PANALBA

I went to my first Highland Games in Phoenix, Arizona, in the spring of 1989. I went for research purposes, as I'd begun writing a novel set in the Scottish Highlands, about which I knew relatively little at the time. I was accompanied by my three children, aged 6, 4, and 2 at the time, and had no idea what to expect.

It was mysterious, exciting, and great fun, aside from a minor incident involving a man in a kilt and my four-year-old son. I did, however, learn the proper pronunciation of "Sassenach" (it's "SASS-uh-nak", in case you were wondering-though if you feel adventurous, you can gargle the "ch" a little, as in "loch"), find out where the traditional territories of clans Fraser and MacKenzie were, acquire a very useful clan map of Scotland, and pick up a book of Scots phrases (featuring such useful items as " [ ] " and " [ ]"). I also saw my first dirk, handled a basket-hilted broadsword, discovered how a belted plaid is attached to its wearer, ate a shortbread biscuit (the kids got the rest of the box), learned that "fudge" in Scotland does not mean what you think it means, and bought several tapes of Scottish songs (my first exposure to the Corries, amongst others) and a rousing collection of pipes and drums music (much to my husband's consternation).

Since then, I've been to a lot of Highland Games, both professionally and for fun. There are-I'm told-approximately 250 Highland Games every year...in the United States. Add in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and-of course-Scotland, and the total is staggering.

No one can pinpoint exactly when the first Games were organized, but they've been going on for a good long time. Originally, they probably were exactly that: a series of games, athletic matches between the men of adjoining bailes, villages, or clans. But what's a good sporting event without refreshments? And what pedlar, tinker, or purveyor of dry goods would pass up a gathering of potential customers? And what woman would stay home when they could come and watch their husbands drop large rocks on their feet or hurl bales of hay into the air with pitchforks?

And so the Games quickly became one of the major social events of the year. After Culloden and the various Clearances, the Games became a way of keeping in contact for Scots scattered among the countries of the world-and have remained that, to this day.

While the clans themselves were crushed at Culloden, the clan societies carry the banners (literally) of the clans far and wide. Almost any Highland Games boasts a number of tents housing the clan societies, though not all clans are always represented at all Games. These tents are manned by volunteers of the various clan societies, and they will be delighted to explain the history, motto, and badge of their clan, list the septs (the large family groups who belong to the clan, though the last name may be different from the clan name), and help you discover your own Scottish roots.

(If you haven't _got_ any Scottish roots, they will usually be happy to give you some, by enrolling you in the clan society anyway. This actually has historical precedent; back in the day, it wasn't necessary for a man to be born to a particular clan-he only needed to show up and pledge his loyalty to the clan chieftain (frequently, though not always, changing his name as a sign of affiliation). Clan Fraser, whose center is in Beauly (Inverness-shire), enrolls non-Scottish visitors to its website as "Boll O' Meal" Frasers-this hearkening back to the custom whereby a man pledged his fealty to the clan and was given a boll (not a bowl) of oatmeal-a boll being something like four imperial bushels, i.e., enough to get a family through the winter.

(In passing, let me recommend Am Baile, a website that stores audio clips pertaining to Highlands and Scottish history. Here - http://www.ambaile.org.uk/en/item/item_audio.jsp?item_id=38930 - is a clip from the 17th Lord Lovat (grandfather of the present Lord Lovat), explaining the custom).)

Besides the clan tents, most Highland Games also have a variety of vendors, selling (mostly) items of Scottish provenance, or at least Scottish relevance (more or less). Shortbread, books, pottery, jewelry, maps, swords and dirks, clan badges, clan shot-glasses, banners, CDs, "Jimmy" wigs (don't ask; you don't want to know), canvas utilikilts...and any item possible to render in tartan, including (but by no means limited to) clothing of all sorts. Also a wide array of T-shirts and bumper stickers with mottos like, "It's a kilt. If it was a skirt, I'd be wearing underwear."

Well, so-where's the "Games" part? On the field, hurling heavy objects. Some such gatherings in fact don't include formal athletics-and consequently are often called "Celtic Festivals," rather than Highland Games-but many do.

These athletics are formally organized, and events are judged in many different divisions: men, women, older men (called the "Masters" division), not usually chidlren (though see "Highland dancing," below). Events include caber-tossing (yes, it really _is_ something like a telephone pole, though a trifle less in circumference), hammer-throwing (the hammer being a stylized instrument with a round head and long handle), and several other aptly-described "heavy events." [See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_games#Heavy_Events for details.] Well, look; the first Games were played in the Highlands, and they played with what they had-rocks, trees, and pitchforks.

Some of the really big Highland Games also feature special events like sheep-herding competitions, military re-enactors, and pipe-band competitions (these will usually include a massed-band performance at some point-well worth seeing). Even smaller Games generally include Highland Dance competitions, though.

Highland dancing is open to both young women and young men, but in practice, it's rare to see a male. You _will_ see dozens, if not hundreds, of tidily-clad girls, aged 4-18 or so, all with what my husband describes as "little dominatrix buns", solemnly joggling up and down as they warm up for their turn. Sort of like watching popcorn go off. But they are lovely, dancing usually in small groups.

For a listing of Scottish Games and Festivals in the US, you might check this site: http://www.asgf.org/ , and for those in the UK, try here: http://www.shga.co.uk/ . I don't know about Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian Games-other than the Fergus, Ontario Games, which I normally attend every third year or so-but I'm sure you can find something close to you by Googling.

I don't go to as many Games these days as I used to (too many other places I need to be), but do still attend a couple every year, and enjoy them hugely. This year, I'll be doing the Strathpeffer Games, in Scotland (http://www.whatsonwhen.com/sisp/index.htm?fx=event&event_id=14148 ) -having been invited to attend the International Clan MacKenzie Gathering (an event that occurs once every five years) by the Earl of Cromartie, the chieftain of Clan MacKenzie. The Strathpeffer Games are held on the grounds of Castle Leod (yes, Castle Leod actually _does_ strongly resemble Castle Leoch), and will be held on August 7th this year. See you there!