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Course 1

Introduction: Reimagining Scotland

That is the Land out there, under the sleet, churned and pelted there in the dark, the long ribs
upturning their clayey faces to the spear-onset of the sleet. That is the Land, a dim vision this
night of laggard fences and long stretching rigs. And the Voice of it the true and unforgettable
voice the immemorial plaint of the peewit, flying lost.
(Lewis Grassic Gibbon, 1934)

In his work Imagined communities Benedict Anderson speaks about nations as being continuously defined
and redefined by the way in which people belonging to a particular nation see themselves, by their common
culture, traditions and historic past. Scotland as a nation has received a great deal of attention from scholars
belonging to different fields but it still remains an open question. Historians, literary critics and sociologists have
tried to inscribe Scotland within definite theoretical frameworks but the endeavour turns out to be impossible since
Scotland and its essence seem elusive and displaying conflicting features. Concept such as Scottishness,
Scottish identity, Scottish nation have been over-theorised in an attempt of reassigning Scotland and its culture
their meritorious place in the European context.
On the one hand disadvantaged by its peripheral position within the United Kingdom, on the other, favoured for
its remarkable landscape, its strategic location, Scotlands imaginative geography has been used to define its
features and to influence the response to its national characteristics. The first things coming to ones mind when
speaking about Scotland are the highland scenery and its legends, the famous lakes and their equally famous yet
unseen monsters, the sound of pipe bags, the intoxicatingly flavoured original Scotch and among many other
things, Mel Gibsons impersonation of one of Scotlands most admired heroes, William Wallace. Represented in
historic chronicles and official document, social statistics and political accounts but most of all in literary texts,
paintings and photos Scotland came to represent a fairy-tale lane where myth and reality is very difficult to tell
apart.
Modern Scotland is defined as a nation but not a state, hence the development of post-colonial studies (basically
focusing upon the political, social and cultural situation in former colonies, most of them now independent states)
including Scotland in the general experience of colonialism. Generally treated as a periphery of Great Britain, a
marginal territory, sometimes neglected or overlooked in terms of cultural achievements, Scotland has, however,
imposed itself as a powerful voice.
The early history of Scotland is poorly recorded, being mainly transmitted by oral tradition, in the shape of
legends, lores and songs which cast doubt upon the authenticity of sources, upon the reality of dates and facts and
upon the accuracy of the accounts. Yet a great part of what Scotland means today is shaped by distant myths of a
distant past. All these legends have in common the stress laid upon the Scots bravery, their savage countenance
and their unity in facing dangers. The Scots come from the combination of Picts, Celts, Gaels and different other
peoples of various origins leading to the mediaeval concept of regnum Scotiae. There are different legends about
the formation of Scotland; the Irish legends speak about Nelos (Neil) marring Scota and begetting Gaedal Glass.
Fordun, one of the first Scottish chroniclers gives another version in which Gaedal Glas (Gaythelos) is Scotas
husband; the Pharaoh pursues the fleeting Israelites, led by Moses, and by divine intervention the Egyptians are
drowned in the Red Sea. Gaythelos who had sympathised with the Israelites and refused to help in the pursuit of
them, was forced with his family and adherents to flee from Egypt, as well. They wandered to the West in search of
a new home, reaching Africa before settling for a while in Spain. In spite of the natives hostility, Gaythelos built a
strong town called Brigancia with a very tall tower in the middle; he urged his sons to take possession of an island
he could see in the distance from the top of his tower - island which was later called after his sons name
(Hyber/Iber) Hibernia or Ireland and sometimes Scotia in honour of his mother.
Lebor Gabala (The Book of invasions) is one of the first poems in Scottish literature telling about the settlement
in Ireland and about the coming of the Gaels (150 BC), a compilation of myths, legends and Christian elements.
Other legends are recorded in Sir Thomas Grays Scalacronica and Andrew of Wyntouns The Original Chronical
of Scotland. The traditional image of the ancient Scots is that of savages which is initiated by Tacituss Agricola
where he speaks about the savage people in Caledonia. The Ossianic cycle of legends imposed the same figure of
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the Highlander; the image of the savage has been preserved till our times when in Glasgow, sociologists speak
about another modern type of urban savage called heidbanger.
By the 12th century, both England and Scotland had evolved from congeries of tribal lands into unitary mediaeval
kingdoms governed by feudal institutions, laws and principles; they were for longs periods of time rivals and allies.
Scotland, by turns, offered and denied homage to England and got very often related my marriages. At first, the
border separating Scotland from England was first traced in a friendly way by the Treaty of York (1237) which
recognised Scotland as an independent kingdom. The homage was initially a tricky problem, initiated during the
reign of Alexander II who possessed some fields in England for which he had to pay duties; the English king
claimed that the homage was both for the English fields and for Scotland. Alexander III rejected this claim when it
was repeated during his reign; this fact initiated the series of troubles between England and Scotland.
Scotland gradually adopted the English language (Inglis) and the English model of local administration. The
historians agree upon the existence of a Scottish identity during the war of Independence (1286-1328) which
increased the European perception of Scotland as a national identity. This again stressed by John of Forduns
Chronical of the Scottish Nation (Scotichronicon). Scotland becomes part of the European culture due to its
scholars travelling abroad and enrolling into famous universities in France and Italy. The Scots were acquainted
with Aristotles philosophy, with the mathematics and philosophy of western and Islamic worlds. The Scotus
Viatur became a stereotypical image of the Scottish scholar travelling around, acquiring and spreading knowledge.
Another consecrated clich is that of the brainbox emerged as a result of the significant cultural surge at that
moment and of the fact that Scotland was considered a land of education. At the time when many English
monarchs could barely write their own names, the Scottish kings were learned persons poets and writers whose
works are still reminded in literary histories. Modern historians start from the fact that Scotia originally designated
Ireland, too, and conclude that Scottish identity evolves from the Gaelic tradition of Ireland as it was acquired and
adjusted in Scotland.
The 16th century is considered to be Scotlands golden age when culture recorded a remarkable flourishing.
New works appear: Hector Boeces History of Scotland (1530) asserting the Scots belief in their nation and in
themselves and George Buchanans Rerum Scoticarum Historia (1582) containing a minute geographical
description of Scotland. The period between 1560 and 1707 was characterised by cultural and economic progress
and corresponds to what historians call Scotlands modernity. In 1560 Scotland decided for Calvinism as its
main religious creed, decision often afterwards contested and criticised in various literary productions. The 17th
century witnesses a clash of modernity and conservatory thinking as politics and religion get entangled in
debatable issues (stern Calvinist restrictions, witch-hunting, etc.). Before 1603 Scotland is a separate kingdom and
until 1707 it has its own Parliament in Edinburgh. The 19th century corresponds to the Scottish enlightenment
appearing under the influence of David Hume and his radical scepticism; once again the Scottish Enlightenment is
seen as a strange combination of conflicting drives, of progress and tradition, of hedonistic individualism and
utilitarianism. The culture of Victorian Scotland was considered to be crushed under money-making and
fundamentalist Calvinism, submitting to an almost mediaeval theocracy which entailed the marginalisation of
Scottish literature even if it still engendered remarkable names in the field.
There is a stereotypical image associated with the Scottish culture and this is the constant, unexpected
combination of extremes and conflicting features. The consecrated term is that of the Caledonian antisyzygy,
introduced by G. Gregory Smith in Scottish Literature: Character and Influence (1919) also adopted by the poet
Hugh MacDiarmid who states that the Scottish culture (literature) relied on producing energy by bringing
together clashing opposites in the way that a medieval cathedral sculptor might place a grinning gargoyle beside a
saint. [MacDiarmid in Bassnett, 1997: 85]. The conflicting combination of opposites is first, obviously proved by
the architecture of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and its most representative image, which combines the 18th
century New Town (the Georgian Squares) with remains of the Old Town and medieval catacombs.
Writers and poets now rely on the ancient myths and legends as well as on the old historic chronicle in order to
revive the Scottish spirit; that is what Edwin Morgan, one of the best contemporary poets speaks about in his
volume Sonnets for Scotland (1984), based on the feeling of dejection and loss of confidence installed after the
failure of the referendum to give Scotland political devolution. It is a modern achievement, a totalising view of the
Scottish culture ranging from pre-history to contemporary times and even forward, into SF with the purpose of
building up a sense of national identity and continuity of Scottishness.
Its a kind of comeback, an attempt to show that Scotland was there, was alive and
kicking, that people were living there, were thinking and feeling about it and were going to go on
writing about it even if political change was at that time certainly preety unlikely. It was just a
kind of desire to show that Scotland was there and that one musnt write it off, just because the
Assembly had not come into being. [Morgan in Bassnett, 89-90]
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Even today, Scotland remains a protean nation, full of contradictions and opposites, with a variety of languages
(English, Scots and Gaelic) and a variety of traditions; there is a new pluralism characterising Scotland, an
openness and fluidity which makes the Scottish society a multicultural, multilingual one. Scotlands religion now is
mainly Presbyterian. In 1988 there was the Scottish Constitutional Convention, in 1990 the Scottish people had the
first elections for a Scottish Parliament and in May 2003 there were new elections.

CULTURAL FACTS ABOUT SCOTLAND

What's in a Haggis?

Haggis is traditionally made from minced sheep's intestines, beef suet, oatmeal, onion, cayenne pepper and
nutmeg, stuffed into a sheep's stomach and boiled for three hours. Fortunately, haggis can now be bought in the
supermarket.

Tartans Misconceptions

The word tartan originally referred to a type of material rather than a pattern, and was not unique to Scotland
Over the past two centuries, however, the Scots have undoubtedly made it their own.

Tartan Misconceptions II

The common American usage of the word plaid to mean a tartan pattern seems to have developed from a
misunderstanding - in Gaelic plaid simply means blanket.

Flower of Scotland

Although the thistle is popularly associated with Scotland, the official national flower is the bluebell.

Old Nessie

The oldest known recorded sighting of the Loch Ness Monster was made by the 7th century monk Adamnan in his
biography off the Christian missionary St Columba. Adamnan wrote that Columba subdued the beast when it
attacked his followers.

Dead Nessie

In 1941 an Italian newspaper reported that the wartime bombing of Scotland had succeeded in killing the Loch
Ness Monster.

First King of Scotland

The first King of a united Scotland is widely held to have been Kenneth MacAlpin, who united the Scots and
Picts to become King of Scotland (as we know it) in 843 AD.

Making Porridge...

Here is one of the many ways to prepare this classic Scottish dish. Boil half a pint of water then slowly stir in 1oz
of oatmeal. Simmer gently for about 25 minutes, adding a little salt halfway through, then leave to stand for 2
minutes before eating.

...and serving it

Traditionally porridge is served in one bowl, with cold milk in another. Each spoonful of porridge is dipped into
the milk before it is eaten - but on no account should any sugar be added.

Button It
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The buttons on the sleeves of traditional Highland dress have their origins in the British army - they were
introduced to stop soldiers wiping their noses on their sleeves.

Strangers in the Night

It is considered lucky in Scotland if your first visitor on New Year's Day is a tall, dark man bearing a gift of
shortbread, a black bun - or a lump of coal.

Wee Scotland

Scotland covers approximately half as much land mass as England, about 30,500 square miles.

Wet Scotland

However, roughly 80% of Britain's coastline is in Scotland.

Wee Scotland II

The Scottish population accounts for approximately over 9% of the population of Britain, while London accounts
for around 12%.

Fishy Business

Over two thirds of the United Kingdom's catches of fish and shellfish are made in Scottish waters.

Goal

The Scottish Football Association was founded in 1873 and is the second oldest football association in the world.

Scots Abroad

There are now about 25,000,000 million people of Scottish lineage living abroad, compared with only 5,000,000
in Scotland itself.

Scottish Origins

One of the more unusual theories on the origin of the term 'Scot' is that it is derived from the name of Scota, an
Egyptian princess who brought the Stone of Destiny across to Scotland.

Scottish Origins II

An alternative claim states that the word Scot originates from the Latin word for pirates.

Looking for Atlantis

Tiree, the name given to the island in the Inner Hebrides, translates from Gaelic as 'the kingdom under the waves'.

Oa, Ae, Bu

There are three Scottish places with only two letters in their names - Oa (on Islay), Ae (in Dumfries and
Galloway) and Bu (on the Orkney isles).

Lords of Invention
Scotland has produced some remarkable inventors, including John Logie Baird, Alexander Graham Bell, James
Watt and Charles Macintosh...
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King of Comedy

...but it also produced 'the world's worst poet' - William McGonagall (c.1830-1902). McGonagall's poems are
now celebrated throughout the world for their poor rhyming schemes, weak metaphors and outright banality.

Stealing Destiny

There has been speculation that the Stone of Destiny, now in Edinburgh Castle, is not the original artefact.
History has it that the original was carved, and not a plain sandstone block. Theory has it that monks fooled King
Edward I when he stole the stone in 1296. In 1950 the Stone of Destiny was stolen from Westminster Abbey and
hidden in Arbroath. Opinion is divided upon whether this was the action of Scottish Nationalists or a daring band
of students.

First, Last and Ale-ways

Whilst Scotland may be more famous for its whisky than for its beer, the first recorded alcoholic drink to have
been produced in the country was heather ale, believed to have been made by the Picts.

Scotland is in north-west Europe and is part of Great Britain, an island and the United Kingdom (UK) .

Scotland is a mountainous country in the north of the island of Great Britain and shares a land border to the
south with England and is bounded by the North Sea on the east and the Atlantic Ocean on the west. Its capital
city is Edinburgh.

Scotland has some 790 islands - 130 inhabited.

Scotland is Famous for....

Its fresh water lochs (lakes) there are over 600 square miles of them. One of the most famous is Loch Ness
where a mysterious monster is said to lurk in the depths of the water.

It is also famous for its clans, kilts, medieval castles, as well as poetry and songs of Robert Burns.

Theatre lovers from around the world come to Edinburgh for its famous theatres festival.

Famous People of Scotland

Famous Scots include: Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson, Arthur Conan Doyle, David Hume and the actor
Sean Connery.

Famous musicians of Scotland include Annie Lennox, Wet Wet Wet, Travis and Simple Minds.

Government
In July 1, 1999, the Scottish Parliament was opened by HM the Queen, the first Scottish Parliament for 300
years. Scottish parliament responsibilities include social work services, health, local government and education.

Interesting Facts

Edinburgh was the first city in the world which had its own fire-brigade.

Edinburgh the capital of Scotland, like Rome, was built on seven hills.

Until 1603, Scotland had its own King.

Area: 78,789 sq km
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Population: 5,054,800 (2002)

Capital City: Edinburgh

Major Cities: Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow

Official Language: English (Scottish Gaelic is spoken by 1.4 percent of the population)

Nationality : Scottish and British

Anthem (song) : Flower of Scotland

Main religions: Church of Scotland (Presbyterian) Scottish Episcopal Church, Roman

Catholicism

Currency: Pound Sterling ()

Highest point: Ben Nevis (1,343 m)

Lowest point: Bed of Loch Morar, Scotland 987 ft

(300 m) below sea level

Longest river: Tay 193 kilometres (120 miles ) long

Largest Lake: Loch Lomond (60 sq km)

40 km (24 miles) long

Official Animal Unicorn