The purposes of ceilidh, a uniquely unsullied flowering of Scottish culture, are many. Among these are the taking of spiritous liquors, the singing of songs, the playing of music, dancing, joking, wynching, fighting, greeting, eating stovies and looking at the moon while vomiting or contemplating the certainty of death. These activities are both tempered and inflamed by the presence of musical instruments, weans and men and women, each of the opposite sex.
Some activities, such as eating and singing, or fighting and looking at the moon are often considered mutually exclusive. Others, such as taking of drink and greeting, or the singing of certain songs before a fight would seem to be inseparable.
The truth of the matter is less simple. Within the ceilidh, in its twists and turns of temperaments and times, all things may coincide. A woman may drink and fight while joking, a man may vomit while eating stovies and having a good greet. And in the process of wynching anyone may do anything at all.
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Songs may deal with a range of suitable topics, for example: dying at the fishing, dying at your work, or dying at the wars.You may also brush against the beauties of nature, the lot of the common man and the bitter death of heroes. The remainder of songs will deal, very often in Scots, with getting your hole, not getting your hole, getting your hole and not wanting it, wanting your hole and not getting it, liking your hole having got it, (...), sailors, true love and having babies.
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