The Scottish Sense of Humor

Of any place I've ever been in, Scotland has perhaps the best grasp on it's history. Unlike some places, they don't simply treat every little site as worthy of massive memorials, even when the event in question is massively important to their history.

For instance, two rather important things in Scots history are John Knox and the Act of Union, uniting Scotland and England.

For rather obvious reasons, the Scots are rather ashamed of these two. The Act of Union, because....well, Rabbie Burns says it best...

Fareweel to a' our Scottish fame
Fareweel our ancient glory
Fareweel ev'n to the Scottish name
Sae famed in martial story
Now Sark rins o'er the Solway sands
An' Tweed rins to the ocean
To mark where England's province stands
Such a parcel of rogues in a nation

What force or guile could not subdue
Thro' many warlike ages
Is wrought now by a coward few
For hireling traitor's wages
The English steel we could disdain
Secure in valors station;
But English gold has been our bane-
Such a parcel of rogues in a nation

O, would, or had I seen the day
That Treason thus could sell us
My auld grey head had lien in clay
Wi' Bruce and loyal Wallace
But pith and power, till my last hour
I'll mak this declaration-
"We were bought and sold for English gold"
Such a parcel of rogues in a nation


And they don't like Knox....well, because he was a tit. Seriously, a absolute pompous, bloviating, Fundamentalist maroon.

So, how do the Scots honor these two?

Well, the spot where the finally signature was put on the act of union (the signators were moving about because a crowd of Edinburgh citizens were chasing them up and down the Royal mile, with murder in their hearts) is currently the ladies toilet in an Italian restaurant.

And John Knox?

His grave is spot #23 in the Old Parliment building's parking lot.

I really, really love this country.