AboutKaye McAlpine Expertise Lifecycle (birth, marriage, death) customs in Scotland, Early Modern Scottish social
customs, modern Scottish social customs, Border March laws and procedures, criminal
processes and judicial execution practices, social history in Early Modern Scotland,
ephemera printing in Scotland. While I have knowledge of the clan system and function of
the clan society (Highland and Lowland), I am not a an expert in clan genealogy.
Experience Freelance tutor in outreach courses from Edinburgh University on Scottish Culture and Tradition, including lifecycle customs, broadsheet ballads in Scotland, the traditional ballad and history. Freelance writer, guest presenter on Ch4 History Hunters programme, contributor to BBC Radio Scotland's 'Songlines' series on 'The Dowie Dens of Yarrow'. Currently co-director of amedia production company
Publications Books: Forthcoming - Compendium of Scottish Ethnology, chapter on The Traditional and the Border Ballad; The Harris Repertoire (2000, Scottish Text Society, co-editor), The Ballad in History (chapter on Border ballads). Journals include Folklore, The Review of Scottish Culture,Sottish Studies, and The Scottish Literary Journal
Question Can you please tell me what is appropriate, our friends have migrated to Aust from Scotland & I wish to surprise them with a traditional experience for there new born son.
Answer Hello Tanya
There are many traditions surrounding babies and children, but in terms of gifts, the tendency is to give the baby something silver. I think this springs from the tradition of hanselling children - when someone met a woman with her recently-born baby in its pram, they would put a silver coin (like an old sixpence) under the pillow or into the baby's hand - and then they would tell the parents what they'd done, but the matter was beleived to be between the giver and the baby. If they held on to it, it was said that they would be 'grippy' - sensible or careful with money - when they were older. My daughter is only 8, but when she was a baby, most of our older neighbours put a pound coin on her pram's pillow when they first saw her, or put it beside her in her Moses basket. Likewise, there were several older people who stopped me when we were out walking and she was very young (1-2 months), and insisted on putting a coin under her pillow. It is a little act of giving, but I think some people - especially older people - believe there is a 'good luck' element passed on to the giver, as well as the god will passed on to the baby.
I have to say, I think hanselling is a lovely thing - people get obvious pleasure from doing it - and it's a little way of welcoming the baby into the community. I live in Edinburgh, and anything that brings strangers from a city together for something pleasant, even for that moment, is surely good.
So, if you are going to meet with your friends, why not have a shiny coin - a 1 or 2 dollar one - to 'hansel' the baby with, and try to get something silver for part of the gift.
I hope this helps - it's a lovely thought you have had.
