Annotation:Killiecrankie (3)
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KILLIECRANKIE [3]. AKA - "Braes of Killiekrankie (The)." Scottish, Air. Robert Burns wrote the song beginning "Where hae ye been sae braw, lad" to this tune, which bears no relation to versions "Killiecrankie (1)"/"Killiecrankie (2)". Words, set to a different air than the march that is usually played under the title "Killiecrankie", to the song go:
Whaur hae ye been sae braw, lad?
Whaur hae ye been sae brankie-o?
Whaur hae ye been sae braw, lad?
Come 'ye by Killiecrankie-o?
An' ye had been whaur I hae been
Ye wadna been sae cantie-o
An' ye had seen what I hae seen
On the braes o' Killiecrankie-o
I fought at land, I fought at sea
At hame I fought my auntie-o
But I met the Devil and Dundee
On the braes o' Killiecrankie-o
The bauld pitcur fell in a furr
And Clavers gat a crankie-o
Or I had fed an Athol gled
On the braes o' Killiecrankie-o
Oh fie, MacKay, What gart ye lie
I' the brush ayont the brankie-o?
Ye'd better kiss'd King Willie's loff
Than come tae Killiecrankie-o
It's nae shame, it's nae shame
It's nae shame to shank ye-o
There's sour slaes on Athol braes
And the de'ils at Killiecrankie-o
'Clavers', in verse four, refers to the Earl of Claverhouse, Viscount Dundee, John Graham, who in 1689 led the first Jacobite Rebellion against the forces of William of Orange. Essentially, it was a battle between Clavers' Highland allies (mostly from Clan Cameron, Donald, Stuart and MacLean), pitted against a largely lowland Scots army (though the Williamite forces did include some professional Highland soldiers with the result that close relatives fought on opposite sides) commanded by Major-General Mackay. They met at the pass of Killiecrankie, near Pitlochry, Perthshire, in the southern Highlands in July, 1689, with the result that the Jacobite supporters of James II won a significant but bloody battle, with a pyrrhic conclusion, for Claverhouse himself was slain. Having no leader to replace him the clans disbanded and the rebellion quickly petered out.
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