The Scots Gaelic Myth

[neloon]

So you're happy to ignore the far older roots of the Brythonnic speaking people as if their foundations count for nothing? This is what I would brand as Gaelic extremism - reinventing history and ignoring the much older roots of a none gaelic culture in Scotland in favour of stamping a manufactured homologous Gaelic culture in the place of the true culture of that area as a means to provide some feeling that the people on one side of the border are somehow massively different from those to the South when in fact it's more of a gradual evolution.

Yes, but the language is only one aspect of a general image of Scotland that has been constructed almost entirely from Highland culture and mores. Even the title of this site insists that the kilt is synonymous with Scotland together with bagpipes, tartan, Highland games, Highland dancing and so on. In an era of romanticism and perhaps partly through guilt at the way the Highlands had been treated, Walter Scott, David Stuart of Garth and various Highland societies publicised an unreal picture of the Highlands which took hold of the Scottish and international perception. This was supported by the disproportionate contribution of Highland kilted bagpipe-playing soldiers defending the Empire. And then there was Hollywood.
So the tourists (i.e. the dollars-people) expect to see "Failte gu Alba" at the border or at airports - it gives them a thrill and they spend more money and tell their friends to come. They want to believe in Celticness and clans and muddled versions of Culloden and clearances. They're not much interested in Picts (Brythonic or othrwise) or the Beaker people or whoever came before them who named many of the Scottish rivers and mountains after the gods of some unknown prehistoric culture.
Most countries invent their histories to some extent and it's pretty hard to go against the accepted truth. The Romans just knew that their culture was founded by Romulus and Remus, sons of Mars.

Alan

[Allan Thomson]

Well then that's sad because I think the Picts are a fascinating part of the picture of Scotland & their artwork is one of the most distictive and most pleasing (to my eye) styles of the period. Even if Historic Scotland maintains the fiction that it's only found in North Eastern Scotland ignoring the examples found elsewhere.

I think the whole period between the break up of the Roman empire & the establishment of the two distict countries of Scotland & England is just so much more fascinating. All the little powerblocks forming, some being dominant one minute then crushed and pretty much gone the next. The way that seemingly 'insignificant' places now could be highly influentual and dominant at one period.

I think one major issue when many talk about a history of a nation is that often those who produce the narrative are highly fascinated in their own little area, but not able to step back & see the bigger picture or look outside of theircown little bit of expertise. For example it's like the National Museum of Scotland talking about Somerled's Kingdom of the Isles, whilst not even mentioning that those Isles were part of a much bigger & stronger sea kingdom of Mann & The Isles or Historic Scotland claiming Pictish artwotk is only found in North Eastern Scotland whereas it's also in Dumfries & Galloway & found on the Isle of Man too ( & even in Wales).

I sometimes think the (wilful?) ignorance of anything outside of one's country despite there being connections elsewhere is just part of manufacturing a distinct identity as somehow being unconnected & different from all about...

[Profane James]

...never forget...