| Description Of Item | Clipped article from the Scotsman in a scrapbook from the collection of John Ritchie relating to the ceremony of the ‘burning of the clavie’ held at Burghead. Derived from ancient Pictish druidical fire worship, the ‘clavie’ was an Archangel tar barrel sawn in half, with the bottom half affixed to a pole. Notable people included Provost George D Gordon who presented the barrel, William Sanderson who was the blacksmith who constructed the clavie, William Peterkin the ‘Clavie skipper’ who transports the glowing peat and fans its flames, Miss Jeffries who is the third generation of women who were tasked with supplying the means of combustion to the peat placed in the clavie, John Main and James Laing who places the clavie into position before being paraded through the community. |