Clan Fraser Society of Australia

The Game of Shinty

Sun, 09 Mar 2008 15:30:05 -0400

The game of shinty goes back to the roots of Gaelic Scotland and the even earlier heritage of the Celtic race. Its demands of skill, speed, stamina and courage make camanachd the sport of the curved stick the perfect exercise of a warrior people. Within the rivalries of the game, clan against clan, parish against parish and brae against strath, there developed a social comradeship in the world of camanachd and this continues to the present day.

In common with other sports, shinty moved out of a long previous history of unwritten rules and widely differing local variations in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. In October, 1893 The Camanachd Association was formed with the then Lord Lovat as President, and for a long period he remained a very influential leader in the game. The Camanachd Cup Trophy competition was instituted in 1895 and the first final was contested at Inverness on 5 April 1896 when Kingussie beat Glasgow Cowal by two hails to nil. Over the long intervening years this has remained the overall championship competition for all Scotland and the Camanachd Cup Final, at a cycle of venues, is the outstanding occasion in the annual shinty calendar.

Todays game is now played 12 a side in two periods of 45 minutes. The field of play is 140 to 170 yards long by 70 to 80 yards wide. The goals are 12 feet wide by 10 feet high. There is a penalty area, 10 yards from the centre of the goal, 4 yards broad, with quarter circle extensions to the bye-line. An attacking player inside this area before the ball is off-side. A defending player who commits an infringement inside this area concedes a penalty against his side. This is struck from a point at midfield, 20 yards from the goal.

The playing stick - the caman - is now usually made of laminated hickory or ash, and the head, which is of triangular section, must be able to pass through a ring two and a half inches in diameter. The ball has a seamed leather cover, with a permitted circumference between seven and a half and eight inches and weight between two and a half and three ounces.

Only the goalkeeper is allowed to handle the ball, by slapping or stopping it with his open hand. The ball may not be kicked nor, of course, may an opponent. A strike can be blocked or 'cleeked' within normal swinging distance. There is no restriction in the height or direction of hitting with the caman apart, again, from striking an opponent, or overhead swinging in a dangerous manner (when close to other players).

The referee begins a match, and restarts after a goal and at half time, by throwing the ball up, over a height of twelve feet, between the opposing centre players, who hold their camans crossed above their heads ready to play the ball as it descends. Where a ball has gone out of play on the sidelines, a player of the opposing team takes a hit-in by throwing the ball directly above his head and striking it, as it descends, with the heel of his caman, whilst the ball is still overhead. When the ball crosses the bye-line from an attacker, a goal-hit is taken, as in soccer. When it goes over the bye-line from a defending player, a hit-in is taken from the corner. Infringements outside the penalty area incur a free-hit, with all other players more than 5 yards distant when it is taken. A goal may not be scored directly from a free hit.

Some Early Highland Superstitions

Sun, 09 Mar 2008 15:22:42 -0400

LUCKY PENNY
The lucky "Penny Piece" - Peighinn pisich - a lucky penny or coin, to be carried at all times on the person. Turned in the pocket or sporran 3 times at first sight of the new moon. to bring money or financial good luck.

GOOD BUTTER
To ensure good butter for the household.(from Orkney) A housewife should go to the sea-shore with a pail. Count nine waves and on the ninth wave coming in, scoop up 3 gowpens of seawater, presumably from the crest, and put into the pail, take home and put in the churn with the milk

GOOD FISHING
To ensure favourable winds fishermen would walk 3 times deiseil (sun-wise) round a monolith on the headlands called Granny Gourock praying for good weather.

NAN GALL THE STRANGER
It was believed bad luck for a stranger to step across ropes, oars or gear on the beach when a boat was put to sea. The Stranger would need to be prevailed upon to retrace the steps over the gear to undo his Bad Luck put upon the gear and the intended sailing.

It was also bad luck for a Stranger to count a man's sheep or cattle, or his children. If it was necessary to say how many children a family had, it was also necessary to say "Bless Them" when replying, to avert the bad luck.

FOOD AND DRINK
In some areas it was believed to bring bad luck to a company when drinking their health or serving food or drink unless it be done deiseil (sun-wise) around the table.

TRAVELING
Also any journey in a boat to a marriage or funeral had to be first traveled deiseil.

PEOPLE
In Shetland it was unlucky to save a drowning man or to throw water out of the house after sunset or before sunrise.

To open a grave on a Sunday meant another would be dug within a week for another family member. If a corpse did not stiffen after death, it meant another death in that family before that year end.

When a child first walked it must first go upstairs not down, or it would not thrive in the world. If there were no stairs to climb, the child must climb up a chair.

To see a new moon through the window was said to bring very bad luck.

Donald Fraser.

Christmas in Scotland

Sun, 09 Mar 2008 15:17:22 -0400

Christmas and its customs were in disfavour in England during the reign of Cromwell, but Scotland ignored the holiday far longer as "Christmas" is "Christ's Mass" and mass was banned in Scotland, where charges were brought against people for keeping "Yule" Amazingly, this dour, joy-crushing attitude lasted for 400 years. Christmas was seen as more for children and it did not become a recognised holiday until after WW2 and Boxing Day even later. (I think there were 2 days holiday at New Year in Scotland, whereas England had 2 days at Christmas and only one at New Year. When I was young Good Friday was never a holiday in Scotland either).

Christmas was eagerly anticipated by all as bringing some joy, light and colour to break the monotony of a long cold dark winter. Daylight was short. You went to work and school in the dark and it was getting dark again by 3pm. Most homes had a decorated Christmas tree hung with multicoloured "fairy lights". They were placed in a window to be seen by all. Street lighting was much less effective when I was young so the trees lent a touch of magic, and long bus journeys seemed very much shorter for children who took a side of the road each and competed to see who could count the most trees.

One of the first signs of the approaching festivities was the arrival in the shops of a particular variety of apple - the Cox's Orange Pippin. I still miss them! Oval wooden boxes of dates also appeared. Houses were decorated and paper chains, often home made, were strung across the living room. Holly was laid along the top of picture frames and was specially prized if it had lots of red berries. We all knew the link between mistletoe and kissing, but there was very little mistletoe around in Scotland. It tends to grow on oak trees further south in England.

On Christmas Eve we put out a glass of whisky and a piece of cake for Santa Claus and a carrot or two for the reindeer and hung up our stockings on the mantelpiece. However they were always waiting at the foot of our bed when we woke, full of exciting rustles and surprises, but always with a mandarin and apple at the toe. Many people went to an 11pm church service on Christmas Eve and sang carols (No sermon at this service). One memory I have is of many of the women wearing head scarves to cover the curlers in their hair, so they would look their best for the next day. The usually austere Presbyterian Church of Scotland was transformed by candles flickering in each pew and our church had a nativity scene at the front. At midnight the minister would proclaim "Christ is born!" and we all went out into the freezing cold, walking cautiously on the icy roads.

Most people went to church on Christmas morning, then returned home for a Dinner of Stuffed Roast Chicken or Turkey, Bread Sauce, tiny chippolata sausages, Roast Potatoes, carrots and Brussel Sprouts. This was followed by Christmas Pudding with Brandy Butter and a Trifle with a generous amount of sherry in the custard! Bottles of Whisky, Sherry, and Ginger Wine sat on the sideboard. We pulled Christmas Crackers and wore the paper hats. The meal was timed to finish by 3pm, when everyone gathered round the radio, later the TV, for the Queen's Broadcast. Children fortunately then had their new toys to keep them occupied as the adults generally snored gently in their armchairs for the rest of the afternoon......

Traditionally the day after Christmas was the day we went to the Pantomime. Shows such as Cinderella, Puss In Boots, or Babes in the Wood were not intended merely for children. The Prince was always played by a girl, and the big bosomed Dame was always a man, and there were a lot of jokes that fortunately went over the heads of the younger members of the audience!

Christmas was now officially over. The end of the year was fast approaching and in preparation houses were cleaned, windows washed and chimneys swept. Bills were paid and business completed wherever possible. New Year's Eve or Hogmanay was the Big Night of the Year... but that's another story!

Thanks to Dorothy Fraser.

Cairnbulg Castle

Sun, 09 Mar 2008 15:08:06 -0400

From Susan Boag - Clan Fraser Society of UK & Scotland Newsletter #17

Before 1308-9 the Comyns, Earls of Buchan,. held all the land in the part of Aberdeenshire still known as Buchan. The Norse were defeated at the Battle of Largs in 1263 and their King Haakon died in the following year, but before that the Buchan coast was susceptible to Viking invasion.

The Earl of Buchan built a number of Castles along the coast as protection and it is thought that first stone castle on the site of Cairnbulg was probably one of those. Nowadays the Castle seems too far from the coast to be part of a coastal defence, but seems almost certain that when it was built it was right on the estuary of the Water of Philorth. On that part of the coast the sea has been receding in the last few hundred years. In fact, the river only settled into its present course in the late 1930s and dunes opposite the castle have only grown up since then.

In the Wars of Independence, the Comyns sided with the English against Robert the Bruce, and in the winter of 1308-9 Bruce defeated the English at the battle of Barra Hill. Bruce then destroyed all the castles of the Earldom of Buchan so that they could never be held against him. The lands were divided among his supporters. The Earl of Ross then received the part of Buchan where Cairnbulg Castle now stands, along with the ruins of the first castle.

In 1375 Johanna, daughter and co-heiress of the 5th Earl of Ross, married Sir Alexander Fraser of Cowie, and the Ross lands in Buchan were her dowries. It seems that restoration of the Castle started in around 1380 as the main tower appears to date from that time and other parts from not much later. It is difficult to say exactly when any part of the castle was built, although we do know that it has been altered several times.

The family remained in the castle until late in the 16th century. Then Sir Alexander Fraser, 8th of Philorth, built the town of Fraserburgh, improved the harbour and built a University and another castle. As a result, perhaps not surprisingly, he became heavily in debt and in 1613 he had to sell Cairnbulg castle and a lot of the land.

The castle was sold to Alexander Fraser of Durris, on condition that should he or his descendants ever wish to sell, it would first be offered to Sir Alexander or his descendents. This agreement was not adhered to and the castle passed through a number of families.

Between 1775 and 1801 it was vandalised by George 3rd Earl of Aberdeen in order to rebuild other houses in the district where he kept his mistresses. By 1780 it was essentially a ruin. In 1896 Sir John Duthie owned the castle and he restored it using granite. He died in 1923 and Cairnbulg Castle was bought back by 21st Lord Saltoun.

At last the Castle had returned to the Philorth family after 300 years.

Ancient Alba

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:07:10 -0500

An enquiry by a Queensland member regarding the name "Alba" sent me scurrying to the Internet to find articles as to the reason Alba is the ancient name for Scotland. . Ptolemy around AD127 said the early Basque seafarers from the North of Spain, as well as Greek shipmasters, navigated around the British Isles and referred to them as Alba or Albion (meaning white)

This then led to almost non-existent history of the Picts and the ancient legendary division of Alba into seven kingdoms. There is today much doubt as to the genuine accuracy of the details of the account dated 1202-1214 entitled "De situ Albanie" compiled from several early sources, but such is the stuff of legends.

Legend says in early times King Cruithne, son of Cinge, father of the Picts, reigned for 100 years. He had seven sons, whose names were Fib, Fidach, Fotlaig, Fortrenn, Cait, Ce and Circinn. These seven sons divided the land into seven parts.

Cait ruled for 12 years over the area now known as Caithness, Sutherland, West Highlands and Northern and Western Isles. The name means 'cat people' and many of the clans from this area have a cat as their emblem. Fidach ruled for 40 years over the area now
known as Moray, Nairn and Ross. The name means Woodsman.

Ce ruled for 15 years over the areas now known as Banff, Buchan and parts of Aberdeenshire. The name Ce may survive in the town of Keith.

Fotlaig ruled for 30 years over the area now known as Athol and Gowrie. Fotla was a goddess of Ireland.

Circinn (or Cirech) ruled for 60 years over the area now known as Angus and the Mearns. The name means 'crest headed'. Skene highlights a Crus (son of Cirech) who was a warrior of the Picts. A battle was fought on the plain of Circinn against the Scots.

Fortrenn (or Fortrui) ruled for 70 years over the area now known as Strathearn and Menteith. The name may mean 'people of the slow winding river.'

Fib ruled for 24 years over the area now known as Fife and Kinross. In the book of Deer the people of fife are called the 'cu-sidhe', fairy hounds.

In the third century AD Eumenius, a Roman writer, refers to the inhabitants of Alba as Picts, "painted people" and in other early writings they are also referred to as Cruithni" meaning the tribe of designs.

The Picts were an ancient and artistic people who defied the might of Rome which conquered the rest of Britain. They were a sophisticated, hardworking, clever people, skilled in farming and fishing.

Although the Romans reached Scotland and often defeated them in battle, they never conquered the Picts or Pictland.

(Information from www.holyrood.org.uk)

Alasdair Fraser - Master Scottish Fiddler

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:56:25 -0500

In England they have folk music, in Scotland we have music, where there isnt the firm distinction and its often hard to see where one supposed genre ends and the other starts.

Our fellow clansman, Alasdair, describes himself as a consummate performer. A fiddler he is, but one who has performed on film scores, featured on over 100 TV and Radio shows in the UK and US and played along side such diverse groups as The Waterboys and The Chieftains.

He performs solo, in duets and with his group Skyedance. I have the pleasure in owning their Live in Spain CD and you can almost feel the atmosphere in the Spanish crowd. On top of all that he also directs the 100 member San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers Orchestra.

Alasdair has been a major force behind the resurgence of traditional Scottish fiddling in his homeland and the U.S., inspiring legions of listeners and learners through his recordings, annual fiddle camps, and concerts. He has represented Scotland internationally through performances sponsored by the British Council, and has been awarded touring support by the California Arts Council, with the ranking of "highest priority for inclusion on the roster; considered 'model' in stature."

He was born in Clackmannan, then Scotlands smallest county and started to play the violin at the age of 8, encouraged by a whole family of musicians. In 1973 he won the National Mod violin contest and now lives with his wife and two sons in the Sierra Nevada foothills of northern California, operating his own Culburnie Records label and making frequent trips to Scotland and beyond, for numerous engagements. This year alone they include many in the US, over 20 in California alone, one in New Zealand (early 07), Ireland, England and performances at Aberdeen, Skye and most incredibly the little Ryhnie Church in Aberdeenshire.

For more information have a look at the following websites alasdairfraser.com & culburnie.com.

He is certainly a musician Scots and Frasers can be proud of.

The Culloden Flag

Sat, 24 Mar 2007 12:20:00 -0400

News has come from the Clan Fraser Society of UK & Scotland of the discovery of part of a flag which was believed to be carried by the Frasers of Lovat at Culloden. In 1827 it was given by Fraser of Lovat to an Inverness antiquarian, Dr.MacIntosh, who apparently cut it in half and the left side was given to an ancestor of the present owner. What has happened to the right half is unknown.

This portion of the flag is 15.75 high by 10.63 wide (40 x 27cm).

However, the story handed down to the family does not appear to be correct.

Lord Lyons office confirmed the arms on the flag are those of the Lord Fraser of Lovat and used by them since the 1500s, also the decorative style wasnt Scots but European and the Union Flag was pre-1801. Then the Royal Crown and crowned thistle were considered, along with Union Flag. This began to show this was a British army flag, owned by a Lord Lovat

Further research has shown it dates earlier than 1745 and appears to be Lord Lovats Camp Flag for a government regiment, possibly the Independent Highland Companies, known as the Black Watch. The material is silk, and it was probably made in France although the motto is in English.

Its good condition is probably due to the fact that it has been hidden in a drawer for probably over 150 years. Naturally the present custodians of this Fraser relic are hoping more information may come to light which would reveal a solution to the mystery surrounding it.

Thanks to Gordon Fraser, one of the CFSSUK members, for this computerised version of what the original flag probably looked like.

Christmas Messages From Our Chiefs And Commissioner.

Sun, 14 Jan 2007 10:40:00 -0500

You may all by now have heard of the Gathering 2009, the International Clan Gathering which is to take place in Edinburgh on 24th/25th /26th July 2009. I am planning to have a tent at the Highland Games which are to take place in Holyrood Park, and the family are rallying round to help. Needless to say all Frasers will be welcome at it, and I look forward to meeting many of you there.

Let us hope that we shall have a drier summer than this year, which has, I think been the wettest on record in this country, with very serious flooding in some areas. Now, after what seems like no summer at all, we are in the run up to Christmas once again, and I send you all my best wishes for it and the year to follow.

Many happy returns to you all for next year. I hope it will be a fulfilling and prosperous year for everyone.
Best wishes

With our current drought in many Australian areas, we somewhat envy Scotlands rain, but as they have received far too much we hope our summer doesnt follow the same pattern. When is enough too much?

Clan wise, this last quarter has been fairly quiet, but Clan Fraser is always kept busy in the wider Scottish community which keeps us on our toes with all things Scottish.

The end of the year is looming far too quickly so I would just to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year, and good health to all, especially those who have been on the sick list this year.

Fraser Christmas Cake and Anyday Haggis For Hogmanay

Mon, 06 Nov 2006 20:35:43 -0500

Fraser Christmas Cake

1 lb (450g) currants
1 lb (450g) sultanas
4 oz (115g) glace cherries
4 oz (115g) mixed peel
8 oz (250g) ground almonds
8 oz (250g) butter
8 oz (150g) soft brown sugar
5 eggs
3 dessertspoons sherry
1 tablespoon treacle
10 oz (300g) plain flour
1 teaspoon mixed spice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground mace
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Line a cake tin with double greaseproof paper. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs whole, one at a time, and beat in the treacle. Add the flour sieved with the spices, then the dried fruits, cherries, peel and ground almonds, And lastly pour in the sherry. Cook in a preheated oven 350ºF 180º) for 30 minutes, then turn down heat to 325ºF (160ºC) and bake for about another 2 ½ hours.

Anyday Haggis For Hogmanay
From Ena Baxters Scottish Cookbook

½ lb (250g) ox liver
4oz (125g) shredded suet
4oz (125g) pinhead oatmeal
1 large onion
½ teas. freshly ground black pepper
½ teas. salt

Place liver in a small saucepan with the onion and add one teacup (200ml) water. Boil for 15 minutes. Meanwhile toast the oatmeal for a few minutes in the oven till light brown. Mince liver and onion and make the liquid up to a cup with water. Mix all together with seasoning and liquid.
Turn into a greased bowl and steam for 2 hours.

Professor Ian Frazer named Australian of the Year 2006

Sun, 26 Feb 2006 08:30:00 -0500

Ian Frazer is an Australian immunologist, best known for his work on the development of a cervical cancer vaccine. In January 2006 he was named Australian of the Year.

He trained as a physician in Edinburgh, specialising in immunology. He emigrated to Melbourne in 1980 to research viral immunology and moved to Queensland in 1985 where he currently heads the University of Queensland Centre for Immunology and Cancer Research at the Princess Alexandra Hospital.

In 2005 Ian Frazer and his research groups clinical study of a vaccine against human papillomavirus, discovered it was 100% effective in preventing common cervical cancers caused by the virus.

He has just been awarded the Clunies Ross Award for his ground breaking effort and last March the Florey Medal for Bio Medical Research. Last year he received the US Cancer Research Institute William B Colley Award for distinguished research.