Yes! I build my own bagpipes!
The design of my Boudicca Great Highland Bagpipe (GHB) pays homage to the great Celtic warrior queen Boudicca who in CE 60-61 led tribes in East England in revolt against Roman occupation. Queen Boudicca has become a symbol of freedom and justice.
What we know of Boudicca’s story begins in 60 CE after the death of her husband, Prasutagus, ruler of the Iceni people of East Anglia. Upon his death, the Romans seized control of the Iceni kingdom, flogged Boudicca publicly, raped their two daughters, seized the wealth of many Iceni, and sold much of the royal family into slavery.
After committing these offenses against the Iceni, the Roman governor Suetonius turned his attention to attacking Wales, taking two-thirds of his troops from garrison at Comulodunum (Colchester), capital of the Roman province of Britannia. Boudicca used this opportunity to meet with leaders of the Iceni, Cornovii, Durotiges, Trinovanti, and other tribes, who also had grievances against the occupying Romans. She convinced them to form a united army.
Boudicca led 100,000 warriors in the sacking of Comulodunum and other Roman population centers of Londinium (London) and Verulamium (St. Albans), burning them to the ground and killing the inhabitants. After these early successes the fortunes of war turned against Boudicca’s forces as logistics failed and hunger and exhaustion set in among her warriors. Boudicca’s army fought one more pivotal battle against the Romans, though the location is unknown. Seasoned Roman troops easily defeated Boudicca’s remaining warriors.
As a result of the rebellion, the Romans strengthened their military presence in Britain but also lessened the oppressiveness of their rule. No one knows what happened to Boudicca herself.
The Boudicca Great Highland Bagpipe (GHB)
My Boudicca GHB is a beautiful and lithesome musical instrument of war with a commanding voice that I am hoping will last at least a lifetime with reasonable care and maintenance. The drones and blow pipe are carved from an extremely dense American hemisphere exotic hardwood, Bloodwood (Brosimum rubescens). Boudicca GHB styling features smooth, graceful curves polished to a high sheen to showcase the natural beauty of the wood. Bloodwood is ruby red and has an amazing natural chatoyance (a rippling 3D appearance that changes with your viewing angle). I have omitted the more common beading and combing to accentuate the antique elegance of this heirloom instrument.
The Boudicca GHB is appointed with acid-etched brass ferrules and imitation mammoth ivory button mounts and drone caps that are suggestive of primal Celtic tribal influences. In another nod to Celtic warrior queen Boudicca, the drones have unique thistle-shaped tops; thistles represented nobility and graciousness in Celtic symbolism. The thistle also is the national emblem of Scotland, and Scotland’s highest order of chivalry is the Order of the Thistle, whose motto is: Nemo Me Impune Lacessit (No one provokes me with impunity). That is certainly a motto that Queen Boudicca herself would have embraced.
The Boudicca GHB is engineered for rock solid reliability. All reed seats are threaded, so my reeds will never catastrophically fall into the bag just before or during a performance. All joints are wrapped with authentic cannabis hemp for reliable, long-lasting ease and efficiency. Ferrule seats are threaded.
This is a very comfortable instrument to play; the spare lines of the Boudicca GHB make it very light weight and the button mounts do not dig into my shoulder — unlike the more common regimental-style projecting mounts.
This is definitely my favorite set of bagpipes. I hope that you too will fall in love with the sounds of Boudicca, the Celtic Warrior Queen of Bagpipes!
