"What do they really wear under the Kilt?"

The other day I got asked this question - "What do you wear under your Kilt?".

The person asking is a missionary from Texas and he has been teaching a person with a strong Scottish background.

So I happened to have a copy of a Scottish products catalog and showed him a version of the famous shirt that has the top ten responses.

You may view the t-shirt on the Celtic Croft website in detail here.

Here is what they have on the t-shirt and part of the list.  For those that want something a little cleaner you'd have to dump about half the list.

1.   My shoes and socks
2.   Nothing worn - Everything is in perfect working order
3.   My furry pouch - oh wait that is on top.
4.   A very fine set of accessories
5.   My used beer dispenser
6.   Good girls don't ask, bad girls find out
7.   My Claymore - and it's in need of a good polishing.....
8.   Lipstick when I'm lucky....
9.   If your brave enough to ask, you're brave enough to find out
10. I'll show you mind if you show me yours

Another interesting version can be viewed here from USA Kilts

There are also some great responses in the must read book for those that will be using a kilt.  It's called "So you're going to wear the Kilt!"  by  J. Charles Thompson.  They are much cleaner but basically, rest on the 'plumbing is working do you need a demonstration?'





So as you can see there are a few catchy things you can say to someone that is questioning you about what you are wearing under your kilt.

The Kilt in and of itself is very interesting.  It's almost always historically made of a tartan material of wool.

The interesting part is that within the Celtic culture tartan style material/cloth has been in use for millennia.  However, the kilt seems to be a bit of a more modern invention even though it is one of the great symbols of Scotland along with the Bagpipe.
The origins of the kilt are somewhat cloud in the mysteries of time and space.  The Britain Celts who were closely associated with the Romans for several hundred years appear to not have used any style of kilt at that time.  The Celts on the European Continent also have no historical use of the Kilt.  It was more trousers.  The Irish also seem to not have used one though it is generally accepted that the fore runner of the modern kilt is or was the Breacan an Fhéilidh (belted plaid) or Feileadh Mòr (great plaid).



Basically the original kilts were large pieces of cloth that were pleated by hand (kilting) and then belted around the middle.  This left a huge amount of material that could be thrown over the shoulder and wrapped around the user.  These could and would be a little short on the bottom side.  Not nearly getting to the knee in many cases and this lends credence to that Mr. Thompson says are the Victorian ear kilts that go to the knee or beyond.

I find it is best if the kilt goes to around the knee.  For modesty and religious reasons even my shorts need to be that long.  It's kind of slutty for a woman to use a micro mini with no leggings and a super short kilt is just unbecoming to a man no matter his age.

Kilts as we know them today started to appear at least in the 16th century.  They were present for all the Jacobite rebellions. Though the chieftains likely used Thews (plaid pants) so they could ride horses easier.  The general soldier or clansman wore the kilt and even removed it in many cases to fight and tied his shirt between his legs.



Over time the kilt began to shed the additional material that was above the waist.  This may have been for comfort or other similar reasons as more and more Scots moved around the world.

Today the kilt is made of about 3 yards of tartan material.  It is pleated to the sett by the maker and includes buckles and straps to help secure it.  It is also used for more formal events and less for everyday use.  Though in reality a person may use the same kilt at the local Highland Games and then a week or so later at his friends wedding.  It is the upper accessories that change.  The style of shirt, the coat or lack there of, the plaid, the cap, the style or quality of the sporran and the Sgian dubh.



So for those that are brave enough these days to wear a kilt. What do they use or wear under there?

It all come down to personal preference.  I've seen many a caber tosser, or heavy athlete that uses so type of tight fitting short.  Not them mighty whitey underwear so many use daily.  More like athletic shorts.  They whirl, and turn and twist so much you'd see more then you want at some point.  Also the few guys that do highland dancing any more also use some type of shorts under there.  They also whirl, twist, and turn and jump so much you need to.  We've seen more then our fair share of dancer's under garments without out even trying.

So I think things like these t-shirts with a list of interesting things to say when someone wants to know what is under your kilt are just for fun, and to help keep the mystery going.  At times I think these quick, cheesy, and sometimes lewd, responses are just what people need.  We don't go around asking a lady what she has on under her skirt.  It would be interesting if they stated to describe in detail their panties to the poor sick bum that was crazy enough to ask.




One shirt states - "If there is underwear under there it's called a skirt!"

I'll let you decide what I might be wearing under my kilt the next time I'm at the local Scottish Fair.

Buaidh - NO - Bas

Scottish Festival and Highland Games

This weekend is the annual Scottish Festival and Highland Games at the local Orange County Fair grounds.

This event is in it's 80th year or so and has been renamed SCOTS FEST - A Scottish Festival of Celtic Entertainment and Food to more properly reflect what it truly has become.
It's two days of true Scottish culture with all the fine points one would expect.  Highland dancing, Pipe band competition, athletics (Caber toss, hammer throw, weight for height etc), Clan Societies, and plenty of food, drinks and entertainment (Bad Haggis, Sligo Rags, Highland Way and Tempest) of all sorts.








This event has become a family tradition with us.  We head there every memorial day weekend to get our slice of highland culture.

It's a great opportunity to see all our old friends from our Clan Society (http://macdougall.org).  This is one of the best places to find your Scottish roots.  Most if not all of the clan tents have some type of listing of the Septs (family names) associated to the clan.  Many also have some fairly comprehensive books on Scottish surnames that can also be helpful in locating at least some connection.  There are so many people with a vast array of knowledge that your bound to find something out if you try hard enough.  Granted that every clan had their fair share of Smiths since they all had black smiths and the like in the local village.






Though my wife and daughter do not get to excited about the athletics I do like to try and see a few guys try and toss the caber.  Unfortunately, we generally have to split up to pull this off.  Way too many things going on.

Caber Toss

Caber, in Gaelic, means simply pole or rafter. Unlike the standardized instruments common to modern track and field events, it has no fixed weight or dimensions. Contestants on a particular day all have to try with the log at hand. In the event no one is able to turn it (end over end) successfully, it is common practice to saw a piece off until someone is able to turn it. It should be noted that the goal of the effort is not distance, but to toss the log end-over-end so that it lands in a straight line from the tosser. Points are deducted according to the number of degrees off from the ideal 12 o'clock mark. The greater handicap in this event isn't the weight of the caber, but its length. 

Scotsfest section on athletics 

Some times everyone has trouble getting the caber to turn.  Other times a couple of guys are able to turn the caber.  It is always fun and can be potentially risky depending where you position yourself to watch.  Some guys due to the size of the caber have a real hard time getting it to balance properly so that can begin their attempted at turning it.  This has involved stepping backwards and the like. Thus the risk if the person has to drop the caber; not fun to be hit by a telephone pole.

Other events that are fun to watch is the Highland Dancing.  It is just amazing what those girls can do.

And the pile of Celtic apparel and clothing you see people wearing and that is available to buy.

Back in the day just before I got married I went and purchased a kilt package from a vendor at the fair.  Unfortunately, I had problems with the vendor fulfilling my order and had to take them to small claims court.  They thankfully do not exist anymore and are not at the fair any longer.  It sure was a deal but, it was a pain when I had to go and acquire varies pieces to have a complete outfit for my wedding reception.

I do get a kick out of the many t-shirts that are available to specify and answer the ultimate question - WHAT DO YOU WEAR UNDER THAT KILT?

In a book I have entitled - So you are going to wear the kilt: Revised 3rd edition by J. Charles Thompson  there is a section that discusses how to handle those questions.  You won't get much of that at Scotsfest.  Since many a person at the fair is wearing a kilt no one asks.  In reality it is when your the only wearing the kilt that you have a higher chance of getting asked.

So how do you respond?  Since it referencing such a private affair and parts that people don't like to talk about it can become hard. He says to use something along the lines of "The plumbing is all in working order, do you need a demonstration?", or "My shoes".   Basically something simple to put them off.  You have to keep up the mystic of the whole affair.  In the past people wore nothing underneath the kilt.  Now a days you find all kinds of athletic shorts and other types of undergarments.  I think I even read that they changed policy for the dragoons guards and other highland regiments in regards to the lack of clothing under the kilt.  It is now considered tacky to not use anything under your kilt.  But if you really tell someone what is down there the mystery goes away.   A shirt with some ideas for responding presents some seedy ideas.  A few of the cleaner ones are - Fine set of accessories, socks and shoes, etc.  To see all the saying and the actual shirt click here  or click here Your sure to get a laugh even if you are considered a bit of a prude.  Below are a few other choices naturally cleaner then some of the above options.





  

So as we celebrate our Scottish heritage take the chance to get your kilt out and wear it.  Listen to some great bagpipe music and enjoy some Haggis if that is to your liking.

If you think you might be related to some famous Scotsman or other British isles royalty then you should check out my post entitled - Are you Related to someone Famous?

Buaidh -  NO - Bas

  

Manaus Temple Open House

The public open house of the Manaus Brazil Temple begins tomorrow and continues through Saturday, June 2. Please follow the link below for additional information and to preview the interior. MANAUS BRAZIL TEMPLE OPEN HOUSE: http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/manaus-brazil-temple-open-house-dedication-dates-ann ounced-May-June

Warmest regards,
Rick Satterfield
LDSChurchTemples.com


So why would I want to include something about the open house in Manaus?  It's not anywhere close to where I live and doesn't on the face of it appear to have anything to do with ancestors or the current topics I seem to be discussing here. Well let me explain.

I served my mission back in the early to mid 90's in Northern Brazil. I started out on the east coast (Fortaleza - Ceará)  and then slowly made my way across to eventual end up serving literally in the Amazon rain forest. The city was basically accessible by boat only. I heard of a bus that went to another nearby city  but again from there you took a boat to any other city worth talking about. And the nearest big city was accessible again by boat but we went in by airplane for about  1 1/2 hours flight from mission headquarters in Belém Do Pará. This region is just full of jungle and forest and waterways all over the place.  Travel can be time consuming and some people don't go more then a few miles from home their  entire life.
Secondly, this Temple is significant in that it is going to make things easier for thousands of people to attend. Previously members in this region were taking trips to far flung locations such as São Paulo, Brazil, Recife, Brazil or Caracas Venezuela. Any one of these trips would take days to get there and then days to return. Only the few well off members that could afford a plane ticket would be able to make the trip be less then a week.     Many members due to financial circumstances would have to save up for years to be able to afford the trip. So getting to the temple once in your lifetime would be a big deal. I even heard of one family that sold their small home to help finance the trip. Now that is living by  faith.

Selling your most valuable possessions to finance a trip that will likely last a couple of weeks so you can attend the temple.
With in the last couple of conferences President Thomas S Monson specified that they wanted to  make the temples more accessible to the members and have them within about 400 miles (640 km)
See some of his comments at the following links:   http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2011/04/the-holy-temple-a-beacon-to-the-world?lang=eng   
http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/as-we-meet-again?lang=eng

They even created a special fund much like the Perpetual Education Fund called the Temple Patrons Fund that will assist those in far flung locations to be able to attend the temple at least once in their lifetime if their financial outlook is very limited.   So why so much emphasis on the Temple one might ask. Why would a people in a church that was just a few years old work on building a Temple from day one knowing that might never see it's completion? (see D&C 109).
Those are the questions one should be asking. Temples are different from the normal meeting houses you find dotting the land and islands of the sea. In the normal meeting house or other such building being used for that purpose you find the regular  Sunday meetings which include the administration of the Sacrament. These buildings might also be used  for such things as social activities, youth program, and other such things that help to strengthen the members.  These buildings are open to member and non-member alike.   The Temple is literally a 'House of the Lord' "a holy sanctuary in which sacred ceremonies and ordinances of the gospel are performed by and for the living and also in behalf of the dead. A place where the Lord may come, it is the most holy of any place of worship on the earth. Only the home can compare with the temple in sacredness." - Bible dictionary Temples

Some of the many types of ordinances that are performed in the Temple include but are not limited to - The endowment, Sealing of Families for the Eternities, and Proxy Baptisms. Many of these ordinances are performed for the living and some are performed exclusively for our deceased ancestors that we have found while doing our family history or genealogy work.
You might say that some people will be taken aback by the fact that we do proxy baptisms. But, why should someone feel that way. Would it be just for God to deny one entrance into  Heaven by the mere fact that they were not able to be baptized during their lifetime or for that matter even knew about Jesus Christ. We know that God not a respecter of persons. We know we are all literally spirit sons and daughters of God.   So is it right to punish some people for the circumstances beyond their control that they find  themselves in? Just because you were born in certain part of the world or to a certain kind  of parents? So that is why we do proxy baptisms, to provide the same opportunities to everyone that has lived on this earth. To allow them the same blessing and privileges that they would have had while in their moral existence had it been available. This is not a new concept at all. For it was spoken of  by early members of the Lord's Church -  "Else what shall they do which are ^abaptized ^bfor the dead,  if the dead ^crise not at all? why are they then baptized for the ^ddead?" I Corinthians 15:29

Actually, I used this type of example many a time in the mission field. And so that the people we were teaching would understand more easily we always talked about some long lost person out in the middle of the Amazon Rain forest. For there are tribes and others that are so far away from any population centers or that  are so isolated from the rest of world you really have no idea what that know about. They might not have ever heard about Jesus Christ. Therefore, should those people be condemned? Should they be sent to hell  simply because they grow up so isolated from the rest of the world? Heck NO!

And because ordinances are so sacred and special they can only be performed in the Temple. Those that attend are also instructed in the Plan of Salvation, and they take upon themselves sacred covenants. One of the outwardly signs of this is the use of the Temple Garments. These garments help the member dress modestly compared to the world as a whole. And they are a constant reminder of the covenants that one has made.
The Temple becomes a place of peace and a sanctuary from the daily hustle and bustle and noise that surrounds us so regularly. They are built to a higher standard and members that want to enter are also held to a higher standard.

In all attendance at the temple is the highest form of worship we as members can provide.  It is taking things one level up.  Though in reality we can have the same peace and comfort in our homes as we strive to follow the commandments and live the gospel to its fullest.

I'm going to include some pictures of the temples I have been inside.  They are all marvelous in their own ways.  each is unique but, after you have strolled the grounds and been inside you know that in fact they are "The House of the Lord".  A truely a light set o a hill that will be a beacon to the masses, and a sign of what is to come.

San Diego Temple

Los Angeles California

Sao Paulo Brazil

Provo Utah (The original)

Newport Beach California

Manti Utah (one of the few with live endowment)

Saint George Utah

Recife Brazil

Redlands California

I'm going to include also some pictures of the Manaus temple.
This show the quality level of the workmanship.  Only the best when possible for with such eternally significant covenants being made there it's no wonder.

Baptistry

Celestial Room

Sealing room - Note Mirrors on apposing walls

Reception/Waiting Room

If you feel like doing a little family history after reading why  not try one of the world's largest databases for free - http://www.familysearch.org
You can also find a family history center in your area where volunteers are waiting to help you find your ancestors.

Buaidh - NO - Bas

To Slave or not to Slave

Recently we have been watching the genealogical program on PBS called "Finding your Roots" hosted by Henry Louis Gates.  This is similar to the program "Who do you think you are?" on NBC.

It is a very interesting program and they have had a slew of interesting celebrities on the program.  Many times they like to go with Black people as the background for these people is always muddied due to slavery in the United States prior to the Civil War.

Though the last episode was very different as they used Kevin Bacon and his wife Kyra Sedgwick.   The host always like to show how we are so interconnected and the muddied pasts of most people.  He loves to also dispel myths and legends about our origins.   And one way they do this is DNA testing.  This can help in identifying major zones of ethnic origin.  It can help to identify a percentage of "White" , "African", and/or "Asian" (what they term Native American at times).

So with Bacon and Sedgwick they did not need to do the whole DNA testing since they more or less could be termed "White".  Though I think they did it anyways to verify the "Jewish" portion of one's background.  What became more interesting is the little known secret of how many of the founding fathers all had slaves.
Gates brings this up with both Bacon and Sedgwick.  It appears that in the case of Bacon he has an ancestor of Quaker origins that had a slave.  Sedgwick's case is similar in that a long standing colonial family figure had a slave of sorts but interestingly helped in emancipating one later.  Somewhat confusing but, none the less interesting. In fact slavery in the early days of the United States was not just in the southern colonies like Georgia, South Carolina, Virgina, etc.  It was practiced in places like Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania as well.

George Washington had slaves, and so did Thomas Jefferson.  So you have to ask - When did things begin to change in the north such that it became repugnant to own slaves where it was still acceptable in the southern region of the United States?  There had to be some kind of societal change where people began to shift away from holding slaves and actually working to abolish it in its entirety.  Maybe it was the fact that the "North" was becoming more industrialized while the "South" was becoming more agricultural based in its economy.  Slaves seemed great for the back breaking labor of the fields.   And the north gained the many semi-skilled European immigrants.

But, this all bring up the hypocrisy present when the founding fathers made the declaration "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness".  Equal as long as you were not a slave.  That is the perplexing thing that comes from all this.  As you dig deeper, you find they wanted that Utopian society where in reality all men where free, to pursue their dreams as long as it did not invade or interfere with your neighbor.  But, in reality life was not very fair back then.  Sometimes only land holders could vote, forget about women, and there were certain groups of people classified as inferior and unable to do such things as hold land, or move about freely.

You can say this was a sad chapter in the history of the United States.  But, it could well be in the minds of the founding fathers that getting some rights and the ability to self govern for some if not eventually all was better then not having any of that in the first place.  This as we know eventually lead to the great Civil War.  One of the only wars fought by the United States on our own soil.  And what a deadly cost we did pay with thousands of lives lost, and tons of family forever changed.

Slavery has been around from since the beginning of recorded history.  It was practiced all around the Middle Eastern / Asia Minor region for thousands of years.  Groups like the Vikings engaged in it all over Europe for years to one degree or another.  And it was common practice in Africa centuries and some might say it still exists there in one form or another.  And in the Americas, especially large agricultural regions like Brazil, or the South it was practiced for years. But, what ever the reason it has finally become unacceptable to practice Slavery.   Though through indentured servitude and debt bondage it carries on in some places in the world.



Brazil is an interesting case as they never really had a big civil war over the ending of slavery like it there was in the United States.  It actually was abolished piece meal over time until finally in 1888 Princess Isabel decreed it done and over with.  Before that they made baby steps to solving the problem.  Some in fact were token gestures that did like to end the problem. Like giving all slaves over 60 their freedom.  If the average life span of a slave was just 20 something years this covered therefore a small percentage of the slave population.  They also declared the "sons" of slaves freed.  This appears to not have covered the Females, and sadly some of them were used as slave producers by their owners in Brazil as well as many parts of the Southern States.
Many were also given freedom as they enlisted to fight in the Paraguayan War.  All token efforts to end the institution of slavery without going to war over it.  And to some extent it did work though Brazil was one of the last countries to abolish slavery altogether.
It kind of phased out as more and more semi-skilled labor from Europe (mostly Italy) came to work on the large plantations.



It's a sordid past we live.  A dark spot on humanity.  But, in the end the light at the end of the tunnel has come.  Equality is ever present, but, we still have to fight to make sure there is justice where justice is due.  And not just on the front of Slavery.  We also have to make sure we continue to allow for religious freedom and equality.   It all goes back to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" as long as does not get in the way of other people.

So don't be shy in finding out if there is there are a few skeletons in your family's closet.  You might be surprised at what you find hiding in there.  And it might not be all that bad.







Buaidh - NO - Bas

Using the 1910 US Census

I found out a little something I'd like to talk about for a while today.
It all relates to the 1910 census.

So I was looking around for some relatives on the census data that is available on familysearch.org.  I did get lucky.  One of the reasons I was looking around at census data is to see what they might have put down for locations of birth for a great- grandfather.  And It turns out I was also looking for something that might show up on his first wife and the fact no one seems to have recorded my grand-aunt.

So as I got a hit on the 1910 census I was ecstatic.  I had the person(s) in questions and was jumping for joy.  I now could put the unrecorded grand-aunt in the system at new.familysearch.org.  But as always I found while looking into multiple census records that the spelling on the name could be in question.  It was spelled different on the 1910 census then the 1920 census.

So in my joy I sent the image off to my father and step-mother a very good genealogist and family history person.  She stumbled upon something that took my a while to process.  Turns out on the 1910 census they included a column by which a mother could list her total number of children and another column for how many were still alive.  Appears this was due to the Spanish flu that was going around the globe at that time.  It helped to see how may people/children may have been victims of the flu or had died early.

This information does not appear to be present on the 1920 census.  But, because of this we were able to located information regarding a child that died in infancy that as far as I know no one knew about.

I'm going to include an image of the census for the part of Ogden, Utah that matters to me. 

This might just spur you on to find out if you have a lost relative listed in the census.  In reality they provide a variety of very useful information in the census.  Mainly, you see the country/state of origin/birth, information on whether the father/mother are of foreign origin (sometimes it give the country), then things like how old, how long married, language or education information etc.

Census data can point us in the right direction to find other supporting documents for our not so distant relatives.  In some cases you can even see the migration of a family across the United States due to the locations of births of some children.

There is a vast array of information out there and we just need to tap into it.  Some of these ancestors are just waiting to be found.

But, some pragmatic people might say - "why bother doing all this work so you can finally baptize your deceased relatives?  So many people lived that have no record we'll never find them all."

Good point.  We may not find them all today or even in the next few years.  But, as we see how the plan works - that everyone will have the opportunity to have their saving ordinances completed, we will also see that God has not forgotten us.  He loves all his spirit children whether there are records for them or not.  He know us all by name and has not forgot even a one.  This people is something to shout from the roof tops to the whole world.

Buaidh - NO - Bas

Leap of Faith

I was talking with another member last night at my home in regards to making some changes.... job, and the like.

One thing that came up is the Lord wants to bless us, but, can not simply serve us up everything on a silver platter.  There is one little element that plays in to the ability for the Lord to bless us - Agency.  Also as we exercise our agency (our ability to choose for ourselves) we have the consequences of our actions and the need for us to make decisions.  Thus if the Lord simply provided all that we asked for in some respects he would be negating agency and our ability to choose for ourselves.
This is were the second element comes in.  The element of faith.  As we do all we can, live the commandments the best we can, and serve in the church etc. the Lord will in the end bless us and fill in the gap.  He'll help us to bridge that which is missing as we make our full effort.

On the other hand, Satan the father of all lies will do all he can to discourage us and make us feel less then we should.  There will at time need to be some real Godly sorrow for mistakes and efforts on our part to repair the damage we have done.  Sometimes this may involve even repairing our own self worth or coming to a realization we are spirit children of Heavenly Father and we really does loves us and want us to return to live with him again someday.  "Thus, opposition and the alternatives that come with it are essential characteristics of our existence, for if there were no opposition and no alternatives from which to choose, there would be no agency, and the “wisdom of God and his eternal purposes,” as well as His “power,” “mercy,” and “justice,” would be destroyed (2 Nephi 2:12)."
Why Agency?  by Charles Swift Ensign February 2012.


So in the end I came to the realization that we need to take that leap of faith.  To have confidence in ourselves and our abilities.  To take the step into the unknown (which can be very scary) and push head not having a perfect knowledge (i.e Faith) of how it will work out.

It has been brought to my memory the accounts of the life of Christian Moosman one of my ancestors on my mother's side of the family.   He was born in Switzerland in the mid 1800's and eventually was baptized in the LDS church.   This did not go over very well with some relatives and former colleagues.   So eventually he went to Italy to join some saints there and immigrated to Zion.  In and around this time he met his wife among the Italian saints and there were married shortly there after.
Now there reason he come to mind is not so much his hardships and struggles but, more his faith in his actions.  We look to our noble ancestors of this time frame (1800's) and see so much faith as many of them traveled long distances to join with the saints in Zion (Utah).  And we well know that life for these people was not easy even after finally arriving in the Salt Lake Valley and surrounding communities.   In reality it as darn right hard.  And then on top of that many were called on "Missions" to colonize or populate far flung parts of the Utah territory or surrounding areas.   Thus was the life of Christian Moosman and his family. 

He had to exercise huge amounts of  faith as he resettled more then one to some rather inhospitable locations.  In many instances these were simply very big leaps of Faith.  Was that priesthood leader that called them on their mission really inspired?  Could they really make a living in the Utah desert?  These were their leaps of faith such as was life in those days.

In our modern age we are less likely to travel half way around the world to start a new life.  But do we still have to take those leaps of faith?  How about in our callings we receive at church?  How many times have you been extended a calling and thought after accepting it that you have no clue what you will do or how you will fulfill your obligations.  But, in the end things seem to come together as they should albeit, not always perfectly, but in a manner that is pleasing and fulfilling for those involved.

I have seen this in my calling as a Cub Master.  When I began I had no clue what I was doing, even though I'm am and Eagle Scout and recipient of the Arrow of Light award.  My first pack meeting was a mess and it did not help we had a group of children interrupt things in the middle.  Now I'm a bit more wiser, have a few years experience under my belt and things run a lot smoother.  Curve balls are still sent our way and we do have to make some last minute changes and the like.  But, I also see those moments of inspiration.  Promptings regarding things I should be doing, people to contact and the activities to suggest.  They have not all worked out as I expected them to.  Nor should they... we are always adapting things to our needs.  But, I've had to take small leaps of faith.  Leaps like when I decided for the first time to participate in Scout-o-Rama. 
Leaps in planning various other activities (some of which turned into miniature disastures).

Now I've learned I need to take other leaps of faith in other aspects of my life.  Like polishing skills for a job change, reaching out to fellow saints for help, extending myself in other ways and the like.  I have to take that leap of faith that things can be better and that I need to get the ball rolling.  That there are blessing awaiting me that I could never dream of having, like fruit ripe on the tree waiting to be picked.   I also have to have that faith to be able to keep Satan from messing around with God's eternal plan for me to much.  To make sure that I can keep him at bay so that in the end I do not turn “miserable like unto himself” (2 Ne. 2:27) that he wants me to.

"So we ask ourselves, “Who are we going to believe in our search for happiness and well-being?” Will it be Satan, the author of all lies and deceit, whose single objective is to destroy us? Or are we going to believe a loving Heavenly Father, who is the source of all truth and happiness, whose sole objective is rewarding us with His eternal love and joy?

We may come from humble circumstances, have limited education, and may even have what we consider unimpressive worldly accomplishments. And because of Satan’s deceit, we may at times feel unimportant, insignificant, or incapable. But let us never forget—we are the ones chosen .... of God, we are His called, ...., and that makes us somebody."

Satan's Bag of Snipes - Bishop Richard C. Edgley


So will you join me in making that leap of faith?

Buiadh - NO - Bas

Ancient Wisdom of the Celts regarding Governance

Most people will accept the fact that when the founding Fathers of the United States of America put out the Bill of Rights and other declarations leading to the culmination of the Constitution it was one of the most extraordinary events regarding rights and government that had occurred up until that time.  Why would that be?  Up until that time in history the general form of government reigning throughout Europe and many other parts of the world was the Monarchy.  If the Monarch was evil the people suffered from over taxation, and other depravities of rights.  If the Monarch was just there was general prosperity and the people felt happy and satisfied.  Not much middle ground.

So why would one say that the Celts had an advanced form of governance?  Why would one say that their format was quasi-democratic and in many instances lead to the lessening of being stuck with an incompetent or evil leader.    We know very well that the Celts of the British Isles had many a king.  Just look to Scotland as one example.  We also know that in some instances due to issues with heirs general civil war broke out due to multiple claimants to the thrown.

The Celts had a general system that allowed for almost nonhereditary succession to the kingship.
From Helen Litton's "The Celts An Illustrated History we find the following:

"The King was not necessarily the son of the previous king, but could be a member of his extended family.  The King could be chosen from any of the descendants of a common great-grandfather.  Once you no longer had a grandparent or great-grandparent who had been king, you would no longer have any right to succeed.  Succession seems to have been matter of the strongest of the available candidates exerting his right by demonstrating his strength, possibly with the agreement of the previous king on his deathbed." pg 91

 One such explanation comes from W.A. Cummins in his book entitled : "The Ages of the Picts".  He has a chapter on The Female Royal Line.  "The Picts, unlike the English or the Britons, chose their kings from the female line..... Apart from importance of the female royal line, Bede's also suggests that the Picts (or more probably the kings of the various Pictish tribes) had some control over the choice of the overlord, the King of the Picts.  Was this the secret of their success?" pg 32
 So we see a quasi-democratic system.  A general body of people had a say in the final determination of the High King or Local Tuath king.  In as much as per the custom only a select number of people were eligible for the position of King.  Keeping it from being totally hereditary lessened the chance of being stuck with a weak or less then desirable king.  Sounds like some of the benefits endorsed by the constitutional system.

W.A. Cummins further elaborates on the benefits of this type of system.
"1. The system posed no threat to the sovereignty of the tribes that joined the scheme, nor did it give any long-term benefit to the family or tribe of the ruling king.
2. The age range of the candidates for the kingship would be considerable, probably as much as 30 to 40 years.  Thus there was never the slightest need to need to choose a boy who was to young for the responsibility or a man who was to old and infirm to lead the nation effectively.
3. The number of candidates ensure that the kingdom need never be saddled with a king who was physically disabled or mentally unsound.
4. Unlike a modern election to choose a president or prime minister, the candidates for the Pictish kingship would be recognized as such from birth and would be well known before the old king died"

Many of the advantages are similar to that of the elector system.  Not saddled with a bad candidate, large number of people to select from etc.  Granted not all systems are perfect.
 What is interesting to note is that the Pictish system of selecting from the female line seems to have been over powered by the influence of the English system on the eventual merged greater Scottish community that came from the Picts and the Dalraidians.

And it just came to mind that the Vikings had a system of governance that included the Thing.
Another quasi-democratic institution that will need to be further discussed in another post.

Buaidh - NO - Bas

Tidbits of Wisdom

Just a few reference on Wisdom and Knowledge.  
All these come from the standard works and  can be referenced here
The Standard Works online 

The last is a great item to explore further in the future.  It seems cool, neat and such to be related to Royalty.  In the end is this the wisest type of government?  Definitely has to be explored.

Jacob 6:12
 12 O be ^awise; what can I say more?

Proverbs 3:13
  13 ¶ ^aHappy is the man that findeth ^bwisdom, and the man that getteth ^cunderstanding.

Proverbs 4:7
 7 ^aWisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get ^bunderstanding.

2 Nephi 9:29
  29 But to be ^alearned is good if they ^bhearken unto the ^ccounsels of God. 

Job 32:9

 9 Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment.

Proverbs 8:11-12

  11 For ^awisdom is better than ^brubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.

  12 I wisdom dwell with ^aprudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions. 

Mosiah 29:11

11 Therefore I will be your king the remainder of my days; nevertheless, let ^aus appoint ^bjudges, to judge this people according to our law; and we will newly arrange the affairs of this people, for we will appoint wise men to be judges, that will judge this people according to the commandments of God. 

12 Now it is better that a man should be ^ajudged of God than of man, for the judgments of God are always just, but the judgments of man are not always just.

13 Therefore, ^aif it were possible that you could have ^bjust men to be your kings, who would establish the ^claws of God, and judge this people according to his commandments, yea, if ye could have men for your kings who would do even as my father ^dBenjamin did for this people—I say unto you, if this could always be the case then it would be expedient that ye should always have kings to rule over you. 

Buaidh - NO - Bas

Are You Related to someone Famous?

Since this blog will be about Ancestors and tidbits of Wisdom they can provide us I'd like to talk about an application that can help to identify if you are related to anyone famous.
This program was designed by some people at Brigham Young University in Provo, UTAH

 Relative Finder - Famous People and More!
<http://roots.cs.byu.edu/digroots/selfafninfo.php> 
The following options are found within the program

• U.S. Presidents and Leaders
• Kings and Queens
• Pioneers and Travelers
• Historic LDS
• Famous People

To get this program to work you have to supply an AFN (Ancestral File Number). AFN are long out of date since the LDS church has moved away from that old self reported database of Genealogy.  You can still find the information archived at
Family Search
<http://www.familysearch.org>

So I plugged in to the site the AFN for one of my Great-Grandmothers on my Mother's side of the family.  Stella May Davis 1DWF-DH.


I got some interesting results back.  I know the list is not complete and the 9th cousin twice removed stuff makes no sense to me at all.  Even stuff about 7th cousins and the like make no sense.  The part that does is when I hit the section on the  
"Travelers on the Mayflower"
 
Fuller, Edward
8th Great Grandparent

And then below that the treasure trove of "European Royalty" 
I'll list just a few here that make sense or that are interesting in their own right.

King Of ENGLAND, Edward I Longshanks
23rd Great Grandparent
King Of ENGLAND, Edward III
18th Great Grandparent
King Of Jerusalem, Charles
22nd Great Grandparent
King Of IRELAND, Brian Boroimhe
31st Great Grandparent
KING Of NORWAY, Harald I Fairhair HALFDANSSON
35th Great Grandparent
King Of SCOTLAND, Malcolm I
33rd Great Grandparent
KING Of SWEDEN, Bjorn the Old ERIKSSON
35th Great Grandparent  
King Of ITALY, Berenger II
30th Great Grandparent
King Of ENGLAND, William the Conquerer
27th Great Grandparent
Emperor Of The HOLY ROMAN, Charlemagne
38th Great Grandparent
Emperor Of The BYZANTINE , Ioannis II
26th Great Grandparent    

I know the list they provide back is a bit limited since the list would take pages on royalty alone.


It is an interesting exercise to do.   I also plugged in the AFN for Edward III King of England (AFN:8XHQ-DT).

Boy is it interesting to see how many Presidents of the U.S.A. and signers of the Declaration of Independence are descended from this one King.

Could it be that you are by chance related to Someone Famous or Regal?
If so post your relating AFN number and let us all know. 

Buaidh - NO - Bas 

Salmon of Knowledge

What more fitting topic to start off this blog then with a bit on the Salmon of Knowledge from none other than Fionn MacCumhail (Finn MacCool).  Both have a prudent connection to the content that will follow here: Ancestors and Wisdom.

UI's Celtic Mythology - Finn MacCool

"Finn MacCool, sometimes called Finn Mac Cumaill or Fionn MacCumal, was the leader of the Fianna, or Fenians, the select band of warriors which guarded the High King of Ireland. His father, Cumal, a previous leader of the Fenians, was killed by Goll, a Fenian warrior. Cumal had eloped with a girl named Hurna and her father urged Goll to avenge this dishonour. Goll slew Cumal, but later Cumal's son Finn was born and brought up secretly. One of his tutors was the druid Finegas, who lived beside the River Boyne and caught the Salmon of Knowledge. He gave the fish to his pupil to cook, but Finn burnt his thumb on the flesh and in sucking it obtained wisdom."
Graphic and text provided by United Irelander



Most if not all the "Tales or Legends" about Finn are considered just that.  Legends and myth.
Why is he considered so "Legendary" while Cuchulainn is not?  A good question for another day.  Stay tuned I may just try to answer that without rambling to much.

So classic is the tale of the salmon of knowledge.  Due to the burnt finger all he has to do is suck or gnaw on his thumb to gain wisdom.  With this insight he is able to get  out of just about all his sticky spots.

However, I have to say for someone to be able to chew their thumb down to the bone and gain wisdom is far fetched.  But is not wisdom what everyone is seeking?  This is what causes so much trouble with the tales of Finn.  You have heroic deeds by someone that live in say 100 A.D. to 400 A.D.  mixed together with far fetched stories alike

Want more on Finn MacCool?  I found a good read in Morgan Llywelyn's book by the same name.

Morgan Llywelyn's Finn MacCool 5 Stars

It's historical fiction just like the rest of the stuff she writes.  Highly recommend this author.  Sometimes I'll get lucky and find a paragraph or page in some book on Irish history, or mythology.  Never nearly as much as Cuchulainn.  At this time I will not recommend any other books.  Look for something in the future when I review some of the stories of Finn.

So long for Now.

Buaidh - NO - Bas