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😉 Greetings to regular and new readers of the site! In the article “Walter Scott: Biography, Interesting Facts” – about the life of the famous Scottish writer.
Walter Scott (1771 – 1832) – writer, translator from German, human rights activist. He is also known as the author of poetic works, for example, “The Lady of the Lake”, the romance “Ave Maria”. He rightfully belongs to the primacy of the creation of the historical novel as a new literary genre.
Walter Scott biography
In the capital of Scotland, in mid-August 1771, the ninth child was born into the family of a successful lawyer and the daughter of a professor of medicine. It was a boy who was destined to become a world famous and beloved writer of millions of readers.
In this close-knit family, with a patriarchal outlook on life, there were a total of 13 children. However, seven of them died in infancy.
Walter was also in poor health. At six months, the baby was struck by infantile cerebral palsy and left him permanently lame on his right leg. The family’s condition made it possible to carry out comprehensive treatment of his son under the guidance of renowned doctors at the resorts of Bath and Prestonpans.
Let’s not forget that his grandfather was the head of the department of medicine at the University of Edinburgh and had a lot of friends and students. To improve the health of the kids, parents sent them to the countryside for the summer: to their grandfather’s farm in Sandinow or to their uncle in the picturesque countryside of Kelso.
From early childhood, the boy amazed his relatives with his extraordinary memory and ability to reproduce stories. At the age of seven it was time to start training and Walter returned to Edinburgh. First school, then college. Here he is fond of mountaineering, getting stronger physically, and fellow students are ready to endlessly listen to his stories.
During his studies, Scott organizes and leads the so-called Poetic Society. The young man reads a lot, he especially likes the works of ancient writers. Scottish folk ballads and legends occupy a special place in his predilections.
He stubbornly studies the German language in order to read Burger and Goethe in the original, whose works he brilliantly translates in the future. Acquainted with the works of A. Smith and W. Robertson. He has a reputation for being an excellent speaker.
In 1792 Scott became a lawyer. He leads a private practice, at the same time collects ancient legends about Scotland, folk tales, travels around the country. She publishes her translations anonymously in journals.
Personal life and cause of death
At the age of 20, he falls in love with Villamina Belshes. Unfortunately, the sympathy was not mutual and five years of romantic courtship with the girl did not bring results. She marries William Forbes, a member of a wealthy banking family.
This was a shock to the poet. The image of Villamina will repeatedly appear on the pages of his novels.
In 1797 Scott married Charlotte Charpentier. The family lives peacefully in their own castle in Abbotsford, leading the quiet life of ordinary farmers. Having suffered three apoplectic strokes in 1830-1831, which finally paralyzed his right hand, the writer dies of a heart attack in the fall of 1832.
After his death, a public exhibition hall was organized in the castle. Its exposition includes manuscripts, documents and things of the writer.
Walter Scott’s creativity
For the first time they started talking about Walter Scott in 1800 during the period when “Ivan’s Evening” was published, and two years later – “Songs of the Scotland Border”, where the originals of the Scots folk art were collected.
The famous composer Franz Schubert saw the basis for his work in The Lady of the Lake. The romance “Ave Maria” has become a classic, performed in Catholic churches to this day.
The writer was a passionate admirer of chivalry, poetry of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. But, nevertheless, in 1813, he categorically rejected the post of romantic poet offered to him. R. Southey was appointed to this position.
Discoverer of the historical novel
Scott is deservedly called the discoverer of the historical novel. From under his pen, inspired by the spirit of that time, legends and prose works came out with incredible speed. For thirty years he created 28 novels, about a dozen poems, critical articles on literature, historical works.
The speed of creation of works was dictated by the debts of the publisher, which supported Walter Scott. He helped publish works by Jonathan Swift, O. Goldsmith, poetry by Anna Seward and many other aspiring writers.
In addition, the estate where the writer worked was filled with a whole warehouse of antique weapons, paintings by famous artists, manuscripts, and collectibles of applied craftsmanship. The maintenance of this required large sums of money.
Scott wrote about witches, medieval customs, and executions. In his book about the life of Napoleon Bonaparte, the author reveals many unknown historical facts of military campaigns. Known for his critical articles in Reviews about the novels of D. Byron, R. Southey, M. Shelley Wollstonecraft Godwin.
Collaboration with Matthew Gregory Lewis, better known as Charles Maturin, resulted in a collection of “Fairy and Horror Stories”, published in 1801.
The writer always spoke of the Gothic novel as a senseless jumble of miracles and horrors. Therefore, he created his own style – historical prose. He believed that stories with rich illustrations by candlelight in the warmth of a fireplace could better convey the essence of the era and grab the reader’s attention.
The theme of ghosts takes place in the “Monastery”, where the spirit of the White Lady appears. Both Aunt Margaret’s Mirror and The Tapestry Room were painted in the national Scottish style. Critics called his Gothic works magical.
Scott markedly enriched the classic Gothic novel with traditional ballads, mystery, retelling, in which events could be reflected inaccurately, illusory.
Video
In this video additional information “Walter Scott: Biography, Interesting Facts”. You will see the estate, the library and the writer’s belongings.
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