When I, a German, visited Scotland many years ago, I went to the Highland Games in Braemar. The Pipe band (is that how its called?) made the loudest and most terrifying sound I had ever heard. I enjoyed it very much.
I come from the Greek island of Naxos, and a bag pipe instrument called Τσαμπούνα (tsabouna) is key part of our traditional Cycladic music. Great video Beth! 👍😊
@@revylokesh1783 exactly, that was my point. And, if you look, Iberia is the main land, the birth place of celtics and not the other way around like evebody thinks.
@@EZMETAL Actually it's believed the first known Celtic settlement was the Hallstadt Culture in modern south Germany, before spreading out all the way from Galicia to western Turkey, then finally getting confined to the British Isles and Brittany. Iberia isn't the Celtic motherland, but its Celtic roots _are_ just as old as those in modern Celtic areas
Being a film composer, I once got the following advice from a recording engineer from L.A.: “If you ever need to record a bagpipe with an orchestra, put it into a sealed phone booth, preferably in a different town, or else it will drown your 60 piece symphony orchestra with it’s noise!”
@@ulrichp.2275 I agree, bagpipes work perfectly with an orchestra, and I love the Braveheart score. All I’m saying is that you can’t really record a bagpipe at the same time as the orchestra in the same room, because the bagpipe will leak into all the spot mics so heavily that you won’t be able to do any meaningful mixing afterwards.
Beth, my field is history and absolutely love the way you narrate your videos. You rock my day with those. Keep those coming and you'll keep watching and sharing with my friends.
Leaves, grass or even fish scales, not forgetting horns made of coiled tree bark. They have been known in Britain and France, where they have now disappeared from popular memory, and also in the Scandinavian countries. I'm glad that Romania has kept up this art. 😊
Bavarian here. Bagpipes have long been played here in Bavaria and other Central European regions close to us like Bohemia and Austria. The "traditional" type of bagpipe here is called the "Bock" or "Böhmischer Bock" (lit. "Bohemian billy-goat), which got its name from the goat hides that are widely used to make it (like the Galician/Asturian "gaita"). Other popular types of bagpipes in Germany are for example the "Schäferpfeife" (lit.: "shepherd's pipe", which I play myself) or the "Hümmelchen" (lit.: "little bumblebee"). It's absolutely fantastic to see how widespread this instrument is and how many cultures play their very distinct models. Greetings to all my fellow pipers around the world!
This was Great! I did not know I was missing out on videos like this, by you Beth. Thank You for the history lesson and your intelligent philosophy. Now I am off to see if you have more vids like this...
Culture is culture. Nothing has ever existed in a vacuum. It all comes from somewhere, and everyone traded with and warred with everyone else. The bagpipe is a notable part of Scottish culture now, even if you got it a thousand years after other folk. This is a great history video, and I love it. Fascinating and informative. I'm a fan of this style of video, for sure. To me, the bagpipes are extremely emotionally evocative. Play a march, and my eyes get a bit wild. The funeral piper was what finally brought me to tears after my father passed.
Hi Beth and thank you for such an interesting video essay about the Bagpipes (and for all the videos you're posting!). In Italy Bagpipes are named Zampogna and yes, Romans copied it from middle East populations. They considered it as an evolution of the Aulos and the Pan flute and this could open to a deep anthropological question. Roman bagpipes were made with goat skin, and the middle East populations used to worship the cult of Dionysus, wich become "Baccus" in Rome. The Greek god of wine and the goats were bonded together following the tradition. So this could mean bagpipes are the best instrument to play "Dionysian music" during the rites? It would be nice even to know if there were Dionysian cults even in Great Britain so to give a proof of it. I remember Celts used to worship Cerunnus (or the Green King) - similar rities with Dionysus - but I don't know if those things are linked. Thanks again and keep grooving with these videos!
In Australia we use a percussion instrument called a lagerphone made by attaching a number of beer bottle tops to a stick and hitting the floor of a woolshed (the raised shed foundations create a strong resonance). It's the basis for shed dances usually along with guitars/banjos etc. Similar instruments are called a Monkey stick in other parts of the world.
Fun fact: Original bassist for the Pretenders, the late Pete Farndon, briefly played with the Bushwackers -- one of the most popular bush bands of their time.
When I was in college we had someone in our dorm who used to practice the bagpipes morning noon and nite. Sadly he was found at the bottom of a local well in an apparent fall.
📖 Get your signed copy of my album Fable here: www.bethroars.com/shop ☀ Pre-save my first single "Power Of The Wolf" 🐺 on Spotify (it really helps me out!): distrokid.com/hyperfollow/bethroars/power-of-the-wolf 🥁 Become a Patreon Supporter: www.patreon.com/bethroars
They are scottish, because there's more than 1 type of bagpipe. The one with the 3 pipes is scottish. So yeah, they did invent the bagpipes. The great highland bagpipe. The romans and middle-eastern people had something similar with only 2 pipes and it was shite.
@@darrellm9915 …do you play the pipes??? Don’t be so defensive.. most of Scottish things regarding Kilts, bagpipes, family tartans etc is BS anyways. I do however play the Great highland pipes… for over 25 years. Her history is sound… her only mistake is to not mention that Pakistani Bagpipes are of low quality and and sound terrible. we call them drones…
@@adamwiggins9865 Yes. I've also been playing them for around 20 years. I'm defensive about it because they're a huge passion of mine. So I don't really care that I'm taking it seriously.
Nicely done Beth. I'm Irish, I did a report about the history of bag piping back in college. It was a lot of fun and many of the points you hit I found the same, you showed me a few new ones which was cool. thank you for sharing
Thank you Beth that was so informative, I love stories like that, you have become one of my favorite reactors and I'll be joining your patreon as soon as I figure out how.
Know what else isn't Scottish? Kilts. Apparently it was said by the ancient Romans that at the time when the Cornish were wearing plaid kilts, the Scots wear wearing these grey robe type things, indicating us Cornish made them, yet they're associated with the Scots.
Great video! There's a little oversight in the script: 7:07 ...from *North* Macedonia... ("Macedonia" is a geographical region split between 4 countries: Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Greece)
I always loved the pipes. Even if some claim the sound is “horrific”. Beth does the best narrations. If the singing teacher gig doesn’t work out, maybe a career in voice over (vo) work.
The dastardly English? Ah yes, the 'Old Enemy'... Oh Beth - as a student of ancient Celtic history, I found this to be over-the-top awesome content, just awesome! The Celts were almost as far-flung a civilization as the Romans. It is no wonder at all that bits 'n pieces of other cultures have woven themselves into the fabric of Scottish identity just as Celtic culture found it's way into the history of many peoples. You are a real stand-out, I love your channel!
The "English" that got the bagpipe from the Romans were Celts .. the English then developing from invading Germanic tribes .. Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Flemings for example .. later with further admixtures from Norman French and the Danes .. but is was fellow Celts that did the original copying of the pipes from the Romans. Fun stuff for sure
the scots added a third drone to the bagpipe around the 1600s and was known as the great highland bagpipe or warpipe, they also played the pipes long after most nations had stopped and uniquely used it as a instrument of war while advancing piping to another level
Bagpipes never were stopped from usage in Spain so if you gonna talk about nations using Bagpipes for a long time, spain's been using them since before the romans
You may want to revise your opinion. Greece has had bagpipes (just like many other European, Middle Eastern and North African countries) for thousands of years. Cretan bagpipes are still played, they have one or two drones and the earliest known example is over 4,000 years old. Greece has a variety of bagpipes played to this day examples with no drones, a single drone are common, the double drone version is rarer but still played in parts of modern Greece and regarded as a traditional instrument.
In northern Africa, one of the oldest wind instruments is a goatskin with a kind of flute. It's very primitive and doesn't sound all that amazing but sitting around a campfire eating some meat on a skewer dancing and singing it just seems to fit in. Bagpipes have a similar power over ppl, loved or hated they always invoke strong emotions.
The pipes you say? Lend yr shell-like to a little AC/DC. Surprising as this may be to those who only know Acca Dacca thru their numerous, latter-day hits, in December 1975, they released their sophomore disc 'T.N.T.', & on it was the track 'It's a Long Way to the Top (if You Wanna Rock & Roll)', & on this track was the unmistakable sound of bagpipes. One day, a young piper called Kevin Conlon received an unexpected phone call from a stranger called Bon Scott, who had found him in the Yellow Pages. Bon wanted to buy a set of pipes & have a few lessons. "I told him they'd be about $1000 (AUD) & that it'd take a year or so to be able to play a tune. He said that that was fine & came for a few lessons, but as he was only going to be miming, he just had to look like he could play". Bon went for the lessons & the rest is history. The video (filmed in Feb, '75) that went w/the release of the track (as a single) showed Bon & the boys belting it out from the open back of a flatbed truck, accompanied by Kevin & the 'Rats of Tobruk' pipe band, as they travelled the length of Swanston Street in Melbourne. Bon eventually did learn to play the pipes, & the song was often played live (235 times in total); that is, until, at a gig at St Alban's High-School in St Albans, Victoria, in 1976, he set the pipes down on the edge of the stage after playing them in the song, & they were subsequently set upon by the over-enthusiastic fans, & destroyed. After this, the song was rarely performed, & if it was, it was w/the pipes as a recording, or w/an extended solo by Angus, in their place. After Bon's heart-breaking, premature passing on the 19th of February, 1980, Brian Johnson, his successor (& a whole other story unto itself) refused to perform the song, out of respect for its author, & never has, to this day. To those of you who haven't heard the ditty, turn the volume on yr device of choice up high, cue the track, & bask in the glory & barmy perfection of this pipe-heavy r'n'r concoction! "Bagpipes? In a rock song? Pfft, can't be done!" Bon: "Hold my pint!".
I am a mutt from the U.S. I have always loved the pipes!!! Even other types from different counties. Like Irish pipes (I can't remember the name). Thank you Beth for the lesson. I had no idea they were so old. God bless, take care and be safe!!
Hopefully we'll use the similarities to bring us together. Unfortunately, those who want to keep us separated will use our differences to sow fear and distrust.
The highland bagpipes are Scottish, England (the Northumbrian pipes) and other countries have their bagpipes - quite different, the highland pipes are the Scottish ones. They have a distinct chanter scale, repertoire and culture, yes now adopted sometimes by other countries instead of their own distinct pipes.
My two favorite bands, In Extremo and Saltatio Mortis combine several bagpipes (and many more instruments) with a traditional rock lineup. They are at the forefront of a rock/metal subgenre, which is almost exclusive to Germany called medieval rock/metal. Often it includes lyrics and music from the middle ages, or different languages, like Latin.
Years ago I was at work listening to some Bulgarian music when a coworker originally from central America asked me if I was listening to gaita music. Gaita is the Spanish word for bagpipe. I told him I was listening to gaida music as gaida is the Bulgarian word for bagpipe
Wonderful history. Thanks, Beth. I live in Southern California in a city called Glendora. The first half of the name comes from the Oak Glens in the area. The town's founder was Scottish. The high school is called the Tartans. We have a pipe and drum band. A few years ago the competed a the Highland Games at the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California. They were the only all high school band there and they took first place. I'll have to share this information with my city Facebook page. It should make for some interesting conversation.
Music did not originate from Mozart but what a good job of it he made. Scotland have made bagpipes very much their own despite whatever origins and how well they have done so. Even I as an Englishman enjoy the pipes even though much of the music might be directed at me :).
You are awesome Beth! I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the history of the Pipes! My Ancestors came from Wales , Scotland , Germany and Norway. Loved the stories!
I am of Italian descent (both parents born in Italy). I am learning to play with my practice chanter... The history of the bagpipe coming from ancient Rome, really makes me happy and gives me ammunition to all my family and friends that ask me why I would play a Scottish instrument when I am not Scottish in any way!!
A fascinating and informative video! thanks! More videos on the educational bend, if you will, video essays on the history of music, instruments, and associated culture, (like this and the sea shanty video) would be greatly appreciated.
There are bagpipes in most Slavic cultures. The oldest found Russian bagpipe is almost 1000 years old. But with time this tradition died out. The music, art, language and even cuisine in Russia are heavily influenced by our history of interaction with the Orthodox Greeks to the south, the steppe peoples to the east and of course Western Europe. But whenever we adapted something, we made it our own. These things unite the world and encourage us to learn more and to preserve our legacy for other learners.
There are also sources that indicate that the bagpipe (as we know it today) was imported into Scotland from Italy. More precisely from a city in Lombardy called Cremona around 1700
When ever I hear bagpipes played well it gives me a dopamine rush. Probably all the war movies where they play while rushing into battle, or my Scottish DNA
The United States Fire service uses bagpipes in a lot of our ceremonies and parades. You can youtube "pipes and drums" along with any major US city and find some. I think we got it from the Irish though, but not 100% sure.
am a Crow indian from montana , USA did not know your history bagpipe is what i think about your country when hear it but what you say makes sense still love the sound i have a deep voice so only sing loud when get in mood
I'm a double reedmaker by trade. I specialize in polyester double reeds for all makes of Scottish smallpipes, and border pipes, and can custom reed a full set of Northies.. True story. ❤ (Boyd Reeds)
Interesting! Also in Italy bagpipes are widespread, especially in the south, where I come from, where a particular bagpipe called "zampogna" resonates especially at Christmas time. These bagpipe players, the "zampognari", represent the shepherds who came to the city from the nearby mountainous countries for transhumance or simply to sell handicrafts. Some kind of Italian Highlanders! Probably the fact that they are shepherds also explains the choice of bagpipes, which is easily obtained from the parts of the sheep (the zampogna was originally made like this). That is my opinion, but it could give a further hint of the origin of bagpipes in Scotland. Cheers!
0:07: The tourist bagpipes you can get from that one tourist shop on the Royal mile not being held correctly. I can appreciate the hard work that went into that one shot but I still find it very amusing.
One addition: while pipes were never banned, the Act did set a precedent for the diminishing of the power of Clan chiefs in the Highlands specifically. Clan chiefs were by that time the primary patrons of pipers meaning without their power and patronage the art did begin to slowly die. This is evidenced by the notable fall in practice of canntaireachd, the relegation of many pipers as military and Bandsmen, and the large-scale disappearance if all but a few Pipers-to-the-chief (or noble, etc) which had been a continuation of the older Celtic Bards who would play the harp. The Act didnt outlaw pipes, but it did do harm to their native and non-military playing through other means. That said, the video was actually very good!
Would love to see some content on trad Scottish singers/bands. I'm a massive Breabach fan personally, Megan Henderson has a great voice. The pipes are a bonus too.
Hi Beth, very well done! Interesting and clear explaned view of the evolution of bagpipes within the British Islands. But I have a little remark regarding the chronology. As you point out, Julius Caesar bringing in bagpipes as a tactical medium is to be considered as a legend, meaning, probably not true. And the angel with the bagpipe Tewkesbury Abbey, Gloucester is said to be from the mid 13th century not 2nd century. Actually, there is no evidence at all that any bagpipe arrived on the British Islands before the French-Normandish invasion of 1066. The first written testimony regarding bagpipes dates from 30 years after the invasion.
The Great Highland Bagpipes are certainly Scottish which is today's standard. Even the key in which they are played are referred to a GHB tuning. Where ever they came from, The Scots bridged the history gap in order to be recognizable with what we have now.
No Bagpipe discussion should miss out on Rufus Harley. He billed himself as the Worlds Greatest Jazz and Blues Bagpipe player. His records span 40 years from 1965 to 2006. At first it sounds weird but listen to Bagpipe Blues pretty cool.
As an America in the good ol' US of A, our music is strongly influenced by England, Scotland and Ireland as well as African traditional music with a huge twist of blues. Our country music, arguably the most American music you can play, evolved from Appalachian music which itself was an amalgamation of Scots-Irish immigrant music and black slave music. Our Rock gets a strong influence from both country, see above history of country, and blues. Blues being an iconic sound of the urban black communities. To the best of my understanding, blues was born from the tradition of slaves singing about their plight which evolved into songs about the struggles faced by black people through reconstruction and into the Jim Crow era right through the civil rights movement. Enter rock icon Elvis Presley and others who took that cultural sound and made it their own with a country flair and rock and roll was born. Later heavily influenced by English groups in the British invasion era. Of course there is a huge resurgence of native drum and flute music as well as latin American influence. Being a melting pot of cultures it would be hard to find a culture not playing some role in our music. But these are the biggest influences.
The English were just as influential as the Scots-Irish on the formation of Country music. Not too mention the many dance types/styles that came about around the same time, still popular in the US - English country, square, barn, etc.
I play the pipes in the New York City fire dept Pipes and drums and one of my favorite things was on St Patricks day when we still had a parade Pre Covid, they always had a big group of pipers from Galicia playing the Gaitas,Its fun watching Spanish music being played on the bagpipes!
Many types of bagpipes around the world. But definitely the Scottish Highland Bagpipes are the most popular and well known. The bagpipes also believed to being played by the ancient Babylonians . I’ve heard people say it came to Scotland by the Romans and many argue that Irish brought it to Scotland. Of course it obviously began in Egypt or the Middle East first. But the Scottish Highland pipes are definitely been refined to their own unique type of bagpipes. Many don’t realize there are other types of Scottish bagpipes. Like the lowland small pipes and border pipes . It’s great how the instrument is still evolving and used by many styles of music. Not only used for modern rock music there are some now using the Highland Bagpipes for Jazz music.
The Bagpipe is traditionnaly attached to Celtic culture. The International Celtic Festival in Lorient is a good example of the deployment of this culture in world. Offically, there are only 6 celtics nations but it touch lot s of more.
I thought the small bagpipe came from Ireland to Scotland with the Scots migration from Ireland to Western Scotland in the 5th century A.D. The large bagpipes we associate with Scotland were and are associated with war and military parades.
yes thats probobly true as the scots were an irish tribe but once in scotland,not sure which century they added a third drone to the bagpipe calling it the great highland bagpipe or warpipe
Canadian with a French name and Irish lineage (with a sprinkle of Scottish), who plays electronic bagpipes in a folk metal band that takes most of our influences from Swedish and Finnish metal. You're absolutely right that it really doesn't matter where you're from, embracing different cultures is a fantastic way to bring people together and not apart. The pipes may not be a part of my CULTURAL identity, but they've made of a large part of my PERSONAL identity for most of my life.
Pakistan may be the biggest producer of "Bagpipes" , however when it comes to instruments that can actually produce music, Scotland still leads the way. The mass produced products available on Amazon, that come complete with Practice Chanter and instructional video are great for decorating the wall of Bars and Man-caves but are mostly un-playable. Thank you for a well researched and well presented video. From a Canadian piper
If you enjoy "Bag Rock" you might like a Canadian band called Mudmen. I haven't heard much of their newer stuff but their song Underdog is a great track from years ago. I hope you enjoy 😊
Both in nothern Portugal and in several regions ofSpain it is traditional to play the bagpipes. They differ skightly from each other and from scotish bagpipies in the sound produced. All over Continetal Europe the bagpipes were traditionally played. Once again could have been the Romans that brought it to the different parts of the Roman Empire.
I saw a documentary on the bagpipes a few years back--it was really fascinating. Maybe late 1990s. They noted most of what you were saying, Beth. I recall they mentioned that the pipes are still played widely in parts of France that were heavily Celtic in terms of cultural heritage, and it also included interviews that had been conducted earlier with World War 1 veterans and the last living Boer War vet who all recalled being piped into battle. I forget the exact title now. Something like Instrument of War or Pipes of War I think. Would like to see it again sometime.
I believe the documentary you are referring to is called "Instrument of War" produced by Patrick King and Grahame Wickings in 1997. The first episode was called "Ladies from Hell" and the second was called "Call to the Blood".
@@EldritchGod666 Thanks, that has to be it!! Looked on Amazon and someone was selling a copy on DVD. When I saw it I thought, this must be the one--how many documentaries on the bagpipes are there? : D : )
I'm American, which mostly has a culture of consumerism. We often associate and honor traditions from the countries our families come from. Because we don't really have that much of a culture, that's why you hear Americans say things like 'I'm Irish-American', 'I'm Italian-American', 'I'm German-American', ect. For me personally? My family comes from most of Europe with a sprinkling of Asia and the Middle East mixed in.
When I, a German, visited Scotland many years ago, I went to the Highland Games in Braemar. The Pipe band (is that how its called?) made the loudest and most terrifying sound I had ever heard. I enjoyed it very much.
This is the most German thing I've ever read.
@@PXCharon You, Sir or Madam, made my day! 😂
@@pillmuncher67 Pipes and drums, I think?
We used the Scots and their brutal music to subdue natives all over the world. English colonialism is the Scots' fault....
dont forget that the Germans had their own version, called a Doodle sack
I come from the Greek island of Naxos, and a bag pipe instrument called Τσαμπούνα (tsabouna) is key part of our traditional Cycladic music.
Great video Beth! 👍😊
'It's a long way to the top if you want to Rock & Roll' - AC/DC
Or for many Australians "It's a long way to the shop if you want a sausage roll."
@@Paldasan Lmao can confirm
Bon Scott 👍 RIP
Wow...who knew we’d get a history lesson from Beth today... Thanks Beth!
I have a whole history series :) Here is the playlist: ua-cam.com/play/PL9cGSbtFombSOpIIKMcdJSFxgX6pUEKtP.html
@@BethRoars I must go like these videos immediately!!
Bagpipes, gaitas in spanish, are also very typical in the culture of Galicia and Asturias in Spain. Lovely instrument.
Celtic
@@EZMETAL this. Galicia is, as far as I know, part of the Celtic world.
@@revylokesh1783 exactly, that was my point. And, if you look, Iberia is the main land, the birth place of celtics and not the other way around like evebody thinks.
Frankly, as gaitas are played differently and *sound* differently, they are--as I attest--lovely instruments.
@@EZMETAL Actually it's believed the first known Celtic settlement was the Hallstadt Culture in modern south Germany, before spreading out all the way from Galicia to western Turkey, then finally getting confined to the British Isles and Brittany. Iberia isn't the Celtic motherland, but its Celtic roots _are_ just as old as those in modern Celtic areas
You haven't lived until someone lights off a bagpipe dirge INSIDE your house. Thank you, Sue A., for 'educating' my ears. You are a regional treasure.
Every time I watch your videos, I come away even MORE impressed! You are the musician I have strove to be. Thank you again! 🤗
Being a film composer, I once got the following advice from a recording engineer from L.A.: “If you ever need to record a bagpipe with an orchestra, put it into a sealed phone booth, preferably in a different town, or else it will drown your 60 piece symphony orchestra with it’s noise!”
Bagpipes and orchestra actually work very well! I recommend listening to the "Braveheart" soundtrack!
@@ulrichp.2275 I agree, bagpipes work perfectly with an orchestra, and I love the Braveheart score. All I’m saying is that you can’t really record a bagpipe at the same time as the orchestra in the same room, because the bagpipe will leak into all the spot mics so heavily that you won’t be able to do any meaningful mixing afterwards.
@@SaschaSelke Thank you for your reply! Sorry, i misunderstood your first comment!
Beth, my field is history and absolutely love the way you narrate your videos.
You rock my day with those. Keep those coming and you'll keep watching and sharing with my friends.
Romania here and we have the leaf singer as a national symbol of some sorts. Love these videos. Cheers
Leaves, grass or even fish scales, not forgetting horns made of coiled tree bark. They have been known in Britain and France, where they have now disappeared from popular memory, and also in the Scandinavian countries. I'm glad that Romania has kept up this art. 😊
Bagpipes also are known as a traditional instrument in southern parts of Iran
Bavarian here. Bagpipes have long been played here in Bavaria and other Central European regions close to us like Bohemia and Austria. The "traditional" type of bagpipe here is called the "Bock" or "Böhmischer Bock" (lit. "Bohemian billy-goat), which got its name from the goat hides that are widely used to make it (like the Galician/Asturian "gaita"). Other popular types of bagpipes in Germany are for example the "Schäferpfeife" (lit.: "shepherd's pipe", which I play myself) or the "Hümmelchen" (lit.: "little bumblebee"). It's absolutely fantastic to see how widespread this instrument is and how many cultures play their very distinct models. Greetings to all my fellow pipers around the world!
This was Great!
I did not know I was missing out on videos like this,
by you Beth. Thank You for the history lesson
and your intelligent philosophy.
Now I am off to see if you have more vids like this...
Culture is culture. Nothing has ever existed in a vacuum. It all comes from somewhere, and everyone traded with and warred with everyone else. The bagpipe is a notable part of Scottish culture now, even if you got it a thousand years after other folk.
This is a great history video, and I love it. Fascinating and informative. I'm a fan of this style of video, for sure.
To me, the bagpipes are extremely emotionally evocative. Play a march, and my eyes get a bit wild. The funeral piper was what finally brought me to tears after my father passed.
Truly Beth, yours is one of the most interesting, accurate, and enlightening videos I have watched ever.
The earliest Scottish record of pipers accompanying troops into battle was at the battle of Bannockburn in 1314.
There is no evidence of this at all.
In Flanders we had bagpipes as well, like you can see them on paintings from Breugel. But the instrument that defines Belgium is the saxophone !
Hi Beth and thank you for such an interesting video essay about the Bagpipes (and for all the videos you're posting!). In Italy Bagpipes are named Zampogna and yes, Romans copied it from middle East populations. They considered it as an evolution of the Aulos and the Pan flute and this could open to a deep anthropological question. Roman bagpipes were made with goat skin, and the middle East populations used to worship the cult of Dionysus, wich become "Baccus" in Rome. The Greek god of wine and the goats were bonded together following the tradition. So this could mean bagpipes are the best instrument to play "Dionysian music" during the rites? It would be nice even to know if there were Dionysian cults even in Great Britain so to give a proof of it. I remember Celts used to worship Cerunnus (or the Green King) - similar rities with Dionysus - but I don't know if those things are linked. Thanks again and keep grooving with these videos!
In Australia we use a percussion instrument called a lagerphone made by attaching a number of beer bottle tops to a stick and hitting the floor of a woolshed (the raised shed foundations create a strong resonance). It's the basis for shed dances usually along with guitars/banjos etc. Similar instruments are called a Monkey stick in other parts of the world.
Fun fact: Original bassist for the Pretenders, the late Pete Farndon, briefly played with the Bushwackers -- one of the most popular bush bands of their time.
When I was in college we had someone in our dorm who used to practice the bagpipes morning noon and nite. Sadly he was found at the bottom of a local well in an apparent fall.
📖 Get your signed copy of my album Fable here: www.bethroars.com/shop
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They are scottish, because there's more than 1 type of bagpipe. The one with the 3 pipes is scottish. So yeah, they did invent the bagpipes. The great highland bagpipe. The romans and middle-eastern people had something similar with only 2 pipes and it was shite.
@@darrellm9915 …do you play the pipes???
Don’t be so defensive.. most of Scottish things regarding Kilts, bagpipes, family tartans etc is BS anyways.
I do however play the Great highland pipes… for over 25 years. Her history is sound… her only mistake is to not mention that Pakistani Bagpipes are of low quality and and sound terrible. we call them drones…
I’m Canadian… started playing the Highland Pipes in 1995 and still play.
@@adamwiggins9865 Yes. I've also been playing them for around 20 years.
I'm defensive about it because they're a huge passion of mine. So I don't really care that I'm taking it seriously.
@@adamwiggins9865 Good stuff.
I'm from New Zealand myself. Started playing them in 2001.
Nicely done Beth. I'm Irish, I did a report about the history of bag piping back in college. It was a lot of fun and many of the points you hit I found the same, you showed me a few new ones which was cool. thank you for sharing
Thank you Beth that was so informative, I love stories like that, you have become one of my favorite reactors and I'll be joining your patreon as soon as I figure out how.
Know what else isn't Scottish? Kilts. Apparently it was said by the ancient Romans that at the time when the Cornish were wearing plaid kilts, the Scots wear wearing these grey robe type things, indicating us Cornish made them, yet they're associated with the Scots.
Great video! There's a little oversight in the script:
7:07 ...from *North* Macedonia...
("Macedonia" is a geographical region split between 4 countries: Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Greece)
Though the Gajda is played in all parts of Macedonia, so don't worry.
Bulgarian Kaba Gaida is also one type of pipe and its one of our national instruments :) Love from Bulgaria
I always loved the pipes. Even if some claim the sound is “horrific”. Beth does the best narrations. If the singing teacher gig doesn’t work out, maybe a career in voice over (vo) work.
The dastardly English? Ah yes, the 'Old Enemy'...
Oh Beth - as a student of ancient Celtic history, I found this to be over-the-top awesome content, just awesome!
The Celts were almost as far-flung a civilization as the Romans. It is no wonder at all that bits 'n pieces of other cultures have woven themselves into the fabric of Scottish identity just as Celtic culture found it's way into the history of many peoples.
You are a real stand-out, I love your channel!
I'm a lover of history and thank-you very much for today's lesson. My ancestors are Finnish.
The "English" that got the bagpipe from the Romans were Celts .. the English then developing from invading Germanic tribes .. Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Flemings for example .. later with further admixtures from Norman French and the Danes .. but is was fellow Celts that did the original copying of the pipes from the Romans. Fun stuff for sure
the scots added a third drone to the bagpipe around the 1600s and was known as the great highland bagpipe or warpipe, they also played the pipes long after most nations had stopped and uniquely used it as a instrument of war while advancing piping to another level
Vibration is All.
Can Heal or Harm.
Hidden History.......
Tartaria.....Tartan.......
Bagpipes never were stopped from usage in Spain so if you gonna talk about nations using Bagpipes for a long time, spain's been using them since before the romans
@@kyomademon453 the scots perfected piping,doesnt matter who invented it or played it after
You may want to revise your opinion. Greece has had bagpipes (just like many other European, Middle Eastern and North African countries) for thousands of years. Cretan bagpipes are still played, they have one or two drones and the earliest known example is over 4,000 years old. Greece has a variety of bagpipes played to this day examples with no drones, a single drone are common, the double drone version is rarer but still played in parts of modern Greece and regarded as a traditional instrument.
In northern Africa, one of the oldest wind instruments is a goatskin with a kind of flute. It's very primitive and doesn't sound all that amazing but sitting around a campfire eating some meat on a skewer dancing and singing it just seems to fit in. Bagpipes have a similar power over ppl, loved or hated they always invoke strong emotions.
In Tunisia there's still a thriving music genre called mezoued based on Tunisian bagpipes as an instrument
The pipes you say? Lend yr shell-like to a little AC/DC.
Surprising as this may be to those who only know Acca Dacca thru their numerous, latter-day hits, in December 1975, they released their sophomore disc 'T.N.T.', & on it was the track 'It's a Long Way to the Top (if You Wanna Rock & Roll)', & on this track was the unmistakable sound of bagpipes.
One day, a young piper called Kevin Conlon received an unexpected phone call from a stranger called Bon Scott, who had found him in the Yellow Pages. Bon wanted to buy a set of pipes & have a few lessons. "I told him they'd be about $1000 (AUD) & that it'd take a year or so to be able to play a tune. He said that that was fine & came for a few lessons, but as he was only going to be miming, he just had to look like he could play". Bon went for the lessons & the rest is history.
The video (filmed in Feb, '75) that went w/the release of the track (as a single) showed Bon & the boys belting it out from the open back of a flatbed truck, accompanied by Kevin & the 'Rats of Tobruk' pipe band, as they travelled the length of Swanston Street in Melbourne.
Bon eventually did learn to play the pipes, & the song was often played live (235 times in total); that is, until, at a gig at St Alban's High-School in St Albans, Victoria, in 1976, he set the pipes down on the edge of the stage after playing them in the song, & they were subsequently set upon by the over-enthusiastic fans, & destroyed. After this, the song was rarely performed, & if it was, it was w/the pipes as a recording, or w/an extended solo by Angus, in their place.
After Bon's heart-breaking, premature passing on the 19th of February, 1980, Brian Johnson, his successor (& a whole other story unto itself) refused to perform the song, out of respect for its author, & never has, to this day.
To those of you who haven't heard the ditty, turn the volume on yr device of choice up high, cue the track, & bask in the glory & barmy perfection of this pipe-heavy r'n'r concoction!
"Bagpipes? In a rock song? Pfft, can't be done!"
Bon: "Hold my pint!".
I am a mutt from the U.S. I have always loved the pipes!!! Even other types from different counties. Like Irish pipes (I can't remember the name). Thank you Beth for the lesson. I had no idea they were so old. God bless, take care and be safe!!
Uileann Pipes
@@diarmuidbuckley6638 Thank you!!!!!! I was still trying to remember until you told me!!
Hopefully we'll use the similarities to bring us together.
Unfortunately, those who want to keep us separated will use our differences to sow fear and distrust.
Sadly true but, music and comedy have a grand chance of breaking that trend.
@@DyvmSlorm And the internet.
The highland bagpipes are Scottish, England (the Northumbrian pipes) and other countries have their bagpipes - quite different, the highland pipes are the Scottish ones. They have a distinct chanter scale, repertoire and culture, yes now adopted sometimes by other countries instead of their own distinct pipes.
Beth, you are the best!
This was really interesting! Had no idea of the history of bagpipes before this, and of how long bagpipes have been around. 😊
Fun fact: the bagpipe was the first old world instrument to be played here in Brazil, circa april 22th of the year of 1500
What defines a culture is what is popularly accepted by whatever means it was brought, whether war, social media, or anything in between.
My two favorite bands, In Extremo and Saltatio Mortis combine several bagpipes (and many more instruments) with a traditional rock lineup. They are at the forefront of a rock/metal subgenre, which is almost exclusive to Germany called medieval rock/metal. Often it includes lyrics and music from the middle ages, or different languages, like Latin.
Years ago I was at work listening to some Bulgarian music when a coworker originally from central America asked me if I was listening to gaita music. Gaita is the Spanish word for bagpipe. I told him I was listening to gaida music as gaida is the Bulgarian word for bagpipe
Great video! I hadn't really looked into the history of the bagpipe before. Nice stuff!
Wonderful history. Thanks, Beth. I live in Southern California in a city called Glendora. The first half of the name comes from the Oak Glens in the area. The town's founder was Scottish. The high school is called the Tartans. We have a pipe and drum band. A few years ago the competed a the Highland Games at the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California. They were the only all high school band there and they took first place. I'll have to share this information with my city Facebook page. It should make for some interesting conversation.
Glendora was named by George Dexter Whitcomb after his wife, his family were from Taunton, Somerset, England.
Bag pipes are Egyptian, Tea is Chinese. Both a big part of Scottish/British culture. Culture is more about Expression than Origin.
Music did not originate from Mozart but what a good job of it he made. Scotland have made bagpipes very much their own despite whatever origins and how well they have done so. Even I as an Englishman enjoy the pipes even though much of the music might be directed at me :).
You are awesome Beth! I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the history of the Pipes! My Ancestors came from Wales , Scotland , Germany and Norway. Loved the stories!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I am of Italian descent (both parents born in Italy). I am learning to play with my practice chanter... The history of the bagpipe coming from ancient Rome, really makes me happy and gives me ammunition to all my family and friends that ask me why I would play a Scottish instrument when I am not Scottish in any way!!
Do you play the müsa, the piva or the zampogna?
Viva la zampogna !
A fascinating and informative video! thanks! More videos on the educational bend, if you will, video essays on the history of music, instruments, and associated culture, (like this and the sea shanty video) would be greatly appreciated.
There are bagpipes in most Slavic cultures. The oldest found Russian bagpipe is almost 1000 years old. But with time this tradition died out.
The music, art, language and even cuisine in Russia are heavily influenced by our history of interaction with the Orthodox Greeks to the south, the steppe peoples to the east and of course Western Europe. But whenever we adapted something, we made it our own. These things unite the world and encourage us to learn more and to preserve our legacy for other learners.
There are also sources that indicate that the bagpipe (as we know it today) was imported into Scotland from Italy. More precisely from a city in Lombardy called Cremona around 1700
scots played pipes before that and they added a third drone which made it the great highland bagpipe or warpipe
Been piping for nearly 40 years. Travelled well with it. Love it. Great video Beth. Except the chilli pipers part 🤪😁👍
When ever I hear bagpipes played well it gives me a dopamine rush. Probably all the war movies where they play while rushing into battle, or my Scottish DNA
The key being 'well'
@@Danileith123 yes
I've seem Scots guards in a live fire exercise with bagpipes playing
The United States Fire service uses bagpipes in a lot of our ceremonies and parades. You can youtube "pipes and drums" along with any major US city and find some. I think we got it from the Irish though, but not 100% sure.
Traditional Greek musicians play the bagpipe. It’s called Gaida (GUY-da). It is more primitive looking than Scottish bagpipes.
Thanks for the lesson, I'm 4th generation American, my mother was a Mackenzie, someday I'll make it to Scotland 😍
Thanks for the info and the feels, love ya Beth! Thanks and peace be with you.
am a Crow indian from montana , USA did not know your history bagpipe is what i think about your country when hear it but what you say makes sense still love the sound i have a deep voice so only sing loud when get in mood
There is a region in northeren Spain called Asturias which also uses bagpipes.
I'm a double reedmaker by trade. I specialize in polyester double reeds for all makes of Scottish smallpipes, and border pipes, and can custom reed a full set of Northies.. True story. ❤ (Boyd Reeds)
In a semi related note I love the show Outlander and can’t wait for season 6.
Here's the real question though: why does the clip of Beth playing the pipes have no audio???
Highly interesting history of the bagpipe. Thanks a lot. 👍🏼
Interesting! Also in Italy bagpipes are widespread, especially in the south, where I come from, where a particular bagpipe called "zampogna" resonates especially at Christmas time. These bagpipe players, the "zampognari", represent the shepherds who came to the city from the nearby mountainous countries for transhumance or simply to sell handicrafts. Some kind of Italian Highlanders! Probably the fact that they are shepherds also explains the choice of bagpipes, which is easily obtained from the parts of the sheep (the zampogna was originally made like this). That is my opinion, but it could give a further hint of the origin of bagpipes in Scotland. Cheers!
It's connected to the Greek "zampouna" from the northern part of Greece called Macedonia and also Thrace!!!
My Irish landlady told me that the Irish gave the Scottish bagpipes as a joke and the Scotts haven't got it yet.
Bagpipes are traditional instruments of Galicia and Asturias (Northern Spain), regions with a strong celtic background.
I think you'd enjoy some Korn songs since the singer Jonathan plays bagpipes sometimes in their songs. Like in Shoots and Ladders and The End Begins.
There′s also a bagpipe in Bretagne (Britanny) France called the ″ biniou kozh ″ . Very instructive video. Merci !
Love the bagpipe. I could imagine the sound of pipes piercing through the dim of battle back in the day.
0:07: The tourist bagpipes you can get from that one tourist shop on the Royal mile not being held correctly. I can appreciate the hard work that went into that one shot but I still find it very amusing.
One addition: while pipes were never banned, the Act did set a precedent for the diminishing of the power of Clan chiefs in the Highlands specifically. Clan chiefs were by that time the primary patrons of pipers meaning without their power and patronage the art did begin to slowly die. This is evidenced by the notable fall in practice of canntaireachd, the relegation of many pipers as military and Bandsmen, and the large-scale disappearance if all but a few Pipers-to-the-chief (or noble, etc) which had been a continuation of the older Celtic Bards who would play the harp. The Act didnt outlaw pipes, but it did do harm to their native and non-military playing through other means. That said, the video was actually very good!
Would love to see some content on trad Scottish singers/bands. I'm a massive Breabach fan personally, Megan Henderson has a great voice. The pipes are a bonus too.
Hi Beth, very well done! Interesting and clear explaned view of the evolution of bagpipes within the British Islands. But I have a little remark regarding the chronology. As you point out, Julius Caesar bringing in bagpipes as a tactical medium is to be considered as a legend, meaning, probably not true. And the angel with the bagpipe Tewkesbury Abbey, Gloucester is said to be from the mid 13th century not 2nd century. Actually, there is no evidence at all that any bagpipe arrived on the British Islands before the French-Normandish invasion of 1066. The first written testimony regarding bagpipes dates from 30 years after the invasion.
The Great Highland Bagpipes are certainly Scottish which is today's standard. Even the key in which they are played are referred to a GHB tuning. Where ever they came from, The Scots bridged the history gap in order to be recognizable with what we have now.
A nice concise history of the pipes, Beth. Looks like you did some good research.
No Bagpipe discussion should miss out on Rufus Harley. He billed himself as the Worlds Greatest Jazz and Blues Bagpipe player. His records span 40 years from 1965 to 2006. At first it sounds weird but listen to Bagpipe Blues pretty cool.
In Mallorca too , we have a bagpipe, we call it "xeremia", it's smaller than scottish bagpipe but works the same.
Knowledge, the best Fangirl Face in the Bizz, and closeups to show off those blue eyes. Loved it
As an America in the good ol' US of A, our music is strongly influenced by England, Scotland and Ireland as well as African traditional music with a huge twist of blues. Our country music, arguably the most American music you can play, evolved from Appalachian music which itself was an amalgamation of Scots-Irish immigrant music and black slave music. Our Rock gets a strong influence from both country, see above history of country, and blues. Blues being an iconic sound of the urban black communities. To the best of my understanding, blues was born from the tradition of slaves singing about their plight which evolved into songs about the struggles faced by black people through reconstruction and into the Jim Crow era right through the civil rights movement. Enter rock icon Elvis Presley and others who took that cultural sound and made it their own with a country flair and rock and roll was born. Later heavily influenced by English groups in the British invasion era. Of course there is a huge resurgence of native drum and flute music as well as latin American influence. Being a melting pot of cultures it would be hard to find a culture not playing some role in our music. But these are the biggest influences.
The English were just as influential as the Scots-Irish on the formation of Country music. Not too mention the many dance types/styles that came about around the same time, still popular in the US - English country, square, barn, etc.
Love your discovery 👍👍👍 thank you Beth 😊
I play the pipes in the New York City fire dept Pipes and drums and one of my favorite things was on St Patricks day when we still had a parade Pre Covid, they always had a big group of pipers from Galicia playing the Gaitas,Its fun watching Spanish music being played on the bagpipes!
Look up queen Scotia moving from Egypt to Ireland her people later moved to Scotland. (Scotia--Scotland)
Many types of bagpipes around the world. But definitely the Scottish Highland Bagpipes are the most popular and well known. The bagpipes also believed to being played by the ancient Babylonians . I’ve heard people say it came to Scotland by the Romans and many argue that Irish brought it to Scotland. Of course it obviously began in Egypt or the Middle East first. But the Scottish Highland pipes are definitely been refined to their own unique type of bagpipes. Many don’t realize there are other types of Scottish bagpipes. Like the lowland small pipes and border pipes . It’s great how the instrument is still evolving and used by many styles of music. Not only used for modern rock music there are some now using the Highland Bagpipes for Jazz music.
The Bagpipe is traditionnaly attached to Celtic culture. The International Celtic Festival in Lorient is a good example of the deployment of this culture in world. Offically, there are only 6 celtics nations but it touch lot s of more.
If you haven't already discovered The Snake Charmer, you should check out her version of Drowsy Maggie.
I'm from Australia and the bagpipes are definitely Scottish now, hands down
Huh... I had no idea the bagpipes were so widespread. I'd only heard of them in relation to the isles until now.
I thought the small bagpipe came from Ireland to Scotland with the Scots migration from Ireland to Western Scotland in the 5th century A.D. The large bagpipes we associate with Scotland were and are associated with war and military parades.
yes thats probobly true as the scots were an irish tribe but once in scotland,not sure which century they added a third drone to the bagpipe calling it the great highland bagpipe or warpipe
Beth - You are awesome to describe the history of Bagpipes - Thank you. How interesting!
The real truth is that the Egyptian hieroglyph of the man playing the bagpipes means: let's get drunk!
I thought that was just the Scottish and Irish interpretation....
Canadian with a French name and Irish lineage (with a sprinkle of Scottish), who plays electronic bagpipes in a folk metal band that takes most of our influences from Swedish and Finnish metal. You're absolutely right that it really doesn't matter where you're from, embracing different cultures is a fantastic way to bring people together and not apart. The pipes may not be a part of my CULTURAL identity, but they've made of a large part of my PERSONAL identity for most of my life.
Haggis - Kilts - Whisky
You already ordered them ascending by popularity 🤤
Ascending? Those are all on equal footing in my book . Ascending in cost maybe!
Pakistan may be the biggest producer of "Bagpipes" , however when it comes to instruments that can actually produce music, Scotland still leads the way. The mass produced products available on Amazon, that come complete with Practice Chanter and instructional video are great for decorating the wall of Bars and Man-caves but are mostly un-playable. Thank you for a well researched and well presented video. From a Canadian piper
If you enjoy "Bag Rock" you might like a Canadian band called Mudmen. I haven't heard much of their newer stuff but their song Underdog is a great track from years ago. I hope you enjoy 😊
Check out TheSnakeCharmer on UA-cam as well.
Both in nothern Portugal and in several regions ofSpain it is traditional to play the bagpipes. They differ skightly from each other and from scotish bagpipies in the sound produced. All over Continetal Europe the bagpipes were traditionally played. Once again could have been the Romans that brought it to the different parts of the Roman Empire.
An ancient set of pipes was found in Ireland, carbon dated to be a few thousand years old.
I had heard bagpipes didn't originate in Scotland but hadn't looked into it yet. Very interesting video!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you!
I saw a documentary on the bagpipes a few years back--it was really fascinating. Maybe late 1990s. They noted most of what you were saying, Beth. I recall they mentioned that the pipes are still played widely in parts of France that were heavily Celtic in terms of cultural heritage, and it also included interviews that had been conducted earlier with World War 1 veterans and the last living Boer War vet who all recalled being piped into battle. I forget the exact title now. Something like Instrument of War or Pipes of War I think. Would like to see it again sometime.
I believe the documentary you are referring to is called "Instrument of War" produced by Patrick King and Grahame Wickings in 1997. The first episode was called "Ladies from Hell" and the second was called "Call to the Blood".
@@EldritchGod666 Thanks, that has to be it!! Looked on Amazon and someone was selling a copy on DVD. When I saw it I thought, this must be the one--how many documentaries on the bagpipes are there? : D : )
I'm American, which mostly has a culture of consumerism. We often associate and honor traditions from the countries our families come from. Because we don't really have that much of a culture, that's why you hear Americans say things like 'I'm Irish-American', 'I'm Italian-American', 'I'm German-American', ect. For me personally? My family comes from most of Europe with a sprinkling of Asia and the Middle East mixed in.
You are so cool! Thank you for this interesting and enlightening origin story of bag pipes. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for watching!