Political Sentiments in Disguise: Scottish Jacobite Songs between 1700 and 1750

Abstract

This thesis examines the ways in which the Jacobites disguised and conveyed political sentiments in their songs. Music and songs have been crucial mechanisms for expressing the ideas of the Jacobite movement in eighteenth-century Scotland. There has been scholarly debate on the contemporaneity of Jacobite songs. In this thesis, I argue that Jacobite lyrics and songs should be read as texts contemporaneous with the events they describe and that they should be seen as valuable sources of information on the views of the middle and lower classes on the social and political situations at the time, instead of the perspective of the elite that has been conserved in historical accounts and writings. Chapter 1 presents a brief history of the Jacobites and the political situation in eighteenth-century Scotland and discusses the key concepts of this thesis. Chapter 2 discusses three case studies of three Jacobite songs that could be categorized as aggressive, sacred and erotic and presents how Jacobite poets addressed their political problems through symbolism in songs, often disguised as love songs. These songs were printed for distribution on the streets, in pubs, at home and at private parties. Jacobite songs prove to be remarkable reflections of the eighteenth-century underdogs of Scottish society.