Scottish & Polish relationships

Witamy w Szkocji - a wee message from Scotlands Government and its First Minister, Alex Salmond.I dont believe there is a London government version of this or anything of its type.

szkocja.eu/sitppolish/58.html

One example of how Scotland promotes stronger links with Poland.

I dont think this has been posted before- its a website for Poles living in Glasgow.

Thanks! I'm in Glasgow at the moment before I head up to the highlands and islands next week :)

To Seanus:
Do you have any single bro? I have always wanted to have a cute ginger baby :DDD lol ;-)

From as far back as the mid 15th century there were Scots trading and settling in Poland. A Scot's Pedlar Pack in Poland, which became a proverbial expression, usually consisted of cloths, woollen goods and linen handkerchiefs. Itinerants also sold tin and ironware such as scissors and knives. Along with the protection offered by King Stephen in the Royal Grant of 1576 a district in Krakow was assigned to Scots immigrants.

Records from 1592 reveal Scots settlers being granted citizenship of Krakow giving their employment as trader or merchant. Payment for being granted citizenship ranged from 12 Polish florins to a musket and gunpowder or an undertaking to marry within a year and a day of acquiring a holding.

By the 1600s there were an estimated 30,000 Scots living in Poland. Many came from Dundee and Aberdeen and could be found in Polish towns from Krakow to Lublin. Settlers from Aberdeenshire were mainly Episcopalians or Catholics, but there were also large numbers of Calvinists. As well as Scottish traders, there were also many Scottish soldiers in Poland. In 1656 a number of Scottish Highlanders who were disenchanted with Oliver Cromwell's rule went to Poland in the service of the King of Sweden.

When a lot of the Scots came to Poland there was actually a Scottish king in London, trying to forge the notion of "Great Britain".

There were also a number of English in Poland but that's a bit less romantic.


It depends who he's talking to (and who you ask).

Dad's family are/were Scots (my brother was born in Dumbarton) and my Mum's are Tynesiders (a bit further back, Cornish and Irish). I was, however, born and brought up in England (although my Scottish granny lived just around the corner).

Take your pick.

Haha, beautiful. I couldn't come up with this kind of comedy if I tried.

Poles and Scots are really pretty close, almost cut from the same cloth. Needless to say, much depends on character but if the will is there then there shouldn't be any problems.

I heard the actor Collin Farrell say that he is Irish and Scottish.

His wife Alicja is Polish.

They both star in his next movie ONDINE

His wife Alicja talks about Collin and the movie.

youtube.com/watch?v=mtZxH5QKNcY

Ondines and Selkies are also part of Scottish mythology. Selkies are believed to have been Saami kayakers from Scandinavia, so that would make her part Scandinavian too!

To be honest with you I don't know too much about these types of things, so what you say about Ondines and Selkies being part of Scottish and even Scandinavian mythology/culture sounds quite interesting. I just started to become interested in these things since the Ondine movie I heard was coming out.

Seanus seems to be knowledgeable about this part of Europe, so I wonder what Seanus has to say about these things?

There's actually a difference between the two things. Ondines are often portrayed as wraiths, or nasty little water spirits/sprites which might have a nice time drowning you (kelpies). Selkies are seals who shed their skins and become people. They can't go back to the sea without their skins. The fishermen could claim a selkie bride by stealing her skin and making her live with him (I did a puppet show about this in Warsaw a few years ago).

There is a theory that there was a large migration of saami (Laplanders) to the outer islands on Scotland (many of which had been under Norwegian rule for centuries). The kayaks were made of skin and often submerged below the water level, making the kayaker look like a seal. The kayaker might come ashore and take of the skins. If they were stolen they couldn't go back to the sea (too cold and the skin may have acted as a spray deck).

Interesting as the theory is, it is flawed because everyone knows Selkies are real anyway.

I think Seanus is from Aberdeen area. They have a similar thing with sheep which shed their fleeces and become beautiful girls. When they put the skin back on they become sheep again... "and so concludes the case for the defence, my lord!"

@Slavianka, unfortunately not! My bro's wife gave birth a year ago and wee Matthew is the cutest little thing. I've seen him once and he is beyond adorable. He has flame red hair and I have some photos of him :) :)

@MW, we have definite Nordic connections and some of our folklore stems from there. However, as Trevek hinted, I was born on the wrong coast. I am from the east coast and most of the tales come from the west coast. Ondine was an eye-opener for me too.

@Trevek, it goes a little sth like that, yes. It's quite drab on the east coast. Too industrial and grey.

As for the thread, many Scots seem to have plumped for Polish women. Quite a good choice if you have the right tools to handle them :) (I mean approach/skills).

Everyone's dream is a Slovianka.With this name I imagine a red high cheeks blonde girl quite busty living in farm getting milk from the cow.


The tools are located more south than Scotland.

You refer to the English as 'the tools'? Expect to come in for heavy criticism ;) ;)

Southern, I think many Polish girls see past the Balkan bravado ;) ;)

Not exactly.


Sometimes only sometimes for some moments we get along with polish girls.

I think many relationships struggle due to the language barrier. Fiery tempers are another one that could destroy a relationship.

Sometimes the language barrier is good because the girl does not understand what exactly you are saying and supposes you say the right thing.


Yes,we are temperamentful and so are Polki.

The language barrier works 2 ways, you are right. Sometimes they find another language cute and your mistakes even cuter.

The battle of temperaments :)

PMSL.
(that was actually really really funny!)


In what way? You could say Poles and Pakis are cut from the same cloth, both cant wait to get out of their respective countries and both a penchant for opening corner shops..

I think in temperament and, to some extent, by history. Both are rugged in the main and proud in the same way.

How so?


Lol.

I think you could call it the minority complex and always fighting against sth.

Could say the Welsh are the same then...

The Celtic minority? Most lowland jocks aren't Celts anyway more likely Anglo-Norman.

Well, they still fight, as do the Welsh. However, perception swings in roundabouts. Brits have very mixed perceptions I've noticed.

Glad ewe liked it.


A bit like a lot of Irish.

I'll have to ram you off this thread, Trevek ;)

Trev fleece in terror!

You're not making sense Sheep, The Welsh are Brits same the Scots same as the English, whether we like it or not..we are all lumped under that one nasty name along with the rest of them that get their passports..


You're on fire today..keepem coming :D

I know the Welsh are Brits. Where did I say otherwise?

Anyway, I generally enjoy my relationship but women love to jibber away. That's quite draining!