Clans
Clans are family groups in the tradition of the Scottish Highlands — some ancient, some newly founded. A clan is basically a group of people with the same last name who recognize a chieftain as their head, and who display their membership in the clan by wearing a distinctive tartan (plaid) and clan badge.
While anyone bearing the surname of the clan is considered to be a member of the clan, in most cases, anyone willing to join the clan and recognize the chieftain as its head is welcome to be a member. A person can belong to only one clan.
A clan sometimes has several branches which date back to events hundreds of years ago. Many clans also have sub-clans or septs, which are clans who joined up with the more powerful clan because of marriage, alliance, war, or for protection due to the loss of their chieftain.
The chieftainships of the clans are determined by the Lord Lyon, King of Arms. The Lord Lyon also approves coats of arms and oversees all heraldry in Scotland. The chieftainship of clans is hereditary, and there are many chieftains who live in other countries such as the US, Canada and Australia.
In the United States and other countries outside of Scotland, clan organizations serve to keep members in touch with the clan, hold cultural and social events such as concerts and dancing and piping competitions, and help promote Scottish Highland Games throughout the world.
Kilts
The kilt is the traditional male garment of the Scottish Highlands. There are two types of kilts: the type of kilt worn today, sometimes called the wee kilt, and its predecessor, the great kilt, or breacan mor in Gaelic. It is also known as the belted plaid.
Kilts are generally worn in the tartan of the wearer's clan. Accessories to the kilt include the sporran, a pouch often trimmed with fur, ghillies, or shoes, kilt hose, the high knit socks worn with a kilt, and the sghian dubh ("black dagger"), a small dagger worn in the sock or boot.
Tartans
A tartan is a plaid pattern woven into Scottish garments. Each clan has its own distinctive tartan, sometimes with different versions known as "hunting," "ancient," or for different branches of the clan. The pattern itself is known as a sett.
Tartans come in a wide range of colors. The most familiar are dark green or blue, but they can also be found in bright blues, yellows, reds, and pastels. Ancient tartans tend to have more natural earth tones such as brown, tan and green, reflecting the availability of dyes in earlier times.
The origin of clan tartans is the subject of much debate. Many so-called clan tartans date only to the early 1800s, when the modern renaissance of Scottish culture began in the British Isles and the United States, and entrepreneurs took advantage of it to create tartans for every family. It is believed that clan tartans have their roots in geographic locations rather than clan identification -- in other words, the weavers in different areas each had their own patterns which came to be identified with that area.
The earliest hard evidence of a clan tartan is that of MacLean of Duart, in a 1587 charter that includes cloth of white, black and green colors, which correspond to the colors in the modern MacLean hunting tartan. It is, however, not mentioned into what pattern the colors are woven.
The Heavy Games
Heavy athletics refer to the athletic events that require significant strength and power; as opposed to the light athletics, which require stamina, such as highland dancing, sprinting, running, and jumping. In general, lightweight persons tend to gravitate toward the light athletics, while the heavyweights excel in heavy athletics. Heavy athletics include stone throwing, weight tossing, hammer throwing, caber turning, and sheaf tossing.
There are two main categories of competition: "Professional" and "Amateur." The Clans they represent may sponsor professional athletes and/or any other sponsors they can attract. They are paid travel and compete for prize money. The top American professionals may be invited to compete in Scotland, and Championship Competitions held around the world. It should be noted that the Wisconsin Highland Games and Celtic Fling features both Amateurs and Professionals. In fact, we are the only Games in Wisconsin to feature Professional Heavy Athletes.
Interested in the official rules for heavy athletics? Here they are: Caledonian (Scottish) Games and Hibernian (Irish) Games.
Turning the Caber
The Caber Toss, more accurately called Turning the Caber, is the signature event of any Highland Games. Back in the days when our ancestors had to attack castles, they needed a way to scale the walls. This event was used to determine which soldiers would best be able to "turn" a shaved tree against the walls so the other soldiers could climb up and over.
The Caber Toss requires an incredible combination of strength, agility, and timing. The Caber you will see the professionals turn at the Wisconsin Highland Games weighs well over 100 pounds. The object is to "turn" the caber over (end to end). The perfect throw would end with the caber landing straight away from the thrower at the 12 o'clock position. The Caber Toss isn't about height or distance...it's all about accuracy. But remember, the caber must "turn" over or the throw doesn't count. This is an event you don't want to miss!
Stone Throw - Braemar Stone
Some games contest a Braemar stone, which is a larger stone (21 to 35 pounds) that must be put without a run; that is, it must be put from a stand; no glide or spin. Obviously, the Braemar stone cannot be put as far as the regular stone.
Cannon Walk or Farmer's Walk
Now it's time for some heavy lifting. Competitors must walk while carrying a weight of 175 pounds in each hand. The athlete who walks the furthest, in a straight line without stopping wins the event.
Sheaf Toss
Origin: After the hay dried in the field, they were brought in to the barn on a wagon. Farmers would tie a bunch of hay into sheaves (using twine) then they would toss individual sheaves from the wagon up to the barn loft for winter storage. This is still done in Midwest U.S. Amish country and in some European countries such as Poland. This is the pre-mechanized method of hay/straw storage, which precedes the mechanized rectangular bailer, and the modern cylindrical bailer.
Technique: The sheaf is a 16 lb. or 20 lb. bag of hay (10 lbs. or 12 lbs. for women), which is tossed over a bar with a three-prong pitchfork. It is conducted like the 56lb. weight toss, except it goes about twice as high.
Other events may include the hammer throw, weight toss for height and weight toss for distance.
