Old Mortality - Scott, Walter

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Résumé :
Old Mortality is one of the Waverley novels by Walter Scott. Set in south west Scotland, it forms, along with The Black Dwarf, the 1st series of his Tales of My Landlord (1816). The novel deals with the period of the Covenanters, featuring their victory at Loudoun Hill and their defeat at Bothwell Bridge, both in June 1679; a final section is set in 1689 at the time of the royalist defeat at Killiekrankie. Scott's original title was The Tale of Old Mortality, but this is generally shortened in most references. On 30 April 1816 Scott signed a contract with William Blackwood for a four-volume work of fiction, and on 22 August James Ballantyne, Scott's printer and partner, indicated to Blackwood that it was to be entitled Tales of My Landlord, which was planned to consist of four tales relating to four regions of Scotland. In the event the second tale, Old Mortality, expanded to take up the final three volumes, leaving The Black Dwarf as the only story to appear exactly as intended. Scott completed The Black Dwarf in August, and composed Old Mortality during the next three months. (wikipedia.org)

Biographie:
Walter Scott was a Scottish novelist, poet, historian, editor, and collector of tradition whose work helped shape the modern historical novel and the literary image of Scotland. Born in Edinburgh in 1771, Scott drew deeply on Scottish history, border ballads, folklore, legal culture, antiquarian scholarship, and oral tradition. His novels, including Waverley, Old Mortality, Rob Roy, The Heart of Midlothian, and Ivanhoe, made him one of the most widely read writers of the nineteenth century and established a model for historical fiction that influenced European and American literature.Scott's interest in legend, belief, superstition, and national memory appears throughout his fiction and historical writing. In Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft, first published near the end of his life, he turned directly to supernatural belief, examining apparitions, witchcraft accusations, demonology, fairies, second sight, and popular superstition with the knowledge of an antiquarian and the narrative instinct of a novelist. The result is both a study of folklore and an important document in the history of Scottish and British literary culture....

Sommaire:
Walter Scott was born on August 15, 1771, in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was a renowned historical novelist, poet, and legal professional, serving in roles such as advocate, Sheriff-Depute, and Clerk of Session. Scott also served in the British Militia during the French Revolutionary Wars, where he held the rank of Quartermaster. His literary works, particularly his historical novels, helped define the genre and were crucial in the development of Romantic literature. Scott's writing, often focused on Scottish history and culture, resonated with readers and cemented his reputation as a major literary figure. In addition to his literary career, he was married to Charlotte Carpenter. Scott spent his later years at his estate, Abbotsford, in Scotland, where he passed away on September 21, 1832. His contributions to literature, especially through his exploration of history and romance, continue to influence writers and readers today. His legacy endures, celebrated for its depth, storytelling, and portrayal of Scotland s rich heritage....