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 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.
In fact, says a new history by a leading authority on the much loved — and loathed — instrument, the Highland bagpipe was 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.
In a book to be published by the National Museums of Scotland, Bagpipes — a National Collection of a National Instrument, Hugh Cheape, a Gaelic historian and expert piper, argues that the origins of the instrument have been confused by mythology and deliberate invention.
Like most tartan regalia and the modern kilt, the great Highland bagpipe and many of its traditions known worldwide were manufactured by the Scots middle classes in the early 1800s in their romantic quest to rediscover their past.
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 colleges.
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.”
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 Great Highland Bagpipe in the early 1800s.
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, Cheape says, are fake.
One set allegedly played at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 includes 20th century parts. He is scathing about the pipes allegedly played at the battles of Culloden in 1745 and at Flodden in 1513.
“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.
DIALOGUE: US president-elect Donald Trump on his Truth Social platform confirmed that he had spoken with Xi, saying ‘the call was a very good one’ for the US and China US president-elect Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) discussed Taiwan, trade, fentanyl and TikTok in a phone call on Friday, just days before Trump heads back to the White House with vows to impose tariffs and other measures on the US’ biggest rival. Despite that, Xi congratulated Trump on his second term and pushed for improved ties, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The call came the same day that the US Supreme Court backed a law banning TikTok unless it is sold by its China-based parent company. “We both attach great importance to interaction, hope for
‘GREAT OPPRTUNITY’: The Paraguayan president made the remarks following Donald Trump’s tapping of several figures with deep Latin America expertise for his Cabinet Paraguay President Santiago Pena called US president-elect Donald Trump’s incoming foreign policy team a “dream come true” as his nation stands to become more relevant in the next US administration. “It’s a great opportunity for us to advance very, very fast in the bilateral agenda on trade, security, rule of law and make Paraguay a much closer ally” to the US, Pena said in an interview in Washington ahead of Trump’s inauguration today. “One of the biggest challenges for Paraguay was that image of an island surrounded by land, a country that was isolated and not many people know about it,”
‘FIGHT TO THE END’: Attacking a court is ‘unprecedented’ in South Korea and those involved would likely face jail time, a South Korean political pundit said Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol yesterday stormed a Seoul court after a judge extended the impeached leader’s detention over his ill-fated attempt to impose martial law. Tens of thousands of people had gathered outside the Seoul Western District Court on Saturday in a show of support for Yoon, who became South Korea’s first sitting head of state to be arrested in a dawn raid last week. After the court extended his detention on Saturday, the president’s supporters smashed windows and doors as they rushed inside the building. Hundreds of police officers charged into the court, arresting dozens and denouncing an
CYBERSCAM: Anne, an interior decorator with mental health problems, spent a year and a half believing she was communicating with Brad Pitt and lost US$855,259 A French woman who revealed on TV how she had lost her life savings to scammers posing as Brad Pitt has faced a wave of online harassment and mockery, leading the interview to be withdrawn on Tuesday. The woman, named as Anne, told the Seven to Eight program on the TF1 channel how she had believed she was in a romantic relationship with the Hollywood star, leading her to divorce her husband and transfer 830,000 euros (US$855,259). The scammers used fake social media and WhatsApp accounts, as well as artificial intelligence image-creating technology to send Anne selfies and other messages
RSS