholic community in Scotland. During The Gates of Holyrood Palace in here that St. Rule was shipwrecked with his visit in 1969, Pope Paul VI gave further relics Edinburgh bear the Cross of St. his precious cargo. of St. Andrew to Scotland with the words "Saint Andrew. Peter gives you his brother" and these are now St. Rule is said to have come ashore at a displayed in a reliquary in St. Mary's Roman Pic sh se lement on the East Coast of Scotland and this later be- Catholic Cathedral in Edinburgh. came St. Andrews. Compiled by Elizabeth Mckaskle from the following sources: Another story is that Acca, the Bishop of Hexham, who was a re- Gateway to Scotland WP known collector of relics, brought the relics of St. Andrew to St. An- The Oxford Companion Bible drews12 in 733. There certainly seems to have been a religious center The Dic onary of Chris an Art