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 I would like an appropriate phrase or scottish saying to put on Claymore sword to be used to cut the cake at my son's up and coming wedding. Much obliged
Answer Dear Christine
I can't help if you're looking for a Gaelic phrase - but I wonder if something from Burns might be appropriate. He was, in many people's opinion, not just mine, one of the best ever love poets Scotland, if not Europe, has ever produced.
A line from My Luve is Like a Red Red Rose might be appropriate: I especially love the verse:
Till a' the seas gang dry , my dear,
And the rocks melt wi' the sun;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o' life shall run.
Maybe 'Till a the seas gang dry' might be appropriate, or the last 2 lines?
I have to own that I love 'Now Westlin Winds and Slaughterin Guns' too - which does not sound promising for a wedding, but Burns turns to muse upon his own love - and the last lines are beautiful:
Not vernal show'rs to budding flow'rs,
Not Autumn to the farmer,
So dear can be as thou to me,
My fair, and lovely charmer!
The BBC is in the process of making Burns' entire works accessible online. They have - I think - 178 poems online so far, so you may want to peruse this - http://www.bbc.co.uk/robertburns/ - if you feel this is the path to follow.
I can't think of a phrase in general usage that would suffice, but poets would seem to be the answer.
