Driving home from work yesterday, I entertained myself by singing some Corries songs, one of my favorites being "Castle of Drumore". I realized how beautiful the words are, and how fitting they are for this season:
The October winds lament around
The Castle of Drumore
Yet peace is in her lofty halls
a' phaiste bana-(or ban a?) stol (this is guess work)
Though autumn leaves may droop and die
a bird of spring are you
I seem to remember that the song is written by a Scotsman, but online it is claimed by the Irish. Not that we don't have a bit of Irish in us here and there, as Heather just discovered! Our long lost early McCloud ancestor, intstead of hailing from the misty Isle of Skye, or the mystery shrouded Scottish Highlands, was born in Londonderry, Ireland, and his name was spelled two ways: McCloud and McClurge, which suggests he was a Gaelic speaker (Scottish or Irish), as MacLeod in Gaelic is pronounced almost like Mack-Loydj.
Food for thought.
That is one of my favorite Corries songs! It is hauntingly beautiful! The Corries are wonderful music for autumn.
ReplyDeleteHow beautiful! I would love to learn more of those songs. I only know bits from Loch Lamond (sp?) And how funny ancestry is! I guess you can never tell from last name alone. However, I'll still always think of you as a Scot, Mairi! :-)
ReplyDeleteWell, I still AM Scottish. Lots of Scottish Protestants were sent to that area of Ireland. So even though he was born in Ireland, he was still Scottish.
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