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 ''syzygy'' (conjunction or alignment), derived from ''zygon'' (yoke), 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 and playwright.Bush, Ronald. "T. S. Eliot's Life and Career", in John A Garraty and Mark C. Carnes (eds), ''American National Biography''. New York: Oxford University ...

- 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 Cromarty (; , ) is a town, civil parishes in Scotland, civil parish and former royal burgh in Ross and Cromarty, in the Highland (council area), Highland area of Scotland. Situated at the tip of the Black Isle on the southern shore of the mout ...
, 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 Renaissance The Scottish Renaissance (; ) was a mainly literary movement of the early to mid-20th century that can be seen as the Scottish version of modernism. It is sometimes referred to as the Scottish literary renaissance, although its influence went be ...

of the 1920s such as Christopher Murray Grieve 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 ...

. 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 ...

(''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'') and

James Hogg James Hogg (1770 – 21 November 1835) was a Scottish poet, novelist and essayist who wrote in both Scots language, Scots and English. As a young man he worked as a shepherd and farmhand, and was largely self-educated through reading. He was a ...

(''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 Monoculturalism, monoculture. It has a variety of meanings in different contexts, sometimes applying to cultural products like art works in museums or entertainment ...

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 ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'' is an 1886 Gothic horror novella by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. It follows Gabriel John Utterson, a London-based legal practitioner who investigates a series of strange occurrences between ...

as well as the focus on the contrasts between the

Highlands Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau. Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to: Places Africa * Highlands, Johannesburg, South Africa * Highlands, Harare, Zimbab ...

and the

Lowlands Upland and lowland are conditional descriptions of a plain based on elevation above sea level. In studies of the ecology of freshwater rivers, habitats are classified as upland or lowland. Definitions Upland and lowland are portions of a ...

, 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 Human self-reflection, reflection about the nature of reality, especially the nature of society and proposed solutions for its normative problems. Coming from the wor ...

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 Culture of Scotland Scottish literature

Origin

Critiques

See also

Notes