On dùthchas and dualchas: two key Scottish Gaelic concepts
A few years ago, I was lucky enough to study an MLitt in Highlands and Islands Culture at the University of the Highlands and Islands. I took the course over a year and studied modules on a range of fascinating topics, but I think the one which had the most impact on me as a person was The Gaelic Legacy, a module run by Sabhal Mòr Ostaig’s professor Meg Bateman and taught by the wonderful Dr Iain Mac a’Phersain (who I absolutely adore and is quite literally one of the funniest people I’ve ever met).
The module introduced me to two incredibly important concepts which intrinsically important to anyone studying Highlands and Islands Culture, or working within this field: dùthchas and dualchas. Now here is a confession; I cannot pronounce either word correctly enough for a native speaker to understand which one I’m referring to because my Gaelic is, very sadly, terrible. I’ve tried to learn on several occasions, but I have far too much language interference from my third and fourth languages (I was a polyglot in my younger days) of Greek and German, and Gaelic is such a totally different language to any I have studied before. One might think Greek would be harder to learn, however the difference was that I was in my early to mid twenties when learning Greek (which I did by immersion when living in Greece) and now I’m in my early 50s and my brain struggles to operate at 100% these days. However what I have been able to learn and come to understand is Gaelic culture; I learn through translation and am an avid watcher of programmes on the BBC’s Alba channel. And I have learned that it is in my DNA; someone in my father’s line seemingly did not have the biological father that everyone thinks they did and the biological father was of Irish and Scottish descent. I digress.
I am busy writing a new business plan at the moment and it is making me think of what I want to include going forward. For me, heritage is vitally important; it is one of the main reasons I have set up this charity (which has not been easy, I can assure you). I am really, really concerned about the state of Scottish heritage crafts. About two decades ago, there were about 100 traditional kilt makers working in Scotland. Nowadays, the Heritage Crafts Association estimates there are about 11-20. While there are people learning how to make kilts, most of those people are hobbyists and learn to make kilts for their friends and family. I am not sure how our most iconic item of dress can survive if something radical isn’t done in the next decade or two, hence this charity hopes to play a small part in doing something positive to help.
My daughter sewing a kilt for her brother
Why kilts? Why Highland dress in general? Well, as I’ve already mentioned the kilt is a key element of how others see us. Yet, nowadays, men mainly wear kilts for ceremonial reasons; for weddings, christenings perhaps, graduation and of course to important international football matches.
I spoke to a kiltmaker a couple of weeks ago, and she told me something which has really stuck in my mind; she wants to bring Highland dress back to the Highlands. This is something I have been thinking about a great deal. How do you go about changing the dress habits of an entire region? Especially when a good proportion of tailored kilts made today in Scotland are not made for Scots, but are actually made for American customers. I think key to this question can be found in dualchas.
One of the best pieces of business advice I was given last year was to use Chat GPT and Perplexity, both AI tools, to conduct research. It has saved me hours upon hours of research and reflection , and seeing as none of what I am researching is being used in an academic context or for funding applications, I don’t feel bad about using the technology available. I decided that I would ask Chat GPT this afternoon to explain these two concepts and here is what it has come up with. It’s surprisingly accurate, by the way.
The Scottish Gaelic concepts of dùthchas and dualchas are deeply rooted in Highland culture and tradition, encompassing ideas of heritage, community, and identity. While they are interconnected, each carries its own distinct meaning.
1. Dùthchas
Meaning:
The term Dùthchas refers to an inherent connection to place, land, and ancestry. It embodies the idea of belonging, both to a specific geographic area (such as the Highlands) and to the traditions and people tied to it.
Core Concepts:
Inherent Rights: Historically, dùthchas implied the idea of collective land ownership or a community’s right to live and work on the land passed down through generations. It reflects a strong sense of stewardship and responsibility for the land.
Kinship and Ancestry: Dùthchas often conveys a deep respect for family heritage and the bonds within clans or extended kin groups. It emphasizes the interconnection between people and their homeland.
Cultural Identity: Dùthchas is an intrinsic part of a person’ss identity, connecting them to their forebears and the values or traditions upheld by their ancestors.
Examples in Context:
A Highlander’s sense of dùthchas might be their emotional and spiritual attachment to their family croft or ancestral land. It also evokes the moral obligation to protect and honour the land and its traditions.
Great stock image of an abandoned croft from Squarespace
2. Dualchas
Meaning:
The term dualchas relates more to cultural heritage, encompassing the customs, stories, language, and practices that define a community. It is about preserving and passing on traditions to future generations.
Core Concepts:
Traditions and Customs: Dualchas encompasses activities such as ceilidhs, storytelling, music, dance, kiltmaking, and Gaelic language preservation.
Transmission of Knowledge: Unlike Dùthchas, which is more about place and ancestry, dualchas focuses on the living practices that bind communities together over time.
Shared Values: Dualchas represents a shared cultural identity, including the ethics, beliefs, and traditions that define a group of people.
Examples in Context:
A ceilidh with traditional Gaelic music and dance is a vibrant expression of dualchas.
Teaching younger generations how to weave tartan or recite Gaelic poetry ensures the survival of dualchas.
Historic sites like castles, clan artifacts, or oral traditions reflect dualchas in tangible and intangible ways.
Another great stock image from Squarespace
3. Relationship Between Dùthchas and Dualchas
Interconnection:
While dùthchas emphasises the land and one’s natural connection to it, dualchas focuses on the culture and traditions tied to that land. Together, they represent a holistic view of Scottish Gaelic heritage where land, people, and practices are inseparable.
Dùthchas provides the roots (connection to place and ancestry).
Dualchas offers the branches (continuing and evolving traditions).
This is a free stock image from Squarespace, but I think it’s a lovely illustration of what I am talking about here.
Example:
For someone in a Highland community, dùthchas might represent their familial connection to their ancestral croft, while dualchas would include the practices of growing crops, speaking Gaelic, or weaving tartan that sustain the community’s heritage.
4. Modern Significance
Both dùthchas and dualchas remain significant in efforts to preserve Gaelic culture today:
Dùthchas has informed debates around land reform and the re-establishment of community land ownership in Scotland, as people seek to reclaim their inherent rights to ancestral lands.
Dualchas plays a role in cultural revival movements, such as Gaelic language learning, traditional music, crafts, and storytelling.
Another great free stock image from Squarespace
By now I hope you can see why I’ve written this post and why I find it important to keep it in my mind as the charity goes forward. Làmhan will be doing what it can to help preserve our shared dualchas by teaching and encouraging the production of Highland dress - not just kiltmaking because that is just one part of it- and especially encouraging young people and mums into the craft. We wish to level the playing field so more creative young people and more mums have a chance to build a new career for themselves, while ensuring that our heritage survives.