Derick Thomson
Encyclopedia
Professor Derick S. Thomson MA
, BA
, Dlitt
, FRSE, FBA (born 1921), known as Ruaraidh MacThòmais in his native Scottish Gaelic, is a Scottish
poet
, publisher
, lexicographer, academic and writer. He is originally from Lewis, but has spent much of his life in Glasgow
, where he was Professor of Celtic
at the University of Glasgow
from 1963 to 1991. He is best known for setting up the publishing house, Gairm
, along with its magazine, which was the longest running periodical ever entirely in Scottish Gaelic, running for over fifty years under his editorship. Gairm has since ceased, and has been replaced by Gath. He is an Honorary President of the Scottish Poetry Library, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the British Academy. In June 2007, he received an honorary degree
from the University of Glasgow
.
and Anna Frater.
Educated at the Nicolson Institute
in Stornoway
, he went onto the Universities of Aberdeen
; Cambridge
and University College of North Wales, Bangor. He would later teach at Edinburgh
, Glasgow
and Aberdeen
. He became Professor of Celtic
at Glasgow in 1963, and retired in 1991. He was Chairman of the Gaelic Books Council 1968-91; President Scottish Gaelic Texts Society; former member of Scottish Arts Council
and was the first recipient of the Ossian Prize in 1974. Professor Thomson was Chairman of the SNP
's Gaelic Committee in the Seventies.
He is the author of numerous books including An Introduction to Gaelic Poetry, The Companion to Gaelic Poetry, European Poetry in Gaelic, and collections of Gaelic poetry, including his collected poems Creachadh na Clàrsaich (Plundering of the Harp
/clarsach
) which shared the Scottish Book of the Year Award in 1983. He also edited The Companion to Gaelic Scotland. His English-Gaelic dictionary came out in 1981, and was for many years the most practical reference of its kind. He has published seven collections of Gaelic poetry, with many English translations, including Meall Garbh/The Rugged Mountain (1995), Smeur an Dochais etc.
His publications are many and varied, and include such seminal works as The Gaelic Sources of Macpherson's Ossian, An Introduction to Gaelic Poetry, The Companion to Gaelic Scotland (edited by him) and Gaelic Poetry in the Eighteenth Century; his contributions to Welsh studies are also noteworthy. No less important has been Professor Thomson's work for the promotion of Scottish Gaelic literature, not only, to take one example, as founder, editor and publisher of the quarterly Gairm since 1953. He was elected Fellow of the Academy in 1992 and gave last year's Rhys Lecture on Scottish Gaelic Traditional Songs from the Sixteenth to the Eighteenth Century.
Poetry (anthologies):
Various:
Co-author:
Master of Arts (Scotland)
A Master of Arts in Scotland can refer to an undergraduate academic degree in humanities and social sciences awarded by the ancient universities of Scotland – the University of St Andrews, the University of Glasgow, the University of Aberdeen and the University of Edinburgh, while the University of...
, BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
, Dlitt
Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters is a university academic degree, often a higher doctorate which is frequently awarded as an honorary degree in recognition of outstanding scholarship or other merits.-Commonwealth:...
, FRSE, FBA (born 1921), known as Ruaraidh MacThòmais in his native Scottish Gaelic, is a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, publisher
Publishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
, lexicographer, academic and writer. He is originally from Lewis, but has spent much of his life in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, where he was Professor of Celtic
Chair of Celtic, Glasgow
The Chair of Celtic is a professorship at the University of Glasgow, established in 1956 by an endowment from merchant James Crawford, the Ross Trust and the University's Ossianic Society.-History:...
at the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
from 1963 to 1991. He is best known for setting up the publishing house, Gairm
Gairm
Gairm was a Scottish Gaelic language quarterly magazine, founded in 1951 by Derick Thomson, and Finlay J. MacDonald . Its first issue was published in Autumn 1952. MacDonald served as an editor until 1964; Thomson remained present for decades until it ceased publication in 2004, producing just over...
, along with its magazine, which was the longest running periodical ever entirely in Scottish Gaelic, running for over fifty years under his editorship. Gairm has since ceased, and has been replaced by Gath. He is an Honorary President of the Scottish Poetry Library, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the British Academy. In June 2007, he received an honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
from the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
.
Life
Thomson is originally from Upper Bayble (Pabail Uarach), in Lewis, the same place that produced two other Gaelic writers of note: Iain Crichton SmithIain Crichton Smith
Iain Crichton Smith was a Scottish man of letters, writing in both English and Scottish Gaelic, and a prolific author in both languages...
and Anna Frater.
Educated at the Nicolson Institute
Nicolson Institute
The Nicolson Institute in Stornoway, is the largest school in the Western Isles, Scotland.The Nicolson is the only six-year secondary school in Lewis. Sir E. Scott School is in Harris. Together, they provide education up to Advanced Higher level.The student population is around 2000...
in Stornoway
Stornoway
Stornoway is a burgh on the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.The town's population is around 9,000, making it the largest settlement in the Western Isles and the third largest town in the Scottish Highlands after Inverness and Fort William...
, he went onto the Universities of Aberdeen
University of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...
; Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
and University College of North Wales, Bangor. He would later teach at Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
, Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
and Aberdeen
University of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...
. He became Professor of Celtic
Chair of Celtic, Glasgow
The Chair of Celtic is a professorship at the University of Glasgow, established in 1956 by an endowment from merchant James Crawford, the Ross Trust and the University's Ossianic Society.-History:...
at Glasgow in 1963, and retired in 1991. He was Chairman of the Gaelic Books Council 1968-91; President Scottish Gaelic Texts Society; former member of Scottish Arts Council
Scottish Arts Council
The Scottish Arts Council is a Scottish public body that distributes funding from the Scottish Government, and is the leading national organisation for the funding, development and promotion of the arts in Scotland...
and was the first recipient of the Ossian Prize in 1974. Professor Thomson was Chairman of the SNP
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
's Gaelic Committee in the Seventies.
He is the author of numerous books including An Introduction to Gaelic Poetry, The Companion to Gaelic Poetry, European Poetry in Gaelic, and collections of Gaelic poetry, including his collected poems Creachadh na Clàrsaich (Plundering of the Harp
Harp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
/clarsach
Clàrsach
Clàrsach or Cláirseach , is the generic Gaelic word for 'a harp', as derived from Middle Irish...
) which shared the Scottish Book of the Year Award in 1983. He also edited The Companion to Gaelic Scotland. His English-Gaelic dictionary came out in 1981, and was for many years the most practical reference of its kind. He has published seven collections of Gaelic poetry, with many English translations, including Meall Garbh/The Rugged Mountain (1995), Smeur an Dochais etc.
His publications are many and varied, and include such seminal works as The Gaelic Sources of Macpherson's Ossian, An Introduction to Gaelic Poetry, The Companion to Gaelic Scotland (edited by him) and Gaelic Poetry in the Eighteenth Century; his contributions to Welsh studies are also noteworthy. No less important has been Professor Thomson's work for the promotion of Scottish Gaelic literature, not only, to take one example, as founder, editor and publisher of the quarterly Gairm since 1953. He was elected Fellow of the Academy in 1992 and gave last year's Rhys Lecture on Scottish Gaelic Traditional Songs from the Sixteenth to the Eighteenth Century.
Positions held
- Honorary President, Scottish Poetry LibraryScottish Poetry LibraryThe Scottish Poetry Library was founded in 1984 by the poet Tessa Ransford. It originally had two staff members, including Scottish poet, Tom Hubbard, and 300 books, but has since expanded considerably to containing 30,000 items of Scottish and international poetry...
- Professor of CelticChair of Celtic, GlasgowThe Chair of Celtic is a professorship at the University of Glasgow, established in 1956 by an endowment from merchant James Crawford, the Ross Trust and the University's Ossianic Society.-History:...
, University of GlasgowUniversity of GlasgowThe University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
- 1963-1991 - Chairman of the Gaelic Books Council
- Fellow of the Royal Society of EdinburghRoyal Society of EdinburghThe Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity, operating on a wholly independent and non-party-political basis and providing public benefit throughout Scotland...
- Fellow of the British AcademyBritish AcademyThe British Academy is the United Kingdom's national body for the humanities and the social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.It receives an annual...
Publications
Poetry (own work):- Far Road (1970) - ISBN 978-0-901771-15-5
- Freedom and the Eagle (1977) - ISBN 978-0-901771-60-5
- Creachadh na Clàrsaich: Collected Poems, 1940-80 (1982) - ISBN 978-0-904265-57-6
- Meall Garbh: Rugged Mountain (1985) - ISBN 978-1-871901-37-5
- Bàrdachd na Roinn Eòrpa an Gàidhlig (1990) - ISBN 978-1-871901-05-4
- Smeur an Dòchais: The Bramble of Hope (1992) - ISBN 978-0-86241-351-4
- Sùil air Fàire (Surveying the Horizon) (2007) - ISBN 978-0-86152-335-1
Poetry (anthologies):
- An Introduction to Gaelic Poetry (1990) - ISBN 978-0-7486-0127-1
- Gaelic Poetry in the Eighteenth Century: A Bilingual Anthology (1993) - ISBN 978-0-948877-19-3
- Alasdair MacMhaighstir Alasdair: Selected Poems (1996) - ISBN 978-1-85500-059-9
Various:
- The Gaelic sources of Macpherson's "Ossian" (Aberdeen University studies series;no.130) (1952)
- Branwen Uerch Lyr: The Second of the Four Branches of the Mabinogi (Mediaeval & Modern Welsh) (1961) - ISBN 978-1-85500-059-9
- Gaelic Learner's Handbook (1973) - ISBN 978-0-901771-41-4
- Bith-Eòlas (Biology Textbook)(1976) - ISBN 978-0-901771-53-7
- Gàidhlig ann an Albainn/ Gaelic in Scotland: Bilingual Examination of the Place of Gaelic in Scottish Life (1976) - ISBN 978-0-901771-54-4
- New English-Gaelic Dictionary (1981) - ISBN 978-0-901771-65-0
- Why Gaelic Matters (1984) - ISBN 978-0-85411-028-5
- The Companion to Gaelic Scotland (1987) - ISBN 978-0-631-15578-2
- Languages of Scotland: International Conference Proceedings: Gaelic and Scots in Harmony 2nd, 1988 (1990) - ISBN 978-0-903204-19-4
Co-author:
- Edward Lhuyd in the Scottish Highlands (1963) 1699-1700 - ISBN 978-0-19-811929-6
- Future of the Highlands (1968) - ISBN 978-0-7100-6052-5
- Combined Gaelic-English, English-Gaelic Dictionary (1982) - ISBN 978-1-871901-11-5
- Minority Languages Today (1990) - ISBN 978-0-85224-642-9
- MacDiarmid MS Anthology (1992) - ISBN 978-0-7073-0612-4
- Scotland O Gael an Lawlander (1996) - ISBN 978-1-871901-40-5
External links
- Scottish Poetry Library entry
- BBC Bio - Làrach nam Bàrd has a picture