Scotland's National Anthem

Here comes the second Historish course about Scotland!

Now that you know where the flag comes from, it's time to learn a bit more about the national anthem!

First thing to know, there isn't any Scottish national anthem per se! Being part of the United Kingdom and vastly ruled by it (even though Scotland has a parliament, making it a union in itself), the national anthem should be God Save the Queen.

But as you might have heard, Scots and English don't get along that well! ;-)

Therefore, it was decided at some point in recent history, that they should have a second anthem, mainly for sport events.

There are two songs disputing the title of Scottish anthem, Flower of Scotland and Scotland the Brave. Let's face it, the main difference is that the first one has been adopted by the Rubgy supporters and the second one by the Football supporters!

Listen to Flower of Scotland:




Listen to Scotland the Brave:





Scotland the Brave is said to be the most famous one of the two, although I must admit I've hardly ever heard it in Scotland.

So let's talk about Flower of Scotland, which is a better song in my opinion.

It was written in 1966 by a band called the Corries and refers to the battle of Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

Its lyrics are openly against the English, but what's really interesting is that it's all about the past and clearly says in its third verse:

Those days are past now
And in the past
they must remain

Before adding:

But we can still rise now
And be the nation again!
That stood against him
Proud Edward's army
And sent him homeward

Honestly, hearing dozens of Scots in kilts singing this song on top of their lungs gives goosebumps!

I like my own national Anthem, La Marseillaise, mainly for what it represents, the French revolution and the beginning of the end of the Monarchy in France, but I have to admit Flower of Scotland is just as beautiful, and just as hard to sing!

Here are the lyrics (poor you... those are the lyrics in Scottish, a wee bit different from the English version as you'll see!)

O Flouer o Scotland,
Whan will we see
Your like again,
That focht an dee'd for,
Yer wee bit Hill an Glen,
An stuid agin him,
Prood Edward's Airmy,
An sent him hamewart,
Tae 'hink again.

The Hills is bare nou,
An Autumn leafs
Lies thick an still,
Ower land that is lost nou,
That they sae dearly held,
That stuid agin him,
Prood Edward's Airmy,
An sent him hamewart,
Tae 'hink again.

Thir days is past nou,
An in the past
They maun remain,
But we can aye rise nou,
An be the nation again,
That stuid agin him,
Prood Edward's Airmy,
An sent him hamewart,
Tae 'hink again.

O Flouer o Scotland,
Whan will we see
Your like again,
That focht an dee'd for,
Your wee bit Hill an Glen,
An stuid agin him,
Prood Edward's Airmy,
An sent him hamewart,
Tae 'hink again.

So there you go, hope I shed some light on this subject, as always, this is a Historish course, you'll find plenty of more accurate and more complete explanations of this, but at least you'll have heard of it! ;-)