Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / July 16, 1981, edition 1 / Page 6
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7 ' f Scottish clans gather to celebrate heritage it o Z 1 r: if Cy EDWINA RALSTON The Galbraiths, the MacDougals and the MacShannachans gathered their kinfolk together at Grandfather Mountain last weekend. So did the Elliots, the Lindsays and the MacClachans. The families sang, danced, competed in athletic events and searched for their heritage in MacRae Meadows a usually quiet spot in the North Carolina highlands. The event that brought the Meadows to life was the 26th annual Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, a time when families of Scottish descent gather to celebrate the heritage of their clan by participating in traditional games passed down from Northern Scotland. - This year more than 20,000 people went to the Meadows to enjoy the display of the Tartins and the friendly competition of Scottish athletes, traditional food, song and dance. Scotsmen dressed in colorful kilts of fered Gaelic bagpiping' to the crowds while stout athletes participated in such events as the caber tos (a 100 to 1 20 pound pole) and the kilted run. Young 5f1s competed in the Highland Fling and the Sword Dance Scottish dances that originated as early as 1600 as celebrations for mar riage, victory, defeat or simply joy for living. A highlight of the Games for many spectators was the demonstration of the sheep dogs as experienced herders coached the skillful dogs to coax first geese, then sheep, into a -..fence.. ,. ' The Games were only briefly interrupted by a thunder storm that sent crowds scurrying to the display tents of the Clans. Although lightning singed the hair off one man's legs, the dedicated athletes continued to compete cn the field as drenched bagp:pers played on. As one Scotsman put it "The Games must go on." And the games did continue, to have two records broken the 16-pound stone throw and the 23-pound weight throw and the tossing of the sheaf record tied. After tha gsrnss, ths clans participated in an informal gathering and sing kown as tha ceilidh before they left Grandfather Mountain to return to their hemes in different parts of North Carolina, the United States and Canada. They packed away their kilts and scarves to resume their modem lifestyles until next year when they will again celebrate their heritage in MacRae Meadows. Czztzztzn h t:z:::zzz1 tJf.ilzrJ Czzz cr.!zXz!r.zJ Via c:c:J3 i.:i ::'.:? tjr.zz fzzi'.zrzr.zd cn tz fzzz -. -i s J i
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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July 16, 1981, edition 1
6
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