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A Handbook of the Scottish Gaelic World
A Handbook of Scottish Gaelic Culture provides, for the first time, an overview of Scotland's indigenous Celtic society, including many primary sources which have never previously been edited or translated. This presentation of materials allows the reader to appreciate Gaelic culture from its own point of view in its proper cultural context.
Gaeldom is the heir to the deeply rooted Celtic societies of Scotland. During the early medieval period, an elite culture common to Scotland and Ireland flourished and developed political and intellectual institutions. After the disruption of the Viking Age, the MacDonald Lords of the Isles cultivated a renaissance of Gaelic culture in a stable principality. Yet, in the last several centuries, Gaelic culture and language have been suppressed and stigmatized as primitive and doomed for extinction.
The premises of these stereotypes are re-examined with a post-colonial outlook that places Gaeldom in a wider cross-cultural context. This book investigates the general features of Gaelic clan society in the latter medieval period as well as its responses to institutionalized Anglicization since the mid-eighteenth century. Poetry, songs, and tales, supplemented by the accounts of insiders and travellers, illuminate the traditional way of life. The oral tradition, social organization, morality, sense of place, ecology, cosmology, music, and the role of language are examined. This is an essential and accessible source-book for scholars, students, and all enthusiasts of Scottish culture.
Gaeldom is the heir to the deeply rooted Celtic societies of Scotland. During the early medieval period, an elite culture common to Scotland and Ireland flourished and developed political and intellectual institutions. After the disruption of the Viking Age, the MacDonald Lords of the Isles cultivated a renaissance of Gaelic culture in a stable principality. Yet, in the last several centuries, Gaelic culture and language have been suppressed and stigmatized as primitive and doomed for extinction.
The premises of these stereotypes are re-examined with a post-colonial outlook that places Gaeldom in a wider cross-cultural context. This book investigates the general features of Gaelic clan society in the latter medieval period as well as its responses to institutionalized Anglicization since the mid-eighteenth century. Poetry, songs, and tales, supplemented by the accounts of insiders and travellers, illuminate the traditional way of life. The oral tradition, social organization, morality, sense of place, ecology, cosmology, music, and the role of language are examined. This is an essential and accessible source-book for scholars, students, and all enthusiasts of Scottish culture.
320 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2000
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April 5, 2012
In his book, A Handbook of the Scottish Gaelic World, Michael Newton attempts to clear misconceptions of Gaelic-Scottish tradition through historical facts and modern socioeconomic analysis. Newton explains the common misconceptions people have of the Celtic culture as a whole. He gives immense background information about this culture and the branches that stem from it. From here he explains the differences in language which subsequently produced various cultural communities throughout Western Europe. He focuses on the Gaelic clan society in classical Scotland between the 12th and 17th centuries. Newton dissects every facet of Scottish culture - language, natural environment, belief and social structure - and interprets each through qualifying its importance in cultures throughout the world. He writes to prove the strength of Scottish culture and the integrity and continuity of its traditions that were so widely considered peculiar and often times barbaric.
Newton uses the beginning of each chapter to give the reader a generalized account of the subject at hand. Through this account he qualifies his information with the world as a whole and our understanding of culture today. With this we can reach a correlation between, and in turn realize the importance of, Scottish tradition and today’s modern society. The chapter subjects move fluidly from generalizations of culture to more concentrated historical analysis of Scottish tradition. These concentrations introduce a concept of past Scottish culture that many outside Scotland may be unfamiliar with ( i.e. Gaelic Oral Tradition, Organization and Operation of Society and Belief, Tradition, and Science). These he breaks down into sub-sections which begin with a basic ideology of the subject and moves gently along until he reaches a focalized area of historical explanation. In each chapter I can imagine myself as a ship being led into harbor, Newton acting as a tugboat gently guiding through a pyramid of knowledge until he reaches the pinnacle of his intended perception.
Not only does Newton focus on the historical tidbits of society and economy but he presents us with poems, songs, legends and accounts that create a vivid image of these Scottish traditions. And in turn, he uses these images to circle back around and connect them with his socioeconomic analysis of the human community at large. Most importantly, Newton argues that because of the strength of its tradition, Scotland’s culture was able to withstand multiple intrusions on religious and political levels without having to sacrifice too much in the process of assimilation. But what culture was lost in these struggles throughout the years is now gaining spirit as many people desire connections with their lost Scottish Gaelic, and even broader Celtic, roots. Newton hopes that as people try to reconnect with Scottish tradition his book can give them the information they need to understand and develop their cultural identity. He argues that it is only through a “more complete and balanced understanding of the past” that we can “plan the direction we are headed in the present”.
As he dissects Scottish Gaelic tradition, Newton cleanly divulges cultural characteristics that are seen across the globe. By emphasizing their historical importance in Scottish culture Newton is able to reiterate the necessity of cultural relativity in our world today. This is not to say Newton simply validates tradition cross-culturally. What he does is pin-point peculiarities of Scottish Gaelic tradition and argues that those peculiarities are the ones we must embrace, not exploit or disqualify, in order to perpetuate a cultural attachment and thus form a personal identity. It is only once we have come to understand our own cultural heritage, or created cultural identity, that we can better understand and accept the heritage and traditions of others.
Newton is incredibly well-versed in his history as well as his analytical ability. It makes for a refreshing, educational and enjoyable read with which one can connect through sociological understanding and at the same time come away with a new respect for a somewhat mysterious foreign culture. This book not only defines Scottish Gaelic tradition but also the cross-currents and basic characteristics of culture. Newton successfully breaks apart the multiple aspects and influential factors of this intriguing culture and then reconnects them as parts to a whole. He has an uncanny ability to display fascinating historical fact while at the same time allude to its semblance in modern society.
The only disappointing factor is that there are certain aspects of Scottish culture that Newton touches on but does not leave room to elaborate. For instance, his inclusion of Tartanism in the chapter entitled “Past and Future Prospects” merely glides over his rather intriguing idea of cultural exaggeration, leaving us eager for further explanation. It cannot be expected of a “handbook” to go severely in depth on every proposed subject, and the book is in no way lacking because of this. Yet those with more sophisticated areas of Scottish Gaelic expertise might be left desiring a bit more. But for those who are interested in learning more about the evolution of Scottish culture and its rippling effect on our modern perceptions of Scotland, then this is an excellent source.
Newton brings us into an unseen world of Scottish culture. He creates a portal wherein the reader can enter into classical Scotland and absorb history on a personal level. Through his extensive use of primary sources we can imagine ourselves in a time of rich tradition and from this perspective we can come to deeply appreciate not only Scottish culture but the idea of culture as a living, evolving entity. Newton’s work answers the questions of how Scottish Gaelic culture has evolved and where it has gone. This book gives hope to the preservation of the true Scottish tradition. It is not one filled with plaids and bagpipes but language and understanding, of kinship and honor. This book is an important step to the renewal of Scottish culture and can be used by many as a stepping-stone in understanding their Scottish Gaelic heritage. By reading this book “we can learn much about Scotland by comparing its history to the experiences of similarly marginalized cultures, and in turn Scotland can make its contribution to the revitalization of others peoples who value their heritage and the wondrous diversity of humankind”.
Newton uses the beginning of each chapter to give the reader a generalized account of the subject at hand. Through this account he qualifies his information with the world as a whole and our understanding of culture today. With this we can reach a correlation between, and in turn realize the importance of, Scottish tradition and today’s modern society. The chapter subjects move fluidly from generalizations of culture to more concentrated historical analysis of Scottish tradition. These concentrations introduce a concept of past Scottish culture that many outside Scotland may be unfamiliar with ( i.e. Gaelic Oral Tradition, Organization and Operation of Society and Belief, Tradition, and Science). These he breaks down into sub-sections which begin with a basic ideology of the subject and moves gently along until he reaches a focalized area of historical explanation. In each chapter I can imagine myself as a ship being led into harbor, Newton acting as a tugboat gently guiding through a pyramid of knowledge until he reaches the pinnacle of his intended perception.
Not only does Newton focus on the historical tidbits of society and economy but he presents us with poems, songs, legends and accounts that create a vivid image of these Scottish traditions. And in turn, he uses these images to circle back around and connect them with his socioeconomic analysis of the human community at large. Most importantly, Newton argues that because of the strength of its tradition, Scotland’s culture was able to withstand multiple intrusions on religious and political levels without having to sacrifice too much in the process of assimilation. But what culture was lost in these struggles throughout the years is now gaining spirit as many people desire connections with their lost Scottish Gaelic, and even broader Celtic, roots. Newton hopes that as people try to reconnect with Scottish tradition his book can give them the information they need to understand and develop their cultural identity. He argues that it is only through a “more complete and balanced understanding of the past” that we can “plan the direction we are headed in the present”.
As he dissects Scottish Gaelic tradition, Newton cleanly divulges cultural characteristics that are seen across the globe. By emphasizing their historical importance in Scottish culture Newton is able to reiterate the necessity of cultural relativity in our world today. This is not to say Newton simply validates tradition cross-culturally. What he does is pin-point peculiarities of Scottish Gaelic tradition and argues that those peculiarities are the ones we must embrace, not exploit or disqualify, in order to perpetuate a cultural attachment and thus form a personal identity. It is only once we have come to understand our own cultural heritage, or created cultural identity, that we can better understand and accept the heritage and traditions of others.
Newton is incredibly well-versed in his history as well as his analytical ability. It makes for a refreshing, educational and enjoyable read with which one can connect through sociological understanding and at the same time come away with a new respect for a somewhat mysterious foreign culture. This book not only defines Scottish Gaelic tradition but also the cross-currents and basic characteristics of culture. Newton successfully breaks apart the multiple aspects and influential factors of this intriguing culture and then reconnects them as parts to a whole. He has an uncanny ability to display fascinating historical fact while at the same time allude to its semblance in modern society.
The only disappointing factor is that there are certain aspects of Scottish culture that Newton touches on but does not leave room to elaborate. For instance, his inclusion of Tartanism in the chapter entitled “Past and Future Prospects” merely glides over his rather intriguing idea of cultural exaggeration, leaving us eager for further explanation. It cannot be expected of a “handbook” to go severely in depth on every proposed subject, and the book is in no way lacking because of this. Yet those with more sophisticated areas of Scottish Gaelic expertise might be left desiring a bit more. But for those who are interested in learning more about the evolution of Scottish culture and its rippling effect on our modern perceptions of Scotland, then this is an excellent source.
Newton brings us into an unseen world of Scottish culture. He creates a portal wherein the reader can enter into classical Scotland and absorb history on a personal level. Through his extensive use of primary sources we can imagine ourselves in a time of rich tradition and from this perspective we can come to deeply appreciate not only Scottish culture but the idea of culture as a living, evolving entity. Newton’s work answers the questions of how Scottish Gaelic culture has evolved and where it has gone. This book gives hope to the preservation of the true Scottish tradition. It is not one filled with plaids and bagpipes but language and understanding, of kinship and honor. This book is an important step to the renewal of Scottish culture and can be used by many as a stepping-stone in understanding their Scottish Gaelic heritage. By reading this book “we can learn much about Scotland by comparing its history to the experiences of similarly marginalized cultures, and in turn Scotland can make its contribution to the revitalization of others peoples who value their heritage and the wondrous diversity of humankind”.
October 25, 2021
I had bought this book years ago and it got a bit lost at the back of the shelves before I finally got around to reading it. I'm oddly glad I waited, as my knowledge of Gaelic (both the language and the culture) has improved enough that I'm probably getting more out of the book now than I would have at the time I bought it. Lots of really thought-provoking stuff here.
October 28, 2014
An invaluable resource for my Gaelic Literature course.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews