In his classic book, Liturgy and Ritual of the Celtic Church, F.E. This shouldn’t surprise us: the Greeks and the Celts had the same faith and liturgical life, while the Christian Celts and the modern western confessions, distorted by the Great Schism and the Protestant Reformation, do not. What is very clear, Celtic Christians had far less in common with the free-wheeling nature worship one might find in certain Protestant or Roman Catholic circles than it did with the spiritual life of Greek monasteries in Byzantium.
The flag of Canada’s New Scotland, Nova Scotiaįor those who entertain new-agey illusions about the Celtic Church, there is bad news: Celtic Christian worship was in most ways very similar to the life of Orthodox parishes today. Yet those who trace their roots from that chilly isle to this great land do not often read back far enough to discover the essence of Scotland’s Celtic roots, roots that reflected the faith of Saint Andrew for nearly one thousand years in a Celtic Church that was vibrant, independent, and fully Orthodox.
The Cross of Saint Andrew can be found on five Canadian provincial flags, either within the Union Jack, or in the mirrored image of the flag of Canada’s New Scotland, Nova Scotia. Official ceremonies, academic awards, university names and traditions, along with the pipers who lead their processions – all these have been inherited from the practices of the Celts of Scotland, through their Canadian children. In a country whose first Prime Minister was a MacDonald, whose first woman Prime Minister was a Campbell, and which boasted no fewer than nine Prime Ministers of Scottish ancestry (only five Prime Ministers were French), it is not a stretch of the imagination to suggest that Scotland still has at least a pint or two of its own running through the bloodstream of Canadian culture. The endurance of Saint Andrew’s Cross is seen in the presence it still has in Scotland’s largest emigree nation – Canada. Like the people for whom it flies, Saint Andrew’s Cross has proven its resilience and strength. (For the record, Saint Andrew was martyred on an X-shaped cross). Simple in its design, it has withstood centuries of political and religious turmoil, and remained the standard for Christian Scots, as well as those who have forgotten the reason their banner bears the Cross. The Cross of Saint Andrew – the blue and white emblem of Scotland’s patron saint – is believed to be the oldest continuously used flag in the world. Land of my heart for ever, Scotland the brave! Land of my high endeavour, land of the shining river, High may your proud standards gloriously wave, Towering in gallant fame, Scotland my mountain hame, High as the spirits of the old Highland men. There where the hills are sleeping, now feel the blood a-leaping, Loudly and proudly calling, down through the glen. Longing and dreaming for the homeland again.Hark when the night is falling, hear, hear the pipes are calling, Kind as the love that shines from fair maiden's eyes. Your browser does not support the audio element. While many traditional variations still play it as an instrumental with bagpipes and flute, several vocal versions of Scotland the Brave exist. It was later published in 1911 as a flute solo, but it was not until 1951 that Cliff Hanley wrote the lyrics. The music originates in the late 19th century when it was set as a march for bagpipes. It is a militant song that calls to mind the valor of the Scottish nation and people. Unlike many Scottish ballads that dwell on its wars with England, Scotland the Brave focuses on the merits of Scotland itself, boasting of the people's bravery and loyalty, as well as the counry's natural beauty and glorious history. Scotland the Brave is a Scottish song considered by many to be the unofficial anthem of Scotland.
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