The Scottish Text Society (STS) is a
text publication society
A text publication society is a learned society which publishes (either as its sole function, or as a principal function) scholarly editions of old works of historical or literary interest, or archival documents. In addition to full texts, a text p ...
founded in 1882 to promote the study of
Scottish literature
Scottish literature is literature written in Scotland or by Scottish writers. It includes works in English, Scottish Gaelic, Scots, Brythonic, French, Latin, Norn or other languages written within the modern boundaries of Scotland.
The earli ...
.
The Society publishes scholarly editions of important texts from the country's literary history, and has played a significant role in the revival of interest in the literature and
languages of Scotland
The languages of Scotland are the languages spoken or once spoken in Scotland. Each of the numerous languages spoken in Scotland during its recorded linguistic history falls into either the Germanic languages, Germanic or Celtic languages, C ...
.
To date, the Society has published approximately 150 volumes, from the 14th to the 19th centuries, but with a focus on
Middle Scots
Middle Scots was the Anglic language of Lowland Scotland in the period from 1450 to 1700. By the end of the 15th century, its phonology, orthography, accidence, syntax and vocabulary had diverged markedly from Early Scots, which was virtually ...
works of the 16th to 18th centuries. These editions include poetry, drama and prose works.
Professor
Sally Mapstone
Dame Sally Mapstone (born 1957) is an academic and principal and vice-chancellor of the University of St Andrews.
Early life and education
Sally Mapstone was born in 1957 in Hillingdon, Middlesex, England, and grew up in West London. She read ...
Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the
University of St Andrews
(Aien aristeuein)
, motto_lang = grc
, mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best
, established =
, type = Public research university
Ancient university
, endowment ...
is Honorary President of the Society.
Notable publications
* ''
The Brus
''The Brus'', also known as ''The Bruce'', is a long narrative poem, in Early Scots, of just under 14,000 octosyllabic lines composed by John Barbour which gives a historic and chivalric account of the actions of Robert the Bruce and Sir Jame ...
'', by
John Barbour John Barbour may refer to:
* John Barbour (poet) (1316–1395), Scottish poet
* John Barbour (MP for New Shoreham), MP for New Shoreham 1368-1382
* John Barbour (footballer) (1890–1916), Scottish footballer
* John S. Barbour (1790–1855), U. ...
* ''
'', by
Blind Hary
* ''
The Buke of the Law of Armys'', by
Gilbert Hay
* ''The Shorter Poems of
Gavin Douglas
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 fa ...
''
*
''Virgil's'' Aeneid, ''Translated into Scottish Verse by Gavin Douglas, Bishop of Dunkeld''
* The works of
Alexander Montgomerie
Alexander Montgomerie (Scottish Gaelic: Alasdair Mac Gumaraid) (c. 1550?–1598) was a Scottish Jacobean courtier and poet, or makar, born in Ayrshire. He was a Scottish Gaelic speaker and a Scots speaker from Ayrshire, an area which wa ...
* ''
History of the House of Angus'', by
David Hume
David Hume (; born David Home; 7 May 1711 NS (26 April 1711 OS) – 25 August 1776) Cranston, Maurice, and Thomas Edmund Jessop. 2020 999br>David Hume" ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. Retrieved 18 May 2020. was a Scottish Enlightenment philo ...
* ''
The Complaynt of Scotland
''The Complaynt of Scotland'' is a Scottish book printed in 1549 as propaganda during the war of the Rough Wooing against the Kingdom of England, and is an important work of the Scots language.
Context and authorship
The book was part of the wa ...
''
* ''
The New Testament in Scots'', by
Murdoch Nisbet
Murdoch Nisbet (died 1559) was a Scottish notary public in the diocese of Glasgow who created one of the earliest Bible translations into Scots. Living in the parish of Loudoun, Ayrshire, Nisbet's work as a notary public brought him into contac ...
.
In 2014, the Society launched a new publication of the original poem
Buke of the Howlat
''The Buke of the Howlat'', often referred to simply as ''The Howlat'', is a humorous 15th century Scots poem by Richard Holland.
Description
The poem is a comic allegory in which all the characters are birds with human attributes, with a how ...
.
See also
*
Scottish Gaelic Texts Society
The Scottish Gaelic Texts Society is a text publication society established "to provide the publication of texts in the Scottish Gaelic language, accompanied by such introductions, English translations, glossaries and notes as may be deemed desir ...
References
External links
Official website
Book publishing companies of Scotland
Medieval literature
1882 establishments in Scotland
Learned societies of Scotland
Organizations established in 1882
Organisations based in Edinburgh
Scots-language works
Scots-language mass media
Text publication societies
History of literature in Scotland
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