Scotland in the Middle Ages bards to the Lord of the Isles, existed in Scotland and a larger number in Ireland, until they were suppressed from the seventeenth century. Members of bardic schools were trained in the complex rules and forms of Gaelic poetry. Much of their work was never written down and what survives was only recorded from the sixteenth century. In the late Middle Ages, Middle Scots, often simply called English, became the dominant language of the country. It was derived largely from Old English, with the addition of elements from Gaelic and French. Although resembling the language spoken in northern England, it
Allegory in the Middle Ages known work of allegorical literature until the 12th century. Although allegorical thinking, elements and artwork abound during this period, it was not until the rise of the medieval university in the High Middle Ages that sustained allegorical literature appears again. The earliest works were by Hugh of St Victor ("Didascalicon", 1125), Bernard Silvestris ("Cosmographia", 1147), and Alanus ab Insulis ("Plaint of Nature", 1170, and "Anticlaudianus") who pioneered the use of allegory (mainly personification) for abstract speculation on metaphysics and scientific questions. The High and Late Middle Ages saw many allegorical works and techniques. There were four great works from this