MYSTERIOUS RACE

Evening Star, Issue 20670, 18 December 1930, Page 17

MYSTERIOUS RACE

DARK ORIGIN OF SCOTS Why is Scotland called Scotland and where did tho Scots come from originally? Tho following article is from Mr G. A. Atkinson, the ‘ Sunday Express ’ film critic. Though but a humble student of racial archteology, I think that I can throw some light on tho dark origin of this mysterious race. The Scots first invaded Caledonia in force about the year 400 n.c. Tho main body came from Ireland, then called “ Scotia ” (not Hibernia), but there had been filiations across a non-oxistent border for seven centuries beforehand, because there is a strong evidence that Dio same race invaded England, on colonising linos, about tho year 1,100 n.c. They probably came by way of Northern Spain, and they advanced in successive waves, which began at least 1,000 years earlier. They were Aryan-llittitc stock', monotheistic and monogamic, and were .undoubtedly a highly aristocratic, highly civilised, markedly clannish, and exclusive race. Their ruling clan was known by a name which has undergone many mutations, but one form of it. “ Cassi,” is relevant to ibis discussion, because it survives in “ Ecossais,” by which tho Cassi were known in Gaul, Iberia, and England. Tho modern Spanish word for “ Scots ” is “ Escocecos,” which, properly pronounced, has the sound of “ ill ” on the second “ C.” Sounds tend to harden as wo travel north (witness “ kirk ” for “church”). The word “ Scot,” in my opinion, is a hard, northern mutation of tho word “ Cassi.” where it became “ Catli,” among many other variations, and survives in numerous Scottish place and proper names. Tho Cassi gave their royal name to (lie early English kings—i.o., “ Cassivelaunus ” and “ Cussi-belan ” (who was Shakespeare’s “ Cymbelinc ”). They also gave their names to tin, which was known to tho Greeks as “ Kassitcros,” and Lyonusse and Western Cornwall were known as tho “ Cassitcridcs ” —i.o., “ tho distant tin lands.” There cannot bo much doubt but that tho dominant race in Scotland is descended from tho royal Cassi clan of tho Hittites, but lest iho Scots should foci undue elation about that it should bo added (hat the Cassi strain is equally prominent in England, particularly north of tho Trent though its stronghold was once where London now stands. Tho confusion between tho word “ Scot ” ami the Greek word for “ darkness ” probably springs from the fact that these colonising wanderers had a largo settlement in Scythia, the inhabitants of which wore known to the Greeks by a word which must have sounded very like “ Scot.” It is possible, but unlikely, that the word “ Scot ” is derived from this Scythian association, and it may be tbc relic of an ancient pun, tho fna-t joko against Scotland. Caledonia, by the way, derives its name from tho “ Khaldis,” tho hunger-marching Piets, who lived in river valleys. Columbia called them the “ Culdeos.” There is—with all respect to Mr Morton’s feelings—a princess in the story, but she was probably Greek, and therefore not to interesting as Cleopatra’s compatriot.