By bringing evidence from heraldry, DNA and place names to bear and by insisting on feasible time lines this two volume work (with accompanying CD) exposes many of the myths which still mask the origin stories of so many Scottish Clans - and offers far mo
Many remarkable things about Fife's origins never understood before are set out in detail here – a must read for all Fifers and those with an interest in the County. Drawn together for the first time: The name “Fife” has a complete explanation. Shakespeare's story of Macduff is refuted and the correct narrative offered. Why “St Regulus” was invented and the true story of the arrival of the Bones of St Andrew. Evidence of Kenneth mac Alpin's genocide in Fife is laid bare. St Serf's true story is told – so different from what so many believe. A proper explanation is given for the many Viking place names in Fife. Corrected explanations for many place names (including Kirkcaldy and Dunfermline) are given for the first time. And much much more. The book also foreshadows several centenaries which fall in the period 2025-2030 in the hope that they will be celebrated appropriately.
All over the world traditional tales used to be told at the fireseide until their place came to be taken by books, newspapers, radio and television. This is an entertaining collection from Scotland, recorded and collected by researchers from the School of Scottish Studies at Edinburgh University over the past fifty years. Taken from a variety of sources, from the Hebridean Gaelic tradition to recordings of Lowland cairds (travelling people), some are well-known tales which have equivalents in other cultures and languages, whilst others are unique to Scotland. The tales are arranged by theme: - tall tales - hero tales - legends of ghosts and evil spirits - tales of fate and religion - fairies and sea-folk - children's tales - trickster tales - tales of clan feuds - robber tales This is a welcome reprint of a book that quickly established itself as a classic. It was previously published by Polygon.
Headstrong heroines and hot-tempered chieftains, loch monsters and hill fairies, cattle raids and clan feuds, wise animals and foolish saints: the Scottish Highlands' folktales date back centuries and preserve the history and beliefs of a people deeply rooted in their land and culture. Oral traditions connect the modern world with the hearts and minds of Scottish Highlanders across the ages, bringing their world to life in vivid detail. This anthology includes new and approachable translations of folktales from the Scottish Highlands and Nova Scotia, providing extensive commentary on this rich storytelling tradition. Each story is annotated with information about its origins and any insights into its meaning. The original Scottish Gaelic texts, collected from a wide variety of rare and obscure sources, are provided in an appendix.
Englishwoman, Grace Ellington, has made a home in Scotland, but to escape from the meddling people around her who seem to think she needs to wed right away—because women need saving, right? —she volunteers to journey north to aid a friend in childbirth. Keir MacKinnon, the younger brother of the MacKinnon clan chief, has been raised to strike fear in people, on and off the battlefield. Trained to uphold MacKinnon law, he has hardened into a lethal warrior. Caught in a Highland blizzard with the feisty Grace, Keir realizes the beautiful woman who saved him can also save his nephew’s life. Sparks fly when he takes her against her will to his home, and Grace’s courage is put to the ultimate test. Is Keir MacKinnon the passionate, kind man she saved in the Highland blizzard, or is he truly the cruel executioner who seeks to solve all issues by the sword? Each book in the Highland Isles series is STANDALONE: * The Beast of Aros Castle * The Rogue of Islay Isle * The Wolf of Kisimul Castle * The Devil of Dunakin Castle
This fascinating book is the first volume in a projected cultural history of the United States, from the earliest English settlements to our own time. It is a history of American folkways as they have changed through time, and it argues a thesis about the importance for the United States of having been British in its cultural origins. While most people in the United States today have no British ancestors, they have assimilated regional cultures which were created by British colonists, even while preserving ethnic identities at the same time. In this sense, nearly all Americans are "Albion's Seed," no matter what their ethnicity may be. The concluding section of this remarkable book explores the ways that regional cultures have continued to dominate national politics from 1789 to 1988, and still help to shape attitudes toward education, government, gender, and violence, on which differences between American regions are greater than between European nations.
The popular image of Scotland is dominated by widely recognized elements of Celtic culture. But a significant non-Celtic influence on Scotland's history has been largely ignored for centuries? This book argues that much of Scotland's history and culture from 1100 forward is Jewish. The authors provide evidence that many of the national heroes, villains, rulers, nobles, traders, merchants, bishops, guild members, burgesses, and ministers of Scotland were of Jewish descent, their ancestors originating in France and Spain. Much of the traditional historical account of Scotland, it is proposed, rests on fundamental interpretive errors, perpetuated in order to affirm Scotland's identity as a Celtic, Christian society. A more accurate and profound understanding of Scottish history has thus been buried. The authors' wide-ranging research includes examination of census records, archaeological artifacts, castle carvings, cemetery inscriptions, religious seals, coinage, burgess and guild member rolls, noble genealogies, family crests, portraiture, and geographic place names.