Tags
Burns night, Etopia Press, Flora Macdonald, His Judas Bride, Jenny Geddes, Kate Barlass, Mary Queen of Scots, Mary Slessor, Robert Burns. Scots
And being a good Scot’s lass–ok mixed ancestry but hey– to celebrate I am going to be looking at certain things Scottish over the next few blogs. Sharon Struth, can we just get the kilts out the way now, please thank you…
Kara and the Wolf –my hero and heroine of His Judas Bride — will give you their own Burns supper. Yes. Ewen and Dug may even attend doing the toast tae the dugs. (Anne Lange WILL like that). I want to look at who I believe are the best Scots literature giants and their creations…. Scottish films… Then there’s Scots royalty…
SO do tune in.
To start with I am reblogging some Scottish women…ones who absolutely knew their place in life as Scottish women do, but that will be it for the reblogs. Besides I know there are those who are yet to read…….
Looking incredibly noble here for someone about to have their arm snapped….let’s see how good she looks after eh?…. did Kate sit mutely doing her embroidery, saying I know my place, when assassins arrived to kill James 1st of Scotland? A quite common occurrence for a Scottish king, by the way. No. Kate’s place was at the chamber door, sticking her arm through the staples, while the King fled into a sewer tunnel. Now, if she had spent all these hours embroidering tapestries and bed sheets, would she have had the eyesight to see the bolt had been removed? She didn’t save the king by the way, but it wasn’t for want of getting her arm broken for her trouble.
Jenny certainly knew her place in that she went to church. Yes. But as for sitting quietly there, Jenny wasn’t for having Charles 1st’s new prayer book. ‘Daur ye say mass in my lug?’ Jenny enquired, turfing her prayer stool at the minister. Before we go thinking Jenny did this entirely from a desire to keep her ears unblemished, she, and a number of other women had been paid to disrupt the service. Would any man have done that if he thought woman were meek and mild? Jenny’s stunt sparked a riot, which led to a war, which led to the execution of a king, Charles 1st. Who says only the Scots did that? Mind you he was of Scots’ descent.
Well, what list of Scottish women would be complete without Flora? When the Bonnie Prince fled Culloden, more or less landing up on her doorstep with his tattered hopes and dreams, a price on his head, did she say, I’m awfie sorry Charlie, but I wouldnae be kenning my place if I let you in the night?
Absolutely not. Flora did time for taking the Prince, disguised as a maidservant, by boat, over the sea to Skye.
Again, the list would be incomplete given the way Mary blazed through life. Imprisoned at the age of 25, by which time she’d lived a lifetime, widowed twice, a son she would never see again, a ruinous marraige to the kidnapping, allegedly rapacious, Bothwell, Mary had a lot of time to learn her place. But the feisty queen preferred to spend her time escaping, allegedly writing letters implicating her in her second husband’s murder and getting involved in various plots. All leading to her place eventually being on the executioner’s block – in a dark red petticoat no less.
Mary would hardly be commemorated on Scottish banknotes today if she’d known her place. At that time in Dundee? You would have to be mad. Mary was soon saving hundreds of sets of twins in Calabar – a place said to be less rough than Dundee Hilltoon on a Saturday night – nursing, teaching, and generally gaining a respect unknown for a woman there. it wouldn’t have happened if she’d worked in a Dundee jute mill.
NEXT UP. On their first Burns Night together just how will Kara and the Wolf, not to mention Dug, fare……?
shehanne moore 
Great post, Shey. Loved learning about the women of history I didn’t know about – Jenny Geddes and Kate Barlass. Enjoy the haggis, neeps and tatties. I love a good haggis, but it never tastes the same outside Scotland. I guess it doesn’t travel well. Of course, I have seen those little furry creatures, lurking behind rocks up in the Highlands. They wait until some unsuspecting tourist passes by and then leap on him/her. I had a near miss once…
Abso and they have ten legs too. Haggis leg is quite the delicacy. I bet ya Ranting Crow has a recipe for them. Lovely to see you Cat, I know you are kind of busy. Kate and Jenny were quite the thing I must say!
What a great homage to ‘Rabbie’s Day’! And on a more selfish note, hopefully I’ll be able to speak more authoritatively on my next visit to Scotland.. thanks for sharing.
Hee hee!!! You will indeed. Thanks so much for coming by. As for coming by Scotland, do let me know! We can meet for a dram.
Ladies of History. the once that were able to rule with iron fist and look good with a sword in hand.
He he History is always cool and the Celtic have loads.
I tried to make Haggis once and that was a fail 🙂 though correctly done it can be delicious. But that takes time.
Keep smiling and thank you for the laugh
But haggis legs…Ranting….You can do these surely!!! Come on a Crow who can make these wonderful cupcakes is certainly not wingless.
I Meant the Haggis it self Milady. That takes time.. and surely I am not wingless. ha ha
Nah yir ok. Especially as Noelle is offski at a music festival. You are safe as houses.
One could always go for a cottage pie. like this one
also very traditional
I see you are going to be cooking for the Burns supper Mr Crow!!
i loved this post, Shey! loved learning about those women that didn’t follow the norm and will be looking forward to the upcoming posts on Scottish things! 😀 i love learning about Scotland and look forward to the day that I can go visit! *fingers crossed while wishing on a star*
Awww. Thank you my partner in doodling. I hope one day you do come so you can come see me and we can paint the town with doodles. Yes..I think a little Scottish few days is in order!