Cajun or other franconphonie kilt wearers?

**macwilkin** · 29th March 06, 07:04 PM

My wife's family legend says that the Melancons (Melansons in the Maritimes) were actually Scottish who assimilated with the Acadiens in Nova Scotia after the Scots turned the colony over to the French, but my MIL has found evidence that the Melansons were actually from Yorkshire!

I did find recently that Melanson is listed as a "sept" of the Clan MacMillan:

http://www.clanmacmillan.org/Melanson.htm

Cheers,

Todd

**flyv65** · 29th March 06, 07:48 PM

Mt mother's maiden name was "Douillet"; and my great grandfather AND great grandmother (on Mom's side) were both born in France. I like to think of this as a manifestation of the "auld alliance"

.

Bryan...et je parle an peu de la langue Francais...

**Moosehead** · 29th March 06, 08:00 PM

...et moi, je suis courament bilingue.

**The Supreme Canuck** · 29th March 06, 10:16 PM

Unfortunately, I can only read it, not write it.

**jjoseph** · 30th March 06, 07:50 AM

Originally Posted by Moosehead

...et moi, je suis courament bilingue.

Of the ten of us siblings, I have one sister who is fluent in both languages. I can manage in French, but it's been twenty years since I stopped dreaming in both languages. The rest of us are English only. sigh.....

I love the fact that Eastern Canada has such a mix of both French and Scottish cultures. Auld Alliance indeed! It makes me glad to see a tribe of folk out there who bring the old French and Scottish styles forward and express them in the present. There is something solid and comforting about seeing traditions take on new life and new expression in the places far from where they began.

**macwilkin** · 30th March 06, 08:27 AM

I've always thought that Tartan looked great though. I like the one for Nova Scotia too. I lived in Chicoutimi-Nord, Québec for a while when I was (much) younger... I've been in Texas a long while now and while I adore bluebonnets, I'm not much for the Texas Bluebonnet tartan.

When my wife and I first started dating, I bought her a Nova Scotia tartan sash to wear to our first Burns Supper; this year I bought her and the MIL sashes in the Louisiana tartan -- have you considered it? It's a nice one:

http://www.csbr.org/latartan1.htm

I love the fact that Eastern Canada has such a mix of both French and Scottish cultures. Auld Alliance indeed! It makes me glad to see a tribe of folk out there who bring the old French and Scottish styles forward and express them in the present. There is something solid and comforting about seeing traditions take on new life and new expression in the places far from where they began.

Same here. My wife and I have both said out children will be taught about their Cajun and Scottish ancestry equally.

Cheers,

Todd

**Sylvain** · 30th March 06, 08:31 AM

Auld alliance... The first Scots came here with the British army, and Scots have always be seen like some kind of British. Never been on the French side... The Auld Alliance is indeed very old...

**macwilkin** · 30th March 06, 08:57 AM

Originally Posted by Sylvain

Auld alliance... The first Scots came here with the British army, and Scots have always be seen like some kind of British. Never been on the French side... The Auld Alliance is indeed very old...

But remember, the Auld Alliance refers to European history -- from the late 1200's to the early 1500's, when Scotland went Protestant in the Reformation. The Alliance, at its height, saw Scottish troops serving with French forces (most notably Joan of Arc) in the Hundred Year's War. Scots mercenaries also served as bodyguards to the French monarch, and there was sort of a "dual citizenship between Scotland and France -- not to mention the many cultural links between the two countries. During the Jacobite Rebellions, France harbored many exiled Stuart supporters, and one, the Chevalier de Johnstone (sic?) was one of Montcalm's generals at Quebec.

My wife's late grandmother (may she rest in peace) used to tease me about being Scottish, how "my people kicked her people out of Nova Scotia", but I would always point out that it was New England Yankees that kicked the French out, the Scots came after the Acadiens were gone! :mrgreen: She loved that!

Cheers,

Todd

**macwilkin** · 30th March 06, 04:32 AM

Originally Posted by flyv65

Mt mother's maiden name was "Douillet"; and my great grandfather AND great grandmother (on Mom's side) were both born in France. I like to think of this as a manifestation of the "auld alliance"

.

Bryan...et je parle an peu de la langue Francais...

That's what I call our marriage, "The Auld Alliance"! :mrgreen:

Cheers,

Todd