the corries -the battle of harlaw

intro says it all

[@EATSFALCONPUNCH]

"Oh nonono my brother dear, this thing it mannae be, ye'll tak yer guid sword in yer han, an ye'll gan in wi' me" The singular most testosterone fueled sentence I've ever heard said.

[@bonnieprincecharlie774]

Lyrics for this version: And cam ye frae the Hielans man, cam ye a' the wey? Saw ye MacDonald and and a' his men, as they cam in frae Skye? Chorus: Wey a diddum a-do and a dree and a drum Diddum a-droo drum drae And cam ye near, oh near enouch, did ye their numbers see? Come tell to me John Hielanman, what might their numbers be? Well I cam in by the Garioch land, doon by Nether Ha' I saw MacDonald and a' his men, a-marching tae Harlaw The Hielanmen with their long swords, fell in at us fu' sair And they drave back wir Lawlanmen, three acres breadth or mair Lord Forbes tae his brother did say, "O, brother, dinnaye see? They've drave us back on ilka side and we'll be forced tae flee!" Oh no, no, no, ma brother dear, this thing it maunna be Ye'll tak yer guid sword in yer haun, an' ye'll gan' in wi' me The first blow that Lord Forbes struck, the sword ran in an ell The second blow Lord Forbes struck, the great MacDonald fell Sic a cry frae among the Hielanmen, when ye see their leader fa' They cairtit him and buirit him along by fair Harlaw Gin anyun' should spier at ye for them that's gone awa' Just tell them plain an' unco plain, they're sleepin' at Harlaw

[@ThyGeekGoddessMuze]

I'm sorting my Georges and Charlies now. Our Roman Catholic and previous naming conventions are INSANE! US Grant was our cousin. I remember meeting Old man Grant (the Fifth grandson) who taught me why he was so much older than my grandmother, and kinda how the name "Hi-Ram" became Ulysses. (West Point had a few George Grants and there was that antisemitism crap going on) I found a grandad on The Oliver Cromwell after his old man OPENLY called out George III when he went mad and here we are with another reason to protest #45. US and Parliament neutered the Marian Jesuit years.

[@murdochmclennan3510]

3 stanzas from the bottom, Line 2: "the sword ran in and held"

[@13agibson]

The interesting thing is that Donald of Islay and Alexander Stewart, Earl of Mar, who led the opposing force in defence of Aberdeen, were first cousins- Mar's father, the Wolf of Badenoch, was the brother of the Lord of the Isles' mother. The earldom of Ross which Donald laid claim to was claimed by one of their other first cousins, John, Earl of Buchan. His father, the Governor Albany (Mar and Islay's uncle) was the grandfather of the heiress of Ross and managed to wheedle an abdication of her claim in favour of John out of her. Scotland was without a king (Albany's brother Robert III had died, and his son James I was captive in England), so the descendants of Robert II could basically squabble over the realm as much as they liked, especially in the north. It was only a hastily patched up agreement between Mar and the Governor that enabled a small force of around a thousand to be assembled in defence of Aberdeen when Islay's 10,000 men came rampaging towards it from Inverness, the Mackays having failed to stop them (not their fault, as the force was huge). As it was, there was no great victory for either side- Mar lost over half his force and was badly injured, while Donald lost more men, but less of his army. However, the fact that Donald (for unknown reasons) failed to take advantage of his victory and returned back the way he had come, meant that many Lowland sources claimed the battle as a glorious victory for Mar, resulting in songs like this one. Donald did not fall in the battle, that is an inaccuracy, but the song still reflects the great pride felt in the battle. Similarly, Gaelic sources tend to claim the battle was won by the Islesmen. Sorry for blabbering on, but it's helpful to know just what a mess Scotland could be in the early fifteenth century, and why Harlaw, despite being inconclusive, was such an important battle.

[@RKHageman]

The first blow that Lord Forbes struck, the sword ran in *an ell*... "Ell" is "a former measure of length (equivalent to six hand breadths) used mainly for textiles, locally variable but typically about 45 inches."

[@jakegrant7663]

Brutal death

[@cathod999]

@@jakegrant7663 Except Donald died 12 years later on Islay. Artistic licence i suppose

[@bunnicula8307]

makes me wana pick a fight

[@jamestaylor7375]

Scotland's best-ever folk singers!

[@ThyGeekGoddessMuze]

Grant-Blackwell here. MacDonald, McKenzie, etc and so forth. Forbes were neighbors if not kin. They're on my family wheel (looks like a tipi cover) They lost us on the Kansas/Missouri territories after WWI and WWII, when awa sents us awa and privateers took everything while we were away. Many from the Revolution served 1812 when Canada was Nova Scotia. Our folks were already up in Ontario speaking French. I dropped it since nobody around the Beltway spoke French unless Ontario came down from Niagara Falls vacations. So we have them marrying our 19+ year old women, when hand-fasting got out of hand.

[@foolofhearts8126]

Descendant of MacDonald and Ross, live in Aberdeenshire

[@kevinmc4860]

This was no clan battle, it was a clash of civilisations

[@ianskidmore]

stirs the blood

[@kevinmc4860]

A clash of 2 civilizations

[@eladnichols-kaufman3313]

Clan MacNicol! We may well have fought under MacDonald here.

[@wullies11]

Thanks.

[@RKHageman]

Clan Donald here! (MacBride)

[@pipes0987]

Mayor McCheese was wounded badly at Harlaw.

[@tonythille8924]

Clans where at war then no national pride all about clan back then :(

[@cheeseburger8486]

Clan McCord here.

[@Jabberwok28]

I have to say I am torn as to which version is better: this or Jeannie Robertson.

[@jacobitemoray]

the version by the " old blind dogs " is awesome. but i still worship the corries..

[@odonnchada9994]

Check Out The Fureys Song "McVerrys Men". ☘

[@redleg56]

And on of the Clan Ranald here (MacKintosh through the mother).

[@donalddaly2576]

Blair responds to the call

[@Tennessee1974]

Clan Mackay!!!!

[@davelister1]

MacBride The true clan with Donald my Brother !

[@Iliinois18]

MacDonald MAN!!!

[@wullies11]

Wats the correct term for the drum in the background. I know its a bone drum but whats the proper name, my wife is obsesed with them.

[@murdochmclennan3510]

William mcmaster: The drum is a "bodhran", pronounced "boran".

[@neptvne3168]

MacQueen here

[@campinggrousebuyahouse91]

Come on Scotland and her folk , vote yes ! Intay the unionists enough is enough they will fall !

[@neildiamondo6445]

I agree. We look like cowards

[@maggoli67]

bodhran?

[@richardwatt2537]

Scotlnd.!

[@murdochmclennan3510]

There is nothing to praise about pimping sheep, sir.

[@alsbigsmoke]

to the great chief mcian of the clan McDonald of glencoe murdered in his bed in the massacre of glencoe, here's to the chief

[@snipaman5127]

aye to mcian of glencoe slainte!!!!

[@snipaman5127]

clan MacAndrew will fight with ye

[@zackbutler3524]

My Ancestors were Stuarts my first cousin was king James I and I had multiple other clans but that was most Prominent.

[@zackbutler3524]

First Cousin of course many times Removed

[@jakegrant7663]

King

[@vikingblood0408]

Clan Boyd and Morrison.

[@tonythille8924]

they are right we Foght long back each other i am. a descendent of macghregor

[@StatusQuoK]

blessins from clan Donald

[@loganparker180]

MCdowell under clan McDougall sibling clan or all Donald mc or Mac

[@the1lordawesomness]

Clan Forbes

[@sirfarquhar4441]

Nunn here, English -hats off to Scottish heroes!

[@albertoromo2458]

lyrics, please!?

[@TheSheepPimp]

Google it

[@Astrotastic12]

+Alberto Romo As I gaed on an' farther on and doon an' by BalquhainOh it's there I saw Sir James the Rose and wi' him John the Graeme"It's cam' ye fae the Heilan's man, cam' ye a' the wey? Saw ye MacDonald and his men as they cam' in fae Skye?""It's I was near and near eneuch that I their numbers saw There was fifty thoosan' heilan' men a-marchin' tae Harlaw""Gin that be true," says James the Rose, "We'll no cam' muckle speed We'll cry upon wir merry men and turn wir horse's heid""Oh na, o' na," says John the Graeme, "This thing will nivver be The gallant Graemes wis nivver beat, we'll try fit we can dae"Well, as I gaed on an' further on an' doon an' by Harlaw There fell fu' close on ilka side sic straiks ye nivver sawThere fell fu' close on ilka side sic straiks ye nivver saw An' ilka sword gaed clash for clash at the Battle of HarlawThe Heilan' men wi' their lang swords, they laid on us fu' sair And they drave back wir merry men three acres breadth and mairAn' Forbes tae his brither did say, "Noo brither, can't ye see They've beaten us back on ilka side and we'll be forced tae flee""Oh na, na, my brither bold, this thing will nivver be Ye'll tak yer guid sword in yer haun', ye'll gang in wi' me"Well, it's back tae back the brithers bold gaed in amangst the thrang And they drave back the heilan' men wi' swords baith sharp and langAn' the firstan stroke that Forbes struck, he gart MacDonald reel An' the neistan straik that Forbes struck, the brave MacDonald fellAn siccan a ptlairchie o' the likes ye nivver saw As wis amangst the Heilan' men fan they saw MacDonald fa'Some rade, some ran and some did gang, they were o' sma' record For Forbes and his merry men, they slew them on the roadO' fifty thoosan' Heilan' men, but fifty-three gaed hame And oot o' a' the Lawlan' men, fifty marched wi' GraemeGin onybody spier at ye for them that marched awa' Ye can tell them plain and very plain they're sleepin' at Harlaw

[@mattywatt4754]

+Astrotastic12 hahahha nice one!

[@robertirvine5109]

clan irvine

[@BxnkrollBeatKillerBEATKMB]

Respect from man a MacDonald & other clans