|
The Piob Mhor, or the Great Highland Bagpipes
Nothing defines the sound of Scotland quite like the great
Highland bagpipes! How the pipes actually arrived in Scotland
however, is somewhat of a mystery.
Some historians believe that bagpipes originate from ancient
Egypt and were brought to Scotland by invading Roman Legions. Others
maintain that the instrument was brought over the water by the
colonising Scots tribes from Ireland.
Ancient Egypt does appear to have prior claim to the
instrument however; from as early as 400 BC the ‘pipers of Thebes’
are reported to have been blowing pipes made from dog skin with
chanters of bone. And several hundred years later, one of the most
famous exponents of the pipes is said to have been the great Roman
Emperor Nero, who may well have been piping rather than fiddling
whilst Rome burned.
What is certain however is that bagpipes have existed in
various forms in many places around the world. In each country the
construction of the basic instrument comprises the same component
parts; an air supply, a bag with a chanter and one or more drones.
By far the most common method of supplying air to the bag is
by blowing with the mouth, although some early innovations included
the use of bellows. The bag, commonly made from animal skin, is
simply an airtight reservoir to hold the air and regulate its flow,
thus allowing the piper to breathe and maintain a continuous sound,
both at the same time. The chanter is the melody pipe, usually
played by one or two hands. Generally comprising two or more sliding
parts, the drone allows the pitch of the pipes to be altered.
Whilst historians can only speculate on the actual origins of
the piob mhor, or great Highland bagpipe, it was the
Highlanders themselves that developed the instrument to its current
form, establishing it their national musical instrument both in
times of war and peace.
 The original Highland pipes probably comprised a single drone
with the second drone being added in the mid to late 1500’s. The
third, or the great drone, came into use sometime in the early
1700’s.
In the Scottish Lowlands, pipers were part of the travelling
minstrel class, performing at weddings, feasts and fairs throughout
the Border country, playing song and dance music. Highland pipers on
the other hand, appear to have been more strongly influenced by their
Celtic background and occupied a high and honoured position. It is
considered that by the 1700’s the piper had started to replace the
harpist as the prime Celtic musician of choice within the Clan
system.
As a musical instrument of war, the first mention of the
bagpipes appears to date from 1549 at the Battle of Pinkie, when
the pipes replaced trumpets to help inspire the Highlanders into
battle. It is said that the shrill and penetrating sound worked well
in the roar of battle and that the pipes could be heard at distances
of up to 10 miles away.
Due to their inspirational influence, bagpipes were
classified as instruments of war during the Highland uprisings of the
early 1700’s, and following the defeat of Bonnie Prince Charlie at
the
Battle of Culloden in 1746, the government in London attempted
to crush the rebellious clan system. An Act of Parliament was passed
which made the carrying of weapons, such as those vicious bagpipes,
and the wearing of kilts a penal offence.
Although the Act was eventually repealed in 1785, it was the
expansion of the British Empire that spread the fame of the great
Highland bagpipes world-wide. Often spearheading the various
campaigns of the British Army would be one of the famous Highland
regiments, the ‘Devils in Skirts’, and at the head of each regiment
would be the unarmed solitary piper leading the troops into and
beyond the ‘jaws of death’.
© HUK
More British History
History of Scotland - History
of England - History of Wales |