Monday, June 16, 2008

Loch Lomond - I

2 comments:

Dan Piette said...

Main article: The Bonnie Banks O' Loch Lomond

The loch is featured in the well-known song "Loch Lomond", which was first published around 1841.[3] The chorus is:

Oh, ye'll tak' the high road, and I'll tak' the low road,
And I'll be in Scotland afore ye;
But me and my true love will never meet again
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond.

The song has been recorded by many performers over the years. While the original author is unknown, it is widely believed that the author was a Scottish soldier who awaited death in enemy captivity. In his final letter home he wrote this song, portraying his home and how much he would miss it. Another tale is that during the 1745 Rebellion a soldier on his way back to Scotland during the 1745-6 retreat from England wrote this song. The "low road" is a reference to the Celtic belief that if someone died away from his homeland then the fairies would dig a tunnel for his soul to return home.

Another tale waiting to be told is that two brothers were held in enemy captivity. Both awaiting execution if one did not give up the other. Both willing to take their own lives in save of the other. On the eve of their execution, the eldest brother went to the guard at midnight while the younger brother slept. Telling the guard to take him and kill him now, letting his brother go free in the morning. The older brother left the younger brother a letter. In the morning the youngest brother woke up to find his older brother gone, and a letter given to him by the guard from his brother which read: Ye'll take the high road, and I'll take the low road And I'll be in Scotland before ye. But me and my true love will never meet again On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' loch lomond

Yvette said...

Thank you. That article has some nice photos, too!