This is a summary commentary and resource list about some aspects of the Pictish people. There are many Pictich stones in eastern Scotland - Sueno's stone at Forres is one of the most famous.
During a visit to Scotland in Summer 2001, Hugh was determined to see some Pictish stones - there is an excellent new display of them at the Pictavia Museum, Brechin Castle - well laid out - in the County of Angus. But at Glamis the local postie did not know where the Eassie Pictish stone was - just 4 miles away, in a perspex box in a church ruin. The Meigle Museum of Pictish Stones is great, as are the Aberlemno stones - out in the open, many beside the road.
There is a subtle little pictish/celtic pool in a dell by Dunino Church, Fife (near Crail), with uncommon Celtic bas-relief wall carvings, and a stone stairway in the rock; - read a poem about the area. The Scottish Crannog Centre on Loch Tay is well worth a visit. But the Rheged Exhibition near Penrith was disappointing - no artifacts (real or reproduction) or any material concerning the Cumbric language - but the specialist shops were great.
Pictish stones are mostly 2' wide, 4' high, 4" thick (like large gravestones). They are in "bas positive relief" on a flat background, with a raised edge. I, and some others, think the stones were brightly painted (like stained-glass windows), and the style of carving permitted this. A stone pew-end in an old rural Northumberland church showed traces of colouring when the wooden frame was removed - (re 1980s, article in the Manchester Guardian Weekly). Pictish stones usually have one side with Pictish symbols and or a scene/story - often a battle. The reverse is usually a celtic christian cross with interlace work; all are circa 400 - 800 AD. Many scholars believe that the christian face was sculpted AFTER the earlier non-religious side, and there is weak archeological evidence to show this.
Some scholars say the Picts came from Northern Poland or Scythia. Once in Scotland/Alba, they got pushed to the NE by the Celts, particularly the Scotii from Ireland. There is a Pictish booklist.
There is a "Deil's Dyke" from Cairn Ryan (near Stranraer) via Sanquhar to Annan - a stone wall and ditch on the northern slopes of the Dumfries/Galloway uplands. It's line is approximately Cairn Ryan, Craigdarroch, Big Corlae, Dalgonar, Penpont, Closeburn, Ae, Lochmaben. No-one knows who built it and why it was erected; it was much destroyed in the enclosures 1700-1750; I have been to the Ewart Library Dumfries to find books/articles with suggestions - little luck. Joseph Train (a friend of Robert Burns) spent years investigating the dyke (details may be available) and Kevin McDowall has an article in the Carrick Gallovidian 1947. I think it was built by the brythonic (Welsh) celts sometime AD 300-800 to keep out the Strathclyde celts, but that is just my suggestion. Leo McDowall's web page has some Galloway History of the period - by Kevin McDowall - and a good booklist.
Little is known about the Pictish language; by tradition they did not normally write on their stones - but the Drosten Stone is an exception; the Ogham Script was used by nearby races; a few King Lists etc survive. Stay tuned for updates on this page - I am reading books on the subject!! For those wishing to look further, consult Chris Lockyear's UCL Celtic Stone Archeological Datbase Index.
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Hugh
Reekie 164 Bayswater Ave.,
Ottawa K1Y 2G3, Ontario, Canada fax 613-728-9143 with thanks to
David Morrison for additional; Deil's Dyke info.
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