We're using cookies to make this site more secure, featureful and efficient.

Dance Monymusk 4646

Strathspey · 32 bars · 3 couples · Longwise - 4   (Progression: 213)

Devised by
John Preston (18C) (1786)
Intensity
800 888 888 866 = 79% (1 turn), 59% (whole dance)
Formations
Steps
  • Strathspey setting, Strathspey travel
Published in
Recommended Music
Extra Info

In Scotland Through Her Country Dances, George S. Emmerson writes:

“Sir Archibald Grant of Monymusk” is one of the …


In Scotland Through Her Country Dances, George S. Emmerson writes:

“Sir Archibald Grant of Monymusk” is one of the great Strathspey tunes, composed by that very original composer in the traditional idioms, Daniel Dow (1732–83), music teacher in Edinburgh.

The name is Gaelic, “moine mus(g)ach”, “nasty, filthy bog”. Not, perhaps, the most prepossessing of names. The laird of this territory in Aberdeenshire is Grant, Baronet of Monymusk. The Third Baronet, who died in 1796, is doubtless the one honoured by Daniel Dow.

One must always be wary when Emmerson uses words like “doubtless”, but in this instance his theory seems sound. There are other conjectures about the name which are more absurd.

Monymusk is 50 kilometers or so (30 miles) north-west of Aberdeen and can be found using Google Maps. The Gazetteer for Scotland contains more information about the place than anyone other than serious Scottish history buffs would find useful.

The Reel #16 contains an article about Monymusk.

Monymusk

(See also “Grant’s Rant”)

Northwest of Aberdeen, on the banks of the Don, is the village of Monymusk and there, amidst the “Woods of Paradise”, stands the House of Monymusk.

The central tower was built by William Forbes about 1587 and the house stayed with the Forbes of Corsindae family until it was purchased in 1712 by Sir Francis Grant, Lord Cullen of Session. His son, Sir Alexander Grant, 3rd Baronet of Monymusk (d. 1796), planted the famous woods, fifty million trees in fifty years, certainly an arboreal record.

Having been expelled from Parliament for fraud in 1723, burdened with a decaying house and an unprofitable estate, Sir Alexander turned his attention to Monymusk and through his determined and often ruthless efforts became one of the great agrarian improvers of the 18th century.

In the village of Monymusk is the ancient church with its Norman chancel arch, one of the finest churches in the northeast of Scotland. In Monymusk there had also been in existence a flourishing Augustinian priory dating from the 12th century, the remains of which have now disappeared.

Gavin Douglas (c. 1475–1522), the poet and translator of Virgil’s Aeneid, was a priest at the church at Monymusk. For a time the Reverend John Skinner (1721–1807) taught school there and wrote “The Monymusk Christmas Ba’ing”, a long poem concerned not with religion but with a football match. (See also “The Crooket Horned Ewie” and “Tulloch Gorm”)

Monymusk 3/4L · S32
1–
1c turn RH | cast off (2c up) ; 1c turn 1¼ LH into
9–
1W+2c & 1M+3c set twice in lines across, but on [11–12] 1c Petronella to opposite sideline ; all set twice on sidelines (2,1x,3)
17–
2c+1c+3c circle6 and back
25–
Reels3{6} on the sides (Rsh to 2cnr) | 1c cross (2,1,3)
Monymusk 3/4L · S32
1-8
1s turn RH & cast to 2nd place; turn 1.1/4 times LH (4 bars) to end 1L between 2s facing down, 1M between 3s facing up
9-16
2s+1s+3s set twice, 1s Petronella turn on second setting onto opposite sides(bars 11-12) & all set twice again on sides. 2 (1) 3
17-24
2s+1s+3s circle 6H round & back
25-32
1s dance reels of 3 on sides giving RSh to person on their Right (2nd corner) & 1s cross RH to places. 2 1 3

Sorry, this browser doesn't seem to do SVG graphics :^(

Watch on YouTube

(YouTube must be enabled in cookie preferences to embed videos.)

RSCDS Stirling 1999.

Added on: 2023-11-04 (Murrough Landon)
Quality: Demonstration quality

Watch on YouTube

(YouTube must be enabled in cookie preferences to embed videos.)

(No short description.)

Added on: 2014-02-18 (Martina Mueller-Franz)
Quality: Demonstration quality

Watch on YouTube

(YouTube must be enabled in cookie preferences to embed videos.)

(No short description.)

Added on: 2016-08-10 (Eric Ferguson)
Quality: Demonstration quality

Watch on YouTube

(YouTube must be enabled in cookie preferences to embed videos.)

Excellent dancing, but a poor video, taken against …

Added on: 2017-05-14 (Julia Grant)
Quality: Demonstration quality

Watch on YouTube

(YouTube must be enabled in cookie preferences to embed videos.)

St Andrews University Celtic Society dancing Monymusk at …

Added on: 2012-09-13 (Eric Ferguson)
Quality: Demonstration quality

Watch on YouTube

(YouTube must be enabled in cookie preferences to embed videos.)

Once through only

Added on: 2013-08-18 (YouTube Automatic Downloader)
Quality: Reasonable

Watch on YouTube

(YouTube must be enabled in cookie preferences to embed videos.)

Class. Several sets

Added on: 2013-08-18 (YouTube Automatic Downloader)
Quality: Reasonable

Watch on YouTube

(YouTube must be enabled in cookie preferences to embed videos.)

(No short description.)

Added on: 2022-08-15 (Roland Telle)
Quality: Reasonable

Watch on YouTube

(YouTube must be enabled in cookie preferences to embed videos.)

"Monymusk" is a 32 bar strathspey for 3 …

Added on: 2018-10-02 (YouTube Automatic Downloader)
Quality: Animation

SCDDB User Ratings

4 stars average (4 votes)
. 1 vote (25%)
. 2 votes (50%)
. 1 vote (25%)
. 0 votes
. 0 votes
. 0 votes

This dance ranks 116th out of 1388 rated dances in the database. (More info.)

Rate this Dance

Sign in to rate this dance!

User Reviews

Sign in to review this dance!