talk about stirring up trouble

[winterbadger]

As always, authors (and the journals that report on them) like to lead with the sensational, only covering their asses with the truth in the footnotes.

Take for example this piece in the Grauniad on a book covering the history of Highland pipes.

They start with this explosive statement:

"For generations, its sharp and unmistakeable sound has struck fear into Scotland's enemies, emboldened its troops in battle and helped define its national identity. Every year, tourists in their tens of thousands flock to Edinburgh Castle to applaud the massed pipe bands of Scotland's regiments.

But contrary to popular myth, the great Highland bagpipe never led the Scots clans into battle against the English, nor did kilted pipers carry them around the castles of Highland chieftains, playing laments to the fallen.

In fact, says a new history by a leading authority on the much-loved - and loathed - instrument, the Highland bagpipe was actually invented less than 200 years ago, primarily for urban audiences. And what's more, it was largely created using money from wealthy Scots emigres living in London."

So the pipes came to the Highlands as 'planted' tradition in the 1800s? But if you read on, it appears that's not actually what the author says at all.

"Until the late 1700s there were simpler types of pipe being played in the Highlands."

In other words, the pipes were played in Scotland well before 1800.

"Until the battle of Culloden in 1745 ended the Jacobite rebellion by the Highland chieftains led by Bonnie Prince Charlie, clan chiefs were great patrons of piping and pipe music; cultivating new musical styles, sponsoring musicians who founded piping dynasties and their own piping colleges."

So not only were the pipes known, they were widely played and their players patronised by some of the most wealthy and notable in the land.

"But that rich musical culture was devastated by the Jacobite defeat. In 1778 educated and wealthy expatriate Scots living in London founded the highly influential Highland Society of London with the core aim of "preserving the martial spirits, language, dress, music and antiquities of the ancient Caledonians"."

So, a tradition that had already existed for some time was revived and restored less than forty years after it was made illegal? (And, BTW, anyone who has read about 18th century Scotland can tell you that the post-1745 laws barring Highland culture were rarely enforced against the clans that had sided with the Hanoverian government. Plenty of non-Jacobite lords kept wearing kilts and tartan right through the 1760s.)

"The society set up piping competitions and commissioned pipes as prizes from two well-established pipe makers in Edinburgh - Hugh Robertson and Donald MacDonald. Cheape credits them with creating the instrument now known as the Great Highland Bagpipe in the early 1800s."

So what we're talking about is a matter of design. And someone really clever call tell me now then why this is a modern fakery and this (painted in 1714) is something completely different?

"The mythology surrounding the great Highland pipes increased when allegedly authentic pipes linked to great events in Scottish history were given to national museums. Many, argues Cheape, are fake. One set allegedly played at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 actually comes from three or four pipes, including 20th century parts. He is scathing about the pipes allegedly played at the battles of Culloden in 1745 and at Flodden in 1513."

So what Cheape is really objecting to is that some 'historic' sets of pipes are not 100% original? My goodness, how astonishing! Perhaps he will then tell us that in fact some of the bearskins worn by the Grenadier Guards were not actually captured at Waterloo! (Hint: In fact none of them were, and some of them are not even made of bear. But they're still called bearskins; a little thing called military tradition.)

""The bagpipe in Scotland has suffered a malaise of misunderstanding and misinterpretation, of misappropriation and manipulation of a lively and vital musical culture. Its treatment might even serve as a metaphor for Scottish history and culture since the 18th century," he writes."

Oh, so there *was* a lively and vital musical culture.

To be fair, I think that one would probably find on reading Mr Cheape's book (he is a former curator with the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh and now with the University of the Highland and Islands) is that he is, in a curatorial and hair-splitting (to 90% of the world) fashion distinguishing between one design of bagpipe and another, while not for a moment making the outrageous and preposterous claims that the author of the article makes in in his opening.

Comments

[magaidhbhan.livejournal.com]

*twitch*

[verdandiweaves.livejournal.com]

Bagpipes descend from the carynx and very old.

[winterbadger]

Pipes are indeed very old and are known all over Europe. But I would be surprised if there were any connection to the carnyx, as the latter is an unvalved horn.

[verdandiweaves.livejournal.com]

This was something opined at a Katherine Tickell concern by the man playing the reconstruction.
Good link here - http://www.carnyxscotland.co.uk/carnyx/carnyx.php

But you may well be right for all I know.

[dativesingular.livejournal.com]

Bagpie? Is that like a magpie? ;)

[winterbadger]

In that both are dark and may be filled with foreboding, yes. :-)