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NORWEGIANS VISIT CAITHNESS
by Malcolm Sinclair, Earl of Caithness
& additions by
Mary and Don Sinclair, CA Commissioner
See story & Pictures at:
We owe much to the hard
work and good organization of Niven Sinclair for a successful visit of twenty
Norwegians. Niven, Don and Mary Sinclair, California Commissioner: Judy
Fisken, curator at Rosslyn Chapel; and I have just taken a party of twenty
Norwegians from Edinburgh to Caithness and back. They came from the Møre
area, which is where the Sinclairs came from and where our progenitor 'Jarl'
Rognvald held his lands. There are more recent connections as Iain Laird
and Niven explained in their article in March issue of Yours Aye.
Our guests arrived on
Easter Tuesday evening at Edinburgh and stayed in hotels in Roslin.
Wednesday we bused them to Caithness stopping at Blair Castle, Aviemore for
lunch, Dornoch Cathedral and Brora for tea. The next day involved visits
to Dunbeath Castle, Dunbeath Heritage Centre, Laidhay Croft Museum, a slate
quarry at Spital, and British Telecom Centre in Thurso. The small farm
(croft) of Lappan where Don Sinclair's Grandfather and Niven's Grandfather were
born is right across the road. The house was abandoned to cattle and
sheep. We also provided shopping for those who wanted to. An
enjoyable day was capped with a Civic Reception hosted by the Provost and
Members of the Caithness Committee of the Highland Council who asked a number of
Caithnessians including Viscount and Viscountess Thurso and Margaret,
Viscountess Thurso.
Friday was more relaxed starting with a visit to Girnigoe and
Sinclair Castles and followed by Caithness Glass and the Heritage Centre.
That evening the Norwegians hosted a dinner with traditional food and drink that
they had brought over with them. Many were dressed in their local costumes
or "bundader" as it is called. What was most interesting is that
some of them wore a tartan similar to Sinclair which they adopted following
their victory at the battle at Kringden Pass in 1612.
The bus trip South was more
subdued than on the way North and we stopped at Dunrobin Castle and other places
on the way back to Roslin. The final day was spent at Edinburgh Castle in
the morning. Iain Laird arranged for us to be guided by Historic Scotland
and later a visit to the museum of his regiment The Royal Scots. Judy
Fisken followed this in the afternoon with a fascinating guided tour of Rosslyn
Chapel. Bob Bryden, the leading authority on the Knights Templar in
Scotland, conducted a tour of the Templar Museum.
Niven hosted the farewell
dinner with a 'wee taste of Scotland' including smoked salmon and haggis.
We were piped into dinner and there were some Scottish songs and entertainment
during the meal. After dinner I taught them two reels, and it was a lovely
sight to see those in kilts and bunader dancing together. We had speeches
promising no more Viking raids on Caithness and no more slaughter of the
Sinclairs! John even sang a few Norwegian songs he had learned over the
years. The party continued well into the small hours and they flew back
the next day. They were all exhausted with all they had done in a short
time, but were on a high having had a fantastic trip. They learnt how
proud we are of our common ancestry and that the Sinclairs can be as good in
friendship as in battle. Fortunately we were blessed with good weather all the
way and never got wet. The day after we left Roslin there was 15 cms of
snow!
==========================================================================
SINCLAIR DELEGATION TO
OTTA, NORWAY
By Iain Laird
We arrived at the Otta Railway Station on
the train from Oslo's Gardermoen Airport on Friday, August 20th 1999. We
were met by Rakel Dyrhaug from the Norlandia Otta Hotel which is some 100 metres
from the Station. On the way to the hotel we passed the striking statue of
Pillarguri, the local girl who sounded the warning blast on her "lur"
to warn the local militia of the approach of the Scots soldiers on the way to
Sweden in 1612, the event that was central to the celebrations over the next few
days.
At the hotel we met the
Rt. Hon. Malcolm Sinclair, the Earl of Caithness, and Major Niven Sinclair, the
guests of honour at this year's events, Inge Leif Larsen, the owner of the hotel
and life member of the Pillarguri Committee and his wife, Eldbjørg and Chris
Maile, a member of the Oslo Caledonian Pipe Band who were to play over the next
two days. Chris had been involved in setting up the links between Otta and
Caithness through Wick Council and later with Clan Sinclair through Niven.
Malcolm and Niven had arrived on Aug, 185h and had been given an extensive tour
of the local areas by Pillarguiri Committee member, Hans Kristian Børud and
Rolf Uvolden. We were then introduced to Åse Kleveland who was to receive
this year's prize.
The first event was a cultural evening at
the Town Hall. Ola Svæt, the Mayor of Sel Kommune in which Otta lies
opened the event and Hans Kristian of the Pillarguri Committee was the Master of
Ceremonies. He as well as the rest of the committee were dressed in the
Gudbrandsdalen "Bunad" (national costume) with red tartan waistcoats,
with red tartan waistcoats. They claimed the tartan was taken from the
Scots in 1612. We were entertained to local music by the Town's Brass
Band, who were joined by the Oslo Caledonian Pipe Band, 6 pipers and two
drummers who played "Amazing Grace" most movingly. The music
continued with the local fiddlers and a local young woman, Stina Hedlund, sang
"Song til Sel" with its reference to Pillarguiri and Storm's
"Childe Sinclair", a warning of the consequence of the Scots coming to
Norway. Syver Bakken launched his new book "Ringen i Kringen",
the definitive version of the 1612 Battle. The presentation of the
Pillarguri Prize, a statuette of Pillarguri was then made to Åse Kleveland,
former Minister of Culture and singer, now candidate for Mayor of Oslo, who made
a passinate speech and entertained us with a lively song.
The Sinclair Party was, of course, kilted,
The Earl and Niven in their red kilts and Prince Charlie's and Iain in the green
with an Argyll. Annabel wore a long tartan skirt and sash, and our
Highland Dress turned many heads in the town.
The Cultural evening was followed by a
formal dinner at the Norlandia Otta Hotel hosted by the Committee for Åse
Kleveland and the Sinclair party and Rolf and Annebritt Losnegård live in
Sognefjord, where Losna Island is their traditional seat, and they are also
descended from the house of Møre. Their family crest is the engrailed
cross.
Rolf is a writer and has written a
pageant that is performed each July on Losne Island. Hans Kristian was the
toastmaster. We were served Rakefisk (half fermented trout) Mousse and
Levse, a kind of savory pancake, accompanied by Viking Mead followed by raindeer
accompanied by red wine and concluded with cloudberry pudding in whisky with
Acquavit for toasting throughout. The speeches included an acceptance
speech by Åse Kleveland, the
Norwegians recalling their visit to Scotland in April 1999, Ola Svæt's
response, and Maj-Britt Svastuen, Deputy Mayor of Sel presented each of the
Sinclair party with lapel pins of Sel Kommune: a profile of Pillarguri in Gold
on sky blue background. Rolf presented his family crest banners to the
Committee and to Malcolm. Chris Maile translated throughout and made the
traditional "Takk for matten" (thank you for the meal) speech on
behalf of the guests.
The programme on Saturday began with the
opening of the new path to the "Pillarguri Top", the hilltop from
whence Pillarguri is said to have sounded her deadly blast in 1612. The
path was presented by Maj-Britt Svastuen, in English, and Iain Laird replied in
Norwegian, formally opening the path. The programme continued with a run
to the town's park by local children, and 4-year old Sarah took part, helped by
her mother. As she crossed the finish line, Hans Kristian, once more the
organizer, told the spectators, "Here comes our first international
competitor, Sarah Laird from Scotland."
The Sinclair party set off to George
Sinclair's Grave just outside Kvam and the Earl of Caithness placed a vase of
yellow roses by the marker stone. Then he and Niven stood to each side as
Chris Maile, now dressed in Doublet, Plaid and Feather Bonnet, played
"Flowers of the Forest", the Flodden Lament. It was a simple but
deeply moving ceremony.
We returned to the Hotel for lunch and the
Lairds went to the prize giving for the race by Hans Kristian. Each child
was presented with a slate medallion on a ribbon in the Norwegian national
colors and sports bags from the race sponsor, NOR Sparebanken were
raffled. Sarah was again introduced as the international competitor from
Scotland.
Next was the opening of the town's
"Millennium Park" by the Railway Station, donated by NSB, Norwegian
Railways and opened by their Director, Osmund Ueland and Stina Hedlund sang her
"Song til Sel" again. The Oslo Caledonian Pipe band marched in
with a selection to open the ceremony and closed it as they marched off to the
march "Scottish Soldier".
We then proceeded to the battle site at
Kringen (Kringom is the old spelling of the place, and nobody locally knows
where Kringellen came from, but it may be a romantic exaggeration). The
Pillarguri Committee had prepared a memorial to the fallen Scots of 1612.
When we arrived, it was thoughtfully veiled in a Scots Saltire Flag, for
unveiling and inauguration by the Earl of Caithness and Major Niven
Sinclair. Chris Maile, again in Full piper's regalia played the
"Flowers of the Forrest". Malcolm said a few words giving the
background to the battle and expressing the Clan's gratitude to the Pillarguri
Committee for their friendship and generosity and for the touching gesture of
the memorial. Chris then played the stirring "Flower of
Scotland" and we then walked the path the Scots had taken to the battle
marker memorial. It is still deadly as some of us had to take of our
leather shoes as it is steep and slippery.
In a departure from the events of 1612, we
went to the unveiling of a new memorial to a local farmer, brutally killed by
the German invaders of the valley in 1940 as he tried to save his father's
livestock from being burned alive in their barn. The memorial was by the
same sculptor who had prepared the Sinclair Memorial at Kringen.
That evening we were all hosted by the
owners of the Norlandia Otta Hotel in their apartment. We were served the
traditional sour cream porridge "rømmegrøt" with cured meats and
"flatbrød" thin crispbread. Chris Maile played the pipes as
Niven and Iain lowered the Saltire and then the Norwegian Flag was lowered to
the National Anthem. Malcolm then made a formal speech of thanks to our
hosts and presented each of them with a piece of Caithness Glass.
Niven
then gave the most moving address on the background to the battle and how the Scots had not sought
a conflict with their distant Norwegian relatives, but that the massacre of
Gudbrandsdal conscripts by the Swedes at Nya Lødsøe had provoked this tragic
reprisal. He said that if George Sinclair had been asked to
"parley" he would have surrendered his sword rather than fight his
relatives. Niven said how much it was appreciated that Norwegians today
were peacemakers and that he would now present them with a sword as a gesture of
peace for the new millennium. He then unwrapped and presented to Syver
Bakken a specially engraved Wilkinson Millennium Sword with the Sinclair Coat of
Arms, the date 1398 Jarl Henry St. Clair's voyage to the New World and the
word "Peace" in 240 languages. The golden hilt bears the three
Graces, Asia, Africa and Europe and the Sun, badge of English Sinclairs and the
continents of the world.
The committee were deeply moved and some in
tears. The sword represents a bond of friendship between the Sinclairs and
Gudbrandsdalers, whose valley, Niven assured us, is protected by the spirit of
George Sinclair. To ensure the bond was not cut by the gift of a blade,
our friends presented Malcolm and Niven with locally cast "Sinclair"
medals and each of us were given Norwegian Pullovers in the Sel design,
incorporating the profile of Pillarguri. Rolf presented lapel pins of his family
crest to us and T-shirts bearing the crest. The evening continued to the
small hours with accordion music from local musician, Arne Berget, and piping by
Chris and some dancing and song.
The next day the Sinclair party began to
depart. The Lairds were taken on a tour of the Rondane park by Eldbjørg
and Inger Leif and to visit the site of a grave of a fallen Green Howard of
1940, only recently discovered and reburied in the local Commonwealth War Graves
Cemetery. We stood for a moment in silent remembrance. The
Norwegian's greatly valued the help they received from the United Kingdom in
WWII and will ever remember the fallen.
We left late in the afternoon, but the
bonds of friendship forged in Caithness and Edinburgh in April 1999 have been
significantly reinforced by the overwhelming generosity of our Norwegian friends
during these Pillarguri Days of August 1999. We left only so we can
return, and will do so as soon as we can.
Iain, Annabel * Sarah Laird, followers and
supporters of the Earl of Caithness and Clan Sinclair
22nd August 1999
==========================
The Gudbrandsdal War Museum at Kvam also has a display commemorating the battle
which has a model of one of the Caithness Scots together with a Scots broadsword
and Lochaber axe attributed to the battle. There is also a hotel,
Verthuset Sinclair, in Kvam which is just to the north of Lillehammer, made
famous by the Winter Olympics of 1994. Of the 18 Scots who escaped being
massacred at Kringen, they settled in the area and their descendants are still
there!! The place-names of the farms in the Otta District are testimony to
the proof of their residence. They are still intensely proud of their
Scottish descent although the Scots who accompanied Colonel George Sinclair were
themselves of Viking descent. The wheel had turned full circle.
==========================================================================
Kringen 2000
Revisited
by Iain, our correspondent in Otta
================Aug. 23, 2000
We have been in Norway for 10 days now and moved to Oslo today to take the train
to Otta. We took the opportunity to visit the Akershus Fortress where
Alexander Ramsay and other officers were held after the Battle of Kringen.
We met up there with Chris Maile, the Piper, who will travel to Otta tomorrow.
We think we saw George Sinclair's breast plate!
For details of the Akershus see http://www.fmu.mil.no/
Chris tells us there will be 6 pipers and 3 drummers at Otta this weekend to
celebrate the 1612 battle!
Yours aye
Iain, Annabel & Sarah Laird
=================Aug. 24, 2000
I have to report a single honour as one of the representatives
of Clan Sinclair here in Otta for the annual Pillarguri Days, commemorating the
1612 Battle of Kringen. Yesterday evening I was asked to join the
Pillarguri Committee in the "Sinclair Stue" (Sinclair Corner) in the
Norlandia Otta Hotel. Syvver Bakken made a short speech in Norwegian and
Inge Leif Larsen translated it, advising that their Scottish Guest was to be
made a Member of Sinclair's Club. He pinned the badge on my lapel.
The badge is silver, of the man riding backwards on his horse, part of the
tradition of the battle. The next to receive the award was Jurgen, who
made the Memorial that our Chief unveiled last year. There are six members
of the Pillarguri Committee, who wear the badge in gold, and now just 4 members
of Sinclair's Club, Pål Bruun, Chris Maile, and now Jurgen and
I. I have asked for a copy of the Statutes of the Club, which are kept in
a "budstikke" in a display cabinet in the "Sinclair Stue".
The display cabinet has been built since we were here last year to house the
Pillarguri's valuables and to explain its connections. Pride of place is
Niven's Millenium Sword, presented by Niven and our Chief here last year.
I will post photographs on return next Monday on our website, which already has
this year's outline programme in the Norway section.
========== Aug. 24, 2000
We have been well looked after since we arrived in Otta.
Inge Leif and Eldbjørg Larsen met us at the station and took us round the hotel
where they will take over management on 1st September, the Rondane Spa
Hotel. It has a website at www.rondane.no
or www.spa.no
. They took us on a tour of the area yesterday, visiting the glacier
skiing at Jyvvashytte on Galdhopingen, the highest mountain in Norway. We
also visited Rakel Dyrhaug at her new job at the Sel Rondane Tourist
Office. While we were there, Donald and Mary Sinclair called from their
friends house in Tonsberg, in the south of Norway. As I write they are
driving north, and they will reach here this afternoon after a 7 hour drive
through this beautiful country.
Today we, with Chris, are to visit with Elsa a secret WWII resistance base,
hidden in the mountains, never discovered by the Germans and preserved as it was
when it was operating.
The main Pillarguri Festival starts this evening at the Kultur Hus where the
Olso Caledonian Pipe Band will play with the Town Band and local
musicians. We will take photographs to be posted on our website on return.
Iain , Annabel and Sarah in Otta, Sel Kommune, Norway www.iain.laird.btinternet.co.uk
===============
I have to report a single honour as one of the representatives
of Clan Sinclair here in Otta for the annual Pillarguri Days,
commemorating the 1612 Battle of Kringen. Yesterday evening I was asked to
join the
Pillarguri Committee in the "Sinclair Stue" (Sinclair Corner) in
the Norlandia Otta Hotel. Syvver Bakken made a short speech in Norwegian
and Inge Leif Larsen translated it, advising that their Scottish Guest was to
be made a Member of Sinclair's Club. He pinned the badge on my lapel. The
badge is silver, of the man riding backwards on his horse,
Why is the man riding backwards on his horse?.
Yours aye, Ian Laird
===========================Aug. 26, 2000
In response to the enquiry from SK_Canada, the tradition of the horseman riding
backwards on his horse just prior to the 1612 battle is that he was distracting
the Scots from the preparations for the ambush, by riding
between them and the river. The local farmers had occupied the high ground
above the battle site.
Yesterday was a wonderful day. Donald and Mary Sinclair from San Francisco
arrived with their friends, Einar and Reidunn Hveen from Tonsberg in time for
the celebrations at the Kultur Hus and we enjoyed the Prize-Winner's Dinner
afterwards. At the end of the dinner everyone joined in with Donald
singing one of his Norwegian songs that those of us who were with the Norwegians
in Caithness last April will remember very well.
Yours aye, Iain, Annabel & Sarah Laird www.iain.laird.btinternet.co.uk
=======================================Aug. 27, 2000
Donald & Mary Sinclair, their friends Einar and Reidunn Hveen, Chris Maile,
and the Lairds were taken yesterday by Inge Leif and Eldbjørg Larsen with Else
Larsen, Syver Bakken and Randi Haugsjord to George Sinclair's grave at Kvam.
Else had brought white and blue flowers to represent the colours of the Saltire,
which were laid by Sarah, and a laminated note with the Clan Crest "In
Memory of George Sinclair and those of Clan Sinclair and other Scots killed at
the Battle of Kringen, 26th August 1612, or afterwards, nearby in Kvam."
Chris played the Flowers of the Forest we stood in silent tribute.
We then went to the battle site at Kringen and Chris played MacCrimmon's Lament,
for all Scots who go to war and do not return. It was deeply moving.
We returned to the village of Otta and joined in the celebrations that
culminated with Otta being rededicated as a town, having fulfilled the Norwegian
requirements to do so. Photos will start to appear from tomorrow
evening.
Yours aye
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