About Gaelic
Scholars believe Gaelic was brought to Scotland from Irish settlers in the 4th or 5th century. Scottish Gaelic is the indigenous language of the Highland region. After the Battle of Culloden in 1746 speaking Gaelic, wearing of clan tartans, playing the bagpipes, and carrying weapons was expressly forbidden in Scotland and the punishment for disobedience was severe. In the aftermath of this, the language has almost become extinct. In a 2011 census it was found that only about 57,000 people spoke Gaelic in Scotland. That is less than 2% of the country's population. Scotland has made a massive attempt to revitalize the Gaelic language. |
About me
Halo, 's mise Sharon Byers agus tha mi ag ionnsachadh Gàidhlig.
Hello, my name is Sharon Byers and I am learning Gaelic. I enjoy learning. I love history, costuming, meeting new people, traditional archery, cooking, Scotland, so much more. I was a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism and stop at every Renaissance Festival and Steampunk Convention I can find. My father was from Scotland, so there was this vast interest in our heritage. My father did not speak Gaelic, but I have always had an interest to learn and after the kids were raised and on their own it was my chance to start. I have to admit the television series "Outlander" added a bit of a push. I had looked into the traditional methods - learning cds and school courses. The cds were very expensive and Gaelic language courses at the nearby college were non- existent. So to my favorite source - the internet. Come to find out Scotland had recently realized the Scottish Gaelic language was in danger of becoming extinct and have made a tremendous effort to resurrect it. There are many wonderful websites that teach Scottish Gaelic now. So that was the start of my journey. Since then I have tried to spread the word also here Wisconsin and this is the result. I want to make it quite clear that I am by no means fluent or an expert on history or the language. |
Heritage and Scottish Gaelic Presentations
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Do ye ha' a wee bit of Scots in your background or have you been watching Outlander and need to find out more about the fascinating country and the Gaelic language? Come and spend some time learning about the country that has unsolved mysteries from the beginning of time and the world's most determined people. You will walk away with a bit of history, a wee bit of Gaelic, and some ideas on how to search for ancestors.
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Cooking
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Mike Myers - "My Theory is that all Scottish Cuisine is based on a dare"
I am not sure that is quite the case, but the Scottish do have the most imaginative names, such as "Toad in a Hole" and "Bubbles and Squeak". You will leave having tried something new, some cool recipes, and some new courage with cooking with cast iron cookware. |
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My Schedule
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Events coming up:
July 19, 2025 MN Scottish Fair, St. Paul, MN July 26-27, 2025 Ren in the Glen Renaissance Faire Glenwood City, WI Aug. 9-10, 2025 Festival of Skalds, Angora, MN Events I have participated in: July 27-28, 2024 Ren in the Glen Renaissance Faire Glenwood City, WI Aug. 10-11, 2024 Festival of Skalds, Angora, MN June 3, 2023 Fire in the Shire, Alma WI July 29-30, 2023 Ren in the Glen Renaissance Faire Glenwood City, WI July 30-31, 2022 Ren in the Glen Renaissance Faire Glenwood City, WI Sept. 22, 2022 @ 6:30pm Learn about Scottish culture and the Gaelic language at the the Hammond Public Library Hammond, Wisconsin July 31-Aug 1. 2021 Ren in the Glen Renaissance Faire Glenwood City, WI July 27-28, 2019 Ren in the Glen Renaissance Faire Glenwood City, WI Aug. 24-26, 2018 St. Radegund's Faire 2018 Mankato, MN July 28-29, 2018 Ren in the Glen Renaissance Faire Glenwood City, WI May 19, 2018 @ 2pm Learn about Scottish culture and the Gaelic language. Visitors can also check out some Scottish weapons on display including a claymore, two dirks, and a boarding cutlass. Castlerock Museum Alma, Wisconsin July 29 - 30, 2017 Ren in the Glen Renaissance Faire Glenwood City, WI July 30-31, 2016 Ren in the Glen Renaissance Faire Glenwood City, WI June 18, 2016 Sandstone Ridge Vineyard and Winery 1st Annual Renaissance & Artisan Faire Osseo, Wisconsin Feb. 16, 2016 Scottish Heritage Presentation Voyagers Winter Classes Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin Feb. 6, 2016 Falcon's Keep's "A Scandanavian Haire Affaire" A Society for Creative Anachronism event Auburndale, Wisconsin http://www.falconskeep.org Jan. 15, 2016 Scottish Heritage Presentation Augusta Senior and Community Center Augusta, Wisconsin July 25-26. 2015 Ren in the Glen Renaissance Faire Glenwood City, WI If you have any questions, please send me an email |
