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Irish Walkingstick
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 The
Irish walking stick is a keepsake of many collectors. Known to many
as a shillelagh, for many it is representative of the Irish and
their culture. It is often sold as a souvenir in airports and decorated
with a green bow and a shamrock. These cute keepsakes are fun, but
they are most likely not actual shillelaghs. The historic canes
of the Irish were actually made from oak, blackthorn, ash or holly
and were commonly used for stick fighting.
The ancient tradition of Irish stick fighting emerged sometime
in the 17th century when the Irish were banned from owning formal
weapons. At that time the innocent looking walking stick, called
a bata or shillelagh, came into use as a serious weapon. In the
centuries that followed, stick fighting became an integral part
of Irish culture. It was used in Faction Fights, wedding and funeral
brawls, and to settle disputes. This ancient art was passed down
from generation to generation, each father passing his techniques
and style on to his sons.
The Irishmen carried their sticks with them to just about everywhere
they went. They were most needed though at fairs, wakes and feasts.
This is because various groups or factions were always present at
most social gatherings and faction fighting was very common until
the famines of the 1840s. Most often the factions were members of
certain families or of political groups. Sometimes the fights would
consist of hundreds of men and even the women would join in using
stockings that were filled with stones.
Not all stick fights occurred between factions. Some of them were
sporting evens and some were provoked just for fun. One tradition
at a fair was for a man to drag his coat on the ground behind him
and throw down the challenge, "Who'll tread on the tail of
my coat?", or to ask a crowd, "Who'll say black is the
white of my eye?" These were usually rough but friendly contests.
The Irish walking stick has a rich history and surely has a rightful
place in any collection, but what many call a shillelagh is not
actually the type of cane that the Irish fought with. If the walking
stick is made of oak, ash, holly or blackthorn then it is authentic.
If, on the other hand, it is a souvenir from the airport, it is
not likely to be the real thing.
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The Anatomy Of
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How To
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Luckily, the variety of cane handles has improved since the days
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Caring For
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Caring for a cane is not difficult and these simple tips will keep
your cane in good condition for a long time to come.
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