Long, long ago More than a few grandmothers back The eye of Mr. Strachan Was drawn to one Miss Jex Out for an airing With pipe and tree Moss and rock Water of the Awen Began to flow And his quill flitted Across the leaf As the veery thrush song Spiraling through the air Stultified him there In his personal sanctum ‘Neath pine and locust And glints in orbs Foretold the progeny to come The rabbit-cart-man That hard-working peasant Claustrophobia and smoke rings Whiskey with sweet and smoky notes Industrial accidents Morality lessons Spiced with misinformation And hearty laughter before and after And all led toward my creation
Looked up Clan Strachan to read about the Scottish branch of my ancestry, and was inspired to write this.
Strachan is an anglicized derivative with origins in the Scottish Gaelic (or 'Scottis') language. Originally from the Gaelic word "strath" meaning "broad valley", and "Aven" (pronounced /on/) which is a Gaelic word for 'river', and also the name of one of the tributaries of the Dee that runs through the Strachan District (Water of the Aven, or alternatively spelt on other maps "Water of the Awen").
Clachnaben (archaically "Cloch-na'bain"; Scottish Gaelic: "Clach na Beinne") is a 589-metre hill in Glen Dye, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is a distinctive hill visible from many points on Lower Deeside and is topped with a large granite tor.
“Clachnaben” was also the war cry of Clan Strachan.