“(Post)Colonial contexts of the Declaration: Conquest, Resistance and the Ambiguities of Writing Back.”

Stroh Silke

Abstract

The centrality of national independence and democracy in the reception of the Declaration of Arbroath begs the question whether it anticipates modern postcolonialism. This essay investigates the issue, situating the document in a writing back to English colonial discourse that also involves Geoffrey of Monmouth, Edward I's letter to the pope, and the Scottish "Instructiones" and "Processus". This also facilitates discussion of some general problems in Postcolonial Medieval and Scottish Studies.