Posted by Kate on June 20, 1999 at 17:49:42:
In Reply to: Raffle Items posted by MMMMarcia on June 19, 1999 at 21:28:28:
: Hi, Gatherers! I've been meaning to post my sincere thanks to those of you who contributed so much to our Fund-raising Raffle last weekend. There were so many goodies to be had! Posters, pictures, books, the Harley baby, photo sets, those wonderful magazines, the dreamcatcher, the earrings, and all the wonderful goodies from Scotland (in honor of Colonel "Aye...so?" Munro!) that Kate brought...I wanted every single thing on that table! I don't remember who won the necklace with the entwined hearts on it, but Kate, please post & tell everyone the significance of that, and the lovely celtic ring. I enjoyed hearing about those, in particular.
No, Miss MMMM!!
No, never!! How can you SAY such a thing!! Would I honour that Glasgow toe rag, Monro?!! I think NOT!!
Those Scottish trinkets were by way of an apology - to make up for his total disregard for 'the settlers and Mohawks, who have families out there'!! SOMEONE had to atone for the false promises made to the colonial militia by those steenking British!! I simply did what I could to repair the damage that that scoundrel did!!
The 'entwined hearts' necklace - 'twas a 'Luckenbooth'. (They are really brooches). They were given by soldiers in the 1700's to their sweethearts, as tokens of love and luck before going off to war. The brooches were usually sold in jewellers 'booths' along the Royal Mile in Edinburgh (the mile long road which originates at the drawbridge of Edinburgh Castle and finishes at the centre of the city (at the Mercat Cross).
There are various designs of 'entwined hearts', as well as the coronets above the hearts. The design of the coronets were taken from the coronets of the various 'big' families who were head of the various Regiments, ie. Duke of Atholl (who, BTW, has the last private army in Britain). The soldiers usually chose a Luckenbooth displaying the coronet of the family who were head of his Regiment.
'Luckenbooths' were also given for luck, and were said to protect the wearer from the spells of witches!!
The 'entwined silver strands' design of the ring is called a 'love knot' and again, given by a soldier to his sweetheart. They were often used as betrothal rings in the 1700's.
It is possible that any/many of the soldiers in the Scottish Regiments on the George Road/Massacre Valley gave either/both of these tokens to his 'love' before being 'posted' to and sailing off to the colonies.
It was because these were favoured tokens of the 1700's, that I chose these little symbols for the raffle. Though the British soldier is not our favourite character of the film, they were part of a soldier's private life which, I guess, we don't often think about. These guys had wives, children and families. And mostly, they were not there because they wanted to be. Often they were 'press-ganged' to take the king's shilling. You can't help feeling a bit sorry for them!! (Well, I can't! I'm always a mug for the under dog!!).
Anyway, just a little bit of history for the person that won the pendant and ring. Makes ya' think, eh.
Best wishes,
Kate.