Scotland, Hope & Perseverance

In the face of so many unknowns for both Scotland and the world, how do we maintain our perspective?

‘Alexander III of Scotland Rescued from the Fury of a Stag by the Intrepidity of Colin Fitzgerald’ by Benjamin West (1786), National Galleries of Scotland

At the Scottish National Gallery on the Mound, Edinburgh, there is a remarkable painting depicting a scene from Scotland’s mythological past. A colossal canvas, twelve feet high by seventeen feet wide, makes it by far the largest picture in the gallery’s collection.

The painting depicts Scotland’s 13^th century king, Alexander III, knocked to the ground by a wild stag. The king holds himself up on a fallen shield with one hand, and desperately tries to turn the animal away with the other. His travelling party surround him, expressions of grave concern on their faces.

In a moment of heroism, in colours brighter and clearer than the rest of the scene, a young hero, the chief of Clan Mackenzie, holds the stag back by its antlers and lifts a spear to save Alexander – and by extension, to save Scotland too.

Alexander III was a king with no immediate or obvious successors, meaning his death would leave Scotland leaderless and vulnerable. To save Alexander’s life, therefore, was to save Scotland itself.

The painting shows us a moment frozen in time, when everything was up in the air – life, leadership, and the future of the nation. What it does not reveal is the ending – what will become of Alexander, or the stag, or the young chief – or indeed, what will become of Scotland. We can only glimpse this split-second scene, a fraction of a moment preserved. It is a painting which gives no guarantees, no promises, but simply encourages us to hope.

Whatever we hope for in the future, how do we keep going in moments of uncertainty? How do we know if the road ahead will be easy or difficult, long or short? How do we know if we’ll finally be trampled upon by a stag? Will a spear-wielding chieftain be there to rescue us?

The fantasy author J.R.R. Tolkien coined the word eucatastrophe to describe a moment when all things seem in grave danger, but then there is a sudden and dramatic turn of events. Something miraculous happens. There is a beam of light. New possibilities emerge. There are unexpected ways ahead.

As this painting reminds us, none of us can foresee what will come of the things we hope for, what catastrophes or eucatastrophes will occur, what victories or defeats will fall into place, or how long they will last.

But when moments of uncertainty subside, perhaps we should take a moment to regain some perspective, remembering the long and turbulent roads already travelled, either in our own stories or in the stories of others – and look afresh at what needs fixing, what inspires us, what gives us hope. We may just find new possibilities opening up to us, and realise there is still everything left to play for.