The Pride of a Scotsman
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.
Bonnie Prince Charlie who is also known as “The Young Pretender”, was the cause of the failed Jacobite rebellion of 1746 in an attempt become king of Scotland, England, and Ireland. Charlie was the great grandson of James II of England who was disposed as King of England because of his absolutism and pro-catholic beliefs. James II, his son James, and his grandson Charlie lived in exile in France. During this time, there were some rebellious conflicts to bring James II back to the throne, but to no avail. As Charlie got older, he wanted to lead an army to take back the throne of England, Scotland, and Ireland. When he was old enough and he had the resources to do so, he set out on his conquest to take back Scotland. He was hoping to get support from England or France, because the countries did not trust Charlie as a leader. (Wikipedia)
As Charlie was heading to Scotland on of his ships was attacked and was damaged. When Charlie got to Scotland he began his attack at Glenfinnan and moved south until he had reached the capital. At this time, there ...
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...ike that for Scots, as a tuxedo is for other culture. The bagpipes are played in Scottish parades like America has their brass bands that go in Parades.(Bagpipe History)
Events in the past have affected modern day Scots. When these events first occurred in Scotland, the Scots kept these memories and traditions with pride that stayed with them throughout years. As more and more generations pass, the sense of Scottish pride stays with them as they teach it to their children. The generations that followed Prince Charlie’s legacy grew up with Scottish patriotism. The families that survived the famine learned and passed on the ideal to not waste resources. Scottish emigrants kept their Highland culture by publicly showing their Scottish roots. The stereotype of Scots were caused by the pride that had been brought down from generation to generation that still live today.
In No Great Mischief, the family blood line introduced in the novel dates to the MacDonald’s, who are the most numerous of the great Scottish Highland clan. The MacDonald clan became powerful through their ability to train their men into great fighters and being frequently battle tested. The Scottish Highlanders played pivotal parts in the political up risings of Scotland's history. One of the up risings that was outlined in No Great Mischief was the massacre at Glencoe in 1692. The massacre of Glencoe as the narrator tells it was that this branch of the MacDonald clan was set upon by troops whom they had quarrelled with for two weeks under order...
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
...h’s end because they drove Macbeth to kill Duncan and they let him over relax which lead to his death.
3.) Malcolm and Donalbain leave Scotland because they suspect whoever killed their father, will be targeting them next.
During the time when everything looked rough for Scotland, Macbeth came through. Macbeth was heroic on the battlefield and didn't hesitate to demonstrate courage and strength. As captain of the army, he was a leader. Macbeth killed the enemy by taking his sword and pushing it through the slave's stomach and all the way up, which demonstrated his ruthlessness. Macbeth cared about his country and was fearlessly fighting for it. Macbeth's bravery is tested and this causes...
The idea of becoming king of Scotland brings him great joy, but also causes him great worry and doubt about how to go at it.
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.
Picture this. It is the day of the Saint Patrick’s Day parade in Belmar New Jersey. Look to the left and now to the right. People are dressed head to toe in emerald green and bright orange, waving around the green, orange and white Irish flag. After frantically looking around for a vacant spot on the curb to sit, the parade begins and the sounds of bagpipes and drums fill the air. Year after year, the music, the clothing and the atmosphere remain the same. This is what St. Patrick’s Day is. It is a day that other cultures have the chance to experience the Irish way of life. Unlike many other countries cultures, the Irish values and customs have remained virtually the same over many years.
...h social status in Scotland, but each views others and their families quite differently. The only one mistake I think Macduff makes is when he leaves his family without protection and without telling them where he is going or the purpose behind it.
Irish traditions may be more well-known than Scottish, but here are a few of both. Some current American traditions can be traced back to old Irish traditions, of which are still currently practiced in Ireland: “Girl’s Night Out”, “Fat Tuesday”, “Halloween”, spring cleaning, and even “tying the knot”. Girl’s night out occurs in Ireland each year on the eve of January 6th and is called “Little Women’s Christmas”. This is considered the one day off by women in Ireland, from cooking, cleaning, and any household chore. Fat Tuesday, known as Shrove Tuesday in Ireland, occurs on February 24th. On the eve of Lent, pancakes are made thick and sprinkled with lemon juice and sugar, then rolled and eaten as a sweet. Many pancakes are eaten, because of the fasting time period of Lent. Also, unmarried daughters were tested on their pancake making skills, and how well the first pancake made was an indication of her romantic chances for the upcoming year. Most people are aware that Halloween is associated with ‘All Hallows Eve’ evolving from the Catholic Church. But, prior to the Catholic Church acknowledging this holiday, Celtic tradition celebrated the eve by trying to scare away evil spirits through
Once upon a time, three weird sisters appeared in the thunder and lightning. They were dressed in all black dresses and a large hat with a pointy top, resembling a witch. They looked up into the sky and had a quick discussion about the next time they will meet and where they will meet Macbeth. Scottish King Duncan appears at the military camp, when he hears the news about his generals, Macbeth and Banquo and how they have defeated these two invading armies. One was from Ireland, which was led by the rebel Macdonwald, and one was from Norway. Macbeth and Banquo unexpectedly saw the weird sisters as they cross a moor. They looked at them and started to laugh. They wondered who were these three hideous creatures dressed like witches; and so they called them. The witches looked at Macbeth and started to hold hands rocking side to side, looking up into the sky as if they see a ghost the one in the middle gets on her knees and says “all hail Macbeth” then they all kneel down and do the same. The one in the middle tells Macbeth that he will be made thane of Cawdor and eventually King of Scotland. They also predicted that Banquo’s descendants will be Scottish kings, although Banquo will never be king himself. Then witches vanished into thin air. Macbeth and Banquo questioned the witches’ predictions. Two of King Duncan’s men came to thank them on their victory in battle. The generals tell Macbeth that he has been named the new thane of Cawdor and how the previous thane of Cawdor has betrayed Scotland by fighting for the Norwegians and Duncan had sent someone to kill him. Macbeth had become interested in the witches’ prediction. He started to think that maybe what the witches told him is true and that he will be crowne...
Tragic heroes, who destined for a serious downfall, are the protagonist of a dramatic tragedy. A tragic hero is usually a great hero, who gets the most respect from other people; on the other hand, a tragic hero can also lose everything he gained because of his mistakes. His downfall is the result of a wrong judgment, a flaw which might combined with fated and external forces. The downfall can cause the tragic hero to suffer for the rest of his life. In many literary works, the downfall of the tragic heroes usually happen in their highest point. In the same way, Macbeth is a tragic hero in the play called “The Tragedy of Macbeth” which is written by a legendary writer, William Shakespeares. Macbeth is a great general who gained many respect from the people and even the king. In the highest point of his life, because of seeking for greater power, it created Macbeth’s downfall. Macbeth, a tragic hero, causes suffering for himself and others by committing murders and creating distress, which are the negative effects of seeking for a greater power.
his kingdom and gain power. While he was in Scotland, he established an effective royal
Knowing that I was where I felt I belonged, was the best feeling in the world. All of the scenery, the important places we saw, the beautiful buildings and animals, was a site I will never forget. Being Scottish used to just be cool to me knowing that my Grandad was born in Scotland and that I had Scottish blood in my veins. After I saw the house he was born in, it changed my viewpoints, I felt that Scotland was one of the most beautiful places I knew about, and being apart of that wasn’t something I should take lightly.