Why so serious?

[thescot]

At our burns Supper, we often have someone "armed" with either a claymore or baskethilt (or both) escorting the haggis. It's the "guard" for the haggis to make sure no one tries to reive it or anything.

No one--and read that carefully--no one takes it seriously. People don't show up wearing swords or anything. I would consider wearing the powder horn, pistol, jewleled dirk, basket hilt, etc. at the right event, but I don't have any idea what that event would be so it's not likely to happen. I'm thinking of some of those outfits worn in the early 1800s when Georga IV visited; man, I'd look great in one of those.

Of course, I also liked wearing a cowboy hat and spurs when I was a kid.

At the games--as at many other types of outings--there are always people who like to dress up in costumes with rough boots, swords, and trying to look like an extra from Brave Heart. But it's a costume; everyone knows it's a costume, and I don't think anyone take it very seriously. I think of it as being similar to the "living history" people who dress up in 17th century outfits or even the 78th Highlandes who wear the old style uniforms and carry muskets. It's just for fun. Might look a bit silly on Main Street, but at the games, everyone just takes it all in stride.

[Panache]

At our burns Supper, we often have someone "armed" with either a claymore or baskethilt (or both) escorting the haggis. It's the "guard" for the haggis to make sure no one tries to reive it or anything.

Young Gregory,

Jim is really only telling half the story here. I think you are now old enough to know the ugly political truth behind the "honor guard" that accompanies the haggis at Burns Night Suppers.

I hate to have to get political here on XMTS but there is just no way to sugar coat this. In truth the haggis is often targeted by extremists.

These fanatics whose numbers include gourmets, food critics, health inspectors, and members of the FDA will target Burns Night Supper haggi. Through use of either stealth or force they will attempt to remove the haggis from the event to prevent it being consumed by the unsuspecting guests. If they are successful the extremists will take the haggis to a remote location. There rouge bio-hazard technicians and bomb squad teams will attempt to safely destroy the haggis to neutralize its threat to the health and taste buds of the General Public.

Therefore most Burns Night Supper parties provide an "Honor Guard" for the haggis to protect it during its procession. You (and the rest of the guests) only see the ceremonial weapons carried by the "honor guard". What you don't see is the body armor underneath their Prince Charlie coatees.

I'm sorry to have to be the one to have to break this to you, but you had to know.

Sincerely

Jamie

[Semiomniscient]

At our burns Supper, we often have someone "armed" with either a claymore or baskethilt (or both) escorting the haggis. It's the "guard" for the haggis to make sure no one tries to reive it or anything.

No one--and read that carefully--no one takes it seriously. People don't show up wearing swords or anything. I would consider wearing the powder horn, pistol, jewleled dirk, basket hilt, etc. at the right event, but I don't have any idea what that event would be so it's not likely to happen. I'm thinking of some of those outfits worn in the early 1800s when Georga IV visited; man, I'd look great in one of those.

Of course, I also liked wearing a cowboy hat and spurs when I was a kid.

At the games--as at many other types of outings--there are always people who like to dress up in costumes with rough boots, swords, and trying to look like an extra from Brave Heart. But it's a costume; everyone knows it's a costume, and I don't think anyone take it very seriously. I think of it as being similar to the "living history" people who dress up in 17th century outfits or even the 78th Highlandes who wear the old style uniforms and carry muskets. It's just for fun. Might look a bit silly on Main Street, but at the games, everyone just takes it all in stride.

Yeah, almost ALL of our men, besides our pipers, went in armed to parade the Haggis. The whisky bearer, haggis bearer, and myself (the deliverer of the Address) kept our swords sheathed, but we had two other guards with weapons drawn. But it is always taken as a ceremonial/non-serious type of thing. Not entirely humorous as in "haha" but more tongue-in-cheek.

The problem with Braveheart is that none of these folks realize how much of an anachronism the entire costume department serviced!
Kilts: not invented yet, nor were they true great kilts
Blue paint/woad: hadn't been in use for hundreds of years.
Not to mention the plot line anachronisms. Granted, it's still one of my favorite movies and it did ALOT for getting the public interested in things Scottish and so for that, I thank it greatly! But still... it's all wrong and it bothers me a little to see people painted up blue for highland games.