Scota

**Scota**, in Erse meethologie, Scots meethologie, an pseudohistory, is the name gien tae the Wyffe o Geytholos an tae hees Mither, twa different meethological dochters o twa different Egyptian Pharaohs tae whom the Gaels tracit their ancestry, allegedly explainin the name *[[Scoti]]*, applee'd bi the Romans tae Erse raiders, an later tae the Erse invaders o Argyll an Caledonie which became kent as Scotland.

## History o the Scota legends
### Early sources

Edward J. Cowan haes tracit the first appearance o Scota in leeteratur tae the 12t century. Scota appears in the Erse chronicle *[[Book of Leinster]]* (conteenin a redaction o the *[[Lebor Gabála Érenn]]*). Housomeivver a recension foond in a 11t-century manuscript o the *[[Historia Brittonum]]* conteens an earlier reference tae Scota. The 12t-century sources state that Scota wis the dochter o a Egyptian pharaoh, a contemporar o Moses, who marriet Geytholos (Goídel Glas) an became the eponymous foonders o the Scots an Gaels Efter bein exiled frae Egyp. The earliest Scots sources claim Geytholos wis "a certain keeng o the kintras o Greece, Neolus, or Heolaus, by name", while the *Lebor Gabála Érenn* Leinster redaction in contrast describes him as a Scythie. Ither manuscripts o the *Lebor Gabála Érenn* conteen a variant legend o Scota's husband, no as Goídel Glas but insteid Mil Espaine an connect him tae Auncient Iberie.Anither variant meeth in the redactions o the *Lebor Gabála Érenn* state that thare wis anither Scota who wis the dochter o a Egyptian Pharaoh namit Cingris, a name foond anerly in Erse legend. She marriet Niul, son o Fenius Farsaid, a Babylonie who travelled tae Scythie efter the collapse o the Touer o Babel. Niul wis a scholar o leids, an wis invitit bi the pharaoh tae Egyp an gien Scota's haund in marriage. They haed a son, Goídel Glas, the eponymous ancestor o the Gaels, who creatit the Gaelic leid bi combinin the best featurs o the 72 leids then in existence. See an aw Geoffrey Keating. Awtho these legends vary, they aw gree that Scota wis the eponymous foonder o the Scots an that she gave her name tae Scotland an aw.

### Scota an the Stane o Scone

Baldred Bisset is first creditit tae hae fused the Stane o Scone wi the Scota foondation legends in his *Processus* (1301) puttin forrit an argument that it wis Scotland an no Ireland which wis the oreeginal Scoti hameland.

Bisset wis keen tae legitimise a Scots (as opposed tae Inglis) accession tae the throne efter Alexander III o Scotland dee'd in 1286. Alexander hissel at his coronation in 1249 heard his ryal genealogie recitit back throu 56 generations tae Scota. Bisset tharefore attemptit tae legitimise a Scots accession bi makkin Scota significant, as haein transportit the Stane o Scone frae Egyp durin the exodus o Moses tae Scotland. In 1296 the Stane itsel wis captured bi Edward I an taken tae Wastmeenster Abbey. Robert the Bruce in 1323 uised Bisset's same legend connectin Scota tae the stane in attempt tae get the stane back tae Scotland's Scone Abbey.

The 15t-century Inglis chronicler John Hardyng later attemptit tae debunk Bisset's claims.

### Later sources

Andrew o Wyntoun's *Orygynale Cronykil of Scotland* an John o Fordun's *[[Chronica Gentis Scotorum]]* (1385) are considered major sources on the Scota legends, alangside Thomas Grey's *[[Scalacronica]]* (1362). Walter Bower's 15t century *[[Scotichronicon]]* includit the first picturs o the legends. Hector Boece in his 16t century *Historia Gentis Scotorum* ("History o the Scots Fowk") mentions Scota an the foondation meeth an aw.

### Grave o Scota

The grave of Scota reputitly lees in a valley, sooth o Tralee toun, in Co. Kerry Ireland.  The aurie is kent as Glenn Scoithin, "Vale o the little flouer", mair normally kent as Foley's Glen. Indicatit bi a Coonty Cooncil road signpost, a trail frae the road leads alang a stream tae a clearin whaur a circle o lairge stanes marks the grave steid.

## Sources
**[[Lebor Gabála Érenn]]* http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/leborgabala.html
*Geoffrey Keating, *Forus Feasa ar Éirinn* http://celt.ucc.ie/published/T100054/index.html
* Seumas MacManus, *The Story of the Irish Race* (February 1970 The Devin-Adair Company New York)
* Seumas MacManus, *The Story of the Irish Race* (1990 edition printed by Wings Books)
* Michael O'Clery, *Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland* (1616–1636 Donegal)
* Benedict Fitzpatrick's (1901–1963) "Ireland and the Foundations of Europe"

## References