Did Gringoes First Grow in Scotland?

["Ward Ginn" <wginn@worldnet.att.net>]

Is any one familiar with supposedly an old Scottish folk tune called "Green
Grow the Rashes O?'"  As explained below, at least one person believes that
this song influenced the construction of  a term used by some in their
reference to those living north of the border.  I would be interested in all
of the lyrics of this piece which apparently was a Scottish marching song
back in the early 1800s.


Alistair Moffat in his book "Arthur and the Lost Kingdoms"  gives what I
consider to be a classic example of how names of things and places can be
derived based on confusion and misunderstanding.  Alistair states, " Why do
the Mexicans call the Americans Gringos?  It is a strange term with an even
stranger origin.  When Davie Crockett, Jim Bowie and the other heroes of
Texas's war against Mexico were besieged in the Alamo, they had a small
force of about eighty Scots mercenaries with them.  The Scots' marching song
was the folk-tune 'Green Grow the Rashes O' and that is why Santa Ana"s army
and finally the whole of Mexico called the Americans Gringos.


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