The Dewar Manuscripts

Last updated September 13, 2022

The Dewar Manuscripts are a collection of oral folktales of the Scottish Highlands, recorded in writing between 1863 and 1871 by John Dewar. Dewar's writings were first translated from Gaelic to English in 1879 and since then have been published in multiple formats. The collection of the folktales was intended to ensure that they were not forgotten by the population of the Scottish Highlands, and the manuscripts serve today as both a cultural record and historical source.

Concept and creation

The creation of The Dewar Manuscripts has its origin in the vision and works of John Francis Campbell.^[1] In the mid-19th century Campbell took it upon himself to record as much Gaelic oral folktale as he was able, for the sake of preventing the loss of this cultural heritage. Unable to make time in his work schedule for this endeavour, Campbell employed others to collect tales from the Scottish Highlands. One of Campbell's most trusted collectors was John Dewar.

Dewar had no formal training in the field methodology of recording folk tales. Instead Dewar developed his own shorthand, by which he would take notes on the stories orally recounted to him, particularly regarding the phrases or words his subjects employed. After compiling multiple accounts of the same or similar folktales, Dewar would combine his notes to produce a single fluid written account of a tale. Dewar is believed to have taught himself to read and write in Gaelic and English, however his accounts were written in Gaelic, the language in which the oral accounts were given to him.^[2]

Tales collected by Dewar were first included in Campbell's Popular Tales of the West Highlands, published in 1860. In 1881, Hector Maclean completed an English translation of the complete collection of Dewar's writings, amounting to 19 volumes. Of these, one volume was published in 1964. A collection of John Dewar's notes can be found among the paper of John Francis Campbell in the National Library of Scotland.^[3]

MacKellar of Cruachan holds the right to primae noctis over MacArthur's daughter. MacArthur asks MacKellar to give up this right but is denied. MacArthur and his sons kill MacKellar and flee across the country. The descendants of the four sons prosper, but the descendants of MacKellar are unfortunate.

Legacy/Importance

The Dewar Manuscripts are a foundational work in the specialised field of the history of Scottish folklore, though some contention remains as to their validity as a record of actual historical events. Prior to the compilation of The Dewar Manuscripts, Scottish-Gaelic folklore was held in some measure of contempt by the broader academic community.^[1] Legislation and cultural practices had resulted in a decline in the use of the Gaelic language in Scotland,^[5] and consequently oral folktales were at risk of being lost entirely.^[6]

The Dewar Manuscripts serve to preserve a substantial body of oral folklore which would otherwise be unavailable to modern historians. Some historians claim that, in contrast to written sources of Scottish history, oral folklore provides insight into the lifestyles of non-literate Gaelic communities. This form of cultural heritage has allowed for communities belonging to the non-aristocratic classes to maintain agency in the telling of their histories.^[7] Conversely, it has been argued that the contents of The Dewar Manuscripts owe more to the style of heroic saga, shedding light more so on family and clan histories than on the lifestyles of commoners.^[8]

The Dewar Manuscripts have been the source of some controversy regarding the validity of oral folktales as historical sources. Gibson draws attention to a “…tendency to blur the line between historical and other sources…”, in reference to the use of tales from The Dewar Manuscripts to supplement written evidence regarding the Appin Murders.^[9] However, Macfarlane points out “In many societies they [oral folktales] are the only material with which to reconstruct the past…”^[10]

Regardless, The Dewar Manuscripts are broadly appreciated for its contribution to the body of published oral history and have been described as “…a work of unique importance...”^[8]

Publication history

The Dewar Manuscripts, Volume 1 was first published in 1964, appearing as an English translation of the tales collected by John Dewar, under the commission of the 8th Duke of Argyll. Dewar's work was translated from Gaelic into English in 1879 by Hector Maclean, a fellow contemporary of J.F Campbell, under the commission of the 9th Duke of Argyll. This translation was published in 1964. The Book was edited and contains a foreword by Rev. John MacKechnie. The book was published independently, financed by Charles A. Hepburn, a Scottish businessman and patron of the arts.^[11]

John Dewar, 1801 or 1802 - 1872

Towards the beginning of 1859, John Francis Campbell, Scottish author and scholar, began assembling a network of contacts that could be trusted to do the work of faithfully collecting and recording folktales of the Scottish Highlands. The earliest evidence of Dewar's association with J.F. Campbell is found in a letter from October 1859, in which Dewar indicates his willingness to collect tales for him.^[6] Accordingly, Dewar began his work as a collector at the age of 57, having previously worked for much of his life as a woodman in the service of George Campbell, the 8th Duke of Argyll.

At some point prior to his engagement with J.F Campbell, Dewar suffered an injury which ended his career as a woodman. Thus Dewar was able to make the collection of folktale his primary occupation for the latter part of his life.^[2] Dewar left the employment of J.F Campbell in 1860, following the publication of Campbell's Popular Tales of the West Highlands, which features some of the stories recorded by Dewar. From 1860 until his death in 1872, Dewar continued collecting folktales with the sponsorship of the Duke of Argyll.^[6]

John Dewar's death certificate labels his occupation as being ‘Collector of Traditions’. Contemporaries of Dewar, notably J.F Campbell, note that he was known for his ability to record stories in writing as quickly as they were told to him.^[12] The Scottish-Gaelic poet Calum Macphail (1847-1913) wrote a poem entitled ‘Cumha lain Mhic an Debir’ in recognition of Dewar's work.^[2]

Related Research Articles

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References

1 2 Anne, Ross (2013). Folklore of the Scottish Highlands. New York: The History Press. pp. 20–21.
1 2 3 Wiseman, Andrew. "The Dewar Manuscripts: an overview". Litreachas & Eachdraidh: Rannsachadh. 2.
↑ Campbell, John Francis (1877). "Papers from the collections of John Francis Campbell of Islay". National Library of Scotland.
↑ Dewar, John (1963). The Dewar Manuscripts. Glasgow: Scottish National Press.
↑ Smith, Rhona K.M (2000). "Preserving Linguistic Heritage; A Study of Scots Gaelic". International Journal on Minority and Group Rights. 7 (3): 173–187. doi:10.1163/15718110020907981 – via JSTOR.
1 2 3 Thompson, Francis (1990). "John Francis Campbell (1821-1885)". Folklore. 101: 88–96. doi:10.1080/0015587X.1990.9715781 – via JSTOR.
↑ Cregeen, E. "Oral Tradition and Agrarian History in the West Highlands". Oral History. 2: 15–33 – via JSTOR.
1 2 Dorson, Richard M. "Sources For The Traditional History Of The Scottish Highlands And Western Islands". Journal of the Folklore Institute. 8: 164–174 – via JSTOR.
↑ Gibson, Rosemary M. "Ancient Animosity: The Appin Murder and The End Of Scottish Rebellion (Review)". The Scottish Historical Review. 86: 346–347 – via JSTOR.
↑ Macfarlane, Alan (1975). "Folklore and Traditional History". Man. 10: 162. doi:10.2307/2801231. JSTOR 2801231.
↑ Mackechnie, John. "The Dewar Manuscripts. Volume 1". The Scottish Historical Review. 44: 183–186 – via JSTOR.
↑ Dewar, John (1964). The Dewar Manuscripts. Glasgow. p. 34.

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[Anne_2013-1] 1 2 Anne, Ross (2013). Folklore of the Scottish Highlands. New York: The History Press. pp. 20–21.

[Wiseman-2] 1 2 3 Wiseman, Andrew. "The Dewar Manuscripts: an overview". Litreachas & Eachdraidh: Rannsachadh. 2.

[3] Campbell, John Francis (1877). "Papers from the collections of John Francis Campbell of Islay". National Library of Scotland.

[4] Dewar, John (1963). The Dewar Manuscripts. Glasgow: Scottish National Press.

[5] Smith, Rhona K.M (2000). "Preserving Linguistic Heritage; A Study of Scots Gaelic". International Journal on Minority and Group Rights. 7 (3): 173–187. doi:10.1163/15718110020907981 – via JSTOR.

[Thompson-6] 1 2 3 Thompson, Francis (1990). "John Francis Campbell (1821-1885)". Folklore. 101: 88–96. doi:10.1080/0015587X.1990.9715781 – via JSTOR.

[7] Cregeen, E. "Oral Tradition and Agrarian History in the West Highlands". Oral History. 2: 15–33 – via JSTOR.

[Dorson-8] 1 2 Dorson, Richard M. "Sources For The Traditional History Of The Scottish Highlands And Western Islands". Journal of the Folklore Institute. 8: 164–174 – via JSTOR.

[9] Gibson, Rosemary M. "Ancient Animosity: The Appin Murder and The End Of Scottish Rebellion (Review)". The Scottish Historical Review. 86: 346–347 – via JSTOR.

[10] Macfarlane, Alan (1975). "Folklore and Traditional History". Man. 10: 162. doi:10.2307/2801231. JSTOR 2801231.

[11] Mackechnie, John. "The Dewar Manuscripts. Volume 1". The Scottish Historical Review. 44: 183–186 – via JSTOR.

[12] Dewar, John (1964). The Dewar Manuscripts. Glasgow. p. 34.

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