On 20th August 2017, the small village Wittental in the rural countryside of the Black Forest celebrated the tenth anniversary of hosting their traditional Highland games. According to a newspaper announcement the event was firstly introduced in 1999 and ever since has been organised by the local community every second year, offering sport competitions like the ‘Heavies’ as well as music, food and Scottish Whisky tasting. But why is an ancient Scottish tradition practised in the South of Germany? Is it an example of the Highland games being used by Scottish people to identify with their origins and Scotland? Or is it simply an invented marketing idea to promote a sport event of a remote Black Forest village aiming at attracting visitors through a well-known name?
This paper will concentrate on the Scottish Highland games in Scotland as well as in other parts of the world. Despite the fact that they are separated from their original background and could be seen as an invented tradition by the British, there is reason to classify them as heritage as well. Albeit their hybrid form between invented tradition and heritage, Scottish people all over the world hold on to the Scottish Highland games as they have the ability to create the basis for a common identity. To explain this, in the following the ideas of ‘Heritage’ and ‘Invented Tradition’ will shortly be introduced, a historic background of the event’s development throughout the centuries will be given and all this information will be applied in an analysis of the Highland games.
At a glance
- Grade: 2.0 (1.0 is the best grade)
- Interview with the webmaster and organizer of the Wittental Highland Games
- Examination of the biennial Highland Games event in the Black Forest village Wittental
- Applies Hobsbawm and Ranger's concept of invented traditions and Assmann's cultural memory theory
- 24 sources in the bibliography
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Defining Heritage, Invented Tradition and the Development of the Highland Games throughout the Centuries
2.1. A Definition of Heritage
2.2. The Invention of Tradition
2.3. History of the Scottish Highland Games
3. The Highland Games between Heritage and Invented Tradition
3.1. Aspects of Heritage
3.2. Aspects of Invented Tradition
3.3. The Highland Games: a Hybrid of Heritage and Invented Tradition
4. Identity Formation
5. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This paper investigates the cultural meaning and historical evolution of the Scottish Highland Games, examining whether they are best understood as authentic historical heritage or as an invented tradition. Building on cultural theory and memory studies, the author explores how the games transformed across centuries and why they continue to serve as a pivotal instrument of identity formation for Scots both within Scotland and across global diaspora communities.
- Theoretical definitions and contrasts between authentic heritage and invented tradition
- The historical trajectory of Highland gatherings from feudal clan assemblies to royal patronage
- The impact of the Act of Proscription and the Highland Clearances on Scottish traditional practices
- Analysis of commercialisation, romanticisation, and the phenomenon of 'Balmoralisation'
- The function of the Highland Games in establishing cultural identity and filling cultural vacuums globally
Excerpt from the Book
3.3. The Highland Games: a Hybrid of Heritage and Invented Tradition
As stated above, the Scottish Highland games meet most of the requirements for being classified as heritage as well as for being defined as an invented tradition. Therefore, it can be concluded that both designations can be applied, albeit there is need for awareness of the disruption in continuance and kind of the Highland games after the cultural marginalisation by the British. A final question dealt with in this paper is why do people in Scotland as well as all over the world continue to hold on to the Scottish Highland games as a symbol of Scottish identity despite the fact its origin is partly invented.
This is above all due to the fact that both heritage as well as an invented tradition can work in a supportive manner for the establishment of a cultural identity. In the case of heritage, as already emphasised in chapter 2.1, a tradition can become part of the collective memory of a society through repetition, communication and cultivation. This collective memory or heritage shapes a group’s identity and is the basis for a society’s awareness of unity and particularity (Assmann, Collective 132-133). An invented tradition occurs in line with Hobsbawms’ “The Invention of Tradition”, with three typical functions, whereof one, just as heritage, constitutes cohesion and membership of groups (9). It must be emphasised that especially in the case of a lacking of suitable historic heritage, an invented tradition can offer a substitution (9).
The Scottish Highland games represent the Highland tradition, an ancient Highland way of life which arose out of a number of complex customs and traditions and once distinguished the Highlanders from the English and Scottish of the Lowlands (Jarvie 2; Bockrath 189). The tradition of a community event with the symbolic piping, dancing, sporting competitions, wearing tartan cloth and playing the bagpipe was constantly repeated and cultivated although modified throughout the centuries, not always by the original group of people but still in Scotland and eventually by the Scottish people as part of the country’s history.
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: Introduces the modern proliferation of Highland Games outside Scotland, such as in the German village of Wittental, and outlines the research questions regarding heritage, invented traditions, and identity creation.
2. Defining Heritage, Invented Tradition and the Development of the Highland Games throughout the Centuries: Provides theoretical foundations of cultural heritage and invented traditions, followed by a historical overview of Highland Games across four key chronological periods.
3. The Highland Games between Heritage and Invented Tradition: Critically evaluates the games against theoretical criteria for heritage and invented traditions, demonstrating why the modern games represent a hybrid phenomenon.
4. Identity Formation: Explores how the games provide social cohesion and bridge cultural vacuums, particularly focusing on Scottish immigrant communities in North America.
5. Conclusion: Summarises the findings, arguing that despite romanticised distortions and historical breaks, Highland Games remain an essential vehicle for community pride and national distinction.
Keywords
Scottish Highland Games, Cultural Heritage, Invented Tradition, Identity Formation, Eric Hobsbawm, Jan Assmann, Collective Memory, Balmoralisation, Act of Proscription, Highland Clearances, Scottish Diaspora, Heavies, Tartan
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this academic paper fundamentally about?
The paper explores the cultural significance, historical evolution, and sociological function of the Scottish Highland Games as both cultural heritage and an invented tradition.
What are the primary theoretical areas examined?
The central frameworks involve concepts of cultural memory, heritage theory as formulated by scholars like David Lowenthal and Jan Assmann, and the concept of invented traditions developed by Eric Hobsbawm and Terence Ranger.
What is the primary objective of the author?
The main objective is to determine how the Highland Games balance between authentic historical heritage and invented tradition, and why they serve effectively as a symbol for Scottish national and diasporic identity.
Which research methodology is applied?
The work uses a qualitative, secondary literature-based cultural studies analysis, integrating historical contextualisation with an empirical case study featuring an interview with an event organizer.
What is discussed in the main body of the work?
The main body examines four historical phases of Highland Games, assesses the disruptions caused by British proscription and romantic revival, and analyses their role in cultivating group identity in Scotland and overseas.
Which key concepts characterize the analysis?
Key concepts include invented tradition, cultural heritage, collective memory, commodification, Anglicisation, and Balmoralisation.
What does the term 'Balmoralisation' mean in the context of the Highland Games?
Balmoralisation describes the nineteenth-century adoption and romanticisation of Scottish Highland traditions by the British royal family and aristocracy following Queen Victoria's purchase of the Balmoral estate, which popularized the games while divorcing them from their original clan context.
Why did Scottish immigrants in North America embrace the Highland Games?
Faced with a cultural vacuum in their new environment, Scottish immigrants adopted nostalgic and romanticised elements of their homeland's heritage to foster community solidarity and maintain ties to Scottish culture.
How did the Act of Proscription in 1747 impact the continuity of Highland traditions?
The Act banned weapons, Highland dress, bagpipes, and clan gatherings, resulting in a severe disruption of the authentic clan way of life that paved the way for subsequent reinvention by aristocratic societies.
- Quote paper
- Leander Ross (Author), 2017, Scottish Highland Games. Heritage, Invented Tradition and Identity Formation, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/448487
