Originally published March 2009 The Darien Scheme was an unsuccessful attempt by the Scotland to establish a colony on the Isthmus of Panama in the 1690s. William Paterson was born in Tinwald in Dumfriesshire in 1658. He made his first fortune through international trade, traveling extensively throughout the America’s and West Indies and helped to […]
Newsletter Blast from the Past: Origins of Anglo-Irish Animosity
Originally published July 2008 Some of the roots of the animosity between the Irish and the English go back even further than the religious conflicts of the Protestant Reformation. English kings feared that if they did not dominate the smaller island, some continental power might gain a foothold there, and use it as a secondary […]
Blast from the Past: Celtic Stories and Music Online
Updated, but originally published June 2008 A little change of pace. I thought I would share some links to Celtic podcasts that I have run across. A few from the original list have been removed since their websites have died, but I was able to find some newer ones. Stories Celtic Myth Podshow The Celtic Myth […]
Celtic History Newsletter: Earliest Scottish “Pub”
Gask Ridge is ridge of land to the north of the River Earn in Perthshire, Scotland and is the modern name given to a line of Roman signal or watch towers that stretched between the Roman forts of Strageath and Bertha. (In Scottish Gaelic, a “gasg” is a projecting tail or strip of land.) The […]
Newsletter Blast from the Past: Scottish Easter/Spring games
Originally published March 2008 Fastern’s E’en Fastern E’en this “farewell to meat” before Lent is the closest thing to Mardi Gras or Carnival in Scotland. It was held on Shrove Tuesday, or the last Tuesday before Lent. It was a time to use up fat, butter and meat which was made into beef brose. The […]
Blast from the Past: Scottish Rake & Economist
Originally published March 2008 John Law, Scottish Rake & Economist John Law 1671 – 1729 was the son of a Scottish goldsmith. But with apologies to a high school and college friend who majored in economics, for an economist John Law lived an unexpectedly interesting life. As a real-life gambler, banker, duelist, royal adviser, exile, […]
Newsletter Blast from the Past: Early Kilt Satire
Originally published February 2008: Anyone who has worn a kilt for a while probably knows the standard replies to the question of what is worn underneath. Obviously such naughty speculation is nothing new. So this month I thought I would share some of the early satires on kilts and kilt wearing I have found. Several […]
Celtic History Newsletter: The White Cockade
Legend has it the white cockade which worn on the blue bonnets of the Jacobites was selected after Bonnie Prince Charlie picked a white wild rose and pinned it to his hat. It is assumed to have been a Burnet rose, AKA Scotch rose which is native throughout Britain, Europe and Asia it is […]
Newsletter Blast from the Past: Viking Age Ireland
Originally published November 2007 The Viking influence on Ireland seems to begin at the end of the eight century when the first raids on monastic settlements in Ireland were recorded. By the 840’s it appears that the Viking raiders began to establish “Longphorts” (shipping ports) in Ireland and remained over the winter at Dublin and […]
Newsletter Blast from the Past: Scottish Gaming Notes
Originally published October 2007. Some miscellaneous notes and folklore about games played in Scotland. In the 15th century the 2nd Lord of Glamis (known as Earl Beardie) was said to be avid card player. Earl Beardie and the Earl of Crawford were playing cards late on a Saturday night. According to legend, a servant came […]