The piob mor : romance and reality / Wallace de Laguna Haviland.

Format:

Book

Manuscript

Microformat

Thesis/Dissertation

Author/Creator:

Haviland, Wallace de Laguna.

Contributor:

Abrahams, Roger D., advisor.

University of Pennsylvania.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Penn dissertations--Folklore and folklife.

Folklore and folklife--Penn dissertations.

Local Subjects:

Penn dissertations--Folklore and folklife.

Folklore and folklife--Penn dissertations.

Physical Description:

xii, 354 pages : illustrations ; 29 cm

Production:

2001.

Summary:

Though tradition is generally considered to be static it is constantly emerging from the past into the present and being reshaped to fit the needs of the current bearers. One of the major forces in this process has been romanticism. Scholars and social critics have long discussed the "corruptive" effects of romanticism on tradition. They have often engaged in the practice of debunking beliefs and activities, showing them to be contrived, invented, or based upon historical inaccuracies and thus, somehow, less authentic. However, it is not "objective truth" which grants tradition its authority, but its acceptance by the folk. It matters not that an item, activity, or belief is contrived, only that it strike some common chord within the minds of those who claim it.

The piob mor provides a valuable example. Though commonly seen as the measure for all bagpipes it has a comparatively brief history dating only to the 15th century. Its romantic aura stems from the 18 th century when Scots felt the need for symbols of a strong, national identity to raise up in the face of an overwhelming English authority.

However, debunkers also have a place in the creation of tradition. They are a counter force to the romantics, but not to tradition itself. In cases where tradition has become detrimental, perhaps through over-exploitation or harmful stereotyping, or where loss of meaning within the community is a danger there may be a backlash, an interrogation and subsequent re-shaping of practices. In piping this has taken the shape of revivals of ceol mor, and in regular contentions amongst pipers, between players and judges at competitions, and the questioning of so called "authorities" within the piping world.

The two forces, Romanticism and Cynicism, work together, shaping people's attitudes as they negotiate and re-shape traditions to fit their current needs, like brush strokes which seem singly to head in different directions, but when taken together reveal an underlying direction. The result for the piob mor has been a dynamic, healthy, and rich tradition.

Notes:

Supervisor: Roger D. Abrahams.

Thesis (Ph.D. in Folklore and Folklife) -- University of Pennsylvania, 2001.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Local Notes:

University Microfilms order no.: 3031669.

OCLC:

244972606