403F Summer 2026 The Scots: Their Language and Literature

This course will study the rise and development of the Scottish language(s) and literature from earliest times until the present in the context of Scotland's history at home and abroad, with an eye to nationalist movements. The great figures of Scottish literature will of course appear: Henryson and Dunbar, Rabbie Burns (no relation), Walter Scott (who "invented" Scotland), J. M. Barrie, R. L Stevenson, Conan Doyle, Irving Welsh, and Douglas Stuart, to name but a few. The class will be invited to decide whether "Scots" is a language in its own right or a dialect of English, entering dangerous territory.

John Barclay Burns is an emeritus professor of Religious Studies at George Mason University. Born and raised and educated in Scotland (St. Andrews and Glasgow Universities], he has given courses on Scottish history and literature at the Smithsonian and at Encore Learning. He holds dual U.S./UK citizenship, but is first a Scot.