Extra/Anti-parliamentary nationalism: Scottish fundamentalism (cont)

The other manifestation of militant nationalism, although not necessarily politically motivated, is the theft of two historical symbols of Scotland: the Stone of Destiny, and William Wallace's sword. The Stone of Destiny, upon which Scottish kings were traditionally crowned, plundered by Edward I in 1296 and taken to Westminster Abbey, was ‘stolen back' by four Scottish students on Christmas Eve 1950. The Stone was recovered four months later and returned to London, where it remained until being ceremonially handed back to Scotland in 1997. The theft of Wallace's sword from a monument in Stirling did have more political overtones, and was used in terrorist propaganda 88, before its return.

Whilst taken individually, these small sectional movements and actions represent only a tiny proportion of Scotland's population but, taken together, their collective existence is an example of Scottish ‘fundamentalism' 89. This phenomenon is viewed by Anthony Giddens as a result of globalisation, supported by the fact that the very word ‘fundamentalism' did not appear in dictionaries before the 1950s 90,

[Giddens] sees fundamentalism not as reversion to the past, but as a recasting of the past: a reinvention of tradition that poses a supposed traditional society or series of practices to fill the yawning gulf left by the disappearance of tradition. 91

This fundamentalism arises as a reaction to new images of other societies, leading to a perceived need to strengthen ‘tradition', therefore restricting possible change. Was this then the case in some reactionary sections of Scottish society? It is true that some of the measures taken by extreme nationalists, from the thefts discussed above to the practice of openly wearing outlawed weapons on marches 92, are direct appeals to tradition, thus supporting any allegations of fundamentalism. However, Scotland also has a history of nationalist movements against English rule, dating from Wallace in 1297 through various uprisings throughout the middle ages 93. This suggests a militant expression of national identity is a historical phenomenon, and not in keeping with an application of Giddens theory of fundamentalism. Therefore, a key aspect of both parliamentary and extra-parliamentary expressions of Scottish national identity is the importance of Scottish history and tradition, and as discussed in the previous section, these are paramount to understanding Scotland's identity.