Kilts and Pipes Co-opted by Irish in America

[O'Callaghan]

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-the English invasions likewise caused the extinction of the traditional Irish bagpipe and since no examples exist we cannot be sure of its exact nature. When one is aware of the dazzling variety of bagpipe species in France (several hundred species) and in the Balkans etc it is absurd to imagine that the traditional pre-invasion Irish bagpipe was identical to a Scottish pipe of the same period. In fact, we don't know what "a Scottish bagpipe of the same period" was like either! The first clear depiction of a Highland bagpipe only dating to the 18th century. What has survived in Ireland is a number of old marches thought to be originally "Irish warpipe" tunes; these reveal that the ancient Irish mouthblown pipes had musical capabilities like those of Central French pipes and the Scottish Lowland pipes, not the Scottish Great Highland pipe.

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There are pictures (not photographs, of course!) of the old Irish pipes. They show two drones, and the shape of the bag resembles those of some French pipes I have seen pictures of. That is really the only reason why I say they perhaps ought to have copied the French cornemuse than removed a drone from the Scottish pipes when trying to reconstruct them. Heaven knows even then whether the end result would be anything like the original.

I also take your point from one of your other posts that it is not proven that the pipes came from the middle East. The gaita, with the single bass drone pointing down, does appear to be the oldest form, and that seems to be played not only on the Iberian peninsula (Spain and Portugal) but also in Eastern Europe, including Bulgaria, Romania and the countries that used to make up Yugoslavia. I have personally seen that kind of pipe played in what I suppose is now Croatia. The North coast of Africa is only a skip and a jump away from any of those parts of Europe, but who knows?

ETA: But I have been led to understand that the scale that the pipes play is not European atall, but Eastern or Middle Eastern. Perhaps, as someone who can actually play, maybe you could enlighten me?

I don't play any kind of pipes, but it is an interesting subject.