Rebel Yell?

[Finistere]

Hi everyone, I've seen lots of references that the Rebel Yell is directly related to the Roar of the Scots in battle, and that it had been taken to North America by emigrating Scots, is there any real evidence that this is the case or is it just a speculation? I'm putting this question to my North American cousins as I have little knowledge of the American civil war, thank you in advance of your replies and your time taken to reply. Kit

[Mike S]

As a descendant of many officers and enlisted who served in the Confederacy, I have more than a passing interest in the topic. The rebel yell is actually described as being related more to the Native American war whoop than anything else.

I'll let you be the judge with this vintage footage of a reenactment by surviving veterans:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6jSqt39vFM

[Dughlas mor]

Great footage, Mike.

[ASinclair]

Thanks for the link Mike.

[Pleater]

As a child in Yorkshire I heard the local lads charging into battle against those from 'Bank End' - uttering their war cry which in later life, when reading Gaius Julius Caesar I thought could be a remnant of the high pitched yelping warcry of the Icenii.

It is not impossible that the practise was passed along down the years, as younger boys grew big enough to join and older ones were sent off to work, the local gang remained, and in the long days of the summer holidays from school practised warcraft on the gang from the next village or housing estate. It could well have travelled across oceans.

It is surprising what it can do - at one time when in considerable danger from a man I threw caution to the wind and with a yell of iiy yii yii I knocked the beggar down and kicked him several times before running away. At that moment it was not something I had thought of for ten years, it had obviously been waiting for when it might be needed.

Maybe my tendency to wear blue is more than personal preference, and my temper, when I really do lose it, is worthy of any berserker. I'm quite handy with an axe too.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[Finistere]

As a child in Yorkshire I heard the local lads charging into battle against those from 'Bank End' - uttering their war cry which in later life, when reading Gaius Julius Caesar I thought could be a remnant of the high pitched yelping warcry of the Icenii.

It is not impossible that the practise was passed along down the years, as younger boys grew big enough to join and older ones were sent off to work, the local gang remained, and in the long days of the summer holidays from school practised warcraft on the gang from the next village or housing estate. It could well have travelled across oceans.

It is surprising what it can do - at one time when in considerable danger from a man I threw caution to the wind and with a yell of iiy yii yii I knocked the beggar down and kicked him several times before running away. At that moment it was not something I had thought of for ten years, it had obviously been waiting for when it might be needed.

Maybe my tendency to wear blue is more than personal preference, and my temper, when I really do lose it, is worthy of any berserker. I'm quite handy with an axe too.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

Good for you!!!!, and thank you for your interesting reply, I know all about the female temper my late Mother who I miss dearly had a very quick temper but soon cooled down and was hugging me for my misdemeanor, my wife is exactly the same with the children, she says its her Irish side, her mother being Irish and father being Welsh. Kit

[Profane James]

Love the guy at 3:15 yelling his false teeth out!

As a descendant of many officers and enlisted who served in the Confederacy, I have more than a passing interest in the topic. The rebel yell is actually described as being related more to the Native American war whoop than anything else.

I'll let you be the judge with this vintage footage of a reenactment by surviving veterans:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6jSqt39vFM

[Finistere]

As a descendant of many officers and enlisted who served in the Confederacy, I have more than a passing interest in the topic. The rebel yell is actually described as being related more to the Native American war whoop than anything else.

I'll let you be the judge with this vintage footage of a reenactment by surviving veterans:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6jSqt39vFM

Thank you Mike S for the link, but could the Scots who emigrated to America have adopted the local battle cry?, all Celts have an oral history of battle cries, the Romans have documented the battle cry of central Europe Celts, I do understand kiltedtom position though, is this thought of mine a bit tenuous? or does it have a glimmer of truth.Kit

[HixwithanX]

Nice video! I hadn't seen that one.

I'm especially interested by the fellow at 3:44 who is encouraged by the MC to give "one more, one more," clearly suggesting that it takes three "whoops" to perform the Yell properly!

[MacEanruig]

After watching the fantastic old footage in the YouTube clip, I would tend to agree with Mike that the Rebel Yell is more akin to a Native American war whoop than any Celtic war cry. Nonetheless, I also believe that we tend to liberally apply a certain mythology to average acts and events.

I too had Confederate ancestors, and almost all of them were poor farmers in Alabama and Mississippi. At a very young age, I can remember my grandfather using the same kind of yell to summon the hogs to the feeding trough. I think the origins of the Rebel Yell might be more simple than we want to believe. It's a war cry, and war cries serve two essential purposes: 1. shock and awe; and 2. esprit de corps.