Wayfarer
Tuesday, October 25th, 2005, 11:49 PM
Story of Scotland: Chapter 3
© Four Peoples - One Nation?
by Robert M Gunn©
All Rights Reserved, by all international copyright law exclusively to the author and ©Skye-Net, RM Gunn
Four Peoples - One Nation?
There is a curious misconception among some, that Scotland is entirely a Celtic nation. In fact, until the writings of W. F Skene in his work “Celtic Scotland”, published in the 19th century, the opposite was the case. Until “Celtic Scotland” (the History of the Highlanders) was published, Celtic-Highland history was completely ignored or diminished to a minor footnote of history. Since then, oddly, the history of Scotland has become, to some, the history of the Highlanders. Neither view is correct as it lacks historic balance. Whether this misconception is due to the cultural similarities of the Highlanders to the Irish, or romantic ties to the ancient Celts is unclear. But, Scotland today is a more cohesive nation than it was earlier in its history. Over 90% of modern Scots speak English as their primary language and the native Gaelic speaking Highlander is becoming increasingly a rare and unique individual. Going back some three hundred years we can clearly see two Scotland’s: one of the Gaels and Highlander, the other of the Anglo-Celtic Lowlander. This cultural separation was more dramatic in historic terms than today. But the role these two different cultures play in Scottish history was considerable, and vital to our understanding of the nation’s history. Even before the Highland-Lowland division, four separate kingdoms comprised what is now modern day Scotland. Those four peoples and how they came to form one nation sets the backdrop for this chapter.
Even before the Roman withdrawal in 410 AD, the differing factions who would compete for the land and soul of Scotland were manifesting in four very different cultures. The most numerous were the Picts who’d been in Scotland before the Romans. The others, with the possible exception of the Strathclyde British, were relative newcomers. The Angles from Holstein, Germany and the Scots from Ireland would come to dominate the native Picts and Britons. But how did this happen? Who were these different people?
http://members.aol.com/scothist/scot3.html
© Four Peoples - One Nation?
by Robert M Gunn©
All Rights Reserved, by all international copyright law exclusively to the author and ©Skye-Net, RM Gunn
Four Peoples - One Nation?
There is a curious misconception among some, that Scotland is entirely a Celtic nation. In fact, until the writings of W. F Skene in his work “Celtic Scotland”, published in the 19th century, the opposite was the case. Until “Celtic Scotland” (the History of the Highlanders) was published, Celtic-Highland history was completely ignored or diminished to a minor footnote of history. Since then, oddly, the history of Scotland has become, to some, the history of the Highlanders. Neither view is correct as it lacks historic balance. Whether this misconception is due to the cultural similarities of the Highlanders to the Irish, or romantic ties to the ancient Celts is unclear. But, Scotland today is a more cohesive nation than it was earlier in its history. Over 90% of modern Scots speak English as their primary language and the native Gaelic speaking Highlander is becoming increasingly a rare and unique individual. Going back some three hundred years we can clearly see two Scotland’s: one of the Gaels and Highlander, the other of the Anglo-Celtic Lowlander. This cultural separation was more dramatic in historic terms than today. But the role these two different cultures play in Scottish history was considerable, and vital to our understanding of the nation’s history. Even before the Highland-Lowland division, four separate kingdoms comprised what is now modern day Scotland. Those four peoples and how they came to form one nation sets the backdrop for this chapter.
Even before the Roman withdrawal in 410 AD, the differing factions who would compete for the land and soul of Scotland were manifesting in four very different cultures. The most numerous were the Picts who’d been in Scotland before the Romans. The others, with the possible exception of the Strathclyde British, were relative newcomers. The Angles from Holstein, Germany and the Scots from Ireland would come to dominate the native Picts and Britons. But how did this happen? Who were these different people?
http://members.aol.com/scothist/scot3.html