Happy St Andrew's Day

Subject: RE: Happy St Andrew's Day
From: maple_leaf_boy
Date: 30 Nov 10 - 06:19 PM

Here's a message I got on Facebook from a friend that tells about
the story of St. Andrew. Copied and pasted. This should answer your
question "what did Andy do?"

There is nothing more beautiful than the Saint Andrew's Cross flag of Scotland. There is something about the Saltire that stirs the blood of the Scots and reminds those of us descended from Scottish immigrants of our roots, but how many of us are aware of the history of the flag and Scotland's connections to Saint Andrew, "the first-called" of the disciples of Jesus?
The Man
While little is known about his life, we do know that he was a fisherman from Galilee, brother to Simon, whom Jesus would call Peter, and one of the first to be called as a disciple of Christ. Andrew was believed to have been a missionary to Asia Minor and Greece, and was reportedly crucified by the Romans on an x-shaped cross at Patras, in 69 AD, as he did not feel worthy to be crucified on a cross like Christ was. His remains were entombed and in 370 AD, taken from Constantinople (where the bones had resided under the order of the Emperor Constantine) to a Pictish settlement on the Eastern coast of Scotland by Saint Rule, who was told in a vision to take the bones to the "ends of earth" for safe-keeping, and he removed a tooth, arm bone, kneecap and some fingers from the tomb in Constantinople. The settlement later became known as St. Andrews, and the relics were placed first in a small chapel, and then later in the Cathedral of St. Andrews, a center for medieval religious pilgrims (and modern pilgrims of a another sort travel there for the golf!) It is believed that the relics were destroyed during the Scottish Reformation. The larger part of St. Andrew's remains were stolen from Constantinople in 1210 and were moved to Amalfi, in southern Italy. In 1879 the local Archbishop sent part of the saint's shoulder blade to the Scottish Roman Catholic community, and Pope Paul VI presented further relics of the Saint in 1969, which are currently on display in St. Mary's Roman Catholic Cathedral in Edinburgh

The Flag
In 832 AD, a Pictish army under King Angus MacFergus, High King of Alba, along with a force of Scots under Eochaidh, King of Dalriada (and grandfather of Kenneth MacAlpin), was battling a Northumbrian force in Lothian for control of that region. The night before battle, Saint Andrew reportedly appeared to Angus in a vision, and on the field of battle the next day, a saltire, or x-shaped cross, similar to the one that Saint Andrew was crucified on, appeared in the sky, encouraging the Picts and Scots in their fight and causing the Northumbrians to flee the field, after their leader, Athelstan, was killed. The site of the battle was and still is known as Athelstanford, or "the ford of Athelstan". The colours of the flag are supposed to represent the white of clouds and the azure colour of the sky. From that time onward, the Saltire became the national emblem of the Scots, not only as a flag, but also worn on tunics and bonnets of Scottish soldiers as a way to identify themselves on the battlefield. One version of the flag in the National Museum of Scotland, called the "Douglas Standard", which reportedly was the personal flag of the Earl of Douglas and carried at the Battle of Otterburn in 1388. The flag was green, with a saltire and red heart, the symbol of the Douglas family. The saltire was also seen on the nations' coinage, being introduced by King David the First in the 13th century.
Even during the days of the Scottish Reformation, when Presbyterian reformers sought to remove all vestiges of the Catholic Church in Scotland, only the Saltire remained, and it appeared on many flags of the Covenanting forces (Scottish Presbyterians who supported the National Covenant, which stated their commitment to the Protestant Reformation) during the Scottish Revolution of 1638-1644 against the English attempt to force the Church of England on the Scots. In fact, one book, The Story of Scotland's Flag and the Lion and Thistle, states that the "Covenanters flag" inspired the blue in the new flag of the United States during the American Revolution.
In 1707, Scotland and England joined in the Act of Union and established the United Kingdom. A new flag representing the Union was designed, with the Crosses of Saint Andrew and Saint George intertwined, and then later added, the Cross of Saint Patrick was added to represent Ireland. The Cross of St. Patrick is a red saltire on a white background, and some in Northern Ireland today who advocate the province's independence from Britain and the Republic of Ireland have adopted a flag that combines the Saint Andrew's and Saint Patrick's Cross. The Union flag is now commonly (and incorrectly, as a "jack" is a flag that flies at the bow of ship, and never on land) known as known as "The Union Jack", and still represents the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
variations of the Saltire would be used again, this time by supporters of the exiled Stuart family, in the Jacobite Rebellions of the 1700's. Some of these featured a gold-coloured cross instead of a white one. The flag also became the inspiration for the flags of two Canadian provinces, Nova Scotia (which also features the Lion Rampant) and Newfoundland. Russia uses a blue Saint Andrew's Cross on a white field as a naval flag, as Andrew is also one of the patron saints of that country.
Today, at Athelstaneford, there stands a memorial to the "Battle of the Saltire" in the kirkyard of Althelstaneford Parish Kirk. It was built in 1965 by the later Dr. F.R. Stevenson, and restored in 1993. It depicts the battle with the two armies facing each other and in the sky above them, the saltire of St. Andrew. Above the monument on a flagpole permanently flies a Saint Andrew's Cross flag, which is lit even during the hours of darkness. The inscription of the memorial states:
Tradition says that near this place in times remote
Pictish and Scottish warriors about to defeat an army
of Northumbrians saw against a blue sky a great white
cross like St. Andrew's, and in it's image made a banner
WHICH BECAME THE FLAG OF SCOTLAND.

Subject: RE: Happy St Andrew's Day
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 30 Nov 10 - 06:06 PM

Love the last one.
Aye CMG was a poet indeed.

Subject: RE: Happy St Andrew's Day
From: akenaton
Date: 30 Nov 10 - 05:58 PM

Jist seein' its yon time again, here's a line or twa fae wan o' oor best poets an' writers.

If there's a sword-like sang
That can cut Scotland clear
O' a' the warld beside
Rax me the hilt o't here,

For there's nae jewel till
Frae the rest o' earth it's free,
Wi' the starry separateness
I'd fain to Scotland gie….

"Now, I am not a misogynist by any means. I simply believe there is a time and a place for everything – yes, literally, everything. And like a high proportion of my country's regular and purposive drinkers I greatly prefer a complete absence of women on occasions of libation. I also prefer a complete absence of music and very little illumination. I am therefore a strong supporter of the lower – or lowest – type of 'dive' when drinking is the principal purpose and no one wants to be distracted from that absorbing business by music, women, glaring lights, chromium fittings, too many mirrors, unless sufficiently fly-spotted and mildewed, or least of all, any fiddling trivialities of l'art noveau."

"I am a Scotsman and proud of it.
Never call me British. I'll tell you why.
It's too near brutish, having only
The difference between U and I.
Scant difference, you think? Yet
                Hell-deep and Heavenhigh!"

"The rose of all the world is not for me.
I want for my part
Only the little white rose of Scotland
That smells sharp and sweet - and breaks the heart."

And my personal favourite



"I'll ha'e nae hauf-way hoose, but aye be whaur
Extremes meet – it's the only way I ken
To dodge the curst conceit o' bein' richt
That damns the vast majority o' men."


All by Hugh MacDairmid.

Subject: RE: Happy St Andrew's Day
From: gnu
Date: 30 Nov 10 - 05:39 PM

At least their last gig for you is not gone. Good they could resched.

Subject: RE: Happy St Andrew's Day
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 30 Nov 10 - 05:36 PM

Sadly everything that was planned for here, (Edinburgh) has had to be cancelled owing to an ower-liberal scattering o' the white stuff! The 12-inch ruler has disappeared into my car roof when I tried to measure the depth. Even events in the city centre have gone by the board as it's too hazardous for folks that live a bit further oot tae venture in - or you run the risk of buses being suspended 5 miles fare yer hame, and a lang lang trek hame!
Still I'm sitting here listening to Celtic Music Radio (Loch Tay Boat song) and I'll go get a wee dram in a wee minut, so it's no a' bad!
We should have had the McCalmans at our local folk club tonight on their third to last gig of their farewell tour, but that didn't happen either: rescheduled for next Monday, and may th snaws melt awa' by then!

Subject: RE: Happy St Andrew's Day
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 30 Nov 10 - 05:28 PM

As well as being the home of golf, St. Andrew's is a beautiful university town, in my opinion.

Subject: RE: Happy St Andrew's Day
From: GUEST,999
Date: 30 Nov 10 - 05:14 PM

Best wishes to all of you.

Subject: RE: Happy St Andrew's Day
From: gnu
Date: 30 Nov 10 - 05:08 PM

Have a haggis on me. Haggis, it's not just for the Burn.

Happies to all. BTW, why are you happy? What did Andy do of note?

Subject: RE: Happy St Andrew's Day
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 30 Nov 10 - 04:54 PM

"To Scotland, Again" - http://walkaboutsverse.webs.com/#66

Subject: RE: Happy St Andrew's Day
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 30 Nov 10 - 03:58 PM

It's here again, and it's snowy again.
I have a dram of Benromach to hand.

Slainthé

Subject: RE: Happy St Andrew's Day
From: kendall
Date: 01 Dec 09 - 09:12 AM

You did what? wake up?

Subject: RE: Happy St Andrew's Day
From: goatfell
Date: 01 Dec 09 - 09:09 AM

aye i did

Subject: RE: Happy St Andrew's Day
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 30 Nov 09 - 10:25 AM

Woke up to snow this morning, but this afternoon has been lovely, sunny, and calm.

The same to you!

Subject: RE: Happy St Andrew's Day
From: Pistachio
Date: 30 Nov 09 - 10:00 AM

It's a wet St Andrews Day here but it's one that will brighten up when I get to see and hear John O'Hagan at the Foresters tonight in Beverley.

Subject: RE: Happy St Andrew's Day
From: kendall
Date: 30 Nov 09 - 09:01 AM

I had one too many shots of Glen Morangie and Glen Livet yesterday.
Today I raise a glass to Scotland and to all Scots.

Subject: RE: Happy St Andrew's Day
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 30 Nov 09 - 05:23 AM

Happy St. Andrew's Day, and good luck to those pushing for an independent Scotland...

Poem 66 of 230: TO SCOTLAND, AGAIN

By coach from central Manchester -
    In-between stops at Bolton,
Carlisle and Hamilton -
    To Glasgow, these are sights I saw...

Some sheep, blotched vividly with blue,
    Filing down a well-worn path,
Did form a long woolly lath,
    Aimed at a lusher greener hue.

A farmer on a four-wheeler:
    His canine friend close beside.
A horse not on call to ride:
    On leave - a no-shoe non-heeler!

Convex pastures with heath-moorland;
    And flatter grain-planes below:
Cropped, awaiting till-and-sow -
    Perhaps with grazing beforehand.

Passed Edwin Waugh territory,
    Cumbria's sharp forms and tones
Compelled sense off seat-cramped bones
    To their well-honed long-read story.

Further north, farms of slighter falls:
    One a black-sheep specialist,
With some Friesians on the list -
    All held between old dry-stone-walls.

The Lakes behind, a strong Scotch mist
    Changed the sun to a full-moon
And hid scenery, till soon -
    Light, and the wide scenes on Burns' list.

New farms harnessing the wind's blow,
    Old white-and-grey-cottage views;
Plus pines, espousing the hues -
    In distinct leaf-tones - of Glasgow.

From http://blogs.myspace.com/walkaboutsverse (e-book)
Or http://walkaboutsverse.sitegoz.com (e-scroll)
(C) David Franks 2003

Subject: RE: Happy St Andrew's Day
From: JennieG
Date: 29 Nov 09 - 09:41 PM

It's already afternoon on Oz......the day is slipping by quickly.

Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: Happy St Andrew's Day
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 29 Nov 09 - 08:45 PM

Or do we have to wait for Mudcat Midnight?

Subject: RE: Happy St Andrew's Day
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 29 Nov 09 - 08:44 PM

Cheers, Kevin, it's going all right so far!

Ross

Subject: RE: Happy St Andrew's Day
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 29 Nov 09 - 06:48 PM

I will, starting in 12 minutes.

Subject: Happy St Andrew's Day
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 29 Nov 09 - 06:46 PM

I trust all Scots have been having a happy St Andrew's Day.