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Pipers at the Battle of the Somme in World War I
International Bagpipes Day
Mar 10
Other Scottish Country Dances for this Day
Today's Musings, History & Folklore
"Through howl of wind and showers of rain, We play for the living, the dead and the slain, Our notes they are the wound of an angels swoon For our enemies the sound of their coming doom Be you married or buried our pipes sound true Whenever we're needed we'll play there for you."
~ Piper's Creed
This 18th century jig with traditional figures is often danced to the tune of "The Campbells Are Coming"! Oh, ho! Oh ho!
The history of the bagpipes is as rich as it is intriguing, woven with both musical tradition and a deep connection to conflict and battle. Remarkably, until 1996, bagpipes were not officially recognized as a musical instrument like bugles and drums but were instead classified as a weapon of war. This unusual designation dates back to the aftermath of the Battle of Culloden, where a captured Highland piper, James Reid, argued that he was not a combatant, having carried neither gun nor sword. Seeking a fair trial, he insisted that he was merely a musician. However, the English judges ruled otherwise, asserting that Highland regiments never marched into battle without a piper leading the way. By their reasoning, the bagpipes were not just an instrument but an essential component of warfare. As a result, Piper Reid was executed, cementing the bagpipes' status as an instrument of war in legal terms. This classification endured until 1996, when a piper performing on Hampstead Heath challenged a local statute banning musical instruments by invoking the "weapon of war" defense. Though the judge found the argument entertaining, he ultimately ruled that Reid’s execution had been an unlawful act, thereby stripping the bagpipes of their long-held classification as a weapon of war! ❤️ 🖤 ❤️ 🎶
The Piper
March 10th is International Bagpipes Day!
The history of the bagpipes is a fascinating one, both as a musical instrument and for their association with conflict and battle.
The bloodcurdling sound and swirl of the Great Highland bagpipes boosted morale amongst the troops and intimidated the enemy. However, unarmed and drawing attention to themselves with their playing, pipers were always an easy target for the enemy. During the first World War, the death rate amongst pipers was extremely high: it is estimated that around 1000 pipers died in the conflict.
Until 1996, the bagpipes have been classified not as a musical instrument, but as a weapon of war, stemming from an incident at the Battle of Culloden!
Apart from the many lost, the defeat at the Battle of Culloden, on April 16, 1746, the last of the Jacobite Uprisings, resulted in the capture of 558 Jacobites by government forces. The normal punishment was to execute 1 in 10 of the prisoners and transport the rest to the colonies. One of the prisoners was piper James Reid. Rather than facing this punishment, he decided to take his case to trial.
His novel defense was that he not a combatant in the battle. He claimed that he was a bagpiper and not a combatant because he did not have a gun or sword and that the only thing he did that day on the battlefield was play the bagpipe.
After some deliberation the judges opined that highland regiments never marched to war without a piper at its head. Therefore, in the eyes of the law, the bagpipe was an instrument of war. James Reid was condemned and subsequently hanged and quartered.
For hundreds of years and many conflicts to come, the bagpipes, when listed among the items captured in combat, was counted among rifles, sabers, and munitions (unlike bugles and drums which were recorded as musical instruments). This continued through the Great War.
In 1996 this status was lost when a bagpiper in Hampstead Heath was fined for playing the pipes due to an old law against playing all instruments in the area. He argued that he was not playing a musical instrument, but practicing with an instrument of war, citing James Reid’s case. The judge in the case, while amused by the novel defense, ruled that the execution of Reid was an illegal act, removing the classification of the bagpipes as an instrument of war.
Regardless, on this day we salute all the dedicated and brave pipers of the present and of the past.
For more about gallant pipers in battle, click the illustration by Mark Churms.
Click the dance cribs or description below to link to a printable version of the dance!
