Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

Come Under My Plaidie

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

COME UNDER MY PLAIDIE (J32) Round The Room SCDs for Children
Round the room dance, 2 facing 2

1- 8 All turn opposite partner RH, all turn own partner LH into prom hold (Men on inside facing anticlockwise)
9-16 Both couples Promenade LSh round each other to original places
17-24 Both couples dance Ladies' Chain
25-32 All advance and retire, all advance 3 steps passing opposite partner by RSh and retire 1 step

(MINICRIB. Dance crib compiled by Charles Upton, Deeside Caledonian Society, and his successors)


Keith Rose's Crib Diagrams


Dance Instruction Videos

Come Under My Plaidie - Scottish Country Dancing Instruction Video

Dance Information

The title of this dance, Come Under My Plaidie, comes from Come Under My Plaidie - Song written by Hector MacNeil and sung to the tune, Johnnie M'Gill.

Come under my plaidie; the night's gaun to fa';
Come in frae the cauld blast, the drift, and the snaw:
Come under my plaidie, and sit down beside me;
There's room in't, dear lassie, believe me, for twa.
Come under my plaidie, and sit down beside me;
I'll hap ye frae every cauld blast that can blaw:
Come under my plaidie, and sit down beside me;
There's room in't, dear lassie, believe me, for twa.

The Plaidie or feile-mhor is basically a large blanket-like piece of fabric which is wrapped around one's body with the material pleated or, more accurately, loosely gathered and secured at the waist usually by means of a belt. Typically, a portion of the belted plaid hangs down to about the knees with the rest of the material being wrapped up around one's upper body in a variety of ways and pinned or otherwise secured to keep it in place.

The belted plaid was a standard item of men's Highland dress from the late 16th century until the middle of the 18th century. It was also the precursor of the modern tailored kilt.

Come Under My Plaidie Song - Information Video

Plaidie
Plaidie


The Online Scots Dictionary Translate Scots To English.
Dance information licensed under this Creative Commons Licence 3.0.
Text from this original The Book Of Scottish Song/Come Under My Plaidie article on Wikisource.
Text from this original Belted Plaid article on Wikipedia.
Image copyright David Ball.

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