Scotland has a very interesting and rich culture. Its long history has contributed much to the traditions that still stand today. Whether it be its literature, music, art, food, clothing, or sports, Scotland has a lot to offer. a
Scotland has contributed many novelists and poets to the world of literature. Such poets include Sydney Goodsir Smith, Norman McCaig, Iain Crichton Smith, Edwin Morgan, George Mackay Brown and Robert Garioch (Fraser 185). Poet Sorley Maclean (1911-1996), also known as Somhairle MacGill-Eain in Gaelic, helped to prove that the Gaelic language could have traditional expression (Fraser 185). Douglas Dunn and Liz Lochhead appeared during the 1960s and 1970s as revered poets of the time (Fraser 185). Within recent years, Robert Crawford, Carol Anne Duffy, and Don Patterson have created their own reputations as Scottish poets (Fraser 185). One of the most notable Scottish writers of all time is Robert Burns (Fraser 185). Known as the “immortal Rabbie”, Burns wrote the words to “Auld Lang Syne,” the song sung around the world every New Year’s Eve (Begley 115). Booker prize winner James Kelman, Alasdar Gray, Iain Banks and Irvine Welsh are also popular novelists and short fiction writers (Fraser 185). The movie Trainspotting, directed by Danny Boyle and based on Welsh’s novel of Edinburgh’s drug culture, has attracted a cult following like that of a rock band (Fraser 186). Sir Walter Scott is also another very famous novelist from Scotland (Scotland).
With music from classical to rock to jazz and folk, Scottish musicians are able to attract international audiences (Fraser 186). Known for its versatility and unique programming, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra while folk-rock bands like Runrig successfully combine rock music with traditional Gaelic music and song. Country-dance music is also very popular among the Scots (Fraser 186). Of course there are few people today who do not equate bagpipes to Scotland. Although the history of the pipes is unknown, the ancient Greeks and the Irish are both known to have had instruments that resembled the bagpipes (Begley 130). It is estimated that the pipes were most likely created by the Romans (Scotland). However, the Scots popularized the instrument be playing it during battle assembly as well as during battle (Begley 130). The fiddle is also a very popular instrument in Scotland (Begley 13...
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...and Games is held all over Scotland (Fraser 187). It is based on traditional test of strength and skills (Fraser 187). Events include tossing the caber, throwing the hammer and stone, running, jumping, dancing, and piping (Fraser 187). The first organized games were held in the 1820s and have been exported all around the world into communities of Scottish descent such as Canada, the USA, and New Zealand (Fraser 187). Curling and skiing are popular winter sports that attract thousands to the slopes (Fraser 187). The Highlands also attract thousands of climbers (Fraser 187).
Scotland has a very colorful culture. It’s moving along with the times but is still holding on to its strong traditions. Scotland’s literature, music, art, clothing, food, and sports prove that it is a very culturally developed country.
Works Cited
Begley, Eve. Of Scottish Ways. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Dillon Press, Inc, 1977
“Scotland.” Encarta 96 Encyclopedia. Redmond, WA: CD-ROM. Microsoft Corporation.1996 ed.
Fisher, Robert I.C., ed. Scotland. Fodor’s 2000. New York: Fodor’s Travel Publications, Inc. 1999
Fraser, Elisabeth. An Illustrated History of Scotland. Whitefriars, Norwich: Jarrold Publishing, 1997
Celtic vs. Rangers: Catholicism vs. Protestantism Most European cities can boast of a professional football (soccer) club and a competitive rivalry with a neighboring team. However, Glasgow, Scotland is the home of one of the oldest and most heated rivalries in the world. Two of the most prestigious football clubs in Europe, Celtic and Rangers, both call Glasgow their home. The cross-town rivals first met on the pitch on February 28, 1888.
Nous sommes Acadiens. (We are Acadians.) Some outsiders see us as a quaint, virtuous people, spending a great deal of time singing, dancing, praying, and visiting? (Conrad, 1978, p.14). Others see us as independent and unsophisticated. We see ourselves as fun-loving, carefree, happy, proud people who have a great love for our culture. The Acadians were French settlers of eastern Canada who were exiled from their land in the 1750?s. The Acadians are known to have settled in the southern bayou lands of Louisiana around that time. The Acadiana people acquired their nickname, ?Cajuns,? from those people who could not pronounce Acadians correctly. Due to the opinion that Cajuns were ?different?, they lived close together and became isolated from others in Louisiana. They have since developed their own distinct characteristics which make them unique and unlike no others in the bayou state. Family, music, housing, food, marriages, and ?traiteurs? were all a part of the simple but challenging lifestyle of the Cajuns.
Henderson, Ailsa. Hierarchies of belonging: National identity and political culture in Scotland and Quebec. McGill-Queen's Press-MQUP, 2007.
In order to establish a basis upon which this argument can be made, it’s important to first understand the social climate of the people of Scotland. At the time of Macbeth’s reign the people of Scotland, as with most of Europe, believed that the traits of their people would be passed via the inherited
...lisation. Through early rivalry with the English the Scottish people were misunderstood to be English themselves. With their reputation of being violent, their change friendly disposition reflected as a practical benefit. “If you are nice to people, people are nice to you. You have a better time” (George, Lothian).
It is believed that the Irish brought to the region the fiddle and the pipes. It is believed that the first stringed instrument, the dulcimer was brought by the Germans, Norwegians, Swedish and French. The dulcimer became known as the 1“Hog Fiddle” or “Music Box”.
The Bagpipes have been used continuously through the course of history and throughout many cultures.The history of bagpipes, much like its origins are elusive. The bagpipes were reported to have been played by Roman emperors to French and Scottish kings. Cultures around the world have used the bagpipes in many ceremonial occasions such as weddings, dances, wars, funerals and various other occasions. People have fought hard to keep the essence of piping a-live. Bagpiping’s The bagpipes contributions to society have been great, and no other country has tried harder to preserve its spiritual essence than Scotland.
Macbeth is a play about tragedy. It tells the tale of one man’s evil rise to becoming king and his tragic downfall that led to his death. Nevertheless, it is also a play about the political history surrounding that king. Shakespeare took the story of Macbeth from Raphael Holinshed’s Scottish Chronicle in 1570 and even more from the second edition, Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland in 1587. From these books he was able to take bits and pieces of history, combine events, omit others, create his own tale of King Macbeth and make it appealing to the King and people of his time.
Participation in sports and games has long been a part of Native culture. The most significant example of a sport invented and played by Natives is lacrosse. Lacrosse is still designated as the official sport of Canada despite the overwhelming popularity of hockey (http://canada.gc.ca). Lacrosse was one of many varieties of indigenous stickball games being played by Native Americans and Canadians at the time of European contact. Almost exclusively a male team sport, it is distinguished from other stick and ball games, such as field hockey or shinny, by the use of a netted racquet with which to pick the ball off the ground, throw, catch and vault it into or past a goal to score a point.
Upon hearing the term ‘Celtic,’ the first things that come to mind are the awe of their intricately patterned jewelry, lively music, and the flowing tunics they wore. These people are also known for being fierce warriors and for their superstitious, nature-centered religion. Celtic customs are still alive and well in places like Ireland and the western reaches of Britain, but within this essay I shall explore their origins and traditions.
In No Great Mischief, Alistair MacLeod proves to the reader that it is impossible to talk about the Scottish-Canadian heritage without mentioning tradition, family and loyalty. MacLeod wrote this book about loyalty to family tradition. It is common to talk about these three things when one describes his family or his past in general, but in this book, MacLeod has included every single intricate detail about each one of the three aspects.
What's big, cheap, Scottish and depressing? Scotland. This is one of the many jokes that Scots make about themselves. The Scots have a massive history that goes back to the 1500’s and even earlier that have shaped modern day Scots and how we look at them. From the start of the Clan Wars, to the fight that Bonnie Prince Charlie brought.Scottish history has affected how Scots act like and different among others. Scots have reputation for being blood thirsty, cheap, bagpipe playing and kilt wearing people. Many patterns of behavior can be traced back to a root cause in history. Common Scottish behaviors were shaped by major events in Scottish history.
Ethnomusicology has an image problem. Insofar as anyone has heard of ethnomusicologists at all, there is a fairly common feeling (and not unjustified, bearing in mind what ethnomusicologists collectively seem to do) that ethnomusicology is, exclusively, the study of non-Western musics. Actually, this isn't so. Ethnomusicologists study Western traditions also, albeit not in huge numbers in Britain – but even here, our sparseness in the study of local traditions is probably no more marked than our sparseness in the study of overseas traditions. (There are just two British ethnomusicologists who work on Chinese music, for instance, which means that we have something like 1/8 of the world's population each; I'm happy to let the other chap take on most of these.) As we shall see below, and although the international connections are important, where ethnomusicology differs from the other fields of music studies – and where it may offer ideas of potential utility to those studying British folk traditions – is not really a function of geographical scope at all.
Many people in the U.S. and I am sure many other countries tend to think of Britain as a land full of rose gardens, cricket, Oxford, and people drinking tea with their little pinky in the air with the Queen. Myths and legends stem from reality distorted, this in turn continues to affect the real image portrayed by a country.
When I was sixteen years of age, my Gram, Aunt Jamie, and I went to Scotland. We visited many places, such as Edinburgh, Sterling, and Dumfries. We also visited Arundel, Windsor, and London in England. The most exciting part of our trip was when we went and saw the house my Grandad born in and the family house. As I looked at those houses, I felt like I was home, I had found the place I was supposed to be. All my life I have known who I was and where I was from, I am Scottish, my Grandad was born in Scotland, so in a way, I am from Scotland as well.