WELCOME TO An Entertainment Site for Scottish Country Dancers - Enjoy the curated selection of theme-related dances for celebrations and holidays, or find a dance associated with a special calendar day, or EVEN your own birthday!
Outlander Television series (2014)
Outlander Day
Jun 1
Other Scottish Country Dances for this Day
Today's Musings, History & Folklore
"What's new, Sassenach?"
Written for two dancers with the same English ancestry, this 40 bar reel with keep Sassenach's reeling! The term “Sassenach”—Gaelic for “Outlander” or “English”—is originally drawn from the Irish Sasanach or Gaelic Sasunnach, itself stemming from Sasunn (England) and the Old English Seaxan (Saxon).
Historically used as a pejorative to refer to outsiders—whether English, foreigners, or even Lowland Scots—the term has been reimagined in the popular Outlander book and television series into something far more tender. When spoken by the fiercely loyal Highlander Jamie Fraser to Claire Randall, the time-traveling heroine and narrator, “Sassenach” becomes a term of endearment—one that melts hearts on both sides of the centuries.
With evocative storytelling, inspired casting, and breathtaking costuming, the television series has sparked what many call the “Outlander Effect”—a renewed fascination with Scottish history, landscape, fashion, and culture. There is even a bit of Scottish ceilidh dancing and even a highland fling by Jamie Fraser!
As the series prepares to enter its long-anticipated final season, fans can look forward to one more journey through time, love, and loyalty, as the story stretches from the misty Highlands of 18th-century Scotland to the American colonies and beyond. 🤎 ⚔️ 🤎
Sassenach's Pleasure
Outlander is a British-American television drama series based on the historical time-travel Outlander series of novels by Diana Gabaldon, first published in 1991. World Outlander Day celebrates the publication of this namesake novel, which won the Romance Writers of America's RITA Award for Best Romance on the year of its release.
A mix of several genres, the Outlander series features elements of historical fiction, romance, adventure and science fiction and fantasy. The novel focuses on 20th century nurse Claire Randall, who time travels to 18th century Scotland and finds adventure and romance with the dashing Highlander, Jamie Fraser.
As the series begins, in 1945, former World War II nurse Claire Randall and her husband Frank are visiting Inverness, Scotland. Exploring the standing stones at the (fictional) Craigh na Dun, Claire faints after she touches the highest stone, and awakes to find herself in the middle of what appears to be a skirmish between Redcoats and rebel Scottish Highlanders.
Rescued from an attack by Frank's sinister double, Redcoat Captain Jonathan "Black Jack" Randall, she uses her medical training to help the injured Scotsman Jamie Fraser. Claire realizes that Randall is Frank's ancestor, and that she seems to have traveled backward in time to 1743! And that's just the beginning!
The oft-used term in this series, "Sassenach" is Gaelic for “outlander” or “English" and refers to Claire Randall.
Historically used as mild oath, Sassenach is a way the Irish and the Scottish refer to the English, or to things that are foreign or typical of the English.
Both the Irish Sasanach or Gaelic Sasunnach (from Gaelic Sasunn, as in Old English Seaxan, Saxon) have be pejoratively used to describe an English person, foreigner, or even a Lowland Scot! The Outlander novels and series have succeeded in making it a playful term of endearment used by Jamie towards Claire.
For a character description of the red-headed love interest, taken straight from the novels (and sure to make hearts flutter) click the picture of the Outlander series "Sassenach's Pleasure," James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser, played by actor Sam Heughan. Oh my!
Click the dance cribs or description below to link to a printable version of the dance!
