So, last night after getting home, I went back to the books. One of my side projects lately has been putting together a database application that ties together all this lore I've been trying to pick up over the last God knows how many years ... this fiddle tune came from such-and-such a place, around this time when that was happening, and oh isn't that interesting... - that kind of stuff.
Mostly, I just got tired of remembering the gist of something I read once upon a time, and not having the book at hand to look up the details. (Yes, scatterbrain doesn't begin to cover it some days. I definitely got my Mom's ditz gene - but being forced to rekey it all into the DB sure helps it stick.)
So anyhow, last night I was in the depths of Clan Fraser history - the "headman" family daddy's line was attached to back in the day, best we can tell. I still have more than a few bits and bobs in Hunting Fraser tartan about from the events we used to go to in Appalachia, and a clan badge or two in the jewelry box. Which was why when I got to the bit about The Lovat Scouts something was eerily familiar. Who knew... the OG snipers of the modern world are distant kin. I mean, when I think about it, a common ancestor makes sense, as much as riflery and just sheer cussedness are longstanding traditions in the Appalachian hills as well. But it is a cool tie to find nonetheless.
I might have to go play with a rifle sometime soon as a tribute.
Not to mention learn the tune.
Thanks for the traditions, distant cousins. C'mon over sometime and we'll trade ya grits for porridge and swap fiddle tunes. :)
7 comments:
Great, now I'm conflicted... after reading Dietz's autobiographical Commando, I'm cheering for the Boer underdogs (they're especially sympathetic to this Texan, tho I'm of no kin to any who migrated here after their war).I'm a longtime admirer of the Black Watch too, from being a wee bit Scottish on my father's side. And Lovat Scouts fought for the Brits agin the Boers... so, maybe you can see my problem.
'Scuse me, Commando was by Deneys Reitz.
That's the thing about war... no matter the cause, rarely if ever does one side have the monopoly on good and honorable men.
(don't ever tell anyone I admitted it, but I hear tell even the Yankees managed to dig up one or two. ;) )
Here is a clan badge a friend of mine makes for his close friends, I got one because I thought up the idea, based on a famous scene from the movie Braveheart. I also have a Wallace clan badge I wear for less raucous occasions, I had a Wallace ancestor on my father's side.
Bob - that's all kinds of cute. :)
I know the movie itself is so shot through with cringe-inducing historical errors as to make reenactors froth at the mouth... but if there's one thing it got right, it was the attitude... or at least the attitude of thems that made it over to this side of the pond.
so... where can I get one? :)
I need to dig out the family history book my mom gave me - my dad's family is from Yorkshire via Boston (where my grandpa was born in 1876). Mom has Scot, Irish and English ancestors - through Walkers and Housleys and Ousleys back to the Stewarts, but the details escape me at present.
@Jenny: my friend Mike McRae makes them. They're handmade in sterling silver.
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