News
Celebration of Celts brings jousting, clan histories to life
By John Mason
Hudson-Catskill Newspapers
CHATHAM - Under the gray skies with a chilly breeze and occasional drizzle, it felt not unlike Scotland Saturday for the Celebration of Celts at the Columbia County Fair Grounds.
But there was plenty of good food to warm the belly, and plenty of active sport to enliven the blood.
Jeff Mann of Philmont was there in his armor, one of several re-enactors engaging in mock battles with sword and club.
"I'm wearing late-14th-century transitional armor," he said. "Some fabric for color, a lot of plate to it; it used to be all mail." Mail is flexible armor made of small, overlapping metal rings; prior to the 14th century, most armor was mail.
"Then they started making it held together by fabric," he said. "This was the last stage before all plate."
Another re-enactor, from Massachusetts, was dressed as a mid-13th-century knight in transitional Norman armor, with very little plate at all.
Mann said he liked the 14th Century because it was a very rich period in English history - the 100 Years' War; Edward III trying to claim title to France, waging the successful battles of Cressy and Poitiers; Henry V and the Battle of Agincourt.
It was at this time, he said, that the strategy was developed of using archers and knights alongside each other, for mutual support.
Mann built a suit entirely of plate for his own wedding, at which there was a tournament. That suit is on display at the Celebration.
The mock battles have strict safety rules to prevent injuries, he said.
"They're reminiscent of the tournament-style fighting in the 1450s. They would fight with clubs for sport; it was a preparation for warfare," Mann said.
For those who didn't bring their own weaponry, under one tent was a small cannon and everything needed to operate it. Chuck and KaLea Anne Thoits of Contoocook, N.H. operate Dragon's Paradox, which sells jewelry, crystals, wands, walking sticks and small trunks.
On the wall was an apron with a different long pocket for every cannon tool: the powder scoop, the brush, the iron worm for cleaning it after the shot, the brass worm, used when it doesn't go off, the ram, and the swab, with a piece of leather at the end to put out the embers.
Another tool, too long for the apron, is the 6-foot-long lint stock, used for lighting the cannon through the "touch hole." The lint stock has a slow-burning fuse on the end of it.
The Celebration of Celts features a whole row of tents, each celebrating a different Scottish clan. One was for the Durie clan; there to answer questions were Guy Durie of Castleton-on-Hudson, and Chris Durie of Brainard.
Durie, said Guy Durie, is an area of Fife, north of Edinburgh. The Duries had a strong alliance with the French, and some of the variant names of the clan suggest that - DuRay, DuRae, DuRoi.
The Duries have been good businessmen, in coal, wood, merchant trades, and especially sea trades. They are also associated with Dewar's whiskey.
In the clan's tartan colors, the yellow symbolizes the alliance with France, the green and blue symbolize the Black Watch tartan and the red stripes are from the family lines, Durie said.
"Our great-grandmother came over on the ship Furnessia at the age of 12 in 1902," he said. "We were all raised under her wing."
Nearby, Henry and Dee Hamilton of Albany were ready to talk about their clan, one of the most famous scions of which was Alexander Hamilton, this country's first Secretary of the Treasury, whose father was a Scot.
"The highest ranking noble in Scotland is the Duke of Hamilton," Henry Hamilton said. The only one higher is Queen Elizabeth.
In 1455, the Hamiltons were granted a barony by the Scottish King James II. In the center of that barony is the city of Hamilton. Now it's a suburb of Glasgow, but the Hamiltons said they had been there and found it "very nice."
The Hamiltons, Henry said, are noted warriors, in charge of the army that supported Mary Queen of Scots during the Protestant rebellion.
Norman and Joanne MacInnis of Sharon, Mass. were representing the MacInnes clan.
The name, Norman said, means "sons of Angus." Angus Moir was one of the three dalriade kings, brothers, who left Antrim, Ireland for Argyle, Scotland in about 500: The other two brothers were Fergus and Loarn. Most Scottish highlanders descend from one or another of the three, MacInnis said.
Angus was spelled Aonghais, but pronounced "yanoosh." It means "first choice." The MacInnises were known as hereditary bowmen. On their crest are: a bow; a castle, for the clan's castle, Kinloch Aline, located in Morvern; a boar's head. which symbolizes the dalriades; a sailing ship, since the Clan Angus was a seagoing clan; and a salmon, which symbolizes good luck.
"Once, when the clan was being invaded by the Vikings," MacInnis said, "the chief was killed, so the clan was chiefless in a troubled time. A local warrior, Somerled, was asked to be the chief. He said, 'If I catch a salmon, that will mean good luck, and I will lead you.' He caught a salmon, and led them in the Battle of Morvern.
"They won it by killing the cattle, and wearing their skins. They wore them outside out, then changed and wore them inside out, then went out bare-chested," MacInnis said. "The Vikings thought there were three times as many soldiers as there really were, so they quit."
Shawn Noonan of Albany said his clan, the MacLeans, has its castle, Duart Castle, on the Isle of Mull, off the west coast.
"We're highlanders, but also Hebrideans - islanders," he said. "From the inner Hebrides, we pushed up into parts of the highlands. Originally, we were from France, and moved to the west coast of Scotland."
The MacLeans are descended from another of the three founding brothers, Loarn Moir. They were among the many "Lords of the Isles" whom King James IV conquered in 1493, granting them charters to make them his vassals.
In the 1600s, the MacLeans fell into decline, and it was not until 1912 that they regained Duart Castle; now it's been restored and is open to visitors, Noonan said.
The Celebration of Celts continues at the Fairgrounds from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. today, and the weather is supposed to be warmer than Saturday's.
To reach reporter John Mason, call 518-828-1616, ext. 2272, or e-mail jmason@registerstar.com..
CHATHAM - Under the gray skies with a chilly breeze and occasional drizzle, it felt not unlike Scotland Saturday for the Celebration of Celts at the Columbia County Fair Grounds.
But there was plenty of good food to warm the belly, and plenty of active sport to enliven the blood.
Jeff Mann of Philmont was there in his armor, one of several re-enactors engaging in mock battles with sword and club.
"I'm wearing late-14th-century transitional armor," he said. "Some fabric for color, a lot of plate to it; it used to be all mail." Mail is flexible armor made of small, overlapping metal rings; prior to the 14th century, most armor was mail.
"Then they started making it held together by fabric," he said. "This was the last stage before all plate."
Another re-enactor, from Massachusetts, was dressed as a mid-13th-century knight in transitional Norman armor, with very little plate at all.
Mann said he liked the 14th Century because it was a very rich period in English history - the 100 Years' War; Edward III trying to claim title to France, waging the successful battles of Cressy and Poitiers; Henry V and the Battle of Agincourt.
It was at this time, he said, that the strategy was developed of using archers and knights alongside each other, for mutual support.
Mann built a suit entirely of plate for his own wedding, at which there was a tournament. That suit is on display at the Celebration.
The mock battles have strict safety rules to prevent injuries, he said.
"They're reminiscent of the tournament-style fighting in the 1450s. They would fight with clubs for sport; it was a preparation for warfare," Mann said.
For those who didn't bring their own weaponry, under one tent was a small cannon and everything needed to operate it. Chuck and KaLea Anne Thoits of Contoocook, N.H. operate Dragon's Paradox, which sells jewelry, crystals, wands, walking sticks and small trunks.
On the wall was an apron with a different long pocket for every cannon tool: the powder scoop, the brush, the iron worm for cleaning it after the shot, the brass worm, used when it doesn't go off, the ram, and the swab, with a piece of leather at the end to put out the embers.
Another tool, too long for the apron, is the 6-foot-long lint stock, used for lighting the cannon through the "touch hole." The lint stock has a slow-burning fuse on the end of it.
The Celebration of Celts features a whole row of tents, each celebrating a different Scottish clan. One was for the Durie clan; there to answer questions were Guy Durie of Castleton-on-Hudson, and Chris Durie of Brainard.
Durie, said Guy Durie, is an area of Fife, north of Edinburgh. The Duries had a strong alliance with the French, and some of the variant names of the clan suggest that - DuRay, DuRae, DuRoi.
The Duries have been good businessmen, in coal, wood, merchant trades, and especially sea trades. They are also associated with Dewar's whiskey.
In the clan's tartan colors, the yellow symbolizes the alliance with France, the green and blue symbolize the Black Watch tartan and the red stripes are from the family lines, Durie said.
"Our great-grandmother came over on the ship Furnessia at the age of 12 in 1902," he said. "We were all raised under her wing."
Nearby, Henry and Dee Hamilton of Albany were ready to talk about their clan, one of the most famous scions of which was Alexander Hamilton, this country's first Secretary of the Treasury, whose father was a Scot.
"The highest ranking noble in Scotland is the Duke of Hamilton," Henry Hamilton said. The only one higher is Queen Elizabeth.
In 1455, the Hamiltons were granted a barony by the Scottish King James II. In the center of that barony is the city of Hamilton. Now it's a suburb of Glasgow, but the Hamiltons said they had been there and found it "very nice."
The Hamiltons, Henry said, are noted warriors, in charge of the army that supported Mary Queen of Scots during the Protestant rebellion.
Norman and Joanne MacInnis of Sharon, Mass. were representing the MacInnes clan.
The name, Norman said, means "sons of Angus." Angus Moir was one of the three dalriade kings, brothers, who left Antrim, Ireland for Argyle, Scotland in about 500: The other two brothers were Fergus and Loarn. Most Scottish highlanders descend from one or another of the three, MacInnis said.
Angus was spelled Aonghais, but pronounced "yanoosh." It means "first choice." The MacInnises were known as hereditary bowmen. On their crest are: a bow; a castle, for the clan's castle, Kinloch Aline, located in Morvern; a boar's head. which symbolizes the dalriades; a sailing ship, since the Clan Angus was a seagoing clan; and a salmon, which symbolizes good luck.
"Once, when the clan was being invaded by the Vikings," MacInnis said, "the chief was killed, so the clan was chiefless in a troubled time. A local warrior, Somerled, was asked to be the chief. He said, 'If I catch a salmon, that will mean good luck, and I will lead you.' He caught a salmon, and led them in the Battle of Morvern.
"They won it by killing the cattle, and wearing their skins. They wore them outside out, then changed and wore them inside out, then went out bare-chested," MacInnis said. "The Vikings thought there were three times as many soldiers as there really were, so they quit."
Shawn Noonan of Albany said his clan, the MacLeans, has its castle, Duart Castle, on the Isle of Mull, off the west coast.
"We're highlanders, but also Hebrideans - islanders," he said. "From the inner Hebrides, we pushed up into parts of the highlands. Originally, we were from France, and moved to the west coast of Scotland."
The MacLeans are descended from another of the three founding brothers, Loarn Moir. They were among the many "Lords of the Isles" whom King James IV conquered in 1493, granting them charters to make them his vassals.
In the 1600s, the MacLeans fell into decline, and it was not until 1912 that they regained Duart Castle; now it's been restored and is open to visitors, Noonan said.
The Celebration of Celts continues at the Fairgrounds from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. today, and the weather is supposed to be warmer than Saturday's.
To reach reporter John Mason, call 518-828-1616, ext. 2272, or e-mail jmason@registerstar.com..
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