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NEWSLETTER OF THE SCOTTISH SOCIETY OF TIDEWATER The Thistledown Volume 16, Issue 5 November-December 2000
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| President’s Message | ||||
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After a relaxing summer hiatus, we are now in full swing with fall activities. It was great to see everyone who turned out for the picnic, especially Bill and Billie Austin. And thank you very much, the weather this year was beautiful.
We can’t say that the weather was beautiful for the Williamsburg Festival, but those of us who braved the rain had fun anyway. I did see a few very muddy Boy Scout volunteers, who I’m sure were hosed down by their mothers when they arrived home. Start thinking about the silent auction that we will hold again this year at our December social. Items should have some Scottish connection, if possible. Remember to include a sign up sheet with your item, giving the minimum bid price and what the item is. For example, Thistle vase $5.00. Evalynn Bolles will be co-ordinating this year. Also, we’ve formed a committee to start planning for Tartan Day 2001. If you would like to serve on this committee let me know.
Your aye,
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| Picnic Kicks off Fall Season | ||||
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A break in the festivities for serious eating!
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| In The Past...December 1979 | ||||
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The Thistledown was edited by Derek M. Farmer with Mike & Marie Falconer as compiling editors. Officers were William Alvey, President; James McCaig, Vice President; Lewis Hastie, Treasurer; and Henning Leth, Secretary. Members at large were Geraldine McDowell (Hospitality), Derek M. Farmer (News Editor), Kay Carter (Membership), James Allen (Board Chair), Eleanor Unger (Programs), William Galloway (Ways and Means), and Beth Hudson (Telephone Committee). The calendar included a children’s party at the Unger’s on December 16, a Christmas Party in Gloucester on December 17th, plus an announcement for a February Ceilidh at the Lion Rampant Pub. A Burns Night Supper was announced for Saturday January 26th at the Commissioned Officer’s Open Mess at Little Creek. The cost was $12.50 per person including cocktails ($1.00 a drink), supper, immortal memory and entertainment, and dancing to John Turner’s Fiddle Tree Dance Band.” Diners enjoyed scotch broth, scones, chicken, tatties, peas & mushrooms, coffee & the traditional toasts. The roster of members listed 61 individuals or couples, 8 of whom are still members, 21 years later in 2000!
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| Flowers of the Forest | ||||
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Ginnie Gregory |
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| Member News | ||||
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| Myths and Legends | ||||
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The Galleon Disaster The Florencia, a ship of the Spanish Armada, was reported to have been destroyed in Tobermory Bay. There are various legends as to how the tragedy occurred, and one of them starts with a dream. Viola, daughter of the King of Spain, dreamt of a man from far off Mull, and sailed to the island to meet her dream lover. She recognized him at once as MacLean, Chief of the Clan Duart. Unfortunately, MacLean already had a wife—and she was extremely jealous. As soon as she realized Viola’s intentions, she ordered the ship to be blown up. The destruction took place and everyone on board perished except the cook, who was blown to Strongarth, where he remained. Viola was buried at Lochaline and her father, hearing of the tragedy, sent a Captain Forrest with another ship to avenge the loss. As soon as the ship dropped anchor, MacLean’s wife summoned every Storm Witch on Mull to her aid. The witches disguised themselves as seagulls and raised a terrible storm, in which Captain Forrest’s vessel sank off Tobermory Bay. The Ivory Images Many years ago, a murderous herdsman lived on the shores of Loch Resort. When, one day, a shipwrecked sailor swam ashore the herdsman showed him no mercy, but murdered him for the bundle he carried. On opening the bundle, he discovered that it contained a number of little images carved from ivory. Thinking they must be the sailor’s gods, he became frightened and buried them. The herdsman was eventually hanged for another murder, and just before dying he confessed to burying the little figures. However, his listeners were superstitious and decided not to disturb them. It was not until 1831 that they were rediscovered and recognized as a set of ancient chessmen. The famous Lewis Chessmen are believed to represent a medieval Viking army, at a time when even bishops were expected to enter battle. From Beare, Beryl. Scotland: Myths & Legends, Bristol, England, 1996
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| Society Members in Local Events | ||||
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Manny and Robin Willis, Geraldine McDowell and Al Cowan (pictured above left to right) represented the Scottish Society of Tidewater at the Navy Public Works Center (PWC), Norfolk’s annual multicultural event at Nauticus on October 12. Highland Dancer Autumn Zera Watson Harper (below left), granddaughter of Jim & Jan Watson, danced the Highland Fling and the Sword Dance for the record crowd of 1400 PWC employees. Bagpiper John Ickes (below right) closed the event with Amazing Grace. Robin, Al, and Jim are all employed at PWC.
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The Barb’s Corner Canadian Boat Song |
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Thanks to George MacRae for sending in the words to this
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The News from Scotland |
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Donald Dewar, the first leader of Scotland’s new Parliament, died of a brain hemorrhage Wednesday [October 11]. He was 63. Dewar, who recently had surgery to have a mechanical heart valve fitted, had tried to continue his official duties after falling Tuesday, but later complained of feeling unwell. He had been on life support and was unconscious when he died at Western General Hospital in Edinburgh. Dewar was Scottish Secretary in the Labor government of Prime Minister Tony Blair from 1997 to 1999, when Scotland’s new Parliament was formed. Blair said he felt “shock and dismay” over his colleague’s death. “Personally I will remember his as a very good friend...He was a strong and supportive as any friend could be,” Blair said. Despite the long-running and continuing antagonism between Labor and the Scottish Nationalists, the two parties joined forces with the Liberal Democrats in 1997 to campaign for a yes vote in the referendum on the Parliament. Dewar headed the Labor effort. “Mr. Dewar has a precious place in history as the First Minister of Scotland’s first-ever democratic Parliament,” said John Swinney, leader of the Scottish National Party. “He will always be remembered for the role he played in working with the other political parties to ensure such a remarkable referendum result in 1997.” Dewar had represented a Glasgow constituency in the British Parliament since 1998, and was also elected to the Scottish Parliament in 1999. (from the Associated Press), October 11,2000 A young Scots designer is dragging his tartan national dress into the 21st century by producing kilts in PVC, fake leather and leopard-print — complete with a pocket for mobile phones. “The response has been really good,” a kilted Howie Nicholsby at Edinburgh-based Geoffrey (Tailor) Highland Crafts told Reuters on Tuesday. In keeping with his drive to bring the kilt into the modern era, all garments also have an inside pocket for credit cards while the racier PVC and sham leather models aimed at clan clubbers have additional zip-on pockets for water bottles. The traditional leather sporran has also had a makeover. “I normally recommend people use a ‘bum bag’ but I’ve got a bright red sporran I often wear for everyday,” Nicholsby said. Scotland’s traditional tartan kilt makers have voiced reservations, but Nicholsby says the garment is merely going back to its roots. “The kilt is only around 200 years old and was originally designed for day wear so I’m just making it what it was always meant to be. Scotland can’t keep living under the shortbread tartan tin image,” he said. And what should the sassy Scot wear beneath his kilt? “That’s a personal decision that every mature male has to make for himself,” Nicholsby said. ( according to Reuters July 25, 2000)
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Did You Know? |
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Here are some fascinating historical facts:
Thanks to “The Bagpiper”, the publication of the
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| Celtic Warriors | ||||
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Roman writers tended to associate the chieftains of Caledonian tribes with the fair-headed warriors from Germany. From their writings, we may envision tall, red-haired chieftains with distinctive helmets, enameled shields and proud spears. The peasants were distinguished by lime-washed hair and skin tattooed with woad. Leaders, chariot-borne chieftains, clothed in fine tunics and breeches with leather sandals, their distinctive oval, hexagonal or rectangular shields might be decorated with symbols of animals or geometric designs. As a race the Celts were renowned as horse warriors and, throughout, antiquity, had been used as mercenaries by both Greeks and Romans. Indeed, horse and rider were a favorite theme of Celtic art and the horseman seems to have possessed a fairly high social status. Their tactics were often based on the principle of hit and run, combining speed and firepower. It has been suggested that Celtic cavalry may have fought in small tactical units not unlike the medieval lance, in which the heavily armed horse warrior was supported by his more lightly armed followers and groom. Only chiefs and proven warriors were armored, with iron helmets and shirts of mail. The long Celtic sword which was worn slung from the hip also appears to have been a badge of rank. Although there is some suggestions that many Celtic swords were of poor temper and often had to be unbent or straightened in the course of battle, some undoubtedly were of fine quality. Celts were noisy fighters and accounts speak of the huge din their hosts created, a great undisciplined mob of men, horses and chariots, war chiefs respondent as Homeric heroes and the sinewy horde on foot. There are many representations of Celtic accoutrements, their standards, horns and trumpets. From Sadler, John. Scottish Battles From Mons Graupius to Culloden. Edinburgh, Canongate, 1996.
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| Book Review | ||||
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Sims, Clifford Stanley. Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames with a Vocabulary of Christian Names. Bowie, Md., Heritage Books, 2000. Facsimile reprint of edition circa 1862. Ever wonder about the meaning of specific Scottish names? Full of interesting entries this book is interesting to read cover to cover, not just to dip into as a reference source. Here’s some samples taken at random.
Need a name for a new addition to the family? How about Ambrose (immortal), Brian (nobly descended), Cecilia (grey-eyed), Hugh (exalted), Gertrude (amiable), Lucy (bright), Owen ( the good offspring), Nicholas (victorious), or Walter ( a lord of the wood). This book is available from Heritage Books, Inc., www.heritagebooks.com for $15.00 plus $4.00 s & h, or by calling 1-800-398-7709.
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| Receipes for the Holidays | ||||
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Black Bun
The perfect thing to have on hand to honor your first-footer along with a dram.
Grease an 8 inch round cake pan and line with wax paper. Roll out the pastry and carefully line the tin keeping enough for a top crust. Mix together the fruits, peel, almonds and sugar in a bowl. Sift the flour with the spices, cream of tartar and baking coda and mix evenly with the fruit. Add the egg and whisky and enough milk to just moisten the mixture. Pack the mixture into the pastry shell. Roll out the remaining pastry to make a top layer, brush the edges with egg to seal and press down firmly. Trim and crimp the edges and brush the top with egg. Make 6 or 8 holes right through the cake to the base with a skewer and prick the top all over with a fork. Glaze again and bake in a moderate oven, 350 ° for 1-1/2 to 3 hours covering the top with foil when sufficiently browned. Cool in the tin for at least 30 minutes before turning out on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container or well wrapped in foil in a cool place for up to 6 months. Dundee Cake Part of a proper Scottish High Tea at any time of the year, but especially during the holidays.
Preheat the oven to 300°. Cream together the butter, sugar and orange zest until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Add a little of the flour if the mixture starts to curdle. Sift in the flour, baking powder and spice then add the ground almonds. Fold gently but thoroughly. Once everything is incorporated stir in the dried fruits and mixed peel, together with enough brandy to form a soft consistency. Spoon into a buttered lined 7” cake pan and smooth the top. Bake in the oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until cooked through. Halfway through baking arrange the almonds on top and return to the oven. Cool completely in the pan before serving. From Wright, Clarissa Dickson’s Hieland Foodie, Edinburgh, NMS Publishing, 1999
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| Scots Humor | ||||
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Thin Paint There was a Scottish tradesman, a painter called Jock, who was very interested in making a pound where he could. So he often would thin down paint to make it go a wee bit further. As it happened he got away with this for some time but eventually the Presbyterian Church decided to do a big restoration job on one of their biggest churches. Jock put in a bid and because his price was so competitive, he got the job. And so he set to with a right good will, erecting the trestles and setting up the planks and buying the paint and, yes, I am sorry to say, thinning it down with turpentine. Well, Jock was up on the scaffolding, painting away, the job nearly done, when suddenly there was a horrendous clap of thunder, the sky opened up and the rain poured down, washing the thin paint from all over the church and knocking Jock off the scaffold to land on the lawn, among the gravestones, surrounded by telltale puddles of the thinned and useless paint. Jock was no fool. He knew this was a judgment from the Almighty, so he got on his knees and cried, “Oh God! Forgive me! What should I do?” And from the thunder, a might voice spoke: “REPAINT, REPAINT,
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