History

The central theme of the novel is History, which is symbolized by the presence in the town of the standing stones. Including the events described in the Prelude, the novel covers several centuries’ worth of events occurring on the land that became known as Kinraddie. During this vast expanse of history, the only constant feature of the landscape is the standing stones, which serve to remind the reader of the passing of time and how nature remains constant even as society rapidly changes around it.

The novel is set-up in historical terms during the Prelude when the author creates a rich and far-reaching history for the fictional estate of Kinraddie which ties the community into important, factual, historical events such as the English Reformation and the French Revolution. The early parts of The Song are almost ahistorical in their disconnection from events occurring in the outside...