Scottish Sword Dance

Dancing with swords was performed by warriors in different parts of Europe during the prehistoric period. But some of their species are also characteristic of the late Middle Ages. Ritual and martial dances that glorified epic feats and martial art were a feature of Scottish culture and folklore. The earliest references to such dances are mentioned in the Scottish Chronicles (from the English "Scotichronicon"), which were compiled by Walter Bower (Walter Bower) in the 1440s. This passage is about Alexander III and his second marriage to the French titled noblewoman Yolande de Dreux in Jedborough , October 14, 1285. “The procession was led by skilled musicians with various wind instruments, including bagpipes; the dancers following them brilliantly performed military dances with intricate swinging legs, here and there. The procession was closed by a figure about whom it was difficult to say: is this a man or a ghost. She seemed to glide like a ghost, and not walk. At that moment, when she seemed to have disappeared from sight, the whole crazy procession stopped, the songs died down, the music stopped, and the dancing group suddenly froze. ” In 1573, Scottish mercenaries talked about the performance of the Scottish sword dance in front of the Swedish king Johan III at a reception in the Stockholm castle. The dance, a real highlight of the holiday, was used as part of the plot to kill the king, when the murderers could expose their weapons without arousing suspicion. Fortunately for the king, at a critical moment, the conditional signal was not given by the conspirators. "The sword dance and the dances of the highlanders" were included in the reception in honor of Anna Danish in Edinburgh in 1589; a composition of different figures of sword dancing and acrobatic elements was presented before Jacob VI in 1617, and then before Charles I in 1633, the Union of Furriers and Glovers of Perth . “His Majesty's throne was set against the wall, next to the Water of Tay, along which a wooden platform, lined with bark, floated. Welcoming His Majesty, thirteen of our brothers from the glove shop in green hats, with silver laces and red ribbons, in white shoes and with bells on their feet, with blades flashing in their hands, danced on the platform. It was our dance with swords, with many complex transformations. Five brothers stood on the shoulders of five others, and three more danced in front of them, at the same time without ceasing to drink wine and beat glasses. And with all this, thank God, no one was hurt ” ^[1] .

The Scottish prince Malcolm Kanmore , the son of the king of Scotland, Duncan I , defeated King McBath at Lumfanan (1056 or 1057) in Aberdeen . Staying in joy from the victory over the opponent, Malcolm folded the enemy’s sword and his own in the form of a cross and performed the victory dance on them (according to one version, it was Macbeth’s sword and his head). Now a mandatory first step has been recorded for this dance. It is called “Greeting to the Swords” ( English - Addressing the swords ) ^[2] , ^[3] .

Dancing with swords is a mandatory part of training soldiers in Scottish divisions, and is also a type of solo dance at competitions and events, for example at the Highland Games. As in the case of Highland Fling , traditional Scottish clothing is worn to perform the sword dance, a kilt, regardless of the dancer's gender. The dance is divided into two parts, slow and fast. The transition between the slow and fast parts can be accompanied by a clap in the hands of the performer. In competitions, sword dancing has several levels from beginner to professional and varies in type and number of slow and fast steps:

• 2 & 1;
• 2 & 2;
• 3 & 1.

The order of steps, as well as other dance performance requirements, are published on the SOBHD website ^[4] a year before the start of the competition. In competitions, alternative starting positions are allowed, as well as alternative positions for hands. Remarkable features:

• In this dance it is not considered a mistake to look at one's feet;
• In competitions, non-combat copies of swords are used;
• If a dancer steps on a blade or touches a guard during a dance, he is disqualified.

The slow part:

• 1st Addressing the swords - always the first step in dancing
• 2nd Open Pas de Basque
• 3rd Toe-and-Heel
• 4th pointing
• 5th Diagonal Points
• 6th reverse points

The quick part:

• 7th Open Pas de Basque quick step
• 8th Crossing & Pointing

Dancers perform a dance to a traditional Scottish bagpipe. Musicians use the tune "Ghillie Callum", which is a case . The pace of the game is 104-116 beats per minute for a slow game and 120-144 beats for a fast one.

• Argyll broadswords
• Lochaber swords
• Perth assembly
• The adelaide swords
• Under the southern cross
• Reel of swords
• Jacobite swords
• Dirk dance

• An example of performing a dance with swords (youtube)