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In (Ulster) Scots/ In the Braid Scotch:

1690 - The Yeir o Freedom for Europe

‘THE TWELFTH’ wid be a celebration o the Williamite victorie o 1690. This wid been whar the forces o William, Prince o Orange, bet thaim o
his guidfaither, James Stuart, at the Battle o the Boyne. This wis nae quibble athin an aefauld faimlie, but a richt chynge tae the course o the historie o Europe.

King James II wid been a big fennar o the doctrine o 'the Divine Richt o the Kings', at wis a-uisein in France frae the 'Sun King', Louis XIV. Louis wid been the absolute dictatear o France an James wis for haein the lyke pouers o the dictatear in Inglann, Scotlann, an Airlann. Lang syne afore that, the principle wis brocht in in Inglann at the
electit representars o his subjects sud leuk owre the actions o the King, an at sic representars sud be aible for makin laas. Deed hit wis nae fou democracie, but hit wis a step awa frae 'absolutism'. Hit wid be nae surpreese at James cam up agin strang opposition, at cam tae his owreset frae William an his last defeat at the Battle o the Boyne.

The accession o William an Mary tae the Throne wis a progessive step foreairt for the Brits ledes. The tyrannical arbitrar pouer o the Stuarts wis sat owre an the Constitutional Monarchie an pairlamentar govrenment wis sat up. (We knaws nou at the seistem o pairlamentar representation isna in its ain sel richtlie democratic. Hit is better nor the royal tyrannie an arbitrar pouer at James representit, but).Lyke we aa knaw, the leemitit freedoms wun wi the 'Glorious Revolution' is mindit yet thedey. Makin a celebration o the Williamite victorie wid be nae 'sectarian coat-trailing exercise'. 'The Twelfth' wid be the biggest indigenous fowk an cultur festival in Europe.

Nae dout in historie an cultur, hit maks a cleek atween Ulster an Europe. Hit mairks ane o the importinmaist dates in the oncum o the historie o Europe - for 1690 wis the yeir o the Freedom o Europe. That wid be hou we sud gae on haein mind o 1690!

Thanks to Ian from North Down for this Ulster-Scots translation.

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