July 11, 2005

Our Scottish city experiences the magic of Brigadoon

By Jennifer Robertson
Staff Writer

Like the enchanted Scottish city in the Broadway musical Brigadoon, the city of Campbell was infused with Celtic charm at the 27th annual Campbell Highland Games & Celtic Gathering. Held at the Community Center in Campbell, this event featured various athletic events, dancing, music, food and fun – all in the style of our city’s Scottish founders.

The McIntosh Bagpipe performers play instruments that were once illegal in Scotland. Here, they add to the upbeat mood of the festival.

The Campbell Highland Games Association (CHGA) works hard to put on this event every year. A non-profit organization, CHGA raises funds for this project through sponsors, ticket sales and in-kind donations. The board is comprised solely of volunteers who are active with the Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Business Association.

Deb Anderson, chieftain of the CHGA, estimates that 3,500 people attended this year’s games.

“I do this because it’s nice putting on an event that 3,000 - 4,000 people come to and have a good time at. It’s really important that this continues,” said Anderson. “I think that the Highland Games are unique. We have Cinco de Mayo . . . and other ethnic festivals, and people don’t think it’s ethnic just because it’s Anglo-Saxon.

The Scottish were crucial to the founding of this country and it’s a heritage people need to learn about.”

Caber Toss, Weight for Height and the Stone Put
The heavy athletics competitions afforded spectators unique cultural and historical insight into Scottish culture and tradition. Perhaps the most unusual competition is the Caber Toss, in which the object is to throw a log from end to end and still enable it to land in a straight line or “twelve o’clock.”

Kit Sonesen of Sacramento has been competing in various Highland Games events since 1989. A former discus thrower, he became interested in the Weight over the Bar competition because it gave him more opportunity to compete.

Other heavy athletics games include the Stone Put, which is similar to shot put except contestants throw an actual stone. Weight for Height involves several female competitors. In this competition, contestants stand with their backs facing a bar over which they throw a heavy weight.

Who came up with these games and why? Mike Thames, deputy commissioner for Northern California’s Clan Campbell, has studied Scottish history intensively. He and members of many other Scottish clans had booths on “Clan Row” in order to answer these questions and to help people trace their Scottish roots.

Thames first became intrigued by his Scottish heritage when a friend invited him to the world’s largest Highland Games competition, which is held in Pleasanton. When he heard the bagpipes playing, “something inside of me started to stir,” he said. He felt natural in this environment and yearned to learn more.

James Parman traveled from Texas to compete in the Highland Games. Here, he throws a 16-pound river stone for the Stone Put competition. He is a former world caber-throwing champion and former all-American discus and shot put athlete.

He saw a tent with the name Campbell, which he knew to be one of his family names, and spoke with the people there about his family history. Now Thames attends the games and informs inquisitive people not only about the Campbell name and the history of our fair city, but also about Scottish heritage and history in general.

History of The Highland Games
The Highland Games, he explains, began around the 13th century. The English did not allow the Scots to have weapons, so they had to hide their weapons and conduct all of their military training covertly. Heavy athletics allowed them to keep in shape as well as train.

The Caber Toss, for example, served a practical purpose when logs were tossed over rivers to form bridges. But it also served a military purpose because it helped warriors develop the skills necessary to throw logs against castles in order to scale them.

Mike Thames poses with Bill Epsen (right), the descendent of Benjamin Campbell, founder of our city. Both men belong to the Clan Campbell and actively work to educate the public about their Scottish heritage.

During the Highland Clearances, which occurred after 1746, many clans were wiped out, and speaking Gaelic, wearing kilts and playing the bagpipes became illegal. Taxes became too high for Highland farmers to pay, so they were forced out of their homes. Many immigrated to the United States, bringing some of their traditions with them.

Thames said the games and other festivals are like family reunions, and he enjoys helping people learn about their heritage. Clan Campbell Society of North America is not family-exclusive. The overall goal is to recover lost family and to promote and preserve Scottish history. “We are open to Campbells, people of Scottish ancestry and people who are not Scots, but who like our history,” he said.

Both Thames and Anderson agree that promoting Celtic and Anglo-Saxon culture is particularly important due to the fact that these groups immigrated so long ago. “There are so many Americans who don’t know what their ancestry is,” Thames said. “Everybody has to know where they’re from. Here in America, we’re the castaways.”

The Living History group’s historical re-enactments brought the rich history and culture of Scotland to life. The group even managed to convince Mary, Queen of Scots to attend!

There are many other clans and groups in the Campbell area in which people may get involved. For example, people can take Highland dance classes, learn to play the bagpipes, or join groups that gather to socialize as well as promote Scottish culture, such as the South Bay Scottish Society.

“History is written by the winners, the victors of the spoils,” Thames explained. Because of this, what we learn about Scottish history is limited and often inaccurate. “People think Scotland is dead and it’s all part of England. We want the public to know we do exist.”

For more information about the Campbell Highland Games Association and other organizations, visit www.campbellgames.com.