Donald Bane
Donald Bane is an anglicization of Domnall Bán (Donald the Fair) and was the great-grandson of the king killed by MacBeth.
Background Source
Wilson writes (on page 80):
SINGLE FIGURE Each strain repeated
Hands 3 round on the ladies side hands 3 round on the gents side lead down the middle up again & right & left with the top Cu:
OR THUS Set & change sides with the 2d. Cu: set & back again lead down the middle up again & allemande
DOUBLE FIGURE
Hey on your own sides swing with right hands round 2d. Cu: then with left hands 6 round & back again set contrary corners
Wilson usually gives multiple figures for a tune, this is an attempt to understand the double figure he describes.
The music consists of two 4 bar strains. Wilson's usual statement for double figures (which he gives on the dance above this) is Tune played twice through with repeats. So the music should probably be played AABBAABB.
Wilson spells the dance "Donaldbane".
What Wilson meant
Wilson defines most of his figures in his An Analysis of Country Dancing.
swing with right hands round 2d. Cu: then with left may be found on pages 85-86 and means:
right hand turn half (swing) to cross the set, loop partner's starting place,
cross the set again above the 2s, ending proper between 2s & 3s.
left hand turn half to cross the set, loop partner's place, crossing below
the 2s and ending home.
Wilson does not specify which shoulder to use when crossing the second and
fourth times.
set contrary corners may be found on pages 55-57 and means
"move to 1st corner and set, pass partner right moving to 2nd corner, set,
return to places the easiest way". Wilson does not show the corners setting
back, but I expect modern dancers would want to.
It is not obvious to me where in this sequence Wilson expects progression to happen. Perhaps the first movement of set contrary corners has the 1s moving down and the 2s up.
Some dance examples
Wilson's 1816 version, as best as I can interpret it
The RSCDS interpreted this dance in 1953 (Book 17).
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