2011 Pawling Weekend

For Saturday night's Highland Ball Wendy Katt produced her usual wonderful set of collages, one for each dance in the Ball. At the end of the weekend they were auctioned off for the benefit of the NY branch. Some of them are displayed below, with the accompanying commentary.

“ The Gentleman”
Collage art by Wendy Katt

The Cu Sith (pronounced Koo She) which means fairy hound, is described as a huge green hound which haunts the highlands looking for women to bring to the fairies to nurse the fairy babies. When it barks three times, loud enough to be heard at sea, gentlemen know to drop whatever they are doing and return home to hide their wives.

“Ian Powrie's Farewell to Auchterader”
Collage art by Wendy Katt

A powrie, also called a red cap, is a malevolent creature usually found in castles in the border areas of Scotland. There is a legend of one, however, who lived in Perthshire (also where Auchterader is located). Lucky people who had contact with him were bound to become rich. Ian Powrie, of course, is famous in the Scottish dance world for leaving Auchterader for Australia.

“Barbara's Strathspey”
Collage art by Wendy Katt

The “Barbara” of Barbara's Strathspey is Barbara Cool, director of the dance group to which its devisor, Susan McKinnon, belongs. Saucy Mary is a much earlier Mackinnon, a Norwegian princess who married the 4th clan chief. Legend says she laid a chain between her castle on the very tip of the Isle of Skye and the Scottish mainland and charged a toll to cross the water at the shortest distance between the two points. When the sailors balked, Mary sweetened the deal by flashing a bit of bosom. Here she is with her new bosom buddy, Barbara.

“Anna Holden's Strathspey”
Collage art by Wendy Katt

Anna Campbell Holden devised many dances, including The Campbells of Cawdor, which is located near the valley of the River Spey (or Strath Spey). The Each Uisge also lives in the Valley. Whoever attempts to ride this beautiful horse finds that he is stuck to him like glue and cannot stop him riding into a lake or pond in which he lives, drowning the hapless victim on his back.

“The Montgomeries Rant”
Collage art by Wendy Katt

The Montgomeries are a noble family from Ayrshire, home also of Robert Burns, from whose poem, ‘Tam O'Shanter’, the image of the Devil playing the pipes at a “rant” for witches, warlocks and spirits comes. “Rant” is an old Scots word for a rollicking good time.

“Ellen's Reel”
Collage art by Wendy Katt

John Horrell, who wrote this dance for ball co-chair Ellen Sears, says part of his family hails from the North West of Scotland, home also to the Selkies, or seal people. These gentle, but sometimes treacherous creatures can shape-shift between human and seal by donning or removing the seal pelt.

“Wisp of Thistle”
Collage art by Wendy Katt

According to legend, the humble thistle became the emblem of Scotland through its role in defeating a Norse king determined to conquer Scotland. The King planned a nighttime attack on sleeping Higlanders and ordered his men to remove their boots to further surprise his adversaries. The plan was foiled when one of the Norsemen stepped on a thistle and cried out, waking the Scots who then handily defeated the would-be attackers. The thistle became the centerpiece of the elite Order of the Thistle and the motto on its crest, loosely translated, "Who dares mess with me?" has become synonymous with Scottish pride.

“The Nurseryman”
Collage art by Wendy Katt

The Ghillie Dhu is the Scottish version of the Green Man, a nature spirit partial to birch trees and entrusted with the care of the land.