Wednesday 2 June 2010

SPORTING SCOTLAND/DARK SCOTLAND

There are two sports that are special to Scotland: curling and golf. Today there are well over six hundred curling clubs in Scotland and the sport is played by over fifteen thousand people of all ages If you want to see how it is played click here. As for golf, it seems that more Scots play golf than football.



Scotland has won junior women's title at the World Junior Curling Championships twice so far, and an European World Competition for young junior golfers is held near Edinburgh every year. Nowadays, Scotland is considered the home of golf.


There are also other popular sports & games which are played in this land: tennis, Highland Games, football & mountain boarding. We can mention the Murray brothers in the world of tennis, and the Celtic Football Club, which was the first British team to become European Champions in 1967. In addition, the Scots have got the Highland Games, which is a day of traditional sporting competitions (piping, dancing, running & "heavy" competitions) celebrated all across Scotland through the summer months in cities, towns & villages. Besides, we must say that mountain boarding is the latest sporting fashion to hit Scotland these days!


DARK SCOTLAND


Not everything about Scotland is bright and sunny. There are also some dark stories: stories of lies, criminals and murderers.


-"Macbeth" is a famous story by the English writer, William Shakespeare. It's better known as "The Scottish play" and not Macbeth, as it's believed that it brings bad luck to say the name "Macbeth" unless you are actually acting in the play. There's also a film, by clicking here you can see a part of it. Nobody knows whether saying the name "Macbeth" really brings bad luck or not, but certainly some strange things have happened after mentioning it.


- There is another story, which took place in Glencoe, towards the end of the 17th century, which is considered to be Scotland's darkest hour. When visitors come to Glencoe, one of the most beautiful places in the west of Scotland, they can feel that something terrible happened here in the past.


- There is also the story of Scotland's most famous murderers: William Burke & William Hare, two Irishmen who came to live in Edinburgh in the early 1800s. By day Burke and Hare seemed to be good, hard-working men, but at night it was a very different story.

14 comments:

  1. Chapter 5:
    There are two sports that are special to Scotland: curling and golf. Today there are well over six hundred curling clubs in Scotland and the sport is played by over fifteen thousand people of all ages.
    The sport more polpular in Galicia it's the football. Galicia has got two important football teams: Deportivo de La Coruña y Celta de vigo.
    Basketball is important too, a galician team, Xacobeo, it's in the ACB.
    Scotland has won junior women's title at the World Junior Curling Championships twice so far, and an European World Competition for young junior golfers is held near Edinburgh every year. Nowadays, Scotland is considered the home of golf.
    Tthere were a galician team at football, but at this moment there aren't any football team of Galicia, only for small footballers.There are also other popular sports & games which are played in this land: tennis, Highland Games, football & mountain boarding. We can mention the Murray brothers in the world of tennis, and the Celtic Football Club, which was the first British team to become European Champions in 1967. In addition, the Scots have got the Highland Games, which is a day of traditional sporting competitions (piping, dancing, running & "heavy" competitions) celebrated all across Scotland through the summer months in cities, towns & villages. Besides, we must say that mountain boarding is the latest sporting fashion to hit Scotland these days!
    You can do more sports in Galicia too, surf, mountain bike, tennis, and a lot of sports more.
    Manuel Martínez Iglesias 4ºA

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  2. Chapter 5:

    Nowadays there are too many sports that are well-known all over the world; you can watch them on TV, you can search a lot of information by surfing in the Net and, of course, you can pay a little bit of money to be in their clubs. But when we think about traditional sports, traditional games, games that were played by ours grandparents, games that you only need time and friends to play them… in which kind of sports do we think?

    I have done a small investigation in some web-pages and in some books, and I have found many traditional Galician games that I’m almost sure that we have played some of them, at least, once:

    • Brilé: it’s a very common game that all of we have played when we were children and, sometimes, nowadays. There are two fields were the players can move to dodge the ball. In turns the other equip tries to “brilar” one or more players by throwing the ball and touching them with it. The loser is the team that has no players in his field after the match.

    • The key (“a chave”): This is a popular game that was played by people of all ages but, in our days, only old people practice it. It consists in throwing something like a horseshoe and introducing it in a metallic post. You have to be 10.5 meters far from the post, the horseshoes must weigh about 750 grams and their measures must be 80 mm of diameter and 20 mm of thickness. Both teams have to throw five horseshoes in each of the six “hands” (a hand is like a set in tennis) and, after playing this six hands, the team that achieve more points is the winner. To obtain a point your team has to introduce more horseshoes than the other during a “hand”.

    • “O Marco”: this is an old very usual game in Ourense since the beginning of the times. It’s very easy and you only need some little stones and one bigger than the others; this last one must be smooth. First of all, one player has to put the smooth stone up in the ground and, if it is necessary, he has to hold it with other stones. Then, in turns, the others players have to throw their own stones and try to knock down the smooth stone called “Marco”. The winner is the person that knocks down first the Marco.

    • “O Choqueiro”: This one is a traditional game in many different countries all over the world; his only difference is the name. It’s usually play by children, may children. One of them is the “choqueiro” and has to run behind the others trying to touch them, if he does, the child that he touched turn into the “choqueiro” and the game began another time. It’s never ended.

    We can also talk about some famous sportsmen and sportswomen that are well-known all over the world like Fernando Romay, an ex-basketball player that measures 2.13 meters and that has played in the Spanish Selection of basketball wining the silver medal in the Olympic Games of The Angels (1984). He has also played in the Real Madrid basketball team, and he has won seven ABC titles, five King’s Cups, two Europe Cups, one Korac’s Cup, tow Intercontinental Cups and one Mundial Champion Club. He is considering one of the best sportsmen in Spain and in the world because of his basketball career and his American football career. Other sportsmen are Oscar Pereiro, a cyclist that won the “Tour de France” in 2006 when he was 29 years; Francisco Buyo, a retired footballer that played in the Sevilla FC and in the Real Madrid; Álvaro Pino, a professional cyclist between 1981 and 1991; Arsenio Iglesias, an ex-footballer and ex- trainer of the Deportivo of A Coruña Real Club; Begoña Fernández, a handball player that was chosen as the best Galician sportswoman and Tamara Abalde, a well-known basketball player.

    Andrea Patiño Vázquez 4º B

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  3. Chapter 6:

    I have talked about some terror characters and some terror legends in Galicia in chapter 4, so now I’m going to talk about a horror legend that is really well-known here, in Galicia:

    “Capelada” is a mountain range of 12 kilometers in “Cedeira”, there we can find the village and the sanctuary of San Andrés de Teixido. The legend or legends of the place are very old and if we heard them we will know that San Andrés, the Saint, jealously because of the peregrinations to Santiago de Compostela was very sad and depressed. One day God and Saint Peter went to see him and after a few minutes of conversation, God promised San Andrés that all people would go to his sanctuary, alive or death. (“San Andrés de Teixido, vai de morto o que non vai de vivo”).

    Another legend change the story saying that one of the twelve Apostles arrived to the cliffs of Teixido in a boat and, as he arrived, he wrecked. Because of that, God promised him that he will have a sanctuary and a procession until the end of the world and that, alive or death, all people will go there.

    The truth is that the monastery of San Andrés exists since the XII century, with some paints that represent San Andrés’ martyrdom and a bone of him saved like a relic.

    Here are some videos with images of the place, sanctuary... :

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxwDvpprn10

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-vqIGyB4vQ&feature=related


    Andrea Patiño Vázquez 4º B

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  4. Chapter 5: SPORTING SCOTLAND

    ·England invented football , but in Scotland the most popular sports are ``curling and golf´´. Curling is a sport on ice and scottish people are very good playing it. Golf is the other famous sport. Many people think golf began in scotland and , after , it was practised in England and France . The most popular sport in Galicia is football. Depor is the best team. But there are also other popular sports , like ``hockey , handball and basketball´´.

    ·Tennis isn´t a scottish sport. However, there are two important tennis players : The brothers andy and jamie murray.
    In Galicia there aren´t important tennis players or , at least , I don´t know anyone.

    ·The ``Highland games´´ is a day of traditional sporting competitions like : ``piping and dancing competitions´´,``running competitions´´, the ``tug-of-war´´ and ``tossing the caber´´ . They are very popular.
    In Galicia there are also some popular competitions like : ``the game of the key ( A ``CHAVE´´) , the ``petanca´´ , ``las regatas de traineras´´ ...
    ·The best football team in scotland is glasgow celtic. In Galicia , Depor and Celta are the best ones.
    ·Perhaps mountain boarding is the sport of the future, but in Galicia it isn´t too popular.


    Chapter 6: DARK SCOTLAND

    ·The english writer , William Shakespeare, wrote a famous story called ``Macbeth´´ . Macbeth was a good soldier who lived in the 11th century. Afther killing Duncan , his boss , Macbeth became king.
    A film was made about Macbeth ; but it´s a damwed film because an actor died and other actor and a director were in a car accident. There were also two fires and sever robberies while Macbeth was showing at a theatre in New York in 1971.
    If all these things happened in Galicia , we say: ``It´s thing of meigas´´.

    ·Glencoe is a place in the west in Scotland where something terribles happened : in the 17th century , a group of about 130 soldiers killed thirty-eight macdonals.

    ·The most famous muderers in Scotland were William Burke and William Hare. They killed more of thirty people.
    In Galicia there aren´t famous murderers . However , the galician writer Wenceslao Fernández Flórez wrote in his book ``El bosque animado´´ about the bandit ``Fendeterras´´.



    Alberto Vázquez Rodríguez 4ºA

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  5. Thanks Manuel and Alberto for being the ones in your class to make the last comments on both chapter 5 & 6.They are nice!
    I hope you all have enjoyed the experience of sharing this blog.
    The teacher

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  6. CHAPTER 5 (FIRST PART)
    Nowadays, sports are very important. If you switch on the TV, you'll probably find at least one channel whith a sport on it. Football, basketball and Formula 1 racing are the most well-known sports, and the people who practise them are very famous all around the world. However, while these sports are more and more famous each day, other types of sports (or games) are being forgotten: I'm talking about traditional sports (or games).
    In Galicia, we haven't got international sports as in Scotland (golf and curling). However, we've got lots of traditional games that, from my point of view, are also part of our culture. Because of that, we have to look after them so they don't be forgotten. I've been looking for some information about this topic, and I've found a book in the library which is quite good. If you want to look at it, it's called "O libro dos xogos populares galegos", by La Voz de Galicia. Next, I'm going to sum up some of them. Admittedly, although I've tried to look for their names in English, some are only known in Galicia and there isn't any translation. Because of that, I'll put their names in Galician.
    AS CATRO ESQUINAS
    Well, this isn't a sport, but it's a very funny traditional game of Galician. Who has never played to this game? Its rules are very easy: there are four people who must do a square with four coins. In the middle of the square is another person. The four people have to change their positions, while the person in the middle has to get one of the coins of these people. The person who hasn't got a coin looses and has to go to the center.
    O PANO
    This is another traditional game very common in Galicia with very simple rules. There are two teams with a variable number of people (but with the condition that both teams have to have the same number of people) and a person between them (with a distance of 7 metres for each team). Each player has a number. When the person who is in the middle (that has a headscarf) says a number, the players who have this number have to run to get the headscarf before it has benn got by the other player. The firs player to reach the headscarf has to come back quickly with their partners, because the other player will try to get him/her to steal the headscarf.
    A PETANCA
    Well, although this sport was born in France, it has been very important in Galicia since it was invented. The players (at least two) have to throw a wooden ball and try to bring it closer to other steel balls. The owner of the ball which is closer than the rest from the steel balls wins.
    These are some of the traditional games that I've found in that book. Remember that if you want to learn more of them, you can visit the library and take the book. It's totally free. And if you want to look at some people playing to "A PETANCA", you can go to this website:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQZUg2wH_vQ&feature=fvw
    Now, I’m going to talk about famous sport people who were born in Galicia.
    Óscar Pereiro is a cyclist who won the "Tour de France" in 2006. What's more, he has participated in it many times, and he was the 10th in 2004, 2005 and 2007. In the "Tour of Italy", he was the 11th. He has participated many times in the "Tour of Spain", but he hasn't won any important prize there.
    We also have important people in other sports, like the Formula 1 racing: Celso Míguez, José Luís Abadín and José Alonso Liste. The most important is Celso Míguez, who has recently won the prize of best sport Galician man. He's very good at F3, where he has won many important prizes and where he has got the 1st position in the championships of France, Belgium, Spain, Portugal and Europe. He also was the 4th in the United World Championship.
    Diego Pazos Castro 4thB

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  7. CHAPTER 5 (SECOND PART)
    Last but not least, I have to say that here in Galicia we also have important football teams. Deportivo and Celta are our two best teams, and there is rivality between A Coruña and Vigo because of that. From my point of view, Deportivo is better than Celta. In fact, my favourite team is Deportivo.
    CHAPTER 6
    Is Scotland the only country that has dark stories? Is Scotland the only country that has terrible criatures inside of it? Is Scotland the only country with fascinating legends and places? I beg you pardon, but the answer is negative. There is in this world another place with lots of dark stories, lots of magic criatures and lots of fascinating (and terrible) people. Do you want to know them? Continue reading.
    I’m sure that you know that in Galicia there are some women who have fascinating powers. These women have done a pact with Satanas, and because of that now they’re witches. These witches can fly, transform themselves into animals and do lots of charms and curses. These women don’t live alone; instead, they usually form groups of witches and they do meetings in dark forests during the night. They’re very dangerous, and they can invoke Satanas, so be careful and don’t sleep in a forest during the night, because you can be caught by them. However, if you’re caught, don’t worry, because if you can throw to the witch some water or fire, she’ll die inmediately. There are lots of people that don’t believe in witches; however, others say that witches aren’t very far of us. And you, what do you think?
    Addmitedly the legend of the wishes is only that, a legend. However, the story that I’m going to tell you now is totally real and it’s similar to the story of the Scottish men William Burke and William Hare. Yes, I’m going to talk about assassins, but not a very tipical assassin; I’m going to talk about a lycanthrope: Romasanta.
    Manuel Blanco Romasanta was a Galician man born in Ourense. When his wife died, he got crazy and he became a murderer. He was caught and convicted, but he could escape. When the police was looking for him, nine people appeared in the forests: they were dead and bitten by a wolf. When the police caught, definitely, Romasanta, he confessed that he was the muderer. The judge decided to kill them. However, a French man saved him saying that he may be a lycanthrope. Finally, Romasanta agreed him, saying that a witch had cursed him. Because of that, the judge (with the help of the queen) decided not to kill him, but he was convicted with life imprisionment. He’s the only person in the world convicted because of the lycanthropy.
    If you want to watch a TV report of Romasanta, you can click here:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0z8zxkQQi4
    This story is very famous around the world and it has been the inspiration of the film “Romasanta”.
    As you can see, Scotland isn’t the only country with lots dosis of mistery. Galicia is a perfect place to imagine the most incredible stories. Do you want to dream? Come to Galicia!
    Diego Pazos Castro 4thB

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  8. Chapter 5:

    Galicia has got some sporting, but the most famous is football. Galicia has got two important teams: Deportivo de La Coruña and Celta de Vigo. But Depor is better than Celta. Before, Celta was equal, but now is worse than Depor.
    Deportivo won a Leage Cup, because has very good players. For example: Fran, Mauro Silva, Donato...This players was the best. Much this players, now play in the Leage Cup Veterans. But his team don´t speak Deportivo de La Coruña because Lendoiro is a stupid predident.
    The players veterans won two Leage Cup Veterans.
    Also, Galicia has got a basketball team: Xacobeo. It´s very good and a new team.
    Galicia has got a good cyclist: Óscar Pereiro...
    Also Galicia has got a very good players, for example: Diego López, Viqueira...Also Galicia has got a good drivers: Aarón Filgueira, is the most famous.

    Chapter 6:

    In the 15th century, some nobles attack at the rich and later, they take the money.
    It had two wars:“Irmandade Fusquenlla”, and“Grande guerra Irmandiña”.

    Santiago Sardiña 4ºB

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  9. Chapter 5
    In Spain the sports more popular are the football and the basketball. The best team in the football is the Barcelona. The first league names ``Liga BBVA´´ in him are some oh the better teams of European. In the basketball the better league is the ``ACB´´.
    Also have sportifs famous than no play in the popular sport for example Fernando Alonso pilot, Alberto Contador biker, David Meca swimmer…Oscar Pereiro is biker and galician
    In Galician the more popular games are the Petanca, the Brile, the Choqueiro this play are playing a little because the childrens of the play with the news technologies.
    Chapter 6
    The chapter 6 is mee than the chapter 4, now only I said one misteruis for example the ``Pintenga´´




    Ana Cepeda Cardona 4ºB

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  10. SPORTING GALICIA

    In Galicia the most important sport is the football, but here we play a lot of sports, like the basketball, tennis or cycling.

    -In football, we have a lot of important sportsmen like Michel Salgado. Now, he plays at Blackburn Rovers Football Club.
    And we have a two important football clubs: “Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña” and “Real Club Celta de Vigo”

    -In basketball José Ángel Antelo stands out. Now, he plays at CB Fuenlabrada.

    -In tennis, Lourdes Domínguez Lino is very important, she was born in Pontevedra and she is the 17th Spanish best tennis player.

    -In cycling, Serafín Martínez Acevedo is very important; he is a professional Spanish cyclist.



    DARK GALICIA

    Galicia, like Scotland, has stories of lies, criminals and murderers.

    The most famous Galician murderous was Manuel Blanco Romasanta. He killed nine people in the 20th century. He suffered lycanthropy. He was the first criminal psychopath in Spain.

    I try to find others Galician murderous but I can’t find them.


    Laura Graña 4ºB

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  11. Popular games galician:

    "La billarda" game is played between two or more players, from a circle drawn on the ground hits the billarda with the lever in one of its ends to lift it, and when this is in the air hits the billiard strong to send the most far the circle can start. The player left the game starts further in the same way three times hitting the pool tables toward the exit, while an opposing player tries to block his path. After the roll has to calculate the distance to the circle, and if hits are converted into points, and if not go to the opposing team hits, starting the game.

    The "chave" is a game that involves throwing weights on a piece of metal, called chave, placed at a distance. The aim is to give chave with weights as many times. The chave inclined and is placed behind a moat so that the weights will not roll. You can play in teams or pairs.

    Famous Galician football team is Real Club Deportivo

    Fátima Rial 4ºB

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  12. Chapter 5:
    There are several sports which are played in Scotland:football,golf,curling,tennis... In Galicia we play football,basket,golf,tennis...and traditional games like "petanca" "chave" which are played by old people above all.
    "Futbolin" is a play invented here in Galicia.It is a table with small toys footballers.
    We have sea because of we are good in sailing sports.
    There are two football teams called "Deportivo de La Coruña" and "Celta de Vigo".
    A lot of teenagers enjoy themselves with a skateboard in the streets,but here we don't wear a helmet.


    Chapter 6:
    Here in Galicia the weather is similar to Scotland:wet and dark and there also strange stories.But I don't know the name of any person who was a murder.

    Samuel Rodríguez Novoa 4ºB

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  13. In Galicia we have traditional sports who the key or the frog in this games you lunch a metal disk and you try the disk pass into a hole or hit a item of metal.In the olimpic games we have an impotants players who David Cal that was winer in canoeing in the past olimpic games or Ivan Raña he is a plater of triathlon and was a global championship.Other important sport in Galicia is the football it is the sport with more follower the best team of Galicia is the celta of Vigo but the best qualify team is the Deportivo of Coruña.In Galicia we have good teams in other sports who basket,hokey,and others
    Alexandre Estalote Alonso 4thB

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  14. I forget say about the first wolvemen in the world he was a person that kill people and he use them to do grease.When he was captured the qeen Isabel II call to a french hipnotist to try cure them,The name of this wolvemen was Romasanta I don´t know who he dead but the most credible history about this is that he dead for the soots of the his gardians
    Alexandre Estalote Alonso4thB

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