New Year is a huge event for Scottish families. For anyone who will be singing “Auld Lang Syne” tonight, a translation:
http://www.worldburnsclub.com/poems/translations/auld_lang_syne.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foQtH1GWr20
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WYNpy4Qn0k&feature=related
( the place where I grew up can be seen at 0:34 into the video )
Scotland has it’s own language, Gaelic, but the poem written by our greatest poet Robert Burns ( “Rabbie Burns” ) is not written in our native language, but rather in “Auld Scots” or “Old Scots” tongue. Gaelic was practically wiped out when an invading army forced schoolchildren to learn English, in many cases under penalty of death for the parents to those who refused. Mass relocations took place when native speakers from the lowlands were forced to live in the barren and frozen north of Scotland, as attempts were made by the invading forces to eliminate the language. Later on, many thousands of those Scots were forced at swordpoint from their homes and deported on ships to Novia Scotia ( New Scotland in Latin ) in Canada. Their small homes were burned to the ground. Many of their descendants travelled through Canada and down into the United States. Variations of Gaelic are spoken in the east coast of Canada and in the Appalachians in the US.
The second song in the following deals with the latter:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQf0BKF3Ts0&feature=related
As a result, fewer than 10% of the Scottish population actually speak the native tongue.
The original poem is about the bonds of true friendship and comradeship. Auld Lang Syne can be thought of as “In Days Gone Bye”or “In Past Times”. “Auld Aquaintance” means “Old Friendship”
Happy New Year to everyone. “Bliadhna Mhath Ur”
Scots are the most geographically distributed race on the planet and millions in practically every country of the world will be rasing a glass to bring in the New Year.
Some traditional Scottish songs that will be sung and listened to tonight:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ5fLBEpKo8
( Our National Anthem. The “Flower” refers to the young men who were killed during various battles )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5bxT-j9UOQ&feature=related
Rome is mentioned in the song, as Scotland was the only country in the world that the Romans failed to conquer. The Scots counter-attacked with such ferocity that the Romans had to build a wall across the whole country to keep them away ( Hadrian’s Wall ):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeosZImCrMY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkL7n46J6nY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDee-mHMdwY&feature=related
Notice the palm trees at 1:48 into the video ( a unique micro-climate due to the tail end of the Gulf Stream at Inverawe ).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVQkdV4GwLc
From the movie “Last of The Mohicans”. The song is derived from the original “The Gael”by Dougie McLean and contains many Scottish musical instruments:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1ryJDVuZ6k
To be played at max volume on the old stereo with a good double malt. If your foot starts tapping and the hairs on the back of your neck stand up there’s a good chance you have some Celtic blood in you…
Same song from the Edinburgh Military Tatoo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4YR-qIPzTQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tEdH0bjjR8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WYNpy4Qn0k&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rwwk3iJUn6g&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QD8kZMYDvA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu8hwvvmEhc&feature=fvst
( Sean Connery at 0:53 )
There will be a tear in the eye of many a Scot living overseas tonight, as they think of their homeland.
All the best to everyone for a pain free new year.
Dave