The Idea of the Ancient Past in the Works by John of Fordun and Walter Bower: Classical and Gaelic Components

The article is dedicated to the analysis of the image of the past in Scottish national historiography of the 14th—15th centuries, specifically in “Chronica Gentis Scotorum” by John of Fordun and “Scotichronicon” by Walter Bower. The authors of these sources extensively used late antique and early medieval writings, as well as Irish chronicles, in their compilations. As a result, their texts reflect perspectives on biblical and classical antiquity as well as on the Gaelic past. These narrative elements were essential for the chroniclers to place their own ancient (and often legendary) history within the context of the broader European past. At the same time, their engagement with the Irish texts helped to reinforce an idea, very important for late medieval Scottish intellectuals: the notion of a single, continuous line of succession from legendary Gaelic rulers to the kings of the Stuart dynasty.