Day Trip - Celtic/Scottish Festivals

Here's an interesting educational fact. Did you know that Scottish Clan members were, and still are, considered Noblemen/Noblewomen if they have a Clan Cheif or Saltoun? That is because Scottish Clans are essentially big families, and the head of the Clan, who is Noble, then bestows that Nobility on the Clan members. Back a long time ago, Scotland was divided up into territories owned by Clans. Today, the Clans no longer run the country of Scotland, but some Clan Chiefs do have a vote in parliment, and members of the Clans are still recognized.

Wait, there's more. Did you know that if you happen to be a descendent of a Scottish Clan, if your Clan is still Noble in Scotland, so are you? That's because descendents of Clans are still bloodline family members, so they are still Clan members, even if their ancestors left Scotland hundreds of years ago. The word "clan" actually means "children". It meant "children of the family", or descendants of the Clan.

Not all Clans still have a Clan Chief. These are called armigerous Clans, because, at some point, often because the Chief's bloodline died off, there no longer existed a leader for that Clan.

The Highland Clans had Lairds, (the leader of the Lair). They are now often run by Lords.

There are many septs of Clan names. What that means is that back when Clans ran Scotland, all the members of a Clan had the same last name, which was the name of the Clan. But as time went on, people who lived on or near Clan land were encouraged to either join that Clan or a rival Clan. Those individuals sometimes changed their last names to the Clan name, but sometimes they kept their own last name. Some of those families stayed in the Clan for hundred's of years, though, so those families are, now, just as much a member of the Clan as the original blood-line members. There are lists of Septs that go with each Clan. Googling them could be a good homeschool project.

If you do have Scottish Clan lineage, it is possible there is a Clan Society for your Clan. Each Clan Society is different, but as a whole, they try to provide information about the Clans, current and past; host events; and keep genealogy records. Some try to encourage a sense of family among the members, (kind of like a big family reunion), because they actually are descendants of the family. Individuals must be actual descendants of a Clan member to join. This can be proved through either DNA, historical records, or a qualifying Clan last name and reasonable belief that your ancestors were in a Scottish Clan. Some societies are more strict with qualifications than others.

There is a televison show, "Outlander" about Clan Fraser of Lovet. Obviously, the show is fictional, but it is based on some real Scottish Clans and uses SOME true historic events. Also, it does capture some of the lifestyles and behaviors of the Clans during that time period, which is interesting. I bring it up, because it does have some value with regard to a visual image of Clan life. However, I do NOT recommend it for homeschoolers to watch in its entirity. Rather, it would be an excellent resource for parents to record pre-parent-evaluated snippets to depict Clan life.

Parents, I cannot possibly emphasize this enough. "Outlander" is an adult show. It borders on "soft porn" in many scenes, leaving nothing (and I do mean nothing) to the imagination. Also, you need to be aware that there are some strong non-Christian elements in the show, and deaths are very, very graphic. The show is well done production wise, and it shows great costuming of the period. It is also filmed on-location in Scotland, using some of the Clan castles. But, again, you may want to have the "fast-forward" ready on your remote if you are not into highly graphic material.

"Outlander" features Clan Fraser Lovet. It doesn't emphasize this fact, but in reality, Clan Fraser and Clan Fraser Lovet were both Christian Clans. Some members were Protestant and some were Catholic. As with all the Clans in Scotland at that time, they were heavily involved in wars with other Clans to protect their territory and their religious beliefs, and Clan Fraser was renowned for its fight prowess. Clan Fraser's crest is "All My Hope Is In God". Clan Fraser Lovet's is "Je Suis Priest", which means, "I am ready". Clan Fraser was instrumental in bringing Protestantism to Scotland, many of them dying or being deported for the cause. Additionally, there were strong ties between Clan Fraser and Clan Maxwell, during the period when Clan Maxwell introduced legislation in British Parlament that allowed the average Scotlander to be allowed to read the "Bible" in their own language.

And, for a bit more Clan history. Some of the individuals living in this area, (Garrett, Allegany, and surrounding WV areas) are direct descendants of the Clan members who helped establish the colony of New Jersey. At the time, Scotland was under British rule. They were given permission by the British to set up a half British/half Scottish colony, which became the state of New Jersey. The Scottish half eventually became home to quite a few immigrants from Scottish Clans, many of whom were deported from Scotland by the British Government because of their support of Christianity and Protestantism. There are descendants of both Clan members that established the colony, and ones that were deported for their faith, living in this area.

If you are related to the Frazees who live in this area, please click this link for more information about your possible ties to Clan Fraser.