Gaberlunzie is a
medieval Scots word for a licensed
beggar. The name may derive from the wallet that such people carry, but there is no other known derivation. The word appears in several of Sir
Walter Scott's books. It can be spelled gaberlunyie, since the z was originally a
yogh.Gaberlunzies were also known as King's Bedesmen or blue gowns (the gowns were part of the
alms given by the monarch). Scott gives an account of the customs and of particular Bedesmen he knew in the introduction to
The Antiquary.Gaberlunzie is also the name of a Scottish folk duo. Featuring Gordon Menzies and Robin Watson, they have now been on the scene for over thirty years. Both were former Glasgow policemen, and together they have recorded many albums of traditional and original Scottish folk songs.
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