Highland Games - A Scottish Tradition
With the Olympic fever increasing and is the latest trending topic on the social networking hemisphere, gradually developing ground is the largest yearly Highland games in Scotland, the Cowal Highland Gathering that takes place every last week of August. With Scottish attendees keeping the heated momentum yearly, they have kept alive the Scottish tradition of song, dance, merriment and friendly competition.
With its accumulating of sports athletes to compete in various Scottish sports and well-prepared all year round, it was said to have impelled the Baron Pierre de Coubertin to revive the Olympic Games in 1889 as he saw the Highland games being displayed at the Paris Exhibition. You could almost picture the famed Baron being held with encouragement while he saw the all these textures that define Scotland: the bagpipes, the donning of men's kilt and most especially the masculinity of the games.
History
But what is the Highland game? And how did it turned out to be?
Legend says that in the 11th century, King Malcolm III of Scotland put together a game of foot race up to the apex of Craig Choinnich. His objective really was to find the quickest runner in Scotland to become his regal messenger. This extremely charged rivalry with the recognition to become the King's most trustworthy when it came to his messages was what was said to have brought on the succeeding Highland games.
This legend is in fact abounding with everything Scottish and is an excellent base for fiction. Scottish men in kilts who are passionately vying to be royal messenger and let's toss in the princess' hand, in addition to sorcery, mythical beings, the song, dance and heavy drinking amidst the foggy atmosphere of the mountains.
Heavy Events
Even with the bagpipes and men in kilts, Highland games are actually everything about the games. Called Heavy Events, these are the common games being organised yearly which are the highlights of the festivity.
Caber Toss-aiming for a perfect twelve or that straight line of the hands when they reach 12 o' clock, a log or a high, narrowing pine rod is held at the slimmest end and tossed upside down that the larger end is what would hit the ground. This is actually the most popular game in the event. The men not merely should be big enough to carry the huge caber, however they have to be wearing kilts as well.
Stone Put- with Highland games having an influence on the revival of Olympics, this stone put also has Olympic inspirations from the shot put. But rather than the steel shot, a sizable stone is instead thrown. The stone with the most distance is announced the champion.
Scottish Hammer Throw-as opposed to the modern day hammer throw in track and field tournaments, the Scot's variation includes a metal ball for head. Hammer throw is similar to stone put except on this occasion a heavy hammer is thrown in a long distance in a rotating manner and without abandoning your location.
Maide Leisg- a Scot Gaelic term meaning lazy stick, it's similar to tug-of war except this time the guys are seated with their sole pressed together. They pull at each other and the loser is the one who is lifted from the ground.
So put on your men's kilt, play some bagpipe music and let's play some Highland games with a start off quote from the film Highlander, 'There can be only one.'