'Hauntings of Celticism': Fionn Mac Colla and the Myth of History

Lyall, Scott

Abstract

Fionn Mac Colla’s ideas of history can be characterised as postcolonial in their critique of historical determinism, Cartesian dualism and Whig progressivism. He utilises his theories, which encompass the psychological implications for individuals and nations of historical deficit, to oppose Scottish Reformation doctrine and the ostensible schisms of Scottish history, particularly the racial polarities promoted through Arnoldian Celticism. Mac Colla seeks to unify what he perceives as a divided Scottish history and identity through the adoption of Thomist religious philosophy.

Citation

Lyall, S. (2014). 'Hauntings of Celticism': Fionn Mac Colla and the Myth of History. Literature and History, 23(2), 51-66. https://doi.org/10.7227/LH.23.2.4

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Online Publication Date: Sep 1, 2014
• Publication Date: 2014-11
• Deposit Date: Jan 22, 2015
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 22, 2015
• Print ISSN: 0306-1973
• Electronic ISSN: 2050-4594
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 23
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 51-66
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.7227/LH.23.2.4
• Keywords: Scotland; history; Celtic tradition ; myth; Great Britain ; national identity ; Fionn Mac Colla; Celticism; Historicism; Matthew Arnold; Scottish Renaissance; postcolonial
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/id/eprint/7434
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.7227/LH.23.2.4