Finn Gall

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

Finn Gall
Maggie and Duncan Keppie Gaelic College SCD Book 11: Three Dozen
Reel n x 32 bars 2 Threesome Repeat 2 Threesome Set Progressive Round the Room Set
Line of 3 facing line of 3 as in The Dashing White Sergeant.

1-8 SET, CROSS AND ½ CHASE: nearer hands joined all set, then cross right hands with opposite, and chase clockwise halfway around;

9-24 TURN 2ND CORNER, PARTNER, 1ST CORNER, PARTNER: centre people turn 2nd corners with right hands, then each other with left hands, 1st corners with right hands, each other with left hands, right hand partner with right hands, each other with left hands, left hand partner with right hands, and finally each other with left hands, ending back-to-back facing opposite line;

25-32 DOUBLE TRIANGLES: dance double triangles and on bars 31-32 centre people swivel to opposite places AS corners cross over with right hands and all end facing next line of 3.

Repeat with next line of 3.

(Dance crib compiled by the devisers, Maggie and Duncan Keppie)

Dance Notes

As with all dances having this format, the number of repeats is not fixed.
The three partners are not specifically men or women.

(Dance notes by Reuben Freemantle)

Dance Information

"Finn Gall" is an anglicized form of the Gaelic, "Fionn Gall", meaning "Fair Stranger", referring to Norwegian Vikings, as opposed to "Dubh Gall" which originally referred to Danish Vikings. "Fionn" also has the subsidiary meaning of "Sincere" whereas "Dubh" can imply "Wickedness". "Fionn Gall" should be pronounced as "Fee~n Gahl" in English (and "Dubh Gall" as "Doo Gahl") with the following conventions:
  "ee" is as in "beet".
  "~" represents the very short, indeterminate, vowel sound;
  "ah" is as in "shah"; and
  "oo" is as in "noon".
See Gaelic Dance Names for more information on Gaelic spelling and pronunciation.
Line of 3 facing line of 3 appears to have been introduced into Scotland from Scandinavia by the Vikings, hence the name of this dance.

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