VPS.net’s 12 Days of Christmas – 11 Pipers Piping

On the eleventh day of Christmas, 11 pipers piped. Learn more about bagpipes, William Wallace, and what 11 pipers piping actually means.

“Freedom!” yells William Wallace. The tune of “Scotland The Brave” runs true in everyone’s ears as we picture William Wallace leading the Scots against the British armies. “Braveheart” is synonymous with the sound of traditional Scottish bagpipes. One thing I learned from this movie, other than how cool Mel Gibson looks in a kilt, is the inspiring sound of bagpipes. No wonder it is an instrument commonly used in ancient and modern European battles.
So where is the connection to Christmas? Well, “on the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 11 pipers piping.” Listen here to the Celtic sound of Christmas:
The Pipes of Christmas
Like I said, what is more inspiring than bagpipes?
Although the origins of bagpipes are unclear, they are thought to have originated in the Middle East. The pipes then moved into Europe by way of Celtic and Roman invaders. The Scottish were the first to use bagpipes in battle. The deafening noise from the pipes could be heard from 10 miles away in the Highlands of Scotland making this an ideal method to send messages from one side of the battlefield to the other. It also inspired the soldiers and made the enemy fear for their lives. There is a myth that Bonnie Prince Charlie of England outlawed bagpipes after the Jacobite risings in 1745. Although evidence of this is unclear, it is said that he claimed that bagpipes were “a weapon of war.”
British Soldiers from Scotland and Ireland used bagpipes in WWI and WWII for the same reason as their ancestors: to instill fear in their enemy. Bill Millin was a piper during the famous D-Day landing in Normandy. He was the piper of the famous Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat. A ban had once again been placed on bagpipes in British warfare, but Lovat commanded Millin to continue playing, telling him that he wanted pipers to lead the way in the “greatest invasion in history.” When Millin questioned his commands, Lovat replied, “Ah, but that’s the English War Office. You and I are both Scottish, and that doesn’t apply.” Millin survived the war, and goes down in history as a true hero—not for his skills with a rifle, but rather for his inspiring tunes on the beach of Normandy.
It is interesting to note that “11 Pipers Piping” is actually a reference to Jesus Christ’s 11 faithful apostles. Just as the Scottish pipers were faithful to their countries in war, let us be faithful to our family and friends during this holiday season!
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