Queston Regarding Scotland

[ketsudan.livejournal.com]

Hey everyone! I got a question that is very important for a fanfic I am writing.

Would you say that with the Union Act of 1707 Scotland basically destroyed itself (meaning that "Scotland" the "country" no longer exists like the "Roman Empire" no longer exists), or that she just moved in and became a permanent resident of England's house?

I have been doing a lot of research, and I am not sure which one it is because the Scottish people still have their own laws, church, and a few other things, but technically the whole main island of Great Britain is called "The United Kingdom" a.k.a. "England" and Scotland is more like California in the US in that it is not it's own separate state.

It's all kind of confusing. Some say that "Scotland" is no longer her own country (thus "destroyed") and others say that she's just under England's rule and they're trying to get independence so they can be their own nation again but....... AJLASSADJ;L DDD:

Anyone who can give some input or give links to articles that could help me decide between these two will be loved forever and ever!

Comments

[starshards.livejournal.com]

I live in the UK.

I'm just expanding upon what ET and feiminn have said.

It's a very, very common mistake to think of Britain as being England, but it most certainly is not. Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and Wales still very much have their own national identity as well as, to some extent their own languages, though it is not particularly common for the Scottish to speak Scottish, or so on, in every day, average life.

Additionally as well, asides from some inter-breeding over the years, the Scottish and the English are a different race altogether- the Scottish being Celt, and the English being Germanic. The differences are not particularly apparent due to marriage and migration between the two countries, but I'm fairly sure that recent DNA studies have proven that there is still a difference between the English and the rest of the British nations.

So no. Scottish culture was never assimilated into English culture, and all nations of the United Kingdom still hold very firm to their national identity- to the extent that all nations of the UK (and yes, that includes England too) have at least some public support for a breaking apart of the union and reclaiming independence.

However, since the English make up for some 84% of the population of the UK, and are the wealthiest nation among the four that make up the UK, we have come to pretty much represent the UK.

It's annoying, since it effectively robs us of our own national identity and replaces it with 'British', but we can see this translating into Hetalia by way of Arthur being England -as we can see in pre- 1707 strips- and so now, standing as the representative of the UK as opposed to being the UK.

[kuromitsu.livejournal.com]

It's a very, very common mistake to think of Britain as being England

I think most people are aware that it's not the case but since England has represented Britain for hundreds of years now, many languages use "England" to refer to the entire UK in colloquial speech - or, in Japan's case, vice versa, as "igirisu" is "UK" but it's often used to refer to England as well.

[kuromitsu.livejournal.com]

*"has been representing." I know English, damn it! I really do!

[ketsudan.livejournal.com]

...

That was fine. I speak American English, which is certainly different from British English, but the tenses and such were correct, and it worked in there.

[kuromitsu.livejournal.com]

Haha, thanks. D;; I'm ESL and I should speak perfect English (I was an English major, dammit! >_<) but I spend most of my days translating between two completely different languages and, well. I get confused. ^^;;

[ketsudan.livejournal.com]

XDDDD It's alright really! I hear people who only speak English and sometimes their grammar is awful! I just want to rip out their throats sometimes and shove dictionaries and grammar books to replace their vocal cords. Of course, I make mistakes too, but that's why I'm so picky about how I write.

[ketsudan.livejournal.com]

Yeah, we kind of do, but my dad (whenever the conversation comes up somehow) always states, "Hey! We're not English, we're Scottish!" So, being an analytical person and more of a history buff than he is, I'm just trying to make it make sense in my head so then that transfers to the stories I'm writing... etc, etc, etc.

[kuromitsu.livejournal.com]

Oh, I understand that. It's just that I've met people who seriously thought that I couldn't tell the difference... when it's simply the case of "Anglia" (England) being shorter and easier to say than "Egyesült Királyság" (United Kingdom). ^^;; (Well, at least in English I can say "UK"...)

[ketsudan.livejournal.com]

DDDD: Jerks. I'd like to see them saying something extra long and hard when there is an easier alternative.

[ketsudan.livejournal.com]

This, by far, has been one of the most informational comments on this thread. I have read somewhere that genetically they're different still, which is interesting.

But I'm really glad that the cultures didn't assimilate! That would be a real loss if you asked me.

As for the whole "England" and "UK" thing, I think that's pretty historically correct; he didn't become the UK until after he merged with Scotland, and even still, it wasn't as if he was all of those countries in one. Must be kind of annoying for the English too though. Has anyone ever said, "Why are you asking us about Scotland? Go up north and ask them!"?

But buggers; that kind of ruins some angst I had planned in my head. Oh well.