Annotation:Eight Men of Muidart (1)

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 EIGHT MEN OF MUDART/MUIDART [1]. AKA - "Eight Men of Johnny Groats." Scottish, Reel. A Mixloydian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB. John Glen (1891) finds the earliest printings of the tune in Robert Bremner's 1757 collection and Neil Stewart's 1761 collection. As "Eight Men of Madaat", it is one of the "missing tunes" from William Vickers' 1770 Northumbrian dance manuscript. According to Flett & Flett (1964) the Eight Men of Moidart (or Mudart/Muidart) is also the title of a Scottish reel dance for eight, and that the name stems from a legend regarding Bonnie Prince Charlie. Prince Charles Edward Stuart arrived in 1745 on board the ship Doutel in the bay of Loch nan Uagh, which partly divides the lands of Muidart and Arisaig, along with a handful of followers. They debarked and were soon met by about a hundred clansmen, the first to rally to his cause, and unloaded arms and ammunition. The Prince's first temporary residence was the house of Angus MacDonald, a tenant at the farm belonging to MadDonald of Clanranald. The title takes its name from the legend that, at the very moment the famous royal rebel disembarked there happened to be seven fishermen 'hooking for bait' along the shoreline, and that upon seeing the prince their joy was overwhelming, causing them to dance on the sands. They performed a dance for eight, but being one diminished they stuck a spade in the sand to represent the missing dancer, and their unknown dance became known as 'The Eight Men of Moidart'. The spot is today marked by seven great oak trees, the 'Seven Men of Moidart' to honor the fishermen. Another legend involving the landing is attached to the pipe pibroch "My King Has Landed in Muidart." It was at Muidart that the Prince's bratach bhan, or white banner, was first unfurled. One of the Prince's attendants, a man named Sheridan, brought it out of the house and displayed it before the small contingent of Highlanders, who cheered and shouted, before handing it to Donald MacDonald, brother of Keppoch, who was the first standard-bearer.

 Source for notated version:  Printed sources: Bremner (Scots Reels), c. 1757; p. 88.  Recorded sources:  See also listing at: Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recording Index

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