Literature

Before of the understanding of the Scottish Literature we must to know the geographic features, the main particularity of Scotland came from the wonderful landscapes in the borders, the past of this island full of mystic histories, heroism and great courage. Then, the creation of the identity of the Scotland people arise from the different languages, the cultural preferences, the different terrains and cultures of each group of people than began to live together in a community. In one part we have the Nordic raiders, opposite them the Anglo-Saxons; they began to define the multi-faceted idiosyncrasy of the people of that Nordic island.

Donnottar Castle, Stonehaven

Therefore, in the poems we have different languages as Gaelic, Scots and English each one with own features like the rhythm, sounds, expressions of speech and writing. The geography is other important point about the writing style, because isn’t the same the poem write in the city or write near the cost with a beautiful landscape around. The city has other characters and particular histories, ancients and moderns.

The Wars of Independence in the XIII and XIV centuries, the image of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce brings to the writers, after the victory between the English forces, the inspiration to write poems about this historical fact and principally about the historical heroes reflecting the bravery of the leaders of this historical achievement.  We mentioned to Blind Harry who wrote some poems and stories about Wallace and John Barbour than realize the same job with Robert the Bruce between the early 1400s –1500s during the reigns of James III and James IV.

Robert The Bruce

William Wallace

For an easy understanding of the Scottish Literature we must imagine a timeline with five periods along the time of these historical periods, the most important facts and writers, and the specific cultural movement unique in each period of time.

The first lapse of time was the Early Literature; we can found a lot of stories about the contribution of the Celtic warriors and the Christian’s spread brings the sight to the world how was the lifestyle in that time, the cultural situation, and enriched the knowledge to the country, the linguistic mix propose a important fact about the different languages, this language are the Old English, Gaelic, Latin, Norse, and Welsh.

Other and one of the most important period was the Medieval Age - Renaissance, this period began with the War of Independence influenced by William Wallace and many others patriotic heroes, we have an infinity of stories, poems and songs than related this important fact for the Scottish culture.

The next era was the Enlightenment and Romanticism better known as the ‘great era’, here we have the emergence of many philosophers, songwriters, and novelists promoting with the cultural growing than still in the actuality.

The literature in the later XIX and XX Centuries, this era involves the expansion an evolution of the literature thought others places near Scotland, impressing to the rest of the world with the heroic vision in the writings that enriched the European Culture, not free from complications due to the wars what marked this time.

Actually, predominate the Modern and Contemporary literature, here we present the renewal of artists than influenced by many characteristic of this powerful culture, one of the most important actions by the government authorities is the creation of a ministry specifically dedicated to the collecting and preservation of Scottish literature, and a lot of universities and scholarships that conserve the literary potential of this prestigious nation.

(i'll upload a timeline indicating the main poems and writes, and each autor according the period)

References:

Riach, Alan (2008), What is Scottish Literature (ASL).pdf, recuperado 28, agosto del 2013. www.asls.org.uk