A
makar is a term from
Scottish literature for a
poet or
bard, often thought of as a
royal court poet, although the term can be more generally applied. The word functions in a manner similar to the
Greek term
(poietes) which means both
maker and
poet. It especially highlights the role of the poet as someone skilled in the crafting or
making of controlled, formal poetry with intricate or involved
diction and effects. The term is normally applied to poets writing in
Scots although it need not be exclusive to Scottish writers.
William Dunbar for instance referred to the English poets
Chaucer,
Lydgate and
Gower as makars.