I have just bought a book Called "Highland Songs of the '45".. by John Lorne Campbell (1933). It is written in Gaelic with the English translation (with acknowledged mistakes) on the opposite side. The preface says it represents only a small portion of the large amount of Gaelic political poetry between the years of 1640-1750. Alexander Macdonald was the principal Highland Jacobite poet......... At 11:43 PM 9/12/00 -0300, john.cameron@strait.ednet.ns.ca wrote: >Dave, > >Thank you for setting me straight. I have always appreciated your commentary, >and I've developed a great respect from reading your postings. I took your >advice and didn't listen to the bagpipes for a while, but I did sing "Johnnie >Cope" under my breath (Fie, now Johnnie, get up and run! The Highland >bagpipes >mak' a din! It's better tae sleep in a hale skin, For it will be a bluidy >mornin'!). I am sitting writing this listening to a Scottish/Cape Breton >fiddle >tune (played by J.P. Cormier) - the fiddle gets my blood going almost like the >'pipes. It is something - the effect the music has on us. > >I have enjoyed your stories so much - so I thought I'd forward a couple of my >favourites - as told by Somerled MacMillan in "Bygone Lochaber" > >A toil-stained wayfarer, who had more than once been denied food and shelter, >made a final appeal to the MacMartin-Camerons of Mucomir. After continued >heavy >knocking, he at last attracted the attention of one of the inmates, who, on >opening the window, demanded to know the reason for the disturbance. "If >there >be a Christian in the house," replied the stranger, "then, surely he will >let me >rest a while within." The occupant, somewhat taken aback by the request, at >length, answered him thus: "There are no Christians here; we are all >Camerons!" > >The Dochanassie Camerons, also of MacMartin stock , used to carry in their >possession a multi-knobbed cudgel, known locally as "the Dochanassie stick", >which was not unlike the Irish shillelagh. > >A story is told of a rabble, not uncommon at funerals in olden times, which >broke out in a certain house where a number of Dochanassie Camerons met. >Tempers became heated over the 'uisge-beatha' (whiskey) and blows were freely >exchanged. An old man in the company, while noticing some of his friends fail >to use the Dochanassie stick to full advantage, owing to the lowness of the >roof, shouted to them excitedly "Feuchaibh air an fhiaradh iad !" (Try them >sideways!) > >Thanks again Dave - I'll never lose my strong feelings about Culloden and the >'45, or the Clearances -- as with the music, I think it is part of my genetic >makeup. As we respect and remember those that fought for us in the past >century, >we shouldn't forget those who went before them. (My own grandafther, Russell >Cameron, wore the Kilt in Battle in WW1, as part of the 85th Battalion - Nova >Scotia Highlanders) . I wear a Kilt proudly - to honour my ancestors, and to >proudly announce that I am a Scot, and a Highlander - although a couple >generations removed from our ancestral home. > >And when it is hot, I sometimes also wear it with a t-shirt, no sense being >uncomfortable! > >Da thaobh Loch Ial's da thaobh Lochaidh - Lochail, Lochail > >John >