The Highland Heart of North America

[CMcG]

Colin, from the link you gave, I read this quote...

"The dance was passed to the Flett's from Mary Isdale McNab who stipulated that she would teach it only on the condition that it was a 'personal' dance and not to be taught to anyone else. "

I have to wonder how much tradition (in any culture) is... not "lost" per se, but deliberately thrown away. (Or allowed to die?)

My own research on Chinese martial arts percussion music, which includes aspects of dance, shows another example of preservation in the diaspora versus change in the place of origin. I spent 9 months in Hong Kong last year and was surprised by how much living tradition there is in Toronto's Chinatown, compared to the more modern scene in Hong Kong. The difference was even greater in mainland China.

I was told by my research collaborators that while some people are struggling to preserve traditions in the old country, popular taste has favoured an "out with the old, in with the new" approach. A colleague of mine has done research on the retention of traditional Ukranian music and dance in Alberta, which shows another marked case of diasporic resistance to change, despite the ravages of modernization and the legacy of Soviet nationalism in the Ukraine. I suspect this to be a fairly widespread phenomenon.

Part of this is based on the efforts of diasporic peoples to preserve their identities through their practices, when confronted with a new environment. Part of it is the implicitness of identity in the homeland, which facilitates the withering of practices thought to be archaic. Sometimes, however, the value of those traditional practices is not realized until it is too late.

I think it is wonderful when the transnational bonds between peoples of the same cultural nation allow for the rekindling of traditions that were lost in the homeland, by the spark carried in the diaspora It can go the other way too, as we have seen with many members of Xmarks who have been separated from their Scottish heritage and seek to reconnect with it by wearing the kilt, which is one tradition that has thankfully not faded in Scotland

[TheOfficialBren]

Nice! Thank you for sharing this, Nathan. I learned a lot.

Colin, I agree. It goes both ways. I have been able to learn about a part of my family's heritage that was all but lost. Through interacting with people from the old country and in the new countries I have benefitted much and learned some the customs and even a little insight into how much has also remained the same.

Old World, New World-we have much more in common that meets the eye, I think.

Being an American partly of Scottish ancestry participating here has given me a great opportunity to learn and understand more about that aspect of my heritage. I thank the rabble for that.

[Nathan]

P.S. In the second film, Mary Jane Lamond.says "Gaylic". Is that the usual Cape Breton pronunciation? In Scotland, that is reserved for Irish.

So you'll hear both in Cape Breton. Gaelic (Gay-lik) is the English name for it and Gaidhlig (Galligk) is the Gaidhlig pronunciation. Like French and Francais or Welsh and Cymraeg. Fluent speakers tend to say "Gaidhlig" and other English speakers, say Gaelic. Some specify between "Irish Gaelic" and "Scottish/Scots Gaelic" though nowadays people usually just say "Irish" for Irish Gaelic/Gaelige.

I use the terms interchangeably because when I say "Gallick" I'm picturing "Gaidhlig" in my head. When I say "Gaylic", I'm picturing "Gaelic".

Here's an Irish guy on You Tube's perspective.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWBUnixqX5g

I find it interesting that the Irish call the Celtic language of Scotland "Gaelic/Gay-lic" and Scots call the Celtic language of Ireland "Gaelic/Gay-lic" but neither is comfortable using the term to describe their own language Preferring "Irish" and "Gallic" respectively. Nationalist politics has perhaps taken its toll over the years.

[neloon]

It seems to be generally fairly easy for Scots Gaelic speakers to understand Irish Gaelic speakers since the latter is a subset of the former without all the loan words that have come in from Scandinavian and Scots and, nowadays, modern English. There are dialectal variations such as "w" for "mh" instead of "v" but Irish speakers appear regularly on programmes on Radio Alba or BBC Alba with no problem. The orthography is, however, very different.
Alan

[creagdhubh]

Thank you, Nathan. Many good links to that so-important ethnic part of Canada.

***

[Silk]

I loved your post Nathan, Nova Scotia is such a fascinating place!

Silk

[TowGuy]

Having grown up in Nova Scotia and having a grand father from Cape Breton, I am familiar with much of the history, but I will say I was impressed with what I read. Nicely done, thanks

[Nathan]

Having grown up in Nova Scotia and having a grand father from Cape Breton, I am familiar with much of the history, but I will say I was impressed with what I read. Nicely done, thanks

Glad you liked it Mr. MacDonald. :-)

[Silk]

Glad you liked it Mr. MacDonald. :-)

He's getting a Sutherland tartan too now since reading the Cape Breton Highlanders thread.

Silk

[Nathan]

He's getting a Sutherland tartan too now since reading the Cape Breton Highlanders thread.

Silk

But they wear Black Watch aka Campbell!