Gavin Douglas (c. 1474 – September 1522) was a Scottish bishop,
makar and translator. Although he had an important political career, he is chiefly remembered for his poetry. His main pioneering achievement was the ''
Eneados'', a full and faithful vernacular translation of the ''
Aeneid'' of Virgil into
Scots
Scots usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including:
* Scots language, a language of the West Germanic language family native to Scotland
* Scots people, a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland
* Scoti, a Latin na ...
, and the first successful example of its kind in any
Anglic language. Other extant poetry of his includes ''Palice of Honour'', and possibly ''King Hart''.
Life and career
Early life
Gavin (or Gawin, Gawane, Gawain) Douglas was born c. 1474–76, at
Tantallon Castle
Tantallon Castle is a ruined mid-14th-century fortress, located east of North Berwick, in East Lothian, Scotland. It sits atop a promontory opposite the Bass Rock, looking out onto the Firth of Forth. The last medieval curtain wall castle to ...
, East Lothian, the third son of
Archibald, 5th Earl of Angus by his second wife Elizabeth Boyd. A Vatican register records that Gavin Douglas was 13 in 1489, suggesting he was born in 1476. An application had been lodged to award Gavin the right to hold a Church canonry or prebend and enjoy its income. Another appeal to Rome concerning church appointments made in February 1495 states his age as 20.
He was a student at
St Andrews University in 1489–94, and thereafter, it is supposed, at Paris. He chiefly studied
Aristotle, but also studied other areas including Logic, Physics, Natural Philosophy, and Metaphysics.
in 1492 he received his bachelor's degree, and in 1496 was named among the ''Licentiati'', or Masters of Arts, which was regarded at the time as an advanced academic degree.
In 1496 he obtained the living of
Monymusk, Aberdeenshire, and later he became
parson of Lynton (modern
East Linton) and rector of Hauch (modern
Prestonkirk), in
East Lothian
East Lothian (; sco, East Lowden; gd, Lodainn an Ear) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, as well as a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area. The county was called Haddingtonshire until 1921.
In 1975, the histo ...
. About 1501 he was preferred to the deanery or
provostship of the
collegiate church of
St Giles, Edinburgh, which he held with his parochial charges.
Early career
Until the
Battle of Flodden in September 1513, Gavin Douglas appears to have been occupied with his