A replica of the Hilton of Cadboll Stone.

Clach an Tiompain, a Class 1 Pictish symbol stone in Strathpeffer

The Picts were a confederation of tribes in what later was to become central and northern Scotland from Roman times until the 10th century. They lived to the north of the Forth and Clyde. They were the descendants of the Caledonii and other tribes named by Roman historians or found on the world map of Ptolemy. Pictland, also known as Pictavia, became the Kingdom of Alba during the 10th century and the Picts became the Fir Alban, the men of Scotland. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (941x1767, 324 KB) Summary Users photograph. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (941x1767, 324 KB) Summary Users photograph. ... The landward-facing, secular side of the cross-slab on location in Easter Ross. ... Image File history File links Pictish_stone_strathpeffer_eagle. ... Image File history File links Pictish_stone_strathpeffer_eagle. ... The Clach an Tiompain, still on location in Strathpeffer. ... Strathpeffer is a village and former Spa town in the Scottish Highlands, 5 miles west of Dingwall with a population of 1,469 [1]. It lies in a valley, with varying elevation from 200 to 400 feet above sea level, but is sheltered on the west and north and has... For the ancient tribe that inhabited what is now Scotland, see the Picts. ... A confederation is an association of sovereign states or communities, usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution. ... Motto: (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity(English) Wha daur meddle wi me? (Scots)[1] Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic, Scots[2] Government  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification    - by Kenneth I... Motto: Senatus Populusque Romanus (SPQR) The Roman Empire at its greatest extent, c. ... The River Forth meanders over fertile farmlands near Stirling The River Forth, 47 km (29 miles) long, is the major river draining the eastern part of the central belt of Scotland. ... The River Clyde, looking eastwards upstream, as it passes beneath the Kingston Bridge in Central Glasgow. ... // The Caledonians (Latin: Caledonii) or Caledonian Confederacy, is a name given by historians to a group of the indigenous Picts of Scotland during the Iron Age. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A medieval artists rendition of Claudius Ptolemaeus Claudius Ptolemaeus (Greek: ; c. ... The Kingdom of Alba (Gaelic : Rìoghachd na h-Alba) for the purposes of this article pertains to the Kingdom of Scotland between the death of Domnall II in 900, and the death of Alexander III in 1286 which then led indirectly to the Scottish Wars of Independence. ...

The name by which the Picts called themselves is unknown. The Greek word Πικτοί (Latin Picti) first appears in a panegyric written by Eumenius in AD 297 and is taken to mean "painted or tattooed people" (Latin pingere "paint"). This may, however, be due to early folk etymology and the term likely has a Celtic origin, perhaps Pehta, Peihta (meaning "fighters").^[1] The Gaels of Ireland and Dál Riata called the Picts Cruithne, (Old Irish cru(i)then-túath), presumably from Proto-Celtic *k^writeno-toutā. There were also people referred to as Cruithne in Ulster, in particular the kings of Dál nAraidi.^[2] The Britons (later the Welsh and Cornish) in the south knew them, in the P-Celtic form of "Cruithne", as Prydyn; the terms "Britain" and "Briton" come from the same root.^[3] Their Old English name gave the modern Scots form Pechts.^[4] Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ... A Panegyric is a formal public speech delivered in high praise of a person or thing, a generally high studied and undiscriminating eulogy. ... Eumenius (c. ... A tattoo is a mark made by inserting pigment into the skin; in technical terms, tattooing is dermal pigmentation. ... Folk etymology or popular etymology is a linguistic term for a category of false etymology which has grown up in popular lore, as opposed to one which arose in scholarly usage. ... The Celtic languages are the languages descended from Proto-Celtic, or Common Celtic, spoken by ancient and modern Celts alike. ... The Gaels are an ethno-linguistic group in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man, whose language is of the Gaelic (Goidelic) family, a division of Insular Celtic languages. ... Dál Riata (also Dalriada or Dalriata) was a Goidelic kingdom on the western seaboard of Scotland and the northern coasts of Ireland, situated in the traditional Scottish and Northern Irish counties of Argyll, Bute and County Antrim. ... The Cruithne or Cruthin were a historical people known to have lived in the British Isles during the Iron Age. ... Old Irish is the name given to the oldest form of the Irish language which can be more or less fully reconstructed from extant sources. ... The Proto-Celtic language, also called Common Celtic, is the putative ancestor of all the known Celtic languages. ... Statistics Area: 24,481 km² Population (2006 estimate) 1,993,918 Ulster (Irish: Cúige Uladh, IPA: ) forms one of the four traditional provinces of Ireland. ... Dál nAraidi (sometimes anglicised as Dalaradia — which should not be confused with Dalriada) was a kingdom of the Cruithne in the north-east of Ireland in the first millennium. ... Brython and Brythonic are terms which refer to indigenous, pre-Roman, Celtic speaking inhabitants of most of the island of Great Britain, and their cultures and languages, the Brythonic languages. ... The Welsh (Cymry) are an ethnic group or nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language, which is a Celtic language. ... Old English (also called Anglo-Saxon) is an early form of the English language that was spoken in parts of what is now England and southern Scotland between the mid-fifth century and the mid-twelfth century. ... Scots refers to the Anglic varieties spoken in parts of Scotland. ...

Archaeology gives some impression of the society of the Picts. Although very little in the way of Pictish writing has survived, Pictish history, from the late 6th century onwards, is known from a variety of sources, including saints' lives, such as that of Columba by Adomnán, and various Irish annals. Although the popular impression of the Picts may be one of an obscure, mysterious people, this is far from being the case. When compared with the generality of Northern, Central and Eastern Europe in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages, Pictish history and society are well attested.^[5] This Buddhist stela from China, Northern Wei period, was built in the early 6th century. ... Saint Columba (7 December 521 - 9 June 597) is sometimes referred to as Columba of Iona, or, in Old Irish, as Saint Colm Cille or Columcille (meaning Dove of the church). He was the outstanding figure among the Gaelic missionary monks who reintroduced Christianity to Scotland during the Dark Ages. ... Iona Abbey Saint Adomnán of Iona (627/8-704) was abbot of Iona (679-704), hagiographer, statesman and clerical lawyer; he was the author of the most important Vita of Saint Columba and promulgator of the Law of Innocents. A popular anglicised form of his name is Saint Eunan... An number of Irish annals were compiled up to and shortly after the end of Gaelic Ireland in the 17th century. ... Northern Europe is marked in dark blue Northern Europe is a name of the northern part of the European continent. ... Central Europe The Alpine Countries and the Visegrád Group (Political map, 2004) Central Europe is the region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe. ... Regions of Europe as delineated by the United Nations[1] (UN definition of Eastern Europe marked salmon):  Northern Europe  Western Europe  Eastern Europe  Southern Europe Pre-1989 division between the West (grey) and Eastern Bloc (orange) superimposed on current national boundaries: Russia (dark orange), other countries of the former USSR... Late Antiquity is a rough periodization (c. ... Justinians wife Theodora and her retinue, in a 6th century mosaic from the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna. ...

Society

The harper on the Dupplin Cross, Scotland, circa 800 AD

The archaeological record provides evidence of the material culture of the Picts. It tells of a society not readily distinguishable from its similar Gaelic and British neighbours, nor very different from the Anglo-Saxons to the south.^[6] Although analogy and knowledge of other "Celtic" societies may be a useful guide, these extended across a very large area. Relying on knowledge of pre-Roman Gaul, or 13th century Ireland, as a guide to the Picts of the 6th century may be misleading if analogy is pursued too far.^[7] Image File history File links DupplinHarper. ... Image File history File links DupplinHarper. ... The Dupplin Cross is a carved, monumental Pictish stone, which dates from around 820. ... In archaeology, culture refers to either of two separate but allied concepts: A material culture comprises physical objects from the past, the study of which is the basis of the discipline. ... The famous parade helmet found at Sutton Hoo, probably belonging to King Raedwald of East Anglia circa 625. ... Map of Gaul circa 58 BC Gaul (Latin: ) was the name given, in ancient times, to the region of Western Europe comprising present-day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Switzerland and the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the Rhine river. ...

As with most peoples in the north of Europe in Late Antiquity, the Picts were farmers living in small communities. Cattle and horses were an obvious sign of wealth and prestige, sheep and pigs were kept in large numbers, and place names suggest that transhumance was common. Animals were small by later standards, although horses from Britain were imported into Ireland as breed-stock to enlarge native horses. From Irish sources it appears that the élite engaged in competitive cattle-breeding for size, and this may have been the case in Pictland also. Carvings show hunting with dogs, and also, unlike in Ireland, with falcons. Cereal crops included wheat, barley, oats and rye. Vegetables included kale, cabbage, onions and leeks, peas and beans, turnips and carrots, and some types no longer common, such as skirret. Plants such as wild garlic, nettles and watercress may have been gathered in the wild. The pastoral economy meant that hides and leather were readily available. Wool was the main source of fibres for clothing, and flax was also common, although it is not clear if it was grown for fibres, for oil, or as a foodstuff. Fish, shellfish, seals and whales were exploited along coasts and rivers. The importance of domesticated animals argues that meat and milk products were a major part of the diet of ordinary people, while the élite would have eaten a diet rich in meat from farming and hunting.^[8] Late Antiquity is a rough periodization (c. ... Transhumance is the seasonal movement of livestock between mountainous and lowland pastures. ... Species T. aestivum T. boeoticum T. compactum T. dicoccoides T. dicoccon T. durum T. monococcum T. spelta T. sphaerococcum T. timopheevii References:   ITIS 42236 2002-09-22 For the indie rock group see: Wheat (band). ... Binomial name Hordeum vulgare L. Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is a major food and animal feed crop, a member of the grass family Poaceae. ... Species References ITIS 41455 2002-09-22 Oats are the seeds of any of several cereal grains in the genus Avena. ... Binomial name Secale cereale M.Bieb. ... Kale (also called Borecole) is a form of cabbage (Brassica oleracea Acephala Group), green in color, in which the central leaves do not form a head. ... Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. ... For the parody newspaper, see The Onion. ... Leek is a placename in more than one country: Netherlands: Leek, Netherlands United Kingdom: Leek, Staffordshire Leek is also a vegetable: Leek (vegetable) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Binomial name Pisum sativum A pea (Pisum sativum) is the small, edible round green seed which grows in a pod on a leguminous vine, hence why it is called a legume. ... This article is on the plant. ... Binomial name Brassica rapa L. Subsp. ... Binomial name Daucus carota A carrot (Daucus Carota) is a root vegetable, typically orange or white in color with a woody texture. ... The Skirret (Sium sisarum Apiaceae), is a root vegetable. ... Binomial name Allium ursinum L. Ramsons, buckrams, wood garlic or bears garlic (Allium ursinum) is a wild relative of chives. ... Species See text Nettles are members of the genus Urtica in the family Urticaceae. ... Species Nasturtium nasturtium-aquaticumL. Nasturtium microphyllumBoenn ex Rchb. ... Long and short hair wool at the South Central Family Farm Research Center in Boonesville, Arizona Wool is the fiber derived from the fur of animals of the Caprinae family, principally sheep, but the hair of certain species of other mammals such as goats, alpacas, llamas and rabbits may also... Binomial name Linum usitatissimum Linnaeus. ...

No Pictish counterparts to the areas of denser settlement around important fortresses in Gaul and southern Britain, or any other significant urban settlements, are known. Larger, but not large, settlements existed around royal forts, such as at Burghead, or associated with religious foundations.^[9] No towns are known in Scotland until the 12th century.^[10] Map of Gaul circa 58 BC Gaul (Latin: ) was the name given, in ancient times, to the region of Western Europe comprising present-day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Switzerland and the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the Rhine river. ... Burghead (Scottish Gaelic: or Ceann Bhuirgh) is a burgh in Moray, Scotland. ...

The technology of everyday life is not well recorded, but archaeological evidence shows it to have been similar to that in Ireland and Anglo-Saxon England. Recently evidence has been found of watermills in Pictland. Kilns were used for drying kernels of wheat or barley, not otherwise easy in the changeable, temperate climate.^[11] Watermill of Braine-le-Château, Belgium (12th century) A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour or lumber production, or metal shaping (rolling, grinding or wire drawing). ... Charcoal Kilns, California A kiln is an oven that is used for hardening, burning, or drying anything. ...

The early Picts are associated with piracy and raiding along the coasts of Roman Britain. Even in the Late Middle Ages, the line between traders and pirates was unclear, so that Pictish pirates were probably merchants on other occasions. It is generally assumed that trade collapsed with the Roman Empire, but this is to overstate the case. There is only limited evidence of long-distance trade with Pictland, but tableware and storage vessels from Gaul, probably transported up the Irish Sea, have been found. This trade may have been controlled from Dunadd in Dál Riata, where such goods appear to have been common. While long-distance travel was unusual in Pictish times, it was far from unknown as stories of missionaries, travelling clerics and exiles show.^[12] Principal sites in Roman Britain Roman Britain refers to those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between 43 and 410. ... Dante by Michelino The Late Middle Ages is a term used by historians to describe European history in the period of the 14th and 15th centuries (1300–1500 A.D.). The Late Middle Ages were preceded by the High Middle Ages, and followed by the Early Modern era (Renaissance). ... Relief map of the Irish Sea. ... Dunadd is an Iron Age hillfort near Kilmartin in Argyll, Scotland. ...

Reconstructed crannog on Loch Tay

Brochs are popularly associated with the Picts. Although these were built earlier in the Iron Age, with construction ending around 100 AD, they remained in use into and beyond the Pictish period.^[13] Crannogs, which may originate in Neolithic Scotland, may have been rebuilt, and some were still in use in the time of the Picts.^[14] The most common sort of buildings would have been roundhouses and rectangular timbered halls.^[15] While many churches were built in wood, from the early 8th century, if not earlier, some were built in stone.^[16] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (700x960, 122 KB)Reconstructed crannog on Loch Tay. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (700x960, 122 KB)Reconstructed crannog on Loch Tay. ... A crannog is the name given in Scotland and Ireland to an artificial island or natural island, used for a settlement and usually linked to shore with a timber gangway or stone causeway. ... Loch Tay (Scottish Gaelic, Loch Tatha) is a freshwater loch in the central highlands of Scotland, in the district of Perthshire. ... Dun Carloway Broch, Lewis, Scotland The Broch is an Iron Age round tower fortification type unique to Scotland. ... Iron Age Axe found on Gotland This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age, for the mythological Iron Age see Iron Age (mythology). ... A crannog is the name given in Scotland and Ireland to an artificial island or natural island, used for a settlement and usually linked to shore with a timber gangway or stone causeway. ... An array of Neolithic artifacts, including bracelets, axe heads, chisels, and polishing tools. ... The roundhouse is a type of house with a circular plan, built in western Europe before the Roman occupation. ...

The Picts are often said to have tattooed themselves, but evidence for this is limited. Naturalistic depictions of Pictish nobles, hunters and warriors, male and female, without obvious tattoos, are found on monumental stones. These stones include inscriptions in Latin and Ogham script, not all of which have been deciphered. The well known Pictish symbols found on stones, and elsewhere, are obscure in meaning. A variety of esoteric explanations have been offered, but the simplest conclusion may be that these symbols represent the names of those who had raised, or are commemorated on the stones. Pictish art can be classed as Celtic, and later as Insular.^[17] Irish poets portrayed their Pictish counterparts as very much like themselves.^[18]
Pictish stones are to be found all over Scotland and are the most visible remaining evidence of their makers, the Picts. ... Note: This article contains special characters. ... Muiredacha Cross. ... Gravegoods from various North French and Rhineland sites, up to the 6th c. ...

Religion

Early Pictish religion is presumed to have resembled Celtic polytheism in general, although only place names remain from the pre-Christian era. The date at which the Pictish elite converted to Christianity is uncertain, but there are traditions which place Saint Palladius in Pictland after leaving Ireland, and link Abernethy with Saint Brigid of Kildare.^[19] Saint Patrick refers to "apostate Picts", while the poem Y Gododdin does not remark on the Picts as pagans.^[20] Bede wrote that Saint Ninian (identified with Saint Finnian of Moville, who died c. 589), had converted the southern Picts.^[21] Recent archaeological work at Portmahomack places the foundation of the monastery there, an area once assumed to be among the last converted, in the late 6th century.^[22] This is contemporary with Bridei mac Maelchon and Columba, but the process of establishing Christianity throughout Pictland will have extended over a much longer period. Celtic polytheism refers to the religious beliefs and practices of the ancient Celts. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... Palladius (fl. ... Abernethy Tower. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... For information about the holiday, see: Saint Patricks Day Saint Patrick (Latin: , Irish: Naomh Pádraig) was a Christian missionary and is the patron saint of Ireland along with Brigid of Kildare and Columba. ... Y Gododdin (The Gododdin), attributed to the 7th century poet Aneirin, is a series of 99 elegies to the men of the kingdom of Gododdin in north-eastern Britain who fell in the battle of Catraeth, thought to be Catterick in North Yorkshire, against the Angles, ca. ... Saint Ninian (c. ... St Finnian or St. ... Portmahomack is a small fishing village in Easter Ross, Scotland. ... Monastery of St. ... Bridei (or Brude), called MacMaelchon, was king of the Picts from 556 to 586 after the abdication of his cousin, Galam II. He was baptised by St Columba about 564. ...

Pictland was not solely influenced by Iona and Ireland. It also had ties to churches in Northumbria, as seen in the reign of Nechtan mac Der Ilei. The reported expulsion of Ionan monks and clergy by Nechtan in 717 may have been related to the controversy over the dating of Easter, and the manner of tonsure, where Nechtan appears to have supported the Roman usages, but may equally have been intended to increase royal power over the church.^[23] Nonetheless, the evidence of place names suggests a wide area of Ionan influence in Pictland.^[24] Likewise, the Cáin Adomnáin (Law of Adomnán, Lex Innocentium) counts Nechtan's brother Bridei among its guarantors. Iona village viewed from a short distance offshore. ... Nechtan IV (also known as Nechtan mac Derile) was king of the Southern Picts from 706-724, and a member of the Strathclyde Dynasty. ... The Cáin Adomnáin (Law of Adomnán), also known as the Lex Innocentium (Law of Innocents) was promulgated amongst a gathering of Irish, Dal Ríatan and Pictish notables at a location known as Birr in 697. ... Iona Abbey Saint Adomnán of Iona (627/8-704) was abbot of Iona (679-704), hagiographer, statesman and clerical lawyer; he was the author of the most important Vita of Saint Columba and promulgator of the Law of Innocents. A popular anglicised form of his name is Saint Eunan... Bridei IV (Gaelic: Bridei mac Derile) was king of the Picts from c. ...

The importance of monastic centres in Pictland was not perhaps as great as in Ireland. In areas which had been studied, such as Strathspey and Perthshire, it appears that the parochial structure of the High Middle Ages existed in early medieval times. Among the major religious sites of eastern Pictland were Portmahomack, Cennrígmonaid (later St Andrews), Dunkeld, Abernethy and Rosemarkie. It appears that these are associated with Pictish kings, which argues for a considerable degree of royal patronage and control of the church.^[25] Strathisla distillery in Keith, Strathspey Strathspey is the area around the valley of the River Spey, Scotland. ... Perthshire (Siorrachd Pheairt in Gaelic) was a county in central Scotland, which extended from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, Rannoch Moor and Ben Lui in the west, and Aberfoyle in the south. ... Dunnottar Castle in the Mearns occupies one of the best defensive locations in Great Britain. ... Named after Saint Andrew the Apostle, the Royal Burgh of St Andrews (Scottish Gaelic: ) is a town on the east coast of Fife, Scotland, and the home of golf. ... Dunkeld (Dùn Chailleann in Scottish Gaelic) is a small town in Strathtay, Perth and Kinross, Scotland, approximately 15 miles north of Perth on the A9 road into the Scottish Highlands and on the opposite (north) side of the River Tay from the Victorian village of Birnam. ... Abernethy Tower. ... Rosemarkie is a village on the Black Isle in the Scottish Highlands, lying a quarter of a mile east of the village of Fortrose. ...

The cult of Saints was, as throughout Christian lands, of great importance in later Pictland. While kings might patronise great Saints, such as Saint Peter in the case of Nechtan, and perhaps Saint Andrew in the case of the second Óengus mac Fergusa, many lesser Saints, some now obscure, were important. The Pictish Saint Drostan appears to have had a wide following in the north in earlier times, although all but forgotten by the 12th century. Saint Serf of Culross was associated with Nechtan's brother Bridei.^[26] It appears, as is well known in later times, that noble kin groups had their own patron saints, and their own churches or abbeys.^[27] Saint Peter, also known as Simon ben Jonah/BarJonah, Simon Peter, Cephas and Kepha — original name Simon or Simeon (Acts 15:14) — was one of the Twelve Apostles whom Jesus chose as his original disciples. ... Saint Andrew (Greek: Ανδρέας, Andreas, manly, brave), called in the Orthodox tradition Protocletos, or the First-called, is a Christian Apostle and the younger brother of Saint Peter. ... Óengus (Scottish Gaelic: Óengus mac Fergusa), alternative translations: Onuist, Hungus or Angus, was king of Dál Riada and Fortriu from about 820 until 834. ... Saint Drostan (d. ... Culross Culross (pronounced Coo-ros) is a burgh in Fife, Scotland. ...

History

The means by which the Pictish confederation formed in Late Antiquity from a number of tribes are as obscure as the processes which created the Franks, the Alamanni and similar confederations in Germany. The presence of the Roman Empire, unfamiliar in size, culture, political systems and ways of making war, should be noted. Nor can we ignore the wealth and prestige that control of trade with Rome offered.^[28] Late Antiquity is a rough periodization (c. ... For other uses, see Franks (disambiguation). ... area settled by the Alamanni, and sites of Roman-Alamannic battles, 3rd to 6th century The Alamanni, Allemanni, or Alemanni were originally an alliance of Germanic tribes located around the upper Main, land that is today part of Germany. ... Motto: Senatus Populusque Romanus (SPQR) The Roman Empire at its greatest extent, c. ...

Pictland had previously been described as the home of the Caledonii.^[29] Other tribes said to have lived in the area included the Verturiones, Taexali and Venicones.^[30] Except for the Caledonians, the names may be second- or third-hand: perhaps as reported to the Romans by speakers of Brythonic or Gaulish languages.^[31] Fortriu or the Kingdom of Fortriu is the name given by historians for an ancient Pictish kingdom, and often used synonymously with Pictland in general. ...

Pictish recorded history begins in the so-called Dark Ages. It appears that they were not the dominant power in Northern Britain for the entire period. Firstly the Gaels of Dál Riata dominated the region, but suffered a series of defeats in the first third of the 7th century.^[32] The Angles of Bernicia overwhelmed the adjacent British kingdoms, and the neighbouring Anglian kingdom of Deira (Bernicia and Deira later being called Northumbria), was to become the most powerful kingdom in Britain.^[33] The Picts were probably tributary to Northumbria until the reign of Bridei map Beli, when the Anglians suffered a defeat at the battle of Dunnichen which halted their expansion northwards. The Northumbrians continued to dominate southern Scotland for the remainder of the Pictish period. Petrarch, who conceived the idea of a European Dark Age. From Cycle of Famous Men and Women, Andrea di Bartolo di Bargillac, c. ... White cliffs of Dover in England White cliffs of Rugen down the Baltic coast from Schleswig The Angles is a modern English word for a Germanic-speaking people who took their name from the cultural ancestor of Angeln, a modern district located in Schleswig, Germany. ... Bernicia (Brythonic, Brynaich or Bryneich) was a kingdom of the Angles in northern England during the 6th and 7th centuries AD. It later merged with the kingdom of Deira to form the kingdom of Northumbria. ... Deira (perhaps corresponding with the Brythonic kingdom of Ebrauc) was a kingdom in England during the 6th century AD. It later merged with the kingdom of Bernicia (Brythonic, Brynaich) to the north to form the kingdom of Northumbria. ... Section from Shepherds map of the British Isles about 802 AD showing the kingdom of Northumbria Northumbria is primarily the name of a petty kingdom of Angles which was formed in Great Britain at the beginning of the 7th century, from two smaller kingdoms of Bernicia and Diera, and... King Bridei III (or Bridei map Beli; O.Ir. ... Combatants Picts Northumbrians Commanders Bridei III Ecgfrith Strength Casualties {{{notes}}} The Battle of Dunnichen (known to the English as Nechtansmere, and to the Welsh Linn garan) was fought between the Picts and Northumbrians on May 20, 685, near Forfar, Angus. ...

In the reign of Óengus mac Fergusa (729–761), Dál Riata was very much subject to the Pictish king. Although it had its own kings from the 760s, it appears that Dál Riata did not recover.^[34] A later Pictish king, Caustantín mac Fergusa (793–820) placed his son Domnall on the throne of Dál Riata (811–835).^[35] Pictish attempts to achieve a similar dominance over the Britons of Alt Clut (Dumbarton) were not successful.^[36] This is the royal figure on the St Andrews sarcophagus. ... Caustantín (Scottish Gaelic: Caustantín mac Fergusa) was king of Dál Riada and king of the Picts or Fortriu, in modern Scotland, from 789 until 820. ... Strathclyde (Welsh: Ystrad Clud) was one of the kingdoms of ancient Scotland in the post-Roman period. ... Dumbarton (Dùn Breatainn in Scottish Gaelic) is a burgh in Scotland, lying on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. ...

The Viking Age brought great changes in Britain and Ireland, no less in Scotland than elsewhere. The kingdom of Dál Riata was destroyed, certainly by the middle of the 9th century, when Ketil Flatnose is said to have founded the Kingdom of the Isles. Northumbria too succumbed to the Vikings, who founded the Kingdom of York, and the kingdom of Strathclyde was also greatly affected. The king of Fortriu Eógan mac Óengusa, the king of Dál Riata Áed mac Boanta, and many more, were killed in a major battle against the Vikings in 839.^[37] The rise of Cínaed mac Ailpín (Kenneth MacAlpin) in the 840s, in the aftermath of this disaster, brought to power the family who would preside over the last days of the Pictish kingdom and found the new kingdom of Alba, although Cínaed himself was never other than king of the Picts. The Viking Age is the name of the period between 793 and 1066 AD in Scandinavia and Britain, following the Germanic Iron Age (and the Vendel Age in Sweden). ... A Norwegian hersir of the mid 800s. ... A nation of Raymond E. Feists Midkemia. ... Jorvik was the Viking name for the English city of York. ... Strathclyde (Welsh: Ystrad Clud) was one of the kingdoms of ancient Scotland in the post-Roman period. ... Uen (Scottish Gaelic: Eógan or (dim. ... Áed mac Boanta (died 839) is believed to have been a king of Dál Riata. ... Cináed mac Ailpín (after 800–13 February 858) (Anglicised Kenneth MacAlpin) was king of the Picts and, according to national myth, first king of Scots. ...

In the reign of Cínaed's grandson, Caustantín mac Áeda (900–943), the kingdom of the Picts became the kingdom of Alba. The change from Pictland to Alba may not have been noticeable at first; indeed, as we do not know the Pictish name for their land, it may not have been a change at all. The Picts, along with their language, did not disappear suddenly. The process of Gaelicisation, which may have begun generations earlier, continued under Caustantín and his successors. When the last inhabitants of Alba were fully Gaelicised, becoming Scots, probably during the 11th century, the Picts were soon forgotten.^[38] Later they would reappear in myth and legend.^[39] Constantine II (874?–952) was king of Scotland from 900 to 942 or 943. ... // For the Derek Sherinian album, see Mythology (Derek Sherinian album). ... Look up Legend in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Pictish kings and kingdoms

Map showing the approximate areas of the kingdom of Fortriu and neighbours c. 800, and the kingdom of Alba c. 900

The early history of Pictland is, as has been said, unclear. In later periods multiple kings existed, ruling over separate kingdoms, with one king, sometimes two, more or less dominating their lesser neighbours.^[40] De Situ Albanie, a late document, the Pictish Chronicle, the Duan Albanach, along with Irish legends, have been used to argue the existence of seven Pictish kingdoms. These are as follows, those in bold are known to have had kings, or are otherwise attested in the Pictish period: Image File history File links Download high resolution version (794x1123, 1549 KB) Summary Author: Angus McLellan, source: Modified by me from NASA Visible Earth image [1] If I hold any copyright in this work I hereby license it under the GFDL, otherwise, as the work of US Government agency, there... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (794x1123, 1549 KB) Summary Author: Angus McLellan, source: Modified by me from NASA Visible Earth image [1] If I hold any copyright in this work I hereby license it under the GFDL, otherwise, as the work of US Government agency, there... Fortriu or the the Kingdom of Fortriu is the name given by historians for an ancient Pictish kingdom, and often used synonymously with Pictland in general. ... The Kingdom of Alba (Gaelic : Rìoghachd na h-Alba) for the purposes of this article pertains to the Kingdom of Scotland between the death of Domnall II in 900, and the death of Alexander III in 1286 which then led indirectly to the Scottish Wars of Independence. ... De Situ Albanie (dSA) is the name given to the first of seven Scottish documents found in the so-called Poppleton Manuscript, now in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris. ... The Pictish Chronicle is a name often given by (especially older) historians to an pseudo-historical account of the kings of the Picts beginning many thousand years before history was recorded in Pictavia and ending after Pictavia had been enveloped by Scotland. ... The Duan Albanach (Song of the Scots) is a Middle Gaelic poem found with the Lebor Bretnach, a Gaelic version of the Historia Brittonum of Nennius, with extensive additional material (mostly concerning Scotland). ...

• Cait, situated in modern Caithness and Sutherland
• Ce, situated in modern Mar and Buchan
• Circinn, perhaps situated in modern Angus and the Mearns^[41]
• Fib, the modern Fife, known to this day as 'the Kingdom of Fife'
• Fidach, location unknown
• Fotla, modern Atholl (Ath-Fotla)^[42]
• Fortriu, cognate with the Verturiones of the Romans; recently shown to be centered around Moray^[43]

More small kingdoms may have existed. Some evidence suggest that a Pictish kingdom also existed in Orkney.^[44] De Situ Albanie is not the most reliable of sources, and the number of kingdoms, one for each of the seven sons of Cruithne, the eponymous founder of the Picts, may well be grounds enough for disbelief.^[45] Regardless of the exact number of kingdoms and their names, the Pictish nation was not a united one. Caithness (Gallaibh in Gaelic)[1] is a committee area of Highland Council, Scotland; a lieutenancy area; and a registration county, Caithness was formerly a district within the Highland region from 1975 to 1996 and a local government county with its own county council from 1890 to 1975. ... Sutherland (Cataibh in Gaelic) is a committee area of the Highland Council, Scotland, a registration county, and a lieutenancy area. ... Marr is a committee area in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. ... Buchan comprises a traditional area and earldom of north-eastern Scotland. ... Angus (Aonghas in Gaelic) is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy area. ... Kincardineshire, also known as The Mearns (from A Mhaoirne meaning The Stewartry) is a traditional county on the coast of Northeast Scotland. ... Fife (Fìobh in Gaelic) is a council area of Scotland, situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with landward boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire. ... The Highlands district of Atholl or Athole in the north of Perthshire in Scotland lies between Braemar, Badenoch, Breadalbane and Lochaber. ... Fortriu or the the Kingdom of Fortriu is the name given by historians for an ancient Pictish kingdom, and often used synonymously with Pictland in general. ... Moray (pronounced Murray, spelled A Moireibh in Gaelic) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. ... Orkney (sometimes known as the Orkney Islands) is an archipelago in northern Scotland, situated 10 miles north of the coast of Caithness. ... An eponym is the name of a person, whether real or fictitious, which has (or is thought to have) given rise to the name of a particular place, tribe, discovery or other item. ...

For most of Pictish recorded history the kingdom of Fortriu appears dominant, so much so that king of Fortriu and king of the Picts may mean one and the same thing in the annals. This was previously thought to lie in the area around Perth and the southern Strathearn, whereas recent work has convinced those working in the field that Moray (a name referring to a very much larger area in the High Middle Ages than the county of Moray), was the core of Fortriu.^[46] The Royal Burgh of Perth (Peairt in Scottish Gaelic) is a large burgh in central Scotland. ... Strathearn or Strath Earn, (Scottish Gaelic, Srath Èireann) is the strath (valley) of the River Earn. ... Moray, or the anglified Morayshire or Elginshire (Mhoireibh in Gaelic) was a county of Scotland, bordering the former Nairnshire to the west, Inverness-shire to the south, and Banffshire to the east. ...

The Picts are often said to have practised matrilineal succession on the basis of Irish legends and a statement in Bede's history. In fact, Bede merely says that the Picts used matrilineal succession in exceptional cases.^[47] The kings of the Picts when Bede was writing were Bridei and Nechtan, sons of Der Ilei, who indeed claimed the throne through their mother Der Ilei, daughter of an earlier Pictish king.^[48] Matrilineality is a system in which one belongs to ones mothers lineage; it may also involve the inheritance of property or titles through the female line. ... Bede (IPA: ) (also Saint Bede, the Venerable Bede, or (from Latin) Beda (IPA: )), (ca. ...

In Ireland, kings were expected to come from among those who had a great-grandfather who had been king.^[49] Kingly fathers were not frequently succeeded by their sons, not because the Picts practised matrilineal succession, but because they were usually followed by their brothers or cousins, more likely to be experienced men with the authority and the support necessary to be king.^[50]

The nature of kingship changed considerably during the centuries of Pictish history. While kings had to be successful war leaders to maintain their authority, kingship became rather less personalised and more institutionalised during this time. Bureaucratic kingship was still far in the future when Pictland became Alba, but the support of the church, and the apparent ability of a small number of families to control the kingship for much of the period from the later 7th century onwards, provided a considerable degree of continuity. In the much same period, the Picts' neighbours in Dál Riata and Northumbria faced considerable difficulties as the stability of succession and rule which they had previously benefitted from came to an end.^[51]

The later Mormaers are thought to have originated in Pictish times, and to have been copied from, or inspired by, Northumbrian usages.^[52] It is unclear whether the Mormaers were originally former kings, royal officials, or local nobles, or some combination of these. Likewise, the Pictish shires and thanages, traces of which are found in later times, are thought to have been adopted from their southern neighbours.^[53] The title of mormaor or mormaer designated one of the rulers of the seven provinces of Celtic Scotland, i. ...

Language

Main article: Pictish language

The Pictish language has not survived. Evidence is limited to place names and to the names of people found on monuments and the contemporary records. The evidence of place-names and personal names argue strongly that the Picts spoke Insular Celtic languages related to the more southerly Brythonic languages.^[54] A number of inscriptions have been argued to be non-Celtic, and on this basis, it has been suggested that non-Celtic languages were also in use.^[55] The Pictish language is the extinct language of the Picts, in what is now Scotland. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Onomastics (Onomatology) is the study of proper names of all kinds and the origins of names. ... The Insular Celtic hypothesis concerns the origin of the Celtic languages. ... The Brythonic languages (or Brittonic languages) form one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic language family. ...

The absence of surviving written material in Pictish does not mean a pre-literate society. The church certainly required literacy, and could not function without copyists to produce liturgical documents. Pictish iconography shows books being read, and carried, and its naturalistic style gives every reason to suppose that such images were of real life. Literacy was not widespread, but among the senior clergy, and in monasteries, it would have been common enough.^[56]

Place-names often allow us to deduce the existence of historic Pictish settlements in Scotland. Those prefixed with "Aber-", "Lhan-", or "Pit-" indicate regions inhabited by Picts in the past (for example: Aberdeen, Lhanbryde, Pitmedden, Pittodrie etc). Some of these, such as "Pit-" (portion, share), were formed after Pictish times, and may refer to previous "shires" or "thanages".^[57] Aberdeen (Scottish Gaelic: ) is Scotlands third largest city (48th in Britain,[5] 313th in Europe[6]) with a population of 202,370. ... St. ... Pitmedden is a rural village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, situated midway between Ellon and Oldmeldrum, and approximately 16 miles distant from Aberdeen. ... Pittodrie is a football stadium situated in the Scottish city of Aberdeen. ...

The evidence of place-names may also reveal the advance of Gaelic into Pictland. As noted, Atholl, meaning New Ireland, is attested in the early 8th century. This may be an indication of the advance of Gaelic. Fortriu also contains place-names suggesting Gaelic settlement, or Gaelic influences.^[58] The Highlands district of Atholl or Athole in the north of Perthshire in Scotland lies between Braemar, Badenoch, Breadalbane and Lochaber. ...

In other media

• At 13, Robert E. Howard, being of Scottish descent, began his studies of Scottish history and became fascinated with the Picts, whom he called "the small dark Mediterranean aborigines of Britain."^[59] Later, as an author, he created the character Bran Mak Morn, the last king of the Picts, who appeared in stories in Weird Tales. The Picts also appeared as savages in many Conan the Barbarian books and comic books. It should be noted, however, that the Picts of Howard's Conan stories bear more resemblance with indigenous Native Americans than anything else, with particularly similarity in parts to pre-Colombian Central and South American cultures. In "Conan the Usurper", Conan journeys through the Pictish wilderness.^[60]
• The Picts are a faction in the Medieval: Total War expansion "Viking Invasion." The faction consists of the entirety of Pictish lands, rather than a single kingdom. A player can command a group of Pictish forces.^[61]
• In Werewolf: the Apocalypse, the lost tribe of the White Howlers was aid to have interbred with the Picts. They were ultimately corrupted into the Black Spiral Dancers, a perversion of all that is sacred to the Garou.

Robert Ervin Howard (January 22, 1906 – June 11, 1936)[1] was a classic American pulp writer of fantasy, horror, historical adventure, boxing, western, and detective fiction. ... Bran Mak Morn is a hero of several pulp fiction short stories by Robert E. Howard. ... This page is about the fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine and its heirs. ... Look up Barbarian in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand, a thief, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandalled feet. ... Conan the Usurper by Robert E. Howard, Lancer Books, 1967 Conan the Warrior is a 1967 collection of four fantasy short stories written by Robert E. Howard and L. Sprague de Camp featuring Howards seminal sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian. ... Medieval: Total War (MTW), is a real-time strategy game where the player builds a dynastic empire in medieval Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. ... This articles content is specific to the fictional setting known as the World of Darkness. ...

Notes

Goidelic is one of two major divisions of modern-day Celtic languages (the other being Brythonic). ... Brythonic is one of two major divisions of Insular Celtic languages (the other being Goidelic). ... The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of annals narrating the history of the Anglo-Saxons and their settlement in Great Britain. ... An number of Irish annals were compiled up to and shortly after the end of Gaelic Ireland in the 17th century. ... The Annals of Ulster are a chronicle of medieval Ireland. ... The Annals of Tigernach (abbr. ... The Annals of Inisfallen are a chronicle of the medieval history of Ireland. ... Signature page from the Annals of the Four Masters Entry for A.D. 432 The Annals of the Four Masters or the Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters are a chronicle of medieval Irish history. ... The Annals of Clonmacnoise chronicle events in Ireland from pre-history to A.D. 1408. ... The Historia Britonum, or The History of the Britons, is a historical work that was first written sometime shortly after AD 820, and exists in several recensions of varying difference. ... Nennius, or Nemnivus, is the name of two shadowy personages traditionally associated with the history of Wales. ... Bede (IPA: ) (also Saint Bede, the Venerable Bede, or (from Latin) Beda (IPA: )), (ca. ... Symeon (or Simeon) of Durham (d. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: Welsh_Annals Annales Cambriae, or The Annals of Wales, believed to date from 970, is a chronicle of events thought to be significant occurring during the years 447-954. ... Remains of the city walls Verulamium was the third largest city in Roman Britain. ... Gaius Cornelius Tacitus Publius (or Gaius) Cornelius Tacitus (c. ... A medieval artists rendition of Claudius Ptolemaeus Claudius Ptolemaeus (Greek: ; c. ... Ammianus Marcellinus (325/330-after 391) was a Roman historian who wrote during Late Antiquity. ... Combatants Bernicians Dál Riatans Commanders Æthelfrith of Bernicia Áedán mac Gabráin The Battle of Degsastan was fought c. ... Domnall Brecc (Donald the Freckled) (d. ... This is the royal figure on the St Andrews sarcophagus. ... The pech were a type of gnome-like creatures in Scottish myth. ... Pixies or Piskies as they are known in Cornwall are mythical creatures of English folklore, considered to be particularly concentrated in the areas around Devon and Cornwall, suggesting some Celtic origin for the belief and name. ... John Toland (November 30, 1670 - March 11, 1722) Very little is known about his true origins other than the fact that he was born in Ardagh on the Inishowen Peninsula, a predominantly Catholic and Irish speaking region, in north west Ulster. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... February 11 is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... February 11 is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

Iona Abbey Saint Adomnán of Iona (627/8-704) was abbot of Iona (679-704), hagiographer, statesman and clerical lawyer; he was the author of the most important Vita of Saint Columba and promulgator of the Law of Innocents. A popular anglicised form of his name is Saint Eunan... Geoffrey W.S. Barrow is a Scottish historian and academic. ... Dauvit Broun (David Brown) is a Scottish historian based at the University of Glasgow, and one of the most prominent and influential scholars in the field of medieval Scottish or Celtic studies. ... Dr. Thomas Owen Clancy is an American academic and historian who specializes in the literature of the Celtic Dark Ages, especially that of Scotland. ... Kenneth Hurlstone Jackson was a linguist and phonologist and a translator who specialized in the Brythonic languages. ... Richard Oram is a Scottish historian and freelance author. ... N. A. M. Rodger (born 1949) is professor of naval history at the University of Exeter, England. ... Professor William J. Watson, 1865-1948, was the first Gaelic speaking scholar to place the study of Scottish place names on a firm linguistic basis. ... Alex Woolf is a British medievalist based at the University of St Andrews, and one of the most pioneering scholars in British medieval studies. ...

Further reading

Foster (2004) is considerably revised from the 1996 edition, and offers one of the most complete introductions to the subject. Henderson (1967) is still regarded as important. The articles in Lynch (2001) will be useful, but this is not referenced and may be best read in conjunction with another work. Laing & Laing (2001) provides good coverage of Pictish art, but is not well illustrated and otherwise outdated; the most thorough and by far the most up-to-date work on Pictish art is Isabel Henderson's The Art of the Picts: Sculpture and Metalwork in Early Medieval Scotland (2004). Cummins (1999) attempts a narrative, with mixed success, and all works by Cummins should be read with caution. Smyth (1984) is widely cited, but is unlikely to be suitable reading for a beginner. Leslie Alcock (2003) provides comprehensive coverage of Dark Age northern Britain from an archaeologist's perspective. Marjorie Anderson (1973; 1980) provides the landmark and most authoritative guide to the historical sources of the period. The relevant works in the new Edinburgh history of Scotland - Fraser, From Caledonia to Pictland, and Woolf, From Pictland to Alba - are expected in 2007–2008.

External links

• Glasgow University ePrints server, including Katherine Forsyth's
  • Language in Pictland (pdf) and
  • Literacy in Pictland (pdf)
• CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts at University College Cork
  • The Corpus of Electronic Texts includes the Annals of Ulster, Tigernach, the Four Masters and Innisfallen, the Chronicon Scotorum, the Lebor Bretnach, Genealogies, and various Saints' Lives. Most are translated into English, or translations are in progress
• The Pictish Chronicle
• The Chronicle of the Kings of Alba
• Annals of Clonmacnoise at Cornell
• Bede's Ecclesiastical History and its Continuation (pdf), at CCEL, translated by A.M. Sellar.
• Annales Cambriae (translated) at the Internet Medieval Sourcebook.
• Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (PSAS) through 1999 (pdf).
• Tarbat Discovery Programme with reports on excavations at Portmahomack.
• SPNS the Scottish Place-Name Society (Comann Ainmean-Áite na h-Alba), including commentary on and extracts from Watson's The History of the Celtic Place-names of Scotland.

The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is an archaeological learned society formed for the purpose of studying the history of Scotland. ... The Scottish Place-Name Society (Comann Ainmean-Áite na h-Alba in Gaelic) is a learned society in Scotland concerned with toponymy, in other words, what can be learned from the study of place-names. ...

See also