Module Three - Scottish Library and Information Council

BOOKMARK
SCOTLAND
Chapter Three
Scottish
language
& culture
3.1
3.2
3.3
Scots
Gaelic
Voices of Modern Scotland
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A training programme on Scottish writing, publishing and resources for library staff
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Scottish language
& culture
CPD target
In this module you will
look at two aspects of
culture and heritage that
are unique to Scotland –
Scots dialects and Gaelic
language.
For some of you who are
not Scottish, this will be an
area that you might feel a
little overwhelmed by. But
it is important that you
have an understanding of
this part of Scottish
heritage. It is supported
by the Scottish
Government and is an
element of language and
literacy within the Scottish
curriculum.You will also
become aware of the
influences on Scottish
writing provided by the
rich diversity of cultures
and ethnicity now residing
here.
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2.1 Scots
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It is estimated that around one and a
half million people in Scotland speak a
Scots dialect and it is an integral and
vital part of Scotland’s literature. Many
of the writers looked at in Chapter Two,
such as Burns, Robert Louis Stevenson,
Hugh MacDiarmid, Liz Lochhead,
James Robertson and IrvineWelsh,
wrote or write in Scots.
What is Scots?
Scots evolved out of
Northumbrian Old English which
came to what is now lowland
Scotland in the 7th Century.The
people speaking this language
were the Germanic Angles, who
had been populating Britain
since the 5th Century. English
also comes from the same routes.
By the 11th Century, there was
a flood of people populating the
country from the North of
England.Their language was
heavily influenced by Old Norse
brought by Viking invaders. Add
to this French, Latin, Gaelic and
Flemish adopted words, and this
cocktail of languages became
Scots.
By the early 16th Century,
Scots was increasingly the
national language, just as English
was developing South of the
border. Scottish kings and queens
spoke Scots as well as Latin and
French.
This began to change with the
Union of the Crowns in 1603 when
King James VI of Scotland also
became King James I of England.
He established his court in
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London and adopted English as
his first language.The Union of
the Parliaments in 1707 meant
that London was where
Parliament met and the language
used was English. Gradually, from
this time on, English began to be
the language of formal speech
and writing.
Over the years, from 1707
onwards, there was a cultural shift
and people began to think that
speaking English was better and
more ‘proper’ than Scots.The
bible was published in English
and although people continued to
use Scots in everyday
conversation, it became
recognized as a group of dialects
rather than a language in its own
right.
The 20th Century Scottish
playwright, Robert McClellan
used these cultural changes
following union with England as
the inspiration for his play The
Flouers o Edinburgh.The
determination of manservant,
Jock Carmichael to speak only
Scots, whilst his master, Charles
Gilchrist attempts to speak
English so he can fit into London
society is very funny.
CPD activity
The revival of Scots
The poets, Robert Burns, Robert
Fergusson and Sir Walter Scot
began a revival of Scots
vernacular as they chose to write
in the language.The real revival
was led in the early 20th Century
by poets like Hugh MacDiarmid
who actively promoted the
language.
Did you know?
There are probably many Scots
words you use in everyday speech
but may not even realize are Scots.
Words such as:
• ‘Ken’ for know
• ‘Aye’ for yes
• ‘Dreich’ for dreary
• ‘Stooshie’ for a fuss
• ‘Pinkie’ for the little finger
• ‘Wee’ for small
• ‘Messages’ for the shopping
• ‘Swither’ for wondering about
something
• ‘Pieces’ for a sandwich.
Can you think of more?
Click here to a BBC link and
read Carl MacDougall’s
short essay on Scots in the
20th Century. List the
writers mentioned that you
have read. Choose one. Go
to the library shelves and
select one book.Write five
Scots words you are
unfamiliar with. How would
you go about finding out
what each means? If you
are stuck then click through
to www.dsl.ac.uk and type
the word into the search box
and hit return for
definitions of your
chosen words.
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Scots today
The European Charter for
Regional or Minority Languages
is meant to ensure that regional
and minority languages are used
in education as far as possible.
The UK government signed the
Charter in 2000 for Scots and
Gaelic in Scotland as well as
Welsh, Ulster-Scots and Irish in
Northern Ireland.
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The Challenge of ‘Scots’
Defining what is the Scots
language is a challenge as it
consists of different dialects.The
principal recognized dialects are:
• Shetland dialect
• Orcadian dialect
• Caithness dialect
• North East dialect
• East Central dialect
• Angus and Tayside dialect
• Galloway dialect
• West Central dialect
• Borders dialect
Each dialect will have it’s own
vocabulary and idiomatic
phrases.Words used in one area
will not necessarily be
recognized in another. A number
of the local authorities have
initiatives and projects in place to
promote and celebrate the local
dialect.
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CPD activity
For an idea of the range of
activities taking place
spend at least 15 minutes
browsing the Scots
Language Centre website,
www.scotslanguage.com
This is a great resource for
furthering the Scots
language and its use.This
site will also give links to
other groups and
organisations and
highlight local
initiatives.
Suggested activity
Another useful source of
information is
www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/
links
Magazines are another
good source of Scots
writing. Read some of the
stories in Lallans
www.lallans.co.uk
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Young Scots
Scots forms a part of the Curriculum
for Excellence.Many schools already
have Scots week when pupils are
encouraged to understand about the
diversity of languages within the
country and that all have a legitimate
place.Scots weeks usually take place
in January round about Burns Night.
There are now a number of national
and local projects designed to
stimulate an interest in and a use of
Scots amongst children.Foremost
amongst them is publisher Itchy Coo
which has produced fantastic books
for all ages of children.
CPD activity
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The new Scots language
module from Learning &
Teaching Scotland is now
on-line at
www.educationscotland.gov
.uk
This is an essential place to
go to find out about the
range of activities which
can be easily organised to
promote Scots alongside
your local schools.
Spend time looking at some
of the short films showing
Scots activities in primary
schools.
Plan an activity for a group
of primary aged children to
introduce them to the Scots
language. (think about a
song or story with actions
and opportunities for
joining in.)
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“A
fore 2002, maist books for
bairns in Scots were dour
hame-knittit affairs wi
dreich illustrations and stories
best described as worthy.Twa
writers, James Robertson and
Matthew Fitt, believed that the
thoosands o children that bide,
blether and boonce aboot in
Scotland and hae hunners o Scots
words in their mooths and braw
ideas in their heids deserved
better.
Sae wi money fae the National
Lottery and support fae the
Scottish Arts Cooncil, Itchy Coo
launched eicht new books in
2002. Suddenly the children’s
Scottish sections in bookshops
were hotchin wi colour and life.
Bairns could read the Scots
Animal ABC fou o pictures o
birlin bears wi big bahookies and
crabbit crocodiles wi clarty claes
or The Wee Book o Fairy Tales in
Scots wi Snaw White and her
freends Luggie, Nebbie, Greetin,
Crabbit, Glaikit, Big Heid and
Minger.
But some folks’ eebroos were
fair wagglin when they heard
aboot thir new books for bairns
in Scots.That’s aw just ‘slang’,
some said.Ye cannae teach the
weans that.
Apairt fae brichtenin up readin
for bairns, Itchy Coo’s goal has
been tae promote the Scots
language in schuils. Pupils
respond gey weel tae innovative
Scots lessons wi teachers noo
reportin improvements in literacy,
self-esteem and improved skills
in English and ither languages.
Yin o Itchy Coo’s maist
significant achievements wis tae
successfully campaign for Scots
tae be included as an integral
pairt o Curriculum for
Excellence.
And since the Scots language
has tae work harder for
acceptance than English or
Gaidhlig, Itchy Coo embarked on
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The story of Itchy Coo | by Matthew Fitt
an extensive Education and
Ootreach programme. By
promotin Scots in ower a
thoosand schuils and at the
Scottish Pairlament and United
Nations, Itchy Coo has
challenged mony o the glaikit
negative views aboot Scots and
opened up the possibilities o
Scots for a new generation o
weans and dominies.
Itchy Coo has juist published
its 35th title, Precious and the
Puggies by the kenspeckle
author Alexander McCall Smith.
Wi a quarter o a million books
sellt sae far, this imprint has
proved tae the warld that the
audience for Scots is muckle and
aye hungert for mair.
And in spite o whit onybody
says, it’s plain as the tail on a coo’s
bahookie that Scotland as a
nation cares passionately aboot
its ain Scots tongue.
Matthew Fitt
”
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As well as Itchy Coo, Scottish
publisher,Waverley Books,has
produced, in Scots,graphic novels
of two Robert Louis Stevenson
classics in Scots - Kidnappit
(Kidnapped) and Unco Case O’
Dr Jekyll an’Mr Hyde (The
Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr
Hyde).
Inta Shetland works in
association with Hansel
Cooperative Press to translate
classic literature into Shetland
dialect and,where possible,to
offer dialect resources and
support to local schools free of
charge.Current work is
undertaken by Christine De Luca.
Recent publications include Roald
Dahl’s George's Marvellous
Medicine, translated into the
Shetland dialect!
Each child in the primary 4-7
age received a free copy of
Dodie's Phenomenal Pheesic and
each primary school has
received, free of charge,a class
set of the book.The idea is to help
children read the dialect fluently
and involve parents and
grandparents in the process.
Images used with permission
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A recent and high profile
publication is Alexander McCall
Smith’s‘Precious and the Puggies’.
Published for children,the book
was available only in Scots for a
year.The main character is
Precious Ramotswe from No.1
Ladies Detective Agency on her
first investigation as a school girl.
Written by Alexander,it has been
translated into Scots by James
Robertson and illustrated by Ian
Mackintosh.
Alexander McCall Smith
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explains the impetus behind the
book:“It’s a story for children.I
wanted to support a project being
run in Scotland to get the books
into schools so that children could
be reminded of this wonderful
heritage we have in Scotland – the
Scots language.I think minority
languages are a very important
part of our culture and that we
must try to protect them.It would
be a great shame if we all ended
up speaking the same language.”
“It’s a story for children. I wanted to
support a project being run in Scotland
to get the books into schools so that
children could be reminded of this
wonderful heritage we have in Scotland
– the Scots language. I think minority
languages are a very important part of
our culture and that we must try to
protect them. It would be a great shame
if we all ended up speaking the same
language.”
Image used with permission
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2.2 Gaelic
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Gaelic is one of Scotland’s national
languages. However the majority of you
will not be Gaelic speakers.This part of
the module is designed to give you an
overview of the history of the language
and it’s current status.
What is Gaelic?
Gaelic is descended from the
Celtic language brought over
from the North of Ireland by the
original Scots.The 9th Century
saw a time of huge upheaval
caused by Viking invasions.The
Gaels took control and there was
a new name in Gaelic for the
kingdom – Alba.The kings of
Alba had Gaelic names like
Domhnall, Maolcholaim, Aodh,
and Donnchadh, and one dynasty
ruled that kingdom right through
to the 12th century and beyond.
By the 11th Century Gaelic
was the dominant language of the
emerging Scottish kingdom.The
Vikings who had invaded Britain
during the 9th century settled in
great numbers along the North
and West coasts. In many places
they, and their Scandinavian
language, were in the minority
and so hybrid communities
sprang up, such as the GallGhàidhil.
By the 12th century, too,
Scandinavian noblemen in the
west had Gaelic nicknames, and
could speak Gaelic, from Dublin
to the Outer Hebrides. It was their
descendents who would form a
number of the lordly families that
went on to be the clan chiefs
down through the subsequent
centuries.
To be a Gael, in the middle
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ages, then, was to be a speaker
of Gaelic - it was not a question
of race or ethnicity. Gaelic clans
looked to multiple lands for their
ancestry, not just the Highlands.
Up to the 14th century, the
Highlands did not exist as a
distinct geographical area. But
after this time circumstances
changed to bring about the
Highland-Lowland divide that
exists today.The kings of Alba,
although proud of their Gaelic
and Irish ancestry, were also
Europeans, bringing in new
religious structures from England
and the Continent; opening up
trade routes and establishing a
network of burghs. In burghs and
in the church, the main language
came to be Scots. Even Gaelic
speakers began to use Scots in
business correspondence and
when the printing press arrived
only a few books were published
in Gaelic.
The Highland Clearances had
an even greater impact on the
Gaelic speaking population as
many were forced to leave
Scotland for new countries. A
further blow came with the
Scottish Education Act of 1872
which made English the
language of schools. Gaelic
speakers had to be bilingual
and found their first language
only being used in the home.
But today Gaelic is going
through a revival with support
and funding from the Scottish
Government.The BBC offers
Gaelic radio and television, the
signage in the Scottish
Parliament is in both English
and Gaelic and there is Gaelicmedium education in 63
primary schools, including the
Glasgow and Inverness Gaelic
Schools.There’s also more and
more education in Gaelic at preschool, in secondary schools
and in further education such as
the Gaelic University on the Isle
of Skye. There are now many
opportunities to both learn and
use Gaelic.
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Sorley Maclean
he poet Sorley Maclean
(1911-1996) is recognized
as one of Scotland’s most
distinguished Gaelic poets. He
was born on The Isle of Raasay
just off the Isle of Skye. He went to
school on Skye and then on to
Edinburgh University.Throughout
the 1930s he was writing poetry
and his first collection, Poems to
Eimhir and Other Poems, was
published in 1943.This collection
was of great significance for
Gaelic poetry. Maclean was
writing about contemporary
issues such as war, love, loss,
marriage and social inequality
and injustice.The collection was
recognized as the breakthrough
of a powerful and moving poetic
voice.
Sorley MacLean wrote in
Gaelic because he wanted to see
the language re-established as a
central part of Scottish culture
and literature.The artist,
Alexander Moffat, who painted
Sorley MacLean describes him
as “one of the great oral
historians of the Western Islands.
He could talk for hours about the
way Highlanders had been
ruthlessly exploited over the past
200 years or so and trace the
individual involvement of
families, fathers, grandfathers
and great-grandfathers in
historical events, as if he had
personally met them all and
heard their stories at first hand.”
Other Gaelic poets and
novelists followed in MacLean’s
footsteps including George
Campbell Hay, Derick Thomson
and Iain Crichton Smith.
Sorley MacLean
wrote in Gaelic
because he wanted
to see the language
re-established as a
central part of
Scottish culture and
literature.
Image used with permission
CPD activity
To learn more about Gaelic
literature, click here to an
interview with Gaelic poet,
Aonghas Macneacail.
Which Gaelic writers have
influenced him?
Why has he chosen to write
in Gaelic?
Find out more about Sorley
MacLean at:
www.somhairlemacgilleain.org
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CPD activity
The Gaelic Books Council is responsible for the
publication of books in Gaelic.
Click through to their website at www.gaelicbooks.org
and browse the books they are currently promoting.
List any books that look familiar.
List any that are in your library catalogue.
Now click through to the website of Acair Ltd,
www.acairbooks.com.This publisher is based on Lewis
in theWestern Isles and publishes a wide range of
Gaelic, English and bilingual books.
Click on ‘products’.
Browse the different categories.
Note any books that look familiar - this includes in their
original versions.
Which ones, in the Gaelic version, are in your library
catalogue?
Did you know?
Today, Gaelic is used predominantly in the
Outer Hebrides but there are few areas of the
country that do not have places named by the
original Gaelic speakers. How many of the
following did you know came from Gaelic:
• Balerno in Midlothian (baile airneach)
meaning Hawthorn Farm
• Craigentinny in Edinburgh (creag an tsionnaich) meaning Fox Craig.
• Aultivullin in Sutherland (allt a’ mhuilinn)
meaning mill burn.
• Drummore on the Mull of Galloway (druim
mòr) meaning big ridge.
• Cairnbulg near Fraserburgh (càrn builg)
meaning gap cairn.
English is a cocktail language – full of words
and borrowings from the languages of all the
peoples who have settled here.These are some
examples of words you might use that have
come from Gaelic.
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Voices of Modern Scotland
Scotland is a melting pot of ethnic
diversity from all over the world.
The nation’s urban areas have
people from the Indian subcontinent, Africa and the
Caribbean as well as Europe,
Australasia and America. As a
result, our literature reflects this
variety and vitality.
Jackie Kay was born in
Edinburgh, Scotland in 1961 to a
Scottish mother and a Nigerian
father. She was adopted by a
white couple at birth and was
brought up in Glasgow, studying
at the Royal Scottish Academy of
Music and Drama and Stirling
University where she read
English.The experience of being
adopted by and growing up
within a white family inspired her
first collection of poetry,The
Adoption Papers (1991).
Leila Aboulela, was born in
Khartoum to an Egyptian mother
and Sudanese father, moved to
Scotland with her husband in
1990. Her debut novel,The
Translator (Polygon, 1999), was
longlisted for the Impac and
Orange prizes. Her short story
collection, Coloured Lights
(Polygon, 2001), won the Caine
Prize for African Writing. Her
second novel, Minaret
(Bloomsbury, 2005), was longlisted for the Orange Prize for
Fiction.
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Raman Mundair was born in
India, raised in Manchester, but
has lived and worked across
Scotland from Glasgow to
Shetland. She writes, poetry,
prose and plays and her debut
collection of poetry, Lovers, Liars,
Conjurors and Thieves (Peepal
Press, 2003) was well received.
Suhayl Saadi,a practicing
doctor with a Afghan-PakistaniYorkshire-Glasgow inheritance
has been called a cross between
Salman Rushdie and
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Irvine Welsh.His collection of
short stories,The Burning Mirror
(Polygon, 2001),was shortlisted
for the Saltire Society Scottish First
Book of theYear Award.His debut
novel, Psychoraag (Black and
White, 2004),was also shortlisted
for the James Tait Black Memorial
Prize and the 2005 National
Literary Award (Pakistan).
Luke Sutherland is a Londoner
and an Orcadian. His debut novel,
Jelly Roll (Anchor, 1998) was
shortlisted for the Whitbread First
Novel Award. Maud Sulter is a
Glaswegian of Scots and
Ghanaian descent, and is not only
a poet and playwright but also a
visual art. Her debut poetry
collection is As A Blackwoman
(Akira Press, 1985).
Zoe Wicomb is a South
African-born Glaswegian who
was involved in establishing
Creative Writing at the University
of Strathclyde. Her first book,You
Can’t Get Lost In Cape Town
(Pantheon, 1987), found her a
global readership, and her
subsequent books, David’s Story
CPD activity
Check the library shelves to
see how many of the authors
mentioned here are in
stock. If these writers are
under represented, think of
three reasons you would
present to those buying
stock to purchase some of
these titles.
(The Feminist Press, 2001), and
Playing in the Light (Random
House, 2006), have confirmed her
reputation as an outstanding
author.
Sheila Puri is an emerging
author who is a Punjabi Sikh
raised in Glasgow and Leela
Soma’s debut novel,Twice Born
won the Scottish Margaret
Thompson Davis prize.
Finally, there are Scottish
writers raised in Africa and who
have used their experiences as
inspiration, authors such William
Boyd and Alexander McCall
Smith and playwright
David Greig.