Ecclesiastes 3

1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Listen to The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards perform at Edinburgh Castle.

The earliest known record of the Scottish bagpipe date to around 1400 A.D. The songs that Scottish pipers first played on their bagpipes had their origin in folk songs heard for centuries at weddings, dances and community celebrations. These songs regale Scottish culture and traditions. They tell the stories of beautiful women, famous clans, Scotland’s heroes and places that bonded the Scottish people to each other and to their land.

“Auld Lang Syne” is a familiar tune that we often hear at New Year’s celebrations. It plaintively asks, “should auld (old) acquaintance be forgot”? The Scottish author, Robert Burns tells us “no”, in a poem he wrote in the 18th century. Burns tells the Scots (and all of those throughout the world who have adopted this tune), that friends and memories must be held dear, no matter how far from home.

“Scotland the Brave” is one of the most famous folk tunes in Scotland. When it is played on the bagpipe, by either a band or single piper, it moves the stalwart clansman to public displays of emotion. The bagpipe melody has been played since the beginning of the 20th century. Cliff Hanley added lyrics to this tune in the mid-1950s, recalling the history of Scotland, its beauty and the fierce spirit of its people.

“Flower of Scotland” is a strong contender to be Scotland’s official national anthem. It also details the history of Scotland and its troubled relationship with England. Scotland is officially part of the United Kingdom, after centuries of struggle against British rule. However, the Scottish Football Association and the national rugby team adopted “Flower of Scotland” for their opening ceremonies before each game. It is especially significant when Scottish teams play against England, where the national anthem, “God Save Our Queen” is the ceremonial tune.

Find the lyrics for nearly 200 Scottish bagpipe tunes at Rampant Scotland.

This modern test of strength, agility and balance can be traced back to 17th and 18th century illustrations and descriptions. Scotland proudly claims the origin of caber toss, although there were very similar activities in the Nordic lands, France, Italy and Germany.

The most prominent theory surrounding the origin of the caber toss is that of crossing the stream. The caber was tossed from one side of the river to the other to allow people to cross. This is why the caber is tossed for accuracy, rather than distance. Though another popular explanation involves tossing logs during battle, either across a moat or against the walls of a castle or to breach a barrier.

1. Start with a wooden pole about 16-22 feet long, and weighing anywhere from 80-180 pounds – different festivals have different regulations. One end of the pole should be tapered. This pole is the caber.

(According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest caber ever tossed was 25 feet long and weighed 280 pounds!)

2. Have the pole brought to you, which usually requires at least three grown men. Lift the caber into your arms – this is called the ‘pick.’

3. Hoist the caber, so that the bottom of the pole is about level with your elbows. Cup the smaller, tapered end of the pole in your palms, and balance its weight against your shoulder.

4. When properly balanced, run forward with the caber for about twenty yards, so as to gain momentum. This is called the ‘approach.’

5. After a good running start, plant your feet so as to provide a good throwing platform. This is called the ‘plant.’

6. Push upward and out, away from your shoulders. Your intention is to flip the pole, with the larger end of the caber hitting the ground, so that the pole lands in a straight line perpendicular to your shoulders.

The object is not the distance of the throw, but rather to have the caber fall directly away from the thrower after landing. A perfect throw ends with the ‘top’ end nearest to the thrower and the ‘bottom’ end pointing exactly away. If the throw is not perfect, it is scored by viewing the caber as though it were the hour hand on a clock. A perfect toss is 12:00. A caber pointing to 11:00 would yield a better score than one pointing to 10:30 but would be the equivalent of 1:00. If the caber lands on its end and falls back towards the thrower, the score is lower than for any throw that falls away from the thrower but will be based upon the maximum vertical angle that the caber achieved (side-judging may involve a second judge.) An angle of 87° is better than 75°. Scoring depends on accuracy, and if the caber did not completely turn once, then it is based on the degree that it rose away from the ground.

Cabers vary greatly in length, weight, taper, and balance, all of which affect the degree of difficulty in making a successful toss. If a caber is too heavy to be ‘turned’, it may be cut until a successful toss.

Photo 1: Caber Toss © John Haslam / Flickr.com – CCA ShareAlike

Photo 2: A caber being tossed at Loon Mountain at the 2000 New Hampshire Highland Games