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Comment by arethuza | Hacker News Reader

What is amusing is that Scots myths claim that we came from Scythia - from the Declaration of Arbroath (1320):

"we know and from the chronicles and books of the ancients wefind that among other famous nations our own, the Scots, has been graced with widespread renown. It journeyed from Greater Scythia by way of the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Pillars of Hercules, and dwelt for a long course of time in Spain among the most savage peoples, but nowhere could it be subdued by any people, however barbarous. Thence it came, twelve hundred years after the people of Israel crossed the Red Sea, to its home in the west where it still lives today."

NB Yes, I know Stonehenge isn't in Scotland but some of the earliest Stone Circles are apparently in Orkney.

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The Irish Book of Conquests (Lebor Gabála Érenn) tells a similar story - in fact I'd guess that's where the Scotch origin myth comes from:

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebor_Gab%C3%A1la_%C3%89renn

The original Scots (who went on to subsumed the other parts of what is now Scotland) were from Ireland:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%A1l_Riata

Their 'capital' at Dunadd is quite cool - I've stood with my boot in the famous footprint - alhough I don't think that's enough to be King of Scots:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunadd

The original Inhabitants of Scotland pre-date the Irish Gaelic speakers who now live on the fringe of Scotland and are so called Highlanders

Well, the same thing can actually be said of Ireland itself. The cohort of Q-Celtic speakers who brought their language and culture weren't all that big. Lebor Gabála Érenn might be a pseudo-history, but it's surprising how closely it jives to the history we _do_ know.

I always thought the origins of Scotch was monks brewing it. Never realized there was a mythology there

I believe jajag is referring to the tape that holds things together as opposed to the drink.

"No True Scotch" fallacy?

I believe jajag was using the "Scotch origin myth" to refer to the Scottish people/culture, as opposed to the drink.

It's a moderately offensive term to use for people, though.

Yeah I was using the term to refer to the Scottish and things Scottish but according to Wikipedia [1] the term nowadays does have mildly negative connotations which I was completely unaware of, so you learn something new every day.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotch_(adjective)

The Scythians occupied the West Central Asian steppe, which is where the Proto-Indo-Europeans originated around 5000BC. Yamnaya and Steppe Hunter Gatherer DNA averages around 30-40% in the British isles, so this folktale isn't completely inaccurate.

In context of the article, I think the parent's argument is this folktale is remarkably accurate.

Similarly, Snorri Sturlson writing in the 13th century explained that the Norse gods - Odin and that lot - were all actually refugees from Troy as it was sacked by Agamemnon.

https://bladehoner.wordpress.com/2017/11/16/snorris-ancestra...

Sounds like someone appropriated the Aeneid to their local gods!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeneid

Edit: Of course the Scots/Irish origin myths might be an even vaguer retelling of the same story.

I believe that genetic analysis has shown that blue eyes trace their origin to a person who lived in modern day Turkey. So who knows...

It's a pity that Kratos didn't recognize them in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_of_War_(2018_video_game)#P... .

The article also said that this population about 1000-2000 years later was also completely displaced.

But the people the article speaks of were in turn displaced by other people some millennium later. Which in itself does not invalidate the Scots myth, I don't know where the second wave came from originally, the article doesn't say.

It does say: from central Europe. Who themselves came from around north of the Caucasus Yamnaya/Maykop (not in article)

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