Celtic Roots

March brings St. Patrick’s Day and the observation of Irish-American Heritage Month. However, it’s not only Irish roots that run deep in Georgia, especially on the coast. In March, we also have local celebrations of Scottish heritage, recognizing the important role Highlanders played in our history here. With the popularity of cable series Outlander, based on the books by Diana Gabaldon, creating a surge of interest in all things Scottish, it’s a perfect time to take a closer look at these Celtic cultures and their significance to us.

It seems only fitting that we start with one of St. Simons Island’s most photographed historical markers: the Celtic cross in the Wesley Memorial Garden, on the north end of the island. The 18 foot tall cross, cut from stone from Elberton, Georgia, weighs 15 tons and stands as the focal point of the garden. Its inscription reads: “Dedicated to the Glory of God and in memory of the Reverends John and Charles Wesley.” Captured beautifully in photo by Joe Loehle and pictured on this month’s cover, this is one of the historic stops on the annual Christ Church Frederica Tour of Homes, and is a popular stop for island visitors.

The Wesley Memorial Garden was a dream of Albert W. Jones, Sr. of Sea Island Company to honor John and Charles Wesley, the Anglican priests who had visited St. Simons Island and were known for their roles in founding the Methodist church. That dream was realized by his son, when A.W. Jones, Jr. donated the property to Christ Church Frederica, an Episcopal church, and the South Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church (who later organized Wesley United Methodist Church at Frederica adjacent to the garden) with the understanding that the two denominations would mutually establish and maintain the memorial there. Henry Green and landscape architect Candice Brewer designed and managed the construction of the memorial garden, and it was dedicated on June 12, 1988. Reverend Thomas Fitzgerald, Rector of Christ Church Frederica, Bishop Frank Robertson, founding pastor of Wesley United Methodist Church at Frederica and Reverend Harry W. Shipps, Bishop of Episcopal Diocese of Georgia presided at the dedication. A trust ensures the garden will remain in perpetuity. It is a peaceful place for a walk and quiet reflection, and a visit when the more than 4,000 azaleas are in bloom is truly spectacular.

There’s another Celtic cross memorial located in Queen Square in Historic Downtown Brunswick. That memorial is dedicated to General James Oglethorpe, founder of the State of Georgia and, according to records, was erected by the Brunswick Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and Cpt. Charles Spaulding Wylly to commemorate Georgia’s bicentennial in 1933.

The circle in the Celtic cross distinguishes it from the traditional Christian cross. Popular legend says St. Patrick introduced the Celtic cross when converting pagans to Christianity, combining the Christian cross with the pagan sun symbol to give newly converted followers the idea of the importance of the cross (or possibly to emphasize its superiority) by linking it with the circle that symbolized the life-giving properties of the sun. It must be noted for the record, however, that there are others who believe it originated with St. Declan of Ardmore, a 5th Century Irish saint who preceded St. Patrick. In any case, the use of the ringed cross in Ireland surged during a Celtic revival in the mid-19th Century and the Celtic cross became widely used not only as a religious symbol, but as an emblem of Celtic identity.

Often Celtic crosses are decorated with Celtic knot designs. In or around 450 AD, before the Celts were influenced by Christianity, Celtic culture took the form of knots, spirals, plait, braid, step and key patterns to depict seven richly symbolic creations. These creations were: man, mammal, plant, insect, bird, fish, and reptile. For individuals of Welsh, Irish and Scottish heritage, Celtic knot designs can be seen as a source of great cultural pride. Although historians cannot agree on whether or not there are specific meanings for each design, a number of the most popular designs have had meanings attributed to them within the last 150 or so years. 

Trinity Knot

This is arguably the best known Celtic knot and is also called the Triquetra. The points on this

Trinity Knot

Trinity Knot

three-fold knot are said to represent the Holy Trinity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit but another explanation is the forces of nature and elements of water, fire, and earth.

Celtic Spiral Knot

This is said to stand for eternal life and is believed to be one of the very oldest Celtic designs. This is another three-sided knot which stands for water, fire and earth: the forces of nature. These designs feature a single continuous line which represents oneness of spirit and unity.

Celtic Love Knot

This design features interlaced knots resembling two interlocking hearts, usually sitting in an oval

Love Knot

Love Knot

shape, and represents the love between two people. It is believed that the Celts exchanged these knots in much the same way as we exchange rings in the modern age. The Celtic Oval knot is one of the oldest and simplest designs.

Shield Knot

This is deemed to be an ancient Celtic symbol of protection and was placed either on battle fields or near ill people as a means of warding off evilspirits or other dangers. Although the Shield knot can be made in a number of designs, its four distinct corners must always be included. Designs are usually comprised of thick strands with tight intertwined patterns as a means of depicting an unbreakable barrier.

Celtic Nation

So what is Celtic anyway? It’s more than just Irish and Scottish. The Celtic nation is defined as a cultural region and collection of geographical territories in Western Europe and the North Atlantic where Celtic languages and/or cultural traits have survived. In this sense "nation” means a people who share a common identity and culture and are identified with a traditional territory, in the same way we identify Native American “nations” like the Navajo and the Sioux. Brittany, Cornwall, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and the Isle of Man make up the six Celtic territories. A Celtic

language is spoken in each of these regions, with Gaelic languages spoken in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man, and Brittonic languages in the remainder. A significant part of Europe was dominated by Celts, before the expansions of Ancient Rome and the Germanic and Slavic tribes, leaving behind a legacy of Celtic cultural traits. There are other territories in north-western Iberia (particularly northern Portugal, Galicia, Asturias, León and Cantabria, covering north-central Portugal and northern Spain) that are considered Celtic nations due to their culture and history; however, no Celtic language has been spoken there in modern times.

From the mid-1800s, and especially through the Great Famine around 1840, Irish migration to Scotland, Britain, Canada, and America increased. They weren’t the only ones heading to America either; it’s estimated that, from 1853, 50% of emigrating Scots chose to settle in the United States. Large regions of the United States were subject to migration from people of Celtic nations. Irish-speaking Irish Catholics congregated predominately in cities including New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Chicago. Scots were more prominent in the Southern United States, including Appalachia.

When it comes down to Georgia, according to recent estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, more Georgians (more than 800,000) claim ancestry in Ireland than any specific foreign land other than England. And these Irish descendants can be found all throughout Georgia, with higher concentrations in areas of North Georgia and the counties along the coast. As we know well here in south coastal Georgia, the Irish and Scots began helping build Georgia from its earliest days. The first Irish settlers, mostly farmers seeking land ownership and religious freedom, arrived on the Anne less than a year after Oglethorpe’s establishment of the colony and founded Savannah in 1733.

Around 1760-1770 land that had belonged to the Creek Indians along the Ogeechee River was offered to settlers willing to cross the Atlantic and was advertised in Ireland, this resulted in the first “dedicated Irish settlement” in the state: the Queensborough community in what is now Jefferson County. Queensborough morphed into the newly created town of Louisville (Georgia’s first permanent state capital) after the Revolution. Families living in Northern Ireland who had Scottish roots also made their way to the new Georgia colony, and their descendants remain here today as the "Scotch-Irish" or “Scots-Irish.” About 122,000 Georgians claimed Scotch-Irish ancestry according to recent data from the Census Bureau.

When the wave of Irish immigration occurred due to the Great Famine, Southern cities like Charleston and Savannah saw an influx, with shipping routes running directly from southeastern Ireland to Savannah. Because emigration between County Wexford and Savannah was so great, today more people in Savannah claiming Irish ancestry have roots in that county than any other in Ireland. But while you might think Savannah has the highest percentage of people of Irish ancestry, census data says it’s about one person in 11 in Chatham County; whereas it’s about one in five in Chattahoochee County, near Columbus. Here in our neck of the woods? Glynn claims about 10% Irish ancestry, Camden 12.6%, Brantley 15.9% and McIntosh 11%. But Darien and McIntosh are where the Scots come in.

Scottish Highlanders from Inverness were recruited by General James Oglethorpe, due to their fine reputation as soldiers, to assist in the defense of the colony. They established the port town of Darien along the Altahama River in 1736. Initially called New Inverness, the settlement was later renamed Darien in honor of “the Darien Scheme,” an unsuccessful colonization attempt at the Isthmus of Panama. Led by John Mohr McIntosh and Hugh Mackay, the Darien Scots built a fort to replace the abandoned Fort King George and served with Oglethorpe at the siege of St. Augustine in 1740. They also were instrumental in the expulsion of the Spanish invaders on St. Simons Island in 1742. The Scots brought their minister, John McLeod, from the Isle of Skye with them and introduced Presbyterianism to Georgia. In 1739, the Darien Scots protested the legalization of slavery in the colony. After the war with Spain many of them established plantations in St. Andrew Parish, now McIntosh County, an area created in 1793 and named for the family who originally settled the region. The Mackay name also lives on, and we’re reminded of it each time we cross the river via the Torras causeway.

Proudly Plaid

Celtic heritage is more than kilts, bagpipes, and whiskey, but those cultural icons are a good place to start. The origins of the kilt can be traced back to the 16th Century, when it’s well-established that both the Irish and the Scots wore a long-sleeved linen tunic that reached the thighs or knees. It was not a traditional kilt as we think of them today. The Scots wore the tunicsunder a feilidh-mòr (great wrap) or belted plaid. This was a long length of heavy wool fabric, (often woven in a tartan pattern) wrapped around the body like a mantle or a shawl and

intended to protect the wearer from inclement weather. The belted or great plaid is gathered into folds and belted around the body. This was the attire worn by soldiers on the battlefields. After the Jacobite Risings in 1746, fearing further revolt by Scottish clans, the government prohibited the wearing of kilts and tartan. It was not until the early 19th century that they once again became a symbol of Scottish identity and traditional Scottish dress. The modern kilt with the pleats and buckling we recognize today was introduced in the late 19th century.

In Ireland, the long tunic had been discarded as everyday clothing, partly due to restrictive English laws imposed on the Irish, but also due to expense. Historians speculate that kilts and tartans came to Ireland about 1880. During the rise of Irish nationalism and as a response to the ongoing Anglicization of Ireland, the Irish national tartan was introduced as a symbol of Gaelic tradition. The traditional kilt associated with Ireland is the mustard yellow Saffron Kilt, which often has shamrock appliqués down the pleat. Saffron Kilts were first worn by the Irish military in the British Army during the 20th century and are the most widely worn kilt in Ireland today.

Tartans are where Scottish and Irish kilts vary the most, as each tartan has a different origin and meaning. Scottish tartans are a representation of a clan, and each family has their own tartan, distinguished by their surname. There are more than 25,000 registered Scottish tartans. Irish tartans are designed to represent the districts and counties of Ireland. You would wear a kilt made from the tartan of your county of origin. But it’s a little more complicated than that too, because you may also be representing your family in a region. Colors, patterns, and weave in a tartan are all distinctive and were designed to help families associate with their homes, whether that be a place or a clan.

What goes on a kilt? (It’s NEVER polite to ask what’s under a kilt!) Pins with clan crests are often worn on the tartan by Scots on formal occasions. A Scottish wedding tradition is for a member of the “accepting” family to fasten their family’s crest on the spouse’s tartan, signifyingacceptance and the union of the families. Irishmen often wear a shamrock crest on their tartan or simply leave it bare. That “fuzzy purse” men wear in the front of the kilt is called a sporran. It’s a traditional kilt accessory for both Scots and Irish alike, because everybody needs a pocket to hold stuff. You can find sporrans adorned with Irish shamrocks or Scottish thistle or a wide variety of Celtic and other designs.

Scots are invited to wear their kilts to the Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan celebration of Scottish American heritage held annually (usually the last Sunday in January) at St. Simons Presbyterian Church. Legend has it that the kirkin’ tradition began in the years following the defeat of the Jacobites at Culloden in 1746, when tartan was banned. Families supposedly took small scraps of cloth to church (the kirk) to secretly have them blessed during the service. However, as no historical evidence exists to support that claim and the tradition is not observed in Scotland, that may be pure myth. The service at St. Simons Presbyterian includes music by the First Coast Highlanders, a Highland Bagpipe and Drum Band of up to 6 pipers and 4 drummers, and everyone is welcome to attend.

The Pipes, The Pipes Are Calling

Bagpipes are an ancient instrument with a history that spans back to the beginnings of civilization and, to the surprise of many, did not originate in Scotland. While the Great Highland bagpipe is the most common and well-known in the world, it is not the only type of bagpipe. The Irish also play bagpipes called the uillean or (elbow) pipe. The pipes played by the Scots in 1314 to urge clans to victory were not the three drone pipe we know today. A single drone was probably used

until the 1500s, when a second drone was added, and the third in the 1700s. Like the wearing of tartan, the playing of the bagpipe was banned in Scotland after the Jacobite uprising. Bagpipes were classified as instruments of war by the loyalist government and anyone caught carrying them was punished just as if they had a weapon. Highland playing reallyemerged after the ban was lifted. Ironically, in the 19th Century, the English military appropriated the ancient Scots use of the bagpipe for intimidation and inspiration during war, and developed military marching bands to accompany troops throughout the colonies.

With Great Highland pipes, the player blows through a pipe to fill the bag and the pressure from the left arm on the bag sends and controls the flow of air to the melody chanter and three drones. The eight holes of the chanter can only produce a range of nine tones, spanning an octave and a tone or second. The sound is produced when the air is forced through a small double-sided reed made from cane or plastic. Highland pipers generally stand while playing and often walk slowly, measuring steps with the beat of the music. Small Lowland or Parlour pipes are a scaled-down, indoor version and are blown from a bellows strapped to the right arm. They produce a much quieter and more refined sound.

The Irish Uillean (elbow) pipes and playing technique are entirely different. They are blown from a bellows located on the right arm, while the air is collected and controlled from the bag under the left arm. Pressure on the bag feeds the air to the reeds of the melody chanter, up to three drones, and three stocks, each fitted with regulator keys. The piper plays seated with the open end of the melody chanter placed and remaining on the right thigh, effectively closing the chanter when all eight holes are covered. The notes are produced by lifting one or more fingers off the chanter to open one or more holes, or lifting the end of the chanter off the leg while covering all the fingered holes. The range of the Irish chanter is two full octaves, and, with the addition of several keys, can be played chromatically. The double-sided cane chanter is longer and much more delicate then the Highland chanter reed. Think bagpipes with finesse!

If you hear the strains of bagpipes locally, it’s likely the beloved tradition of the Sea Island bagpiper’s sunset serenade to close the resort’s golf courses. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, you’ll also be able to see a strolling piper at dusk in the Historic District on Jekyll Island. Bagpipes also play an integral part of the St. Simons Island Taps at Twilight program on Memorial Day.

The Water of Life

So, that leaves whiskey. If it’s Irish, that is. For Scots, it’s whisky, or if made in the homeland, Scotch. They both called it “the water of life” or “aquavitae” (uisge beatha or uisge baugh in Irish and Scottish Gaelic, respectively) and learned the art of distillation from monks traveling from the continent around 1000-1200AD. Without vineyards and grapes available, they turned to fermenting grain mash. The first written record of whiskey appeared in 1405, where it was recorded in the Irish Annals of Clonmacnois that a clan leader died after “taking a surfeit of aqua vitae” at Christmas. A 1494 record revealed that whisky distillation was well underway in Scotland too because King James IV granted a large amount of malt to a friar for whisky production. In

1608, Old Bushmills Distillery was licensed in Northern Ireland, making it the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world.

A key difference between Scotch whisky and Irish whiskey is the distillation. Scotch whisky is distilled only twice in uninterrupted process stills. Irish whiskey undergoes triple distillation in pot stills triple the size of normal copper stills, giving it a marked lightness. This lightness balances the barley’s natural flavor which is retained in the Irish process by the use of raw and malted barley that had been dried in covered kilns. Whereas in Scotch, the barley is wholly malted and first allowed to sprout. Peat smoke used in the drying process gives it its distinctive Scotch aroma.

Getting the flavors right through distillation and “vatting” is the emphasis in making Irish whiskey. For Scotch whisky, they place higher value on the skills of a master blender who mixes various malt and grain whiskies following distillation to find the perfect flavor combination. Irish whiskey and Scotch are both aged in oak barrels (generally bourbon or sherry casks), but Irish whiskey is aged for a minimum of three years, one year longer than the two year minimum required for Scotch. While it’s generally agreed that Irish whiskey tends to be smoother than Scotch, a glass of The Macallan might just convert you. Don’t be afraid to try a wide variety of both until you find what you like.

Celtic Celebrations

In the same spirit, we urge you to get out and explore Celtic festivals, St. Patrick’s Day festivities, Highland Games, and other events that celebrate Celtic heritage. From Irish dancing to caber tosses, there’s so much to see, hear, and taste! 

Although not a festival, Scottish Heritage Days at King George in Darien on March 13-14 offers a variety of living history demonstrations, including musket and cannon firings, blacksmithing, 18th century cooking and music, with a special focus on the Highlanders who helped established the

fort. On Friday, schools will visit between 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for demonstrations. Saturday, everyone is invited to join the fun and interact with living history from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  A tactical battle/demonstration will take place at 3:00 p.m.

In March, St Augustine proudly shows off their heritage as the Nation’s Oldest City, founded in 1565 by Spanish Celts. They boast having the oldest St. Patrick’s Parade too, with the first being held in 1601. The St. Augustine Celtic Music & Heritage Festival takes place at Francis Field March 14 & 15. Celtic clans show their ancestral pride, Highland Games athletes demonstrate mind-boggling strength, vendors offer up Celtic cuisine and handmade crafts, and the St. Patrick’s Day Parade marches through the streets of the Ancient City’s Historic District on Saturday. Bands from Scotland, Ireland, Canada, and the U.S. play both traditional tunes and Celtic rock throughout the two-day festival. **UPDATE: THE 2020 ST AUGUSTINE CELTIC MUSIC & HERITAGE FESTIVAL HAS BEEN CANCELLED**

Savannah’s St. Patrick’s Day Festival and Parade are a nearly 200-year old tradition and, this year, they’re changing things up. While the parade will still be held on St. Patrick’s Day, Tuesday, March 17, at 10:00 a.m., the festival will be held the weekend before from 6:00 p.m. Friday March 13 through 6:00 p.m. Sunday, March 15. There will be no official celebration on Monday or the day of the parade, but bars will be open. **UPDATE: SAVANNAH’S ST PATRICK DAY FESTIVAL AND PARADE HAVE BEEN CANCELLED FOR 2020** Although we’ve missed Savannah’s annual Irish Festival, there’s still time to attend the Savannah Scottish Games at Bethesda Academy on May 2. Caber tosses, stone hurling, and more! 

No matter what your nationality, everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, so we raise a toast:

Sláinte!