Today we get to discuss one our favourite things here at ScotlandShop, Bagpipes! Join us as we follow the ancient history of piping and explore this fascinating piece of Scottish musical history.
The Early History of Piping
So let’s begin, there are many fascinating speculations on the origin of Scotland’s national instrument. The most popular being from as early as 400 BC with the ‘pipers of Thebes’ in the ancient Egyptian Army. These soldiers are reported to have been blowing pipes made from dog skin with chanters of bone. Sounds slightly disgusting but let's move on.
Dog skin pipes are not the only description of this captivating instrument from ancient history. In 64 AD Rome went through a great fire under the control of mad king Nero, the 5th and last emperor of Rome’s first dynasty. Nero was famous for many things, none of them good. He was notorious for his cruelty and debauchery after killing his mother and his two wives. So not a great guy, but he does play unsuspecting role in Scottish history. Nero was reported to have “fiddled while Rome burned” but this report is incorrect with him actually playing the pipes rather than a fiddle!
The Roman empire continued to grow, and the Roman Legions arrived in Scotland in 70AD. Whilst not having great success they held lands in modern-day Scotland for over 80 years. The Romans were even forced to build walls to hold out the strong Caledonian forces. Most famously Hadrian's wall and latterly Antonine Wall which was built in the modern day central belt of Scotland. The Roman emperor Hadrian built this wall as the frontier of the empire and to 'separate the barbarians from the Romans’. Antonine's wall was built as the new emperor wanted to impress but it failed after 20 years and they moved back to the previous wall. Us barbarians continued to attack the wall for over 300 years but the Romans held strong. During this time the great traditions of piping passed through to the Caledonian people.
The Second Drone
The original pipes in Scotland probably had at the most, a single drone. (The drone is the key to making the sound as we know it today). The second drone was added to the pipes in the mid to late 1500s with its first written mention of the “Great Pipes” being in 1623.
The pipes were evolving in their actual size and within Scottish culture. In the 1500s bagpiping culture was actually split: in the Highlands if you could play the pipes, you were heavily respected throughout clan culture but in lowland town, they would only needed for events and did not command the same respect.
This all changed with The MacCrimmons who were pipers to the chiefs of Clan MacLeod for several generations. The MacCrimmon kindred was centred at Borreraig near the mighty Clan MacLeod seat at Dunvegan on the beautiful Isle of Skye (here is a great blog on the fascinating history of Clan MacLeod). At Borreraig the MacCrimmons conducted one of the best-known "piping colleges" in the Highlands of Scotland. They went on to teach generations of Scotland’s best pipers, even inspiring one of our famous faces found in this month’s clan of the month, MacNeil!
The Later History of the Bagpipes
The great pipes were everything the invading English hated. The instrument was also heavily used within the Clan system as the skirl of the pipes helped spur on the troops to many a victory and were used in many great battles. The bagpipes were most famously played in the battle of Bannockburn signifying Scottish individuality and strength. Everything that a ruling country does not like…
The English banned bagpipes after the uprising of 1745. They were classified as an instrument of war by the loyalist government but within the clans, they were kept alive in secret. Anyone caught carrying pipes was punished, the same as any man that bore arms for Bonnie Prince Charlie, grandson of James II.
In 1746 in York, James Reid, a piper who bore no arms against the English king was tried for treason. The court concluded “no highland regiment ever marched without a piper and therefore his bagpipes in the eyes of the law, was an instrument of warfare”. His gruesome punishment was death on the 6th of November 1746. Piping was taken into the shadows of Scottish culture and tradition until the ban was lifted, then Highland Bagpipe playing really began to emerge.
Piping became very popular with Scottish soldiers who carried the instrument the world over making the haunting sound of the pipes more popular and encouraging others to learn. Soon came the Scottish Diaspora and through war the pipes became internationally famous around the world. Playing the pipes in battle was a treacherous job with over 1000 pipers being killed in WW1 alone. In September 1915 in the midst of the most brutal war the world had ever seen, the Scottish border company were under heavy fire and just been gas attacked. The soldiers were sick and tired with little fight left in them, until Piper Daniel Laidlaw. Laidlaw played “All the Blue Bonnets Over the Border” and soon the troops were forced "over the top". Laidlaw went "over the top" unarmed, shot and continued to play the bagpipes. This spurred the troops to victory and for this unbelievable effort he was awarded the Victoria Cross!
The heroics of pipers in war are not confined to WW1, as there are many heroic pipers in WWII most famously ,Bill Millin. Bill was the personnel piper for Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat, commander of 1st Special Service Brigade for the Normandy landings on D-Day. Despite piping being banned on the front line Fraser stated, "that’s the English War Office. You and I are both Scottish, and that doesn’t apply.” Bill Millin was the only man who wore a kilt on the landing on D-Day and he played “Hielan’ Laddie” and “The Road to the Isles” as men all around him fell under fire. According to Millin, he later talked to captured German snipers who claimed they did not shoot him because they thought he was mad!
Pipe bands can now be found all over the world and particularly in North America where Scots settled and Scottish traditions are practised with more enthusiasm than ever, with Highland Games attracting tens of thousands of visitors and featuring piping contests of the highest standard. Duns Pipe Band are our local pipers here in Scotland and in Albany we were lucky enough to have the Schenectady Pipe Band play at the opening of our new store. The pipes within Scotland not only reflects our early history, but also the evolution of our culture!
Wow what a great history! Who knew bagpipes went that far back in history? Whether you are a piper yourself or simply feel the back of your neck prickle with emotion at the sound of the pipes starting up, share your thoughts and piping stories through our social media.