Authentic fictions and aesthetic histories: the problem of The Poems of Ossian in the writing of Scottish history, 1760-1814

Fertig, Anne R. (2015) Authentic fictions and aesthetic histories: the problem of The Poems of Ossian in the writing of Scottish history, 1760-1814. MPhil(R) thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This thesis will explore the influence of The Poems of Ossian and the subsequent Ossianic debate on Scottish historical writing—in both fiction and non-fiction— between the publication of Fragments of Ancient Poetry in 1760 up to the publication of Waverley in 1814. Fragments, and the two subsequent Ossianic volumes Fingal (1762) and Temora (1763), precipitated fierce debate on the value, interpretation, and manufacture of historical authority and authenticity. In particular, this dissertation will examine how The Poems of Ossian impacted the interpretation and re-evaluation of historical authority (what type of artefacts count as authentic artefacts?), authenticity (how do we determine what artefacts provide the most accurate picture of the times?), and genre (how do we write a history that is authentic and authorial?). The time period chosen, 1760-1814, will follow this debate from the origins of the Ossianic controversy through to the publication of Sir Walter Scott’s Waverley, seen by some as the first true historical novel.

• Item Type: Thesis (MPhil(R))
• Qualification Level: Masters
• Keywords: Poems of Ossian, Scottish Enlightenment, Scottish Historiography, Scottish Romanticism, Walter Scott, James Macpherson
• Subjects: D History General and Old World > DA Great Britain; P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General); P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN0441 Literary History
• Colleges/Schools: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Critical Studies > English Literature
• Supervisor's Name: Benchimol, Dr. Alex and MacDonald, Dr. Catriona
• Date of Award: 2015
• Depositing User: Anne Fertig
• Unique ID: glathesis:2015-6824
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 09 Nov 2015 13:45
• Last Modified: 19 Nov 2015 09:03
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/6824