The Massacre of Glencoe 13th Feb. 1692

The following 'military orders' are presented in the language used by the writer in the 1600's: ( from the book- Slaughter under Trust by Donald J. Macdonald )

"Sir, You are hereby ordered to fall upon the rebells the Macdonalds of Glencoe and put all to the sword under (the age of) seventy. You are to have special care that the old fox and his sons do not escape your hands; you are to secure all avenues, that no man escape. This you are to put in execution at five of the clock precisely; and by that time, or very shortly after it, I will strive to be at you with a stronger party. If I do not come to you at five, you are not to tarry for me, but to fall on.
This is by the King's special commands, for the good and safety of the Countrey, that these miscreants be cut off root and branch. See that this be put in execution without fear or favour, or you may expect to be dealt with as one not true to King or Government, nor a man fit to carry a commission in the King's service. Expecting you will not fail in the fulfilling hereof, as you love yourself, I subscribe this at Ballychyllis, the 12 Feby. 1692.

Robert Duncanson."

These were the orders given to the Argyll Regiment in Scotland by those that meant not only to do drastic harm to this clan, but to make an example of the MacIain's
(MacDonald's) of Glencoe so all other clans would submit to the power of the crown.

This is what genocide looks like, and was/is considered the most devastating thing that ever happened in Scotland's history.

On Feb 13th, (or the closest Saturday to that date), each year Scots around the world meet up, in a Memorial Ceremony to honour those men, women, and children that perished that morning so many years ago.

A more detailed account of what led up to this event, including the journey that the chief of this clan took to assure the safety of all of their members, before the massacre, is included in The Warriors and Wordsmiths of Freedom text due for release in April 2009.

The closest Memorial Ceremony is in Hillsboro, Oregon....check the Clan Donald Pacific Northwest web pages to find out the details, if you wish to attend.

Linda

The Warriors and Wordsmiths of Freedom: the Birth and Growth of Democracy

What did William Wallace and George Washington have in common?

How were King Robert the Bruce and Thomas Jefferson similar?

What two documents brought the Western World, from the medieval days of feudalism to present day democracy?

How did we achieve the right to pick our own leadership?

And what does a snuffbox have to do with it?

The Warriors and Wordsmiths of Freedom will answer these questions and provide a easy to follow voyage through those historical days. The Scots fight for freedom, not only at home but after their migration across the Atlantic.

The right to choose their leaders.

The basic rights of man.

And the love of their freedom, ..were the motivating ideals that moved this race of men and women to continue the fight, to secure these things regardless of where they lived. The foe and the issues were the same, as was their willingness to stand up against their oppressors with undying faith in their eventual victory.

Written as an introduction to the history of Scotland, this book also encompasses folklore and interesting stories of uncommonly known sites and facts through this period of history to the present day.

Personality traits of key figures in this history are noted, to better explain the motives and actions of these characters, and why history took the turn that it did when it did .

Divided into three parts :

The Wars of Independence (in Scotland).
The Jacobite Risings (in Scotland).
The Revolutionary Wars (in the American Colonies).

The 'Afterword on Democracy' rounds up the history with a statement that brings it all to the doorstep of the reader and the world today.

The text also includes a Chronology of Events, Illustrations.

Soon to be released ....

Burns Night Supper Events

To George and anyone else that happens to be interested in attending an open-invitation Burns Night Supper...I have found the following event in the
"extended" local area.

Unfortunately all other events I have found thus far, were actually held on the date of Jan. 17th, and have passed. But, on the upside...
This is a fairly new Scottish pub, ...and in the past two years I have heard many good comments on the operation of the place. I've never been there myself,...but have always considered word-of-mouth adverts as the best. If you attend I'm sure you'll have a good time. Who wouldn't (?) on a night where Burns is being quoted, whisky is flowing and Haggis is being served.

Details below:

January 21, 2009


*
Highland Stillhouse 3rd annual Burns Supper

Highland Stillhouse
201 Second Street Oregon City, OR
6:30 PM

Join us for the Highland Stillhouse 3rd annual Burns Supper, Wednesday January 21st at 6:30 pm.

Night will include a feast of "Traditional Fare" with appetizers, a selection of main course, sticky toffee pudding, Atholl brose and of course haggis! An array of Whiskies will be poured for an additional fee of $20. There will be music and pipes throughout the night to accompany our host, Stuart Maclean Ramsay as he delivers the "Address to the Haggis".

$35 per person. Reservations required.

(503) 201-2255 or (503) 201-2241

Or, there's this one....

Robert Burns Scottish Evening

The Celtic Arts Foundation presents:

The 18th annual Robert Burns Scottish Evening, Saturday, January 24, 2009 at Hillcrest Lodge in Mount Vernon, WA. Tickets are $55 each and include a traditional Scottish meal, live entertainment AND Haggis. Please call 360-416-4934 or toll free 1-888-416-4934 for more information. Tickets must be purchased in advance, and are available online using the link below. (Please check out their website)

Message to President Obama and the People of this Nation

We as a people are embarking on a journey, unlike one we have seen before, in this country.

Many of the situations are similar to those things, we have seen come down through historic events here. But, the atmosphere of the day and the attitude of the people have been much changed, by those same events. And, by how their leadership have come to deal with them, in the past.

Many here, have (undoubtedly), placed 'all' their hopes and aspirations for this nation, into the hands of the man that has been elected, and doing so with much jubilation. Waiting for this man and his chosen learned men and women to lead us in this journey, onto the 'rough road' ahead.
Thinking that he alone will be able to lay straight many of the infractions against the people and the nation, made by the previous leaders. Giving little thought to how their own choices and actions, in these past few decades have actually helped to cause, the exact situation that they are finding difficulty with now.

Following are some passages from 'The Afterword on Democracy' from my upcoming book
"The Warriors and Wordsmiths of Freedom: The Birth and Growth of Democracy", that speak to these same issues.


Afterword on Democracy

"In this modern world, the word ‘democracy’ is tossed around like a ball by the media, politicians, and heads of state. Webster’s defines democracy as ‘a government in which the people hold the ruling power either directly or through elected representatives; rule by the ruled.’ By this definition, modern states that have chosen democratic rule should be run according to the needs and wishes of all those within their boundaries. But I fear that is not the case. Something has been lost along the way, and the power of such nations has been placed almost completely in the hands of the few that represent them...

"The people are the ‘managers’ and ‘owners’ of the democratic nation. And a great responsibility comes along with that ownership."....

"The strength of a nation is in its people, and it is the people who have the responsibility to uphold its basic tenets. But first they have to understand what these tenets are, and what the responsibility of each citizen is to keep these things in operations, even though centuries may have passed since this was all set down for them...


There is of course much more to the section 'Afterword on Democracy'...

Production on the book is winding into it's final phase, back in Edinburgh and we are hoping to have the release date here on July 4th. Barring any difficulty the books should be available in my shop by then.

It is my sincere hope that Pres. Obama and his staff will be able to "meet these challenges".

But try to keep in mind that the responsibility of this nation or any nation for that matter.... falls into the hands of the people.

Good Luck to All,

Linda

Happy Hogmanay (New Year) to All !

I've often said "My life has been one big long day....with naps." I've never been one to mark time as it passes, but with the changing of each year, it's a bit hard to ignore.
Calendars must be changed out, special care has to be given to check writing (when filling in the date), and many experience the biggest hang-over of their year...on the first day of each New Year that comes.
The past year has been a great one for me. I've been able to reconnect with many souls
that I had lost track of/or who had lost track of me. This blog site has enabled that quite well, as a place to "meet-up" again. And that's been brilliant.

The next big Scottish celebration will be on the 25th of this month, "Burns Night Supper". This year is a special one...because it marks the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns birth and the kick-off of the year long celebration in Scotland called:
Scotland's Homecoming 2009. Robert Burns is the poet that wrote the song you just sang last night at the stroke of midnight "Auld Lang Syne' and holds the title of being Scotland's (timeless) Bard. There will be celebrations all over the world (where ever Scots gather)to honour the man...by reciting poetry (that he penned),
consuming grand portions of whisky, and eating of the haggis, tatties and neeps.
Look for a celebration in your area, most Scot Association and/or Clans organize a Burn's Night Supper and it's not only a great night out, but one more way to further your understanding of your Scottish roots.

The young lad that played 'the young Hamish' in Braveheart, ...Andrew Weir, got his start in acting by playing Robert Burns. Having grown up in Ayr, on the west coast of Scotland, he was within close reach of the home inwhich Burns was born and spent many years as a child. Recently I found I site on the Internet where Andrew (playing Burns) answers some of the 'most asked questions' about the man. (Hey that's Andrew!
was my reaction). He is still a forerunner in teaching about Burns today.

John Cairney, from Glasgow played Burns in theatre and events during the best portion of his life and is a widely recognized expert on him. Now living in New Zealand, he's known to return to Scotland in the month of January for Burns Night each year.
If you are interested in starting a Burns Night Supper event in your own area, I have a book by John Cairney called "Immortal Memories" that is a guide to the proceedings that normally take place during the evening event, available in the shop.

I personally like haggis, and seek it out when in Scotland. One of my favorite places to eat it is at The World's End Pub, on the Royal Mile, in Edinburgh. The pub is located where the old gates to Edinburgh were once located, and they believed anything outside of those gates (outside of the world or) another world.

The dish is a corn fed chicken breast stuffed with Haggis, with a whisky cream sauce...yum...yum. Served with mash tatties (potatoes) and beans.

All the Best to you and those that care for you in this New Year!

See ya soon in the shop....speaking of which I have gone down to being opened only on Saturday and Sunday, because of the slowness of the season. But will monitor the town and when things pick up, ....well you know the routine...

Linda