Greetings from Louisville!

[Ancienne Alliance]

Welcome from France !

It’s good to have you here.




Best,

Robert & Lady Chrystel

[Chas]

Hello Kristina,

Welcome to XMarks from the other side of the Atlantic in Norfolk, England.

Regards

Chas

[mrtackytn]

Welcome to X-Marks - from Music City, USA - Nashville, TN !!

[KThomas]

KThomas, Welcome to Xmarks from a native Louahvillian. I'm the current Pipe Sergeant of the Louisville Pipe Band. Judging from your avatar, I'd guess you're learning with the Fire & Rescue band.

As far as Highland athletics, I'm sure you've heard of Kerry Overfelt, the 2009 National Champion? He lives and trains in Bardstown. Just last month, he hosted a Highland Games at the Wickland estate in Bardstown. Do a web search for Kerry and you'll find his email address.

Best of luck in your future endeavors.

JCS

Thanks for the advice, JCS. I got in touch with Kerry and he's offered to practice with me and give me instruction.

And yes, I am with Fire & Rescue pipes and drums. Since you gave me such good advice with Kerry Overfelt, maybe I can rack your brain on grants and funding for bagpipes in Louisville. I know the Louisville Scottish Society has a grant but do you know of other grants? I'm a student and still in training for fire/ems, any help financially would be great.

Thanks again,
Kristina

[ForresterModern]

Welcome, too, from another fellow Louahvillian! Sorry I can't help much with either the pipes and drums or with the games athletic training inquiries. I am just a poor overly publicly romanticized (recently) kilt wearing golfer and family man who likes his scotch whisky, family time, and chasing a little geneology and scottish history now and again.

Be sure to join the Kilted Kentuckians social group under the "Community" tab at the top of the page, so we will know to include you in any invites for kilt nights, etc... We are about due and may need to have one to honor new members like yourself, appropriately.

jeff

[Mike_Oettle]

Hi, Kristina, and welcome to X Marks from the bottom end of Africa.
Your re-enactor persona intrigues me, since you say it is Irish Pictish.
Would that be Irish settled somewhere in Britain and intermarried with Pictish?
I am familiar with the Picts of the far north of Scotland, and am aware of earlier Picts in what is now England (perhaps invaders from the north, or remnants of a pre-Celtic society), but I am not familiar with their occurrence in Ireland. I could be wrong, and I am always willing to learn.
Good luck in your studies. It is a noble calling.
Regards,
Mike

[Tartan Hiker]

Welcome to the forum. Be sure to check the posts from Alan H, who is one of our more active athletes. He's helped train at least one female HA recently, so he may have some good advice for you.

And Jeff...

I am just a poor overly publicly romanticized (recently) kilt wearing golfer

[GreenDragon]

Greetings from Cincinnati!

[KThomas]

Hi, Kristina, and welcome to X Marks from the bottom end of Africa.
Your re-enactor persona intrigues me, since you say it is Irish Pictish.
Would that be Irish settled somewhere in Britain and intermarried with Pictish?
I am familiar with the Picts of the far north of Scotland, and am aware of earlier Picts in what is now England (perhaps invaders from the north, or remnants of a pre-Celtic society), but I am not familiar with their occurrence in Ireland. I could be wrong, and I am always willing to learn.
Good luck in your studies. It is a noble calling.
Regards,
Mike

My persona’s name is Muirgen, which is a documented Pictish name with Irish roots. Most scholars believe that the Picts took Irish women for matrilinear succession when disputes arose. The Picts also had a wave of Irish immigration around 500ad, and this is how my Irish parents came to Pictish Scotland. Muirgen, meaning ‘born of the sea’ in Gaelic, was given to me when my mother gave birth to me along the crossing. Of course, as you probably know, the Picts and the Irish interacted with frequency on many different occasions. One of the things that I love about the Picts is their clothing. I’ve never seen documentation or heard of anyone making the connection, but I think the Pictish tunics with their bare legs is like a predecessor of the kilt. At least, that’s how I like to think of it.

Here’s a picture of me in one on of my “Pictish kilts” throwing an SCA spear.

[Mike_Oettle]

Most interesting, Kristina. Trouble is, I can’t see the picture for some reason.
Regards,
Mike