It is used as the pre-match anthem by both the national football and rugby teams and, of course, commemorates Robert the Bruce’s victory over the English at Bannockburn in 1314; from the third verse:
Those days are past now,Not every one approves of the choice:
And in the past
they must remain,
But we can still rise now,
And be the nation again,
That stood against him,
Proud Edward's Army,
And sent him homeward,
Tae think again
Christopher Harvie, the historian and Scottish Nationalist MSP, was unimpressed by the result of the vote and said Scots Wha Hae, written by Robert Burns, should have been chosen instead of an “anti-English” song.That being the case, is it really an appropriate choice to be the official anthem when the Commonwealth Games are held in Glasgow in 2014?
"Burns’s ideas of equality and opposing tyranny are a much better example for Scotland to set for the world at international sporting events than a celebration of a battle that happened quite a long time ago,"he said.
2 comments:
Speaking as a Welshman, I am surprised that the subject of a National Anthem is one area where Wales is far more advanced and unified than Scotland. Despite our linguistic split there has never been any serious suggestion that the National Anthem should be anything othere than Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau.
And itw words are probably more nationalistic than Flower of Scotland, athough admittedley not ant-English
I prefer Scotland the Brave simply because it has a nicer tune and is a bit more historic. I don't think Flower of Scotland is anti-English, it simply refers to a significant military victory which was won against the odds. That said, I'm not sure Edward was any more 'proud' than any other monarch of the time, or that Bruce is a particularly admirable sort of fellow.
Being 'the nation again that...' doesn't mean staging battles with the English, but rather going beyond restraints of size and so forth. Or, at least, that's the way I interpret it - I've never had much time for the song.
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