I-THE GAY GORDONS

 I-THE GAY GORDONS -EMN 

FROM SCOTTISH STORY 

IF you went to a Scottish town some years ago-perhaps in some smaller villages even now-you would have felt some wonder as to what people's names really were, for everybody would seem to be supplied with a nick-name, which was much more used than the real Christian name or surname. If you lived in the town, and your name happened to be, we will say. James Stewart, you would very seldom be called that, except by strangers; you would be simply 'Jamie' to most people. If you were a prosperous and enter prising grocer, you might be known as 'Jelly Jamie,' or as it would be pronounced there, 'Jeally Jamie,' while a rival at the other end of the town might be 'Treacle Tam.' If you were the butcher's assistant. you would be spoken of as 'Jamie Butcher'; or if  you kept a small shop with all manner of odds, and ends for sale, you would be 'Jamie a things,' or, perhaps, 'Can'le Jamie.' if people sent to you for their candles.

Then perhaps your Christian name itself might be lost sight of; if you were fond of animals, and always kept dogs, for instance you would certainly be called 'Doggie,' or, perhaps, 'Doggie Stewart'. If you you had a peculiarity in your gait, a way of walking stiffly, you might resign yourself to be known as 'Wooden-legs,' and your very cat would be known as 'Wooden-legs' cat'. 

Mr J.M. Barrie tells us of a man who was never called anything but 'Weary-warld,' because he had a habit of saying, 'It's a weary warld and naebody bides in it.'

Now, in reading Scottish history, one cannot help being struck with this liking for nick-names. In English history there are such names too (we have all heard of 'Longshanks' and 'Rufus,' of 'Crook-back,' pack and of 'The King-maker,' but they are very few in comparison. 

One King of Scotland had a very large head; he was called Malcolm Canmore, or Bighead. Another had had a large red mark on his cheek and was nick-named 'Fiery-face.' A queen was famed for her beauty,and is known to this day as 'The Bonnie Queen,' and one of her descendants is seldom spoken of but as 'Bonnie Prince Charlie.'

Another famous name arose thus; a meeting of Scottish nobles once took place, to decide what was to be done to get the king (James III)out of the hands of unworthy favourites . All agreed that some thing must be done, but the question was- who was to do it?  Lord Gray told the well-known fable of the mice and the cat. 'The mice agreed, that a bell should be hung round the cat's neck, to warn them of his approach; the question was, who would bell the cat?' When he had finished speaking. Archibald, Earl of Angus, rose and said: 'I understand the meaning of the story, and I will bell the cat.' The result was that in the pages of history you will find this powerful Earl of Angus always referred to as 'Old Archibald Bell-the cat.' 

These are just a few examples of what individuals were called; families, clan,s and even towns had in the same way their nick-names, which were given to them for some famous action or other, and which clung to them for many generations. The names survive to this day in many cases, and nearly all the great clans and families have special adjectives, applied to them. You will hear in these tales from Scottish story how some of the most famous of these titles arose, and how the bearers of them lived up to their nick-names.

For the last year or two, every now and then, there have been references in the newspapers and magazines to 'gallant Gordons' and 'gay gallant Gordons,' when the bravery of our Gordon High landers was spoken of all over England and the Empire. But in the old ballads of Scotland, there seems to be no other title for them than 'Gay Gordons.' There is a ballad called 'Glenlogie' which gives one an idea of how the title may have been used.  

A certain lady, 'Jean Melville,' went to court; among the king's knights she saw a very handsome young manM with whom she fell in love at first sight. She asked about him and was told he was one of the 'gay Gordons,' being John Gordon of Glenlogie; in those days people were just called by the name of their estates,and he was known as 'Bonnie Glenlogie'. Lady Jean admired him very much, and at last she told him so. But the gay Gordon 'turned about lightly, as the Gordons does a' ' (they must have been noted for their easy, gay self-possession, and way of speaking), said 'I thank you Lady Jean, but my love's promised awa.' This was a sad blow to poor Lady Jean, and she became so ill with grief, that her parents thought her dying. They had tried to reason with her at first, telling her there were other men better and richer than Glenlogie, but she only said that could not be- 'Glenlogie, dear mither, Glenlogie for me.' At last they wrote to Glenlogie, and told him what had happened. When he began to read the letter, at first Glenlogie laughed (like a true gay Gordon), but before he had finished, 'a tear was in his e' e'; he rode away to fair Lady Jean, who soon got well at the sight of him, and the song says 'They had a merry wedding.' It tells us no more of the other lady whom Glenlogie loved.

But the Gordons were 'gay' in matters far different from this. Wherever there was fighting, Gordon seems to have been there, either as principal, or ally, perhaps most often as ally for one. Gordon at least is said to have declared he never drew sword for a quarrel of his own. We read also that in the days when English and Scottish knights used to meet and fight on the border between the two countries, the great Earl of Douglas prepared for a raid into England; the helpers he picked out and invited to come on his side, were 'the Lindsays light,' and with them the Gordons gay; such stern fighting took place on both sides that the Douglas himself was killed, but his side won the dav. 

The love of music seems also to have been a characteristic of the Gordons; many of the strathspeys, reels, and laments are named after them. 'The Cock of the North,' a tune which was much heard a little time ago. was a popular title of the Duke of Gordon. 

The Gordons were always Royalists, and fought bravely for their king. One Gordon is said to have died of a broken heart, after the execution of Charles I., another is said to have cried, 'You may take my head from my shoulders, but not my heart from the king.' 

By M SINCLAIR 

References:

1.Chatterbox No 1 New Series 1903