shepperd's Crook or market stick

**Father Bill** · 14th August 22, 02:48 PM

Here ya' go, Jock!

**ShaunMaxwell** · 14th August 22, 08:44 PM

From the 2019 Kerr County Celtic Festival:

With cromachs: ShaunMaxwell (on left) Tobus (on right)

And another from the same day (which made the local paper):

Cheers,

SM

**ASinclair** · 15th August 22, 03:58 PM

Picture taken Saturday at the 2022 Grandfather Mountain Highland Games. WVHighlander and ASinclair with cromachs.

**OC Richard** · 16th August 22, 04:02 AM

I've always liked the look of those things, and as I've reached my mid-60s I appreciate their practical value.

But as a piper, anything to hold or carry besides the pipes isn't practicable.

**Lallans** · 12th September 22, 12:29 PM

In her last days, Her Majesty was seen leaning on a staff, which turns out to have been a cromach of the thumbstick variety. This photo was taken just two days before her death and I will point out that the purple of her hands show that she was working in very very bad health. Someone told me that when she performed her last public duty on that day, asking the new Conservative prime minister to take office, her hands were not only purple but white at the fingertips.

Queen Elizabeth Balmoral 6 sept 2022.jpg

Edit: On my PC at least, the photo is there but lurking in a thin strip at the far left under the main text of this post. When I click on it, it does appear in full.

**Jock Scot** · 13th September 22, 01:55 AM

Originally Posted by Lallans

------------- which turns out to have been a cromach of the thumbstick variety. -----------------------

With the greatest of respect, a cromach is a specific design ------shepherds crook style------and a thumbstick would not qualify as a cromach.

A cromach.(click to enlarge.)
10294379_10152307401981861_5322442493624803361_n_zpsfe0fb3d6.jpg

**neloon** · 13th September 22, 03:19 AM

In Gaelic, "crom" means bent or crooked referring here to the curl at the business end of the cromach.

Alan

**Lallans** · 13th September 22, 06:08 AM

Originally Posted by Jock Scot

With the greatest of respect, a cromach is a specific design ------shepherds crook style------and a thumbstick would not qualify as a cromach.

A cromach.(click to enlarge.)
10294379_10152307401981861_5322442493624803361_n_zpsfe0fb3d6.jpg

I guess if we ignore the main subject and intent of my post, that's the important thing here.

With equal respect to your philology, the word cromach, while it no doubt does derive from the Gaelic for crooked, is not a specific term and is understood to refer to any staff, stave, or walking stick, not only by my lot but also according to dictionary definition.

https://www.wordsense.eu/cromach/

**Father Bill** · 13th September 22, 06:50 AM

Originally Posted by Lallans

I guess if we ignore the main subject and intent of my post, that's the important thing here.

With equal respect to your philology, the word cromach, while it no doubt does derive from the Gaelic for crooked, is not a specific term and is understood to refer to any staff, stave, or walking stick, not only by my lot but also according to dictionary definition.

https://www.wordsense.eu/cromach/

Interesting. The same dictionary says this: "
Dictionary entries

Entries where "cromack" occurs:
crummock: crummock (English) Noun crummock (pl. crummocks) A staff with a crooked head or stem. (Scotland) skirret, a root vegetable crummock (Scots) Noun crummock (pl. crummocks) Alternative spelling of cromack

https://www.wordsense.eu/cromack/

**ctbuchanan** · 13th September 22, 07:20 AM

I made this stick from a maple sapling in my back yard. The small twist was caused by a bit of Bitter Sweet wrapped around it.
The top is the remains of the rootball. I cut and dried it in my attic (hot and dry) for a few months, then a quick sanding and varnish.

The wee lad is holding an old cane.

CTBDSC_9619.jpg