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“Quite simply, a Trilogy is a salute in honour of war dead. All war
dead.
Many clubs have their own version of the Trilogy, (there is no
definitive 'right' version) usually performed at the end of
the evening concluding with a gun salute.
Throughout, the meaning is the same – to salute those of all flags and
nations who have given their lives in war. Where possible, we in
Scotland perform two different Trilogies – the Mexican and American.
The first Trilogy to be performed, the Mexican, is dedicated to
those who perished at the battle of the Alamo in February 1836.
Approximately 190 men, women and children defended the Alamo mission in
San Antonio, Texas, against an army of 8,000 men led by General Santa
Anna. No quarter was asked or given, and just prior to the final
onslaught, a bugler sounded the “Deguello” that confirmed no prisoners
would be taken.
Famous names such as Davy Crockett,
Jim Bowie, William Travis, and a Scottish piper, John McGregor, perished
along with the rest of their company. They inflicted some 2,000
casualties on the Mexicans, dead and wounded, during the 13-day siege,
and their sacrifice gave Sam Houston time to raise enough men to defeat
General Santa Anna at a later date.
Due to the bravery shown by those defenders, it is said that
Santa Anna commissioned his bugler to compose a Trumpet Voluntary on the
field of battle as a salute to the dead on both sides. Legend says that
he ordered silence, on pain of death if it were broken, and that the
Mexican flag be waved in ceremony.
Today that Trumpet Voluntary is known as “Il Silencio” (in
silence) and the Mexican Trilogy is performed to that dirge, in silence,
with a flag waving display that depicts the ebb and flow of the battle.
Where possible, this Trilogy is performed before the American
Trilogy, as the events that influenced it happened prior to the other
great act of war, the American Civil War, which of course influences the
American Trilogy.
In 1861, the American Civil War began and raged through the land for
four years. All war is folly but this one set family against family,
brother against brother, and, worst of all, American against American.
Almost 620,000 people lost their lives during this tortuous time, which
equates to two per cent of the total population of the country. No
conflict before, or since, has taken such a high toll of a single
population. We dedicate the American Trilogy as a salute in memory of
all those men and women lost from both sides.
During the Civil War, the ladies of both sides who had been left
at home, along with some older male members of the community, held
ceremonies. This was to either mourn lost ones or to pray for those
still at battle. Battle flags, or ‘colours’, would be displayed and
either the North or South’s flag folded. Then, as now, the folded flag
was either tucked in when presented due to a death, or left open, to be
unfolded at a later date as a general salute.
Ladies still take the leading roles in the American Trilogy as
the folding party, led by a Gun Marshall. This individual would have
been one of the older men who had not gone to the battlefield, or a
minister of the cloth. As we perform a general salute, the flag we fold
is left open.
Both armies in that conflict had battle hymns, “I Wish I Was In
Dixie” for the South, and “Glory, Glory” for the North. Elvis Presley
represented both hymns, as well as a general prayer for all war dead,
which was common to both sides, “Hush Little Baby”, in his famous hit,
“American Trilogy”. This tune has therefore been adopted for the
American Trilogy ceremony.
This trilogy takes the form of a more traditional salute that
encompasses both a flag folding ceremony and a number of shots fired in
tribute. This is usually one for the North, one for the South, and one
for Fallen Friends or Lost Souls. Dependant on whether there are
representatives of the Mexican Empire or the Native American Nations on
the floor, tribute would also be made to their dead to remember them.
Although military in style, it is not a funeral. This being the case,
various amounts of dedicated shots may be fired, depending on the
particular venue the Trilogy is being held and those holding it.
As the Southern states lost the war, and due to the fact that
this part of America supplied us then, as now, with most of the trends
that influence our music, dress and dance, it is the Southern flag
(often called the Confederate Battle flag) which is folded.
Ceremonies along the lines of above have been carried out for
many years and in all sorts of forms, but it was only when the song
“American Trilogy” was originally brought out (before Elvis made it
famous), that a flag folding ceremony was able to be performed on a
regular basis and under controlled conditions. One who knows how and
when to fold the flag will pass this on to other like minded individuals
so that the flag is always folded the same way at the same time.
It was also at this time that these ceremonies started to be
called a Trilogy, after the song. Until that time it had always been
known as a general salute and no music was played.
There is one more Trilogy, which is not performed very often, as
it is very specialised. This is the Native American Trilogy, dedicated
to the five million Native Americans who died at the hands of the white
man, from their first encounters until the battle of Wounded Knee in
1890. This is a very moving ceremony, and rightly so considering the
tragedy it is based on.
Nowadays, the word Trilogy stands for all these ceremonies –
Native American, Mexican, and American – to salute all war dead, not
just, as some people think, American. Westerners carry out these
ceremonies, although all are welcome on the floor after the standard
bearers, gunfighters and folding party have taken their place. The
presiding Gun Marshall will usually announce this and welcome everyone
on to the floor.
Country and Western clubs have always been known for their
generosity to charities and those less fortunate, as well as remembering
the dead. The whole country remembers war dead on Armistice Day - we try
to remember them every time we meet. We hope you will join us”.
Eddie
Cairns, AKA Doc Holliday |
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