The term Caledonian Antisyzygy refers to the "idea of dueling polarities within one entity", thought of as typical for the Scottish psyche and literature. The term, which is derived from the Greek word ''zygon'' (yoke) and ''syzygy'' (conjunction or alignment), specifically refers to the so-called "Scottish disjunction".

Origin

Caledonian Antisyzygy was first coined by G. Gregory Smith in response to the view - especially that espoused by figures such as

T.S. Eliot Thomas Stearns Eliot (26 September 18884 January 1965) was a poet, essayist, publisher, playwright, literary critic and editor.Bush, Ronald. "T. S. Eliot's Life and Career", in John A Garraty and Mark C. Carnes (eds), ''American National B ...

- that there is no value in Scottish provincial literature, noting an absence of coherence and an anchor in a single language. Smith argued that such diversity or the union of opposites forms the basis of Scottish literature. While merging of opposites is not a unique cultural or racial trait, it is said that such contradiction became apotheosized among the Scots. In his 1919 book ''Scottish Literature: Character and Influence,'' Smith wrote:

we find at closer scanning that the cohesion at least in formal expression and in choice of material is only apparent, that the literature is remarkably varied, and that it becomes, under the stress of foreign influence, almost a zigzag of contradictions. The antithesis need not, however, disconcert us. Perhaps in the very combination of opposites—what either of the two Thomases, of Norwich and Cromarty, might have been willing to call "the Caledonian antisyzygy"— we have a reflection of the contrasts which the Scot shows at every turn... we need not be surprised to find that in his literature the Scot presents two aspects which appear contradictory. Oxymoron was ever the bravest figure, and we must not forget that disorderly order is order after all.

The term has since been adopted by figures of the Scottish Renascence of the 1920s such as

Christopher Murray Grieve Christopher Murray Grieve (11 August 1892 – 9 September 1978), best known by his pen name Hugh MacDiarmid (), was a Scottish poet, journalist, essayist and political figure. He is considered one of the principal forces behind the Scottish Rena ...

also known as

Hugh MacDiarmid Christopher Murray Grieve (11 August 1892 – 9 September 1978), best known by his pen name Hugh MacDiarmid (), was a Scottish poet, journalist, essayist and political figure. He is considered one of the principal forces behind the Scottish Rena ...

. The poet elaborated on the concept in his essay, ''The Caledonian Antisyzygy and the Gaelic Idea'', published in two parts in ''The Modern Scot'' 1931–1932. The notion is most frequently cited in reference to the seemingly morally contradictory quality of the works of

Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll a ...

(''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'') and James Hogg (''The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner'').Hugo Dobson and Glenn D. Hook. (1993).
''Japan and Britain in the Contemporary World'', p. 157
Lynn Abrams and Callum G. Brown (2009)
''A History of Everyday Life in Twentieth-Century Scotland'', p. 184
It is suggested that the emergence of Caledonian Antisyzygy as a tradition is associated with postmodernism, which resonates in Scotland not only due to the increasing

cultural diversity Cultural diversity is the quality of diverse or different cultures, as opposed to monoculture, the global monoculture, or a homogenization of cultures, akin to cultural evolution. The term "cultural diversity" can also refer to having different cu ...

in Britain but also because this genre features ontological shifts into worlds that are disjunct from reality. Scholars such as Randall Stevenson maintained that the Scottish literature itself often includes narratives that have "antisyzygical splits" or double words/double narratives as demonstrated in the case of Jekyll and Hyde as well as the focus on the contrasts between the Highlands and the Lowlands, Protestantism and Catholicism, Britishness and Scottishness, and others. A disparaging interpretation refers to Caledonian Antisyzygy as the state of anguished examination of conscience and consciousness - a troubled posturing - that characterizes the mindset of Scottish

intellectual An intellectual is a person who engages in critical thinking, research, and reflection about the reality of society, and who proposes solutions for the normative problems of society. Coming from the world of culture, either as a creator or a ...

Critiques

Within Scottish academia, the concept of 'Caledonian Antisyzygy' has been criticised by a new generation of literary scholars. These include, for instance, Gerard Carruthers (University of Glasgow) who condemned the essentialist (if not racialist) undertones of a concept strongly influenced by the racial dichotomy between the Saxon and Celtic ethnies as they were perceived in the nineteenth century. ' Likewise, Paul Malgrati has criticised the concept of 'Antisyzygy' for its eternalist conceit: a 'jail of paradoxes' preventing Scottish identity from developing in new, uncharted ways. Malgrati, Paul. (2023)
''Antisyzygy: An Escape Route'', Bottle Imp

Notes

{{reflist Cultural concepts Historiography of Scotland Political history of Scotland Scottish culture Scottish literature

Origin

Critiques

See also

Notes