Many people from outside of Scotland will not even have heard of Doric, never mind be able to understand it, or know where it hails from. In the past, the term Doric was often used to describe the dialects of people living in the South of Scotland – the Lowlands. Now, it is more specifically used to describe the unique tongue of the North Eastern part of the Lowlands, between Aberdeen and the ports of Fraserburgh and Peterhead. The language has its roots in the old Scottish Gaelic language, and has incorporated many words form it.
The origin of the name Doric is by no means totally clear, but it has its roots in the Greek traditions. The Athenians regarded the Dorians as uncouth and backward, and from this the word "doric" was coined to mean "rustic". This term was then applied to the languages of the Border lands, both on the English, and the Scottish side of the border. Edinburgh was also referred to as "the Athens of the North", and its upper class people were considered to have speech which was "attic". This implied that the more rustic speech of the country dweller was "doric" by comparison.
Doric is still suffering from this stigma today. The "Kailyard literature", in which Doric was traditionally used, is out of favour. This has not helped to further the cause of the Doric language literature in general, or in fact any other Scottish literature. There are modern writers using the language, and it has been featured on television and in the media. Doric managed to gain some notoriety when a lift in Aberdeen was fitted with Doric speech to announce which floor it had reached.
Back in 1994, a Doric Festival was staged, which was only intended to be a one off event. It has carried on ever since, and this is a testament to the North East of Scotland's desire to promote its own culture and history. The Doric language is promoted as a living part of North East Scotland culture, with a singing competition keeping alive the many ballads which were written in the region.
It is believed that around a third of the great Scottish ballads came from the Aberdeenshire region, and if this is true, you can understand why there has been such an interest in keeping the Festival going year upon year. In an era where traditional culture is being eroded in so many areas, you have to applaud the efforts of these people who are doing so much to keep their tradition alive.
