THE MAD POET
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Blairsville Scottish Festival, 20228/29/2022 The Blairsville Scottish Festival is one of the largest events of its kind in the U.S., boasting a gathering of over 39 clans and an attendance of thousands. The festival holds multiple athletic events throughout the weekend, including hammer throwing, tug-o-wars, log throwing, caber tossing and sheaf tossing. Reenactors portraying the Jacobite rebellion hold musketry demonstrations, bagpipe bands play on the green, and over thirty vendors sell their wares; these are just a few of the attractions offered! I had the pleasure of visiting the festival back in June. The first event itself was a somewhat unusual spectacle in the North Georgia mountains: the massed bands of the North Georgia Pipes and Drums, the Atholl Highlanders Pipes and Drums, the John Mohr Macintosh Pipes and Drums, the Alhambra Highlanders Pipes and Drums, and the Appalachians Saint Andrews Pipes and Drums paraded onto the sprawling park green followed by representatives of each of the clans attending the festival. After the opening prayer and singing of the national anthems (both American and British!) the MC officially declared the festivities underway. The path cutting through the park grounds was lined with tents, each one dedicated to a clan and featuring displays of their history and distinctions – the content of one of these displays could probably form its own article! A few notable clans included Clan Campbell (famous for their involvement in the Jacobite Wars, their possession of various castles, and the invention of Campbell Soup), Clan MacLeod (lairds of the Isle of Skye, known for pronouncing their name "mick-loud" instead of "mick-lee-odd") and Clan Bell (a member of whom actually created Taco Bell). I was also able to talk to a representative of Clan Gunn, who informed me that his clan had its origins in Scandinavian settlers in the northwestern Orkney Islands - hence why his clan's tent was bedecked with Viking weapons, armor and the decorative prow of a longship! Clan Gunn's display on their Viking history The festival was resplendent with clan symbolism. From kilts to banners to heraldry, every clan brought its emblem, and both hosts and visitors could be seen in kilts and arasaids. Some carried their tartans on flagpoles, while others simply sported polo shirts with the clan crest – and sometimes sold a few! The clan ambassadors were all extremely open to conversation. If you ever visit a Scottish festival, be sure and have a chat with a few of them. They love answering questions to fill visitors in on their clan’s history and are often quite willing to invite interested newcomers to attend clan meetings… or even join the clans! Clan Murray with their banner Two ways to display tartans One clan rep for the Campbells extended perhaps the broadest invitation possible: “No matter where you come from, if you feel an affinity for a certain culture, that’s a good sign that you could have ancestral origins in it.” The Clan Gunn representative was also able to extend an open invitation and back it up with historical precedent: “Large clans would accept individuals or smaller families into their ranks. If you could farm or fight, they’d take you, you could live on their land and enjoy their protection and your family became a ‘sept’ of the clan. They didn’t care who you were.” A furry clan member braves heatstroke to display their Scottish pride The Jacobites return to restore Prince Charlie The event itself was open to a broad variety of merchants and entertainers. A blacksmith shop was dealing in wrought iron pans, decorations and tools. Multiple Celtic stores had tents filled with Scottish memorabilia such as the usual t-shirts or water bottles, while others sold dirks, sporrans, yards of tartan, shot glasses, bagpipes and books. One craftsman's booth sold traditional archery gear, mostly consisting of Cherokee flatbows and longbows. I was able to talk to the owner of the booth, and he showed me his most prized piece - a six-foot English yew bow tipped with cow's horn, in the authentic style of the medieval weapon. This bow was (of course) not for sale, but he was able to sell me a nicely stained hickory longbow. Sheepdog demonstrations took place at the height of the festival. The dogs on display, mostly border collies bred in Britain, astonished the crowd by driving half a dozen sheep through a series of extremely tight maneuvers, while a somewhat more light-hearted show was put on by the dog who herded a flock of ducks through an obstacle course of bridges and tunnels. A falconry demonstration was also to be seen, though we didn't arrive in time for it. Other Scottish animals displayed included Scottish rams and Humphrey, the popular Highland Cow. One of the central tents served as a music venue where the Celtic band Ye Jacobites By Name gave a live performance of Scottish and Irish folk tunes on mandolin, guitar, pennywhistle, and pipes. Several other musical artists played or sang at sites throughout the festival grounds, enhancing the atmosphere even more. Another main attraction the festival offers is, of course, the food. A number of Scottish and British catering groups are on hand, providing visitors a taste of Irn Bru, the most popular Scottish soda, Scotch eggs (a dish of contested origins, but often said to be Scottish) and haggis. I passed on the Scotch eggs in favor of a haggis and a meat pie, washing it down with an Irn Bru, and am happy to report that haggis is actually rather good. The oats and seasoning involved can prevent one from dwelling too much on the fact that the dish is in fact a sheep's guts - or least they did that for me. Irn Bru is fairly good as well, likely to remind an American of a regular cream soda, though others have compared the taste to cotton candy. The festival typically lasts two days on a June weekend, and is held in Meeks Park in Blairsville, GA, just off I-575. Visitors can expect parking to fill up quickly, so if you do come, you might want to come early! Georgia summers being what they are, hydration will also likely be important throughout the day. The actual festival grounds are a fair distance from the parking lot, so expect to do some walking. Scottish festivals are an increasingly common occurrence across the U.S., especially in areas like the east coast, which was originally settled by Scottish immigrants. For those who love history, costumes or just a fun day out, this is definitely the kind of event worth exploring! You'll find some additional photos below. The Jacobite encampment A blunderbuss The Falconer and his... falcon. Typical 18th-century Highland Weapons: Brown Bess Musket, Murdoch Pistol, Sgian Dubh (small dagger), Dirk (long dagger) and basket-hilt broadsword (originally a favorite with Highland regiments of the British army) Sheepdog at work A traditional targe shield (yes, this is where the word 'target' comes from). The ship in the center is a lymphad, a common symbol in Scottish heraldry. Humphrey the Highland Cow Clan Gunn's tent (note longship)
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December 2023
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