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The Totem Pole at Luss
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Luss primary school requested John Woodcock the Strathleven Artizan artist, and wood carver to produce a totem pole to inform the wider community about the village school's red indian curriculum. We incorporated the local story about King Robert the Bruce in the totem art because the king had shown a great love for Luss when he lived in this district. We made a significant effort to merge the red indian totem story with the local celtic totem story, as well as to tell a specific story about the association of the village of Luss with King Robert the Bruce. The totem pole is erected by the creator, master carver John Woodcock on the right of the photograph, helped by James Tannock |
Luss school children assemble around the totem pole for a photo session.
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Luss school kids give the thumbs up, judging by their smiling faces. Luss totem pole artwork. (Our ancient celtic links with red indians)
The golden eagle is a very important icon for this district because it represents our ancient celtic culture as well as representing the ancient red indian culture. Celtic folk lore informs about the Loch Lomond islands being covered with oak and yew trees to serve as the home of the golden eagle. Some of the islands at Luss still reflect this ancient natural landscape but we now only occasionally get a glimpse of the golden eagle on Loch Lomond particularly during the winter. However, the fish eagle better known as the Osprey, now frequents these islands. The most important aspect of the celtic totem is the tree which represents regeneration. The new generations of leaves grow every spring. The branches of the tree and the eagle's wings at the top of the totem represent reaching into the heavenly spiritual world. The base of the totem and the roots of the tree represent ancient man attempting to reach the mystic underworld of the after life.
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 This Celtic-style totem made from Douglas fir, features clan names, animals and industries specific to the areas of implantation.. |
| Luss totem pole artwork. (The Luss Dimension) The use of the black engrailed Saltire on white. White is the heraldic colour representing silver, this black Saltire represents the local medieval lords of Luss. Sir Robert Kirkpatrick of Colquhoun in the local parish of St Patrick, married the heiress of the lordship of Luss, and became known as Colquhoun of Luss. He was descended from Humphrey Colquhoun who served with King Robert the Bruce at the royal manor of Mains of Pillanflatt at the river Leven, and also with King David Bruce at the royal manor of Auchendenan-Rie in the old parish and lordship of Luss. His family motto is "if I can" and his clan badge is the "Ancient highland red stag" as depicted in the Luss primary school totem pole. The use of the red Saltire on yellow. Yellow is the heraldic colour representing gold, the red Saltire used here represents the King Robert the Bruce link to his frequent pilgrimages to the site of the medieval St Kessog church in Luss |
 | Totems placed in oak groves beside a "sacred healing well" tended to have a single male or female figure. These carved celtic figures would represent some very important local Druid priest, or a favourite Celtic saint. The High Cross, and the Cross of St John are known to have been placed there by St Columba after the removal of the Druid totems circa 563. The celtic christian cross usually takes the form of a wheel which represents the old Druid custom of sun worship. There are several ancient religious sites in Strathleven and Loch Lomond associated with celtic saints, some of these sacred sites would have displayed totems such as at St Serfs in the Leven grove of Dumbarton, and at the holy site of St Bridget in Glen Fruin Luss. |
| (Red Indian totem poles in America and Canada) These tend to tell a story in four distinct parts, with the most important part of the intended story being placed at the base of the pole. The phrase "getting to the bottom of the story" is perhaps a derivative of this totem pole language. (The Scottish dimension) The white Saltire is our national patronage of St Andrew on a blue background which represents the sky and the spiritual world. The art of Heraldry is not shade specific and the St Andrew flag always shows a dark blue background, which is intended to represent the light blue sky. (The global dimension) The word Alba is the old name for Scotland, which means the nation of white-capped-mountains. " We represent this in our local icon of Ben Lomond in the Bruce portrait." The use of white in this totem represents the white nations of the continent of Europe. The black celtic knot represents the nations of the African continent. The red celtic Knot represents the Indian continent of America, and Canada. The yellow background of this section of the totem pole represents all the nations of China. |  |
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