Makar

{{Short description|Term from Scottish literature for a poet or bard}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{about|the Scottish poetical term}}

[[Image:St Andrews Cathedral Ruins Front.jpg|right|250px|thumb|{{center|[[St Andrews Cathedral]], [[St Andrews]], now in ruins: one of Scotland's key buildings in the classic period of the Makars and a possible presence in some of Dunbar's spiritual works}}]]

A '''makar''' ({{IPAc-en|pron|audio=Sco-makar.oga|ˈ|m|æ|k|ər}}) is a term from [[Scottish literature]] for a [[poet]] or [[bard]], often thought of as a [[noble court|royal court]] poet.

Since the 19th century, the term ''The Makars'' has been specifically used to refer to a number of poets of fifteenth and sixteenth century [[Scotland]], in particular [[Robert Henryson]], [[William Dunbar]] and [[Gavin Douglas]], who wrote a diverse [[literary genre|genre]] of works in [[Middle Scots]] in the period of the [[Northern Renaissance]].

The Makars have often been referred to by literary critics as ''Scots Chaucerians''. In modern usage, poets of the Scots revival in the 18th century, such as [[Allan Ramsay (poet)|Allan Ramsay]] and [[Robert Fergusson]] are also makars.

Since 2002, the term "makar" has been revived as the name for a publicly funded poet, first in Edinburgh, followed by the cities of Glasgow, Stirling and Dundee. In 2004 the position of [[Makar (National Poet for Scotland)|Makar]], was authorized by the [[Scottish Parliament]].

==Etymology== [[Middle Scots]] {{wikt-lang|sco|makar}} (plural {{lang|sco|makaris}}) is the equivalent of Middle English ''[[:wikt:maker|maker]]''. The word functions as a [[calque]] (literal translation) of [[Ancient Greek]] term {{wikt-lang|grc|ποιητής}} ({{lang|grc-Latn|poiētēs}}) "maker; [[:wikt:poet|poet]]". The term is normally applied to poets writing in [[Scots language|Scots]] although it need not be exclusive to Scottish writers. [[William Dunbar]] for instance referred to the English poets [[Geoffrey Chaucer|Chaucer]], [[John Lydgate|Lydgate]] and [[John Gower|Gower]] as {{lang|sco|makaris}}.<ref> For example in ''[http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/poem/769.html The Lament] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090406023759/http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/poem/769.html |date=2009-04-06 }}'' (ll.50–1): :''The noble Chaucer of makaris flour,'' :''The Monk of Bery, and Gower, al thre.''</ref>

==The Makars in history== {{More citations needed section|date=December 2013}} The work of the Makar of the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries was in part marked out by an adoption in [[vernacular]] languages of the new and greater variety in [[scansion|metrics]] and [[prosody (poetry)|prosody]] current across Europe after the influence of such figures as [[Dante]] and [[Petrarch]] and similar to the route which Chaucer followed in England. Their work is usually distinguished from the work of earlier Scottish writers such as [[John Barbour (poet)|Barbour]] and [[Wyntoun]] who wrote [[Romance (heroic literature)|romance]] and [[chronicle]] verse in octosyllabic couplets and it also perhaps marked something of a departure from the medieval [[alliterative]] or [[troubador]] traditions; but one characteristic of poetry by the Makars is that features from all of these various traditions, such as strong alliteration and swift narration, continued to be a distinctive influence.

[[Image:Rosslyn Chapel.jpg|right|thumb|240px|[[Rosslyn Chapel]]; built in the century of the makars, the famed intricacy of its carving shares much in spirit with the aureation in their language.]]

The first of the Makars proper in this sense, although perhaps the least Scots due to his education predominantly in captivity at the English court in [[London]], is generally taken to be [[James I of Scotland|James I]] (1394–1437) the likely author of the [[Kingis Quair]]. Apart from other principal figures already named, writing by makars such as [[Richard Holland]], [[Blind Hary]] and [[Walter Kennedy (poet)|Walter Kennedy]] also survives along with evidence that suggests the existence of a substantial body of lost work. The quality of extant work generally, both minor and major, demonstrates a thriving poetic tradition in Scotland throughout the period.

[[Henryson]], who is generally seen today as one of the foremost makars, is not known to have been a [[court poet]], but the Royal Palace of [[Dunfermline]], the city in which he was based, was one of the residences of the [[House of Stuart|Stewart]] court.

A high point in cultural patronage was the Renaissance Court of [[James IV of Scotland|James IV]] (1488–1513) now principally associated in literary terms with [[William Dunbar]]. The pinnacle in writing from this time was in fact Douglas's ''[[Eneados]]'' (1513), the first full and faithful translation of an important work of classical antiquity into any [[Anglic language]]. Douglas is one of the first authors to explicitly identify his language as ''Scottis''. This was also the period when use of Scots in poetry was at its most richly and successfully aureate. Dunbar's ''Lament for the Makaris'' (c.1505) contains a [[Wiktionary:leet|leet]] of makars, not exclusively Scottish, some of whom are now only known through his mention, further indicative of the wider extent to the tradition.

Qualities in verse especially prized by many of these writers included the combination of skilful artifice with natural diction, concision and quickness ({{lang|sco|[[gleg#Scots|glegness]]}}) of expression. For example, Dunbar praises his peer, [[Lament for the Makaris|Merseir]] in ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20090406023759/http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/poem/769.html The Lament]'' (ll.74-5) as one

:{{lang|sco|That did in luf so lifly write, So schort, so quyk, of sentence hie}}... :"That did in love so lively write, So short so quick, of sentence high..."

Some of the Makars, such as Dunbar, also featured an increasing incorporation of Latinate terms into Scots prosody, or [[aureation]], heightening the creative tensions between the ornate and the natural in [[poetic diction]].

The new plane of achievement set by Douglas in [[Epic poetry|epic]] and [[translation]] was not followed up in the subsequent century, but later makars, such as [[David Lyndsay]], still drew strongly on the work of fifteenth and early sixteenth century exponents. This influence can be traced right through to [[Alexander Scott (16th century poet)|Alexander Scott]] and the various members of the [[Castalian Band]] in the Scottish court of [[James I of England|James VI]] (1567–1603) which included [[Alexander Montgomerie]] and, once again, the king himself. The king composed a treatise, the [[Reulis and Cautelis]] (1584), which proposed a formalisation of Scottish prosody and consciously strove to identify what was distinctive in the Scots tradition.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arts.gla.ac.uk/ScotLit/ASLS/RDSJack.html|title=Scottish Literature: 1600 and All That|access-date=2011-10-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120211125608/http://www.arts.gla.ac.uk/ScotLit/ASLS/RDSJack.html|archive-date=2012-02-11|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=4I6F4O2QUesC&dq=rules+and+cautelis&pg=PA64] ''Written in the Language of the Scottis Nation'', p.64 (online source)</ref> The removal of the Court to London under James after 1603 is usually regarded as marking the eclipse of the distinctively Scottish tradition of poetry initiated by the Makars, but figures such as [[William Drummond of Hawthornden|William Drummond]] might loosely be seen as forming a continuation into the seventeenth century.

The Makars have often been referred to by literary critics as ''Scots Chaucerians''. While Chaucer's influence on fifteenth-century Scottish literature was certainly important, the makars drew strongly on a native tradition predating Chaucer, exemplified by Barbour, as well as the courtly literature of France.<ref>Kinsley, James. ''William Dunbar: Poems'' Oxford clarendon Press, 1958. (Introduction, p.xiii)</ref>

In the more general application of the term which is current today the word can be applied to poets of the Scots revival in the eighteenth century, such as [[Allan Ramsay (poet)|Allan Ramsay]] and [[Robert Fergusson]]. In recent times, other examples of poets that have seemed to particularly exemplify the traditions of the makars have included [[Robert Garioch]], [[Sydney Goodsir Smith]], [[George Campbell Hay]] and [[Norman MacCaig]] among many others.{{clarify|date=March 2016}}

==Modern usage== ===The Scots Makar=== {{Main|Makar (National Poet for Scotland)}} [[file:First_Minister_and_Kathleen_Jamie_New_Scots_Makar.jpg|thumb|Nicola Sturgeon and the new 2021 Makar [[Kathleen Jamie]] outside the [[Scottish Poetry Library]]]] A position of national [[Poet laureate|laureate]], entitled ''The Scots Makar'', was established in 2004 by the [[Scottish Parliament]]. The first appointment was made directly by the Parliament in that year when [[Edwin Morgan (poet)|Edwin Morgan]] received the honour to become Scotland's first ever official [[national poet]].<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.gov.scot/News/Releases/2004/02/5075|title=The Scots Makar|date=16 February 2004|publisher=Scottish Government|access-date=6 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204042020/http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2004/02/5075|archive-date=4 February 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arts.gla.ac.uk/ScotLit/ASLS/Poet_for_Scotland.html |title=ASLS: A National Poet for Scotland |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080926023920/http://www.arts.gla.ac.uk/ScotLit/ASLS/Poet_for_Scotland.html |archive-date=2008-09-26 }}</ref> He was succeeded in 2011 by [[Liz Lochhead]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-12227515|title=Liz Lochhead confirmed as new Scots Makar|work=BBC News|access-date=19 January 2011|date=19 January 2011}}</ref> [[Jackie Kay]] was announced as the third holder of this post in 2016.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/mar/15/jackie-kay-becomes-the-new-makar-scotlands-national-poet|title=Jackie Kay named as new Scottish makar|work=The Guardian|access-date=29 March 2016|date=15 March 2016}}</ref> Before Kay was appointed, it was suggested that the role might now only be referred to as the National Poet for Scotland, because of concerns that the word makar had to be explained outside of Scotland.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/scotland/235965/search-for-new-national-poet-will-dispense-with-lovely-old-scots-name-makar/|title=Search for new national poet will dispense with 'lovely old Scots name' Makar|work=The Courier|date=9 February 2016|access-date=8 August 2020}}</ref> Kay states that she argued for retaining the Makar name, which is still used.<ref>{{Cite episode|title=Jackie Kay|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000lldb|access-date=8 August 2020|series=Saturday Live|station=BBC Radio 4|date=8 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.scotland.gov.uk/News/Scotland-s-new-Makar-23dd.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315171958/http://news.scotland.gov.uk/News/Scotland-s-new-Makar-23dd.aspx|title=Scotland's new Makar|publisher=Scottish Government|date=15 March 2016|access-date=8 August 2020|archive-date=15 March 2016}}</ref> In August 2021 [[Kathleen Jamie]] was announced as the fourth holder of the post.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-58256647|title=Kathleen Jamie announced as Scotland's new Makar|work=BBC News|date=18 August 2021}}</ref>

===The city Makars=== In 2002 the City of [[Edinburgh]], Scotland's capital, instituted a post of makar, known as the Edinburgh Makar.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cityofliterature.com/the-literary-city/meet/meet-the-makar/|title=Meet the Makar|website=Edinburgh City of Literature}}</ref> Each term lasts for three years and the first three incumbents were [[Stewart Conn]] (2002), [[Valerie Gillies]] (2005), and [[Ron Butlin]] (2008, 2011). The current incumbent (as of 2021) is [[Hannah Lavery]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Award-winning poet and playwright is new Edinburgh Makar {{!}} Museums and Galleries of Edinburgh {{!}} |url=https://literaturealliancescotland.co.uk/alan-spence-new-edinburgh-makar|access-date=2020-09-01|website=literaturealliancescotland.co.uk}}</ref> The previous Edinburgh makars were [[Alan Spence]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Alan Spence – new Edinburgh Makar {{!}} Literature Alliance Scotland {{!}} Caidreabhas Litreachais Alba| date=28 November 2017 |url=https://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/award-winning-poet-and-playwright-new-edinburgh-makar#:~:text=Award%2Dwinning%20poet%2C%20playwright%20and,work%20has%20been%20published%20widely }}</ref> and Shetlandic dialect writer and advocate [[Christine De Luca]].

Other cities to create Makar posts include [[Glasgow]] ([[Liz Lochhead]]),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-14304763.html|title=Word on Street: Top Scottish writer Liz Lochhead is unveiled as Poet Laureate}}{{dead link|date=February 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> [[Stirling]] ([[Magi Gibson]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stirling.gov.uk/news?id=191826|title=Magi is Stirling's Makar|access-date=2009-08-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606044912/http://www.stirling.gov.uk/news?id=191826|archive-date=2011-06-06|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Laura Fyfe]])<ref>{{cite web |title=Stirling Makar |url=https://www.stirling.gov.uk/community-life-and-leisure/libraries-and-archives/libraries/stirling-makar/stirling-makar/ |website=Stirling Council |access-date=19 August 2024 |language=en |date=3 November 2022}}</ref> [[Aberdeen]] ([[Sheena Blackhall]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wordfringe.co.uk/Wordfringe2009/E0018R.aspx|title=Makar Making|website=www.wordfringe.co.uk}}</ref> and [[Dundee]] ([[W.N. Herbert]]).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/arts/news/dundee-appoints-wn-herbert-as-first-makar-1-3094134|title=Dundee appoints WN Herbert as first makar |first=Emma |last=Cowing |date=15 September 2013 |work=www.scotsman.com |access-date=30 August 2020}}</ref>

==Other uses== * American poet [[John Berryman]] uses the word in [[The Dream Songs]] #43 and #94. *''Makar'' is the name of a fictional character in the video game ''The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker'', see [[The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker characters#Makar|''The Wind Waker'' characters]]. * Makar is a New York indie rock band formed in 2002 by singer/songwriters Mark Purnell and Andrea DeAngelis.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.makarmusic.com|title=MAKAR|website=www.makarmusic.com}}</ref> *The Edinburgh Makars is an Amateur Drama Group founded in 1932 by [[Christine Orr]], the well-known Scottish actress, broadcaster and playwright.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.edinburghmakars.com/about.html|title=Edinburgh Makars History of the Club|website=www.edinburghmakars.com}}</ref>

==See also== *[[Makars' Court]] *[[Scop]] *[[Robert Burns]]

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{wikisource-inline|links=[[s:en:The Poems of William Dunbar/Volume 1/Lament for the Makaris|Lament for the Makaris]], a poem by William Dunbar,|single=true}} *[http://www.poetryarchive.org/poetryarchive/singlePoet.do?poetId=1682 Edwin Morgan]{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20080524212922/http://www.booksfromscotland.com/News/Roddy-Lumsdens-Blog/22122005-Stewart-Conn Stewart Conn] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070203150008/http://www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/?p=auth02D2L120512627176 Valeris Gillies] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070410081527/http://www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/?p=auth02C19L040412626885 Ron Butlin] *[http://www.edinburghmakars.com/index.html The Edinburgh Makars] *[http://www.allmusic.com/artist/makar-p517976 Makar Allmusic]

[[Category:Scots Makars| ]] [[Category:Scots language]] [[Category:Scottish literary movements]] [[Category:Scottish poetry|M]] [[Category:Middle Scots poets]]