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the Picts

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Celtic Cauldron
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« Reply #45 on: December 09, 2014, 07:30:00 pm »




Difficulties in translation of Ogham inscriptions, like those found on the Brandsbutt Stone, led to a widely held belief that Pictish was a non-Indo-European language
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« Reply #46 on: December 09, 2014, 07:30:31 pm »

Pre-Indo-European theory

John Rhys, in 1892, proposed that Pictish was a non-Indo-European language. This opinion was based on the apparently unintelligible ogham inscriptions found in historically Pictish areas.[18] A similar position was taken by Heinrich Zimmer, who argued that the Picts' supposedly exotic cultural practices (tattooing and matriliny) were equally non-Indo-European,[19] and a Pre-Indo-European model was maintained by some well into the 20th century.[20]

A modified version of this theory was advanced in an influential 1955 review of Pictish by Kenneth Jackson. Jackson proposed a two-language model: while Pictish was undoubtedly P-Celtic, it may have had a non-Celtic substratum and a second language may have been used for inscriptions.[21] Jackson's hypothesis was framed in the then-current model that a Brittonic elite, identified as the Broch-builders, had migrated from the south of Britain into Pictish territory, dominating a pre-Celtic majority.[22] He used this to reconcile the perceived translational difficulties of Ogham with the overwhelming evidence for a P-Celtic Pictish language. Jackson was content to write off Ogham inscriptions as inherently unintelligible.[23]

Jackson's model became the orthodox position for the latter half of the 20th century. However, it has become progressively undermined by advances in understanding of late Iron Age archaeology, as well as by improved understanding of the enigmatic Ogham inscriptions, a number of which have since been interpreted as Celtic.[24]

Despite this, Eric P. Hamp in his 2012 Indo-European family tree, classified Pictish as a non-Indo-European language.[25]
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« Reply #47 on: December 09, 2014, 07:30:44 pm »

Discredited theories

Traditional accounts (now rejected) claimed that the Picts had migrated to Scotland from Scythia, a region that encompassed Eastern Europe and Central Asia.[26] Buchanan, looking for a Scythian P-Celtic candidate for the ancestral Pict, settled on the Gaulish-speaking Cotini (which he rendered as Gothuni), a tribe from the region that is now modern-day Slovakia. This was later misunderstood by Robert Sibbald in 1710, who equated Gothuni with the Germanic-speaking Goths.[27] John Pinkerton expanded on this in 1789, claiming that Pictish was the predecessor to Modern Scots.[28] Pinkerton's arguments were often rambling, bizarre and clearly motivated by his belief that Celts were an inferior people. The theory of a Germanic Pictish language is no longer considered credible.[29]
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« Reply #48 on: December 09, 2014, 07:31:16 pm »

Notes

    Nordhoff, Sebastian; Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2013). "Pictish". Glottolog 2.2. Leipzig: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.
    Bede HE I.1; references to Pictish also at several other points in that text.
    Forsyth 2006, p. 1447; Forsyth 1997; Fraser 2009, pp. 52–53; Woolf 2007, pp. 322–340
    Forsyth 2006, p. 1447; Woolf 2007, pp. 322–340
    Watson 1926; Jackson 1955; Koch 1983; Smyth 1984; Forsyth 1997; Price 2000; Forsyth 2006; Woolf 2007; Fraser 2009
    All other research into Pictish has been described as a postscript to Buchanan's work. This view may be something of an oversimplification: Forsyth 1997 offers a short account of the debate; Cowan 2000 may be helpful for a broader view.
    Chalmers 1807, pp. 198–224
    Calgacus ('swordsman') was recorded by Tacitus in his Agricola. Another example is Argentocoxus ('steel leg'), recorded by Cassius Dio. See: Forsyth 2006
    Stokes 1890, p. 392
    Macbain 1892
    Watson 1926
    Skene 1837, pp. 67–87; Fraser 1923
    Skene 1837, pp. 71–72
    Jackson 1955, p. 131; Forsyth 1997, p. 6
    Forsyth 2006, p. 1447
    Forsyth 1995a
    Greene 1966, p. 135
    Rhys 1892; Rhys 1898
    Zimmer 1898; see Woolf 1998 for a more current view of Pictish matriliny
    For example: MacNeil 1938-1939; MacAlister 1940
    Jackson 1955
    See, for example, Piggot 1955
    For a general view, see Jackson 1955
    See Armit 1990 for an up-to-date view of the development of proto-Pictish culture and Brochs as an indigenous development; Forsyth 1998 gives a general review of the advances in understanding of Ogham.
    Hamp 2013
    See for example Bede HE I:1; Forsyth 2006 suggests this tradition originated from a misreading of Servius' fifth century AD commentary on Virgil's Aeneid:
    Aeneid 4:146 reads: Cretesque Dryopesque fremunt pictique Agathyrsi.
    Servius' commentary states: Pictique Agathyrsi populi sunt Scythiae, colentes Apollinem hyperboreum, cuius logia, id est responsa, feruntur. 'Picti' autem, non stigmata habentes, sicut gens in Britannia, sed pulchri, hoc est cyanea coma placentes. Which actually states that the Scythian Agathyrsi did not "bear marks" like the British, but had blue hair.
    Sibbald 1710
    Pinkerton 1789
    For a discussion of Sibbald's misunderstanding and of Pinkerton's thesis, see Ferguson 1991

References

    Armit, Ian (1990), Beyond the Brochs: Changing Perspectives on the Atlantic Scottish Iron Age, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press
    Bede, Ecclesiastical History of England Book 1, retrieved 18 December 2012
    Chalmers, George (1807). Caledonia: or a historical and topographical account of North Britain, from the most ancient to the present times with a dictionary of places chorographical and philological 1 (new ed.). Paisley: Alex. Gardner.
    Cowan, E.J. (2000), "The invention of Celtic Scotland", in Cowan, E.J.; McDonald, R.A., Alba: Celtic Scotland in the Medieval era, East Linton, Scotland: Tuckwell Press Ltd, pp. 1–23
    Ferguson, William (1991), "George Buchanan and the Picts", Scottish Tradition XVI: 18–32, retrieved 16 December 2012
    Forsyth, K. (1995a), Nicoll, E.H.; Forsyth, K., eds., "Language in Pictland: spoken and written", A Pictish panorama: the story of the Picts (Brechin, Scotland: Pinkfoot Press), retrieved 13 December 2012
    Forsyth, K. (1995b), "The ogham-inscribed spindle-whorl from Buckquoy: evidence for the Irish language in pre-Viking Orkney?", Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 125: 677–96, retrieved 13 December 2012
    Forsyth, K. (1997), Language in Pictland : the case against 'non-Indo-European Pictish, Utrecht: de Keltische Draak, retrieved 4 February 2010
    Forsyth, K. (1998), "Literacy in Pictish", in Pryce, H., Literacy in medieval Celtic societies, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, retrieved 13 December 2012
    Forsyth, K. (2006), Koch, John T., ed., "Pictish Language and Documents", Celtic culture: A historical encyclopedia, Volume 1 (Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, Inc.)
    Fraser, J. (1923), History and etymology : an inaugaral lecture delivered before the University of Oxford on 3 March 1923, Oxford: Clarendon Press
    Fraser, James E. (2009), "From Caledonia to Pictland: Scotland to 795", The New Edinburgh History of Scotland (Edinburgh University Press) 1
    Greene, D (1966), "The Making of Insular Celtic", Proceedings of the Second International Congress of Celtic Studies (Cardiff: University of Wales Press): 123–136
    Hamp, Eric P. (2013), "The Expansion of the Indo-European Languages: An Indo-Europeanist’s Evolving View", Sino-Platonic Papers 239: 6–14, retrieved 8 February 2014
    Jackson, K. (1955), "The Pictish Language", in Wainwright, F.T., The Problem of the Picts, Edinburgh: Nelson, pp. 129–166
    Jackson, Kenneth (1977), "The ogam inscription on the spindle whorl from Buckquoy, Orkney", Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 108: 221–222, retrieved 13 December 2012
    Koch, John T. (1983), "The Loss of Final Syllables and Loss of Declension in Brittonic", The Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies (University of Wales Press.) XXX
    Macalister, R.A.S. (1940), "The Inscriptions and Language of the Picts", in Ryan, J, Essays and Studies Presented to Professor Eoin MacNeill (Feil-Sgribhinn Edin mhic Neill), Dublin, pp. 184–226
    MacBain, Alexander (1892), "Ptolemy's geography of Scotland", Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness 18: 267–288, retrieved 14 December 2012
    MacNeill, E. (1938-9), "The Language of the Picts", Yorkshire Celtic Studies 2: 3–45 Check date values in: |date= (help)
    Nicolaisen, W.F.H. (2001), Scottish Place-Names, Edinburgh: John Donald
    Okasha, E. (1985), "The Non-Ogam Inscriptions of Pictland", Cambridge Medieval Celtic Studies 9: 43–69
    Piggot, S (1955), "The Archaeological Background", in Wainwright, F.T., The Problem of the Picts, Edinburgh: Nelson, pp. 54–65
    Pinkerton, John (1789), An enquiry into the history of Scotland: preceding the reign of Malcolm III or the year 1056 including the authentic history of that period (new (1814) ed.), Edinburgh: James Ballantyne and co., retrieved 8 February 2010
    Price, G (2000), Languages in Britain and Ireland, Oxford: Blackwell, retrieved 3 February 2010
    Rhys, J (1892), "The inscriptions and language of the Northern Picts", Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 26: 263–351
    Rhys, J (1898), "A revised account of the inscriptions of the Northern Picts", Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 32: 324–398
    Servius, Servii Grammatici in Vergilii Aeneidos Librum Quartum Commentarius, retrieved July 14, 2014
    Sibbald, Robert (1710), The history, ancient and modern, of the Sheriffdoms of Fife and Kinross., retrieved 17 December 2012
    Skene, W.F. (1836), The Highlanders of Scotland, their origin, history and antiquities; with a sketch of their manners and customs and an account of the clans into which they were divided and the state of society which existed among them 1, London: John Murray
    Smyth, Alfred P. (1984), "Warlords and Holy Men", New History of Scotland (Edinburgh: Edward Arnold (Publishers) Ltd.)
    Stokes, W. (1890), "On the Linguistic Value of the Irish Annals", Transactions of the Philological Society of London 21: 365–433, retrieved 8 February 2010
    Virgil, Aeneid, retrieved July 14, 2014
    Watson, W.J. (1926), Celtic Place Names of Scotland, Birlinn (2004 reprint)
    Williams, I. (1961), Y Gododdin, Cardiff: University of Wales Press
    Woolf, Alex (1998), "Pictish matriliny reconsidered", The Innes Review 49: 147–167, retrieved 17 December 2012
    Woolf, Alex (2007), "From Pictland to Alba 789 - 1070", The New Edinburgh History of Scotland (Edinburgh University Press) 2
    Zimmer, H. (1898), "Matriarchy among the Picts", in Henderson, G., Leabhar nan Gleann, Edinburgh: Norman Macleod, retrieved 4 February 2010
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« Reply #49 on: December 09, 2014, 07:31:30 pm »

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pictish_language
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« Reply #50 on: December 09, 2014, 07:31:56 pm »



Personal names of Roman-era chieftains from the Pictish area, including Calgacus (above) have a Celtic origin.[8]
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« Reply #51 on: December 09, 2014, 07:33:31 pm »

St Ninian's Isle


St Ninian's Isle is a small tied island connected by the largest active tombolo in the UK[5] to the south-western coast of the Mainland, Shetland, in Scotland. The tombolo, known locally as an ayre[6] from the Old Norse for 'gravel bank',[7] is 500 metres long.[3] Except at extremely high tides, the sand is above sea level and accessible to walkers. Depending on the definition used, St. Ninian's is thus either an island, or a peninsula;[8] it has an area of about 72 hectares. The nearest settlement is Bigton on South Mainland. The important Early medieval St Ninian's Isle Treasure of metalwork, mostly in silver, was discovered under the church floor in 1958. Many seabirds, including puffin visit the island, with several species nesting there.
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« Reply #52 on: December 09, 2014, 07:33:56 pm »

History[edit]

As its name suggests, the island has ecclesiastical connections, which may like others in the Northern Isles, Hebrides and Faroes have connections to the Culdees or papar. However, the island's history is far older than Christianity, and Neolithic graves have been found within the walls of the chapel (formerly beneath the floor).

The ruins of a 12th-century chapel can still be seen near the end of the tombolo. The dedication is to Shetland's patron saint, the enigmatic Saint Ninian of Galloway, who is also widely venerated on the nearby Orkney Islands, and may be commemorated in the name of North Ronaldsay. In 1958, an excavation found a hoard of 8th century silver in the chapel grounds under a stone slab in a wooden box, which caused a renewed archaeological interest in the island.[2] It was suspected to have been buried to hide it from, or stolen in, a Viking raid. The remains of a pre-Norse chapel were also found, which may indicate some kind of Culdee presence.

The last family to live on the island, that of Henry Leask, left the island in 1796. Henry Leask was married twice and had 13 children.
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« Reply #53 on: December 09, 2014, 07:34:46 pm »



St Ninian's Isle shown within Scotland
OS grid reference    HU365210
Names
Gaelic name    Unknown
Norse name    Unknown
Meaning of name    na
Area and summit
Area    c.72 ha
Area rank    na[1]
Highest elevation    53 m
Population
Population    last inhabited 1796
Groupings
Island group    Shetland
Local Authority    Shetland
Flag of Scotland.svg Lymphad3.svg
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« Reply #54 on: December 09, 2014, 07:35:35 pm »



The bowls
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« Reply #55 on: December 09, 2014, 07:36:04 pm »



Bowl
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« Reply #56 on: December 09, 2014, 07:37:22 pm »



Chape
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« Reply #57 on: December 09, 2014, 07:37:43 pm »

St Ninian's Isle Treasure[edit]
St Ninian's Isle and tombolo

The St Ninian's Isle Treasure was discovered under a cross-marked slab in the floor of the early St. Ninian's church, on 4 July 1958 by a local schoolboy, Douglas Coutts. Coutts was helping visiting archaeologists led by Professor A. C. O'Dell of Aberdeen University at a dig on the isle. The silver bowls, jewellery and other pieces are believed to date from approx. 800 AD.

Professor O'Dell, writing in December 1959 in Antiquity magazine, recounts that:

    "... the church on this site was described early in the 18th century as being still venerated by local people although it had been abandoned at the Reformation in favour of a more central parish church ... ... from the sandy spit, which has formed between the mainland and the isle, gales have carried sand and this, together with the accretion of a graveyard in use until c.1850, buried the church remains and all knowledge of its exact location had vanished from living memory ... At the occasion of the first Viking Congress in 1951 Dr W. Douglas Simpson suggested a search might prove rewarding and this was undertaken in 1955 by a party of my students under my direction. The results in this and succeeding years have exceeded expectations. ... The medieval building with its massive mortared walls, main altar and a side altar had made the excavation noteworthy before 4 July 1958, when the hoard was discovered. Close to the southern chancel arch foundation, and missed by inches by later burials, was found a broken sandstone slab, 10.5 in. by 15 in., lightly inscribed with a cross and, below this, was the hoard. It had been contained in a larch box of which a few splinters, impregnated with metal salts, had escaped decay. The bowls were upside down and the brooches and other objects tangled together, showing it has been hurriedly carried and buried with the top down. In with the objects was the porpoise jawbone and this, the only non-metallic object, is strong evidence of its ecclesiastical connection, although the brooches suggest a secular link ..."[9]

Cliffs on St Ninian's isle

The treasure is the best survival of Scottish silver metalwork from the period, some pieces gilded. As Prof. O'Dell says, there were pieces for secular use such as a series of different penannular brooches (some of them probably as unfinished half-ware) and different chapes from sword scabbards, pieces which might have been used for religious ceremonies and rituals like the bowls, spoons, and "thimbles" and all of those joined with some pieces of unsure meanings like the heavy ring chains or collars which are referred to as "power symbols of Pictish chieftains" by some scholars. The brooches show a variety of typical Pictish forms, with both animal-head and lobed geometrical forms of terminal.[10] Two of the scabbard chapes and a sword pommel appear to be Anglo-Saxon pieces, probably made in Mercia in the late 8th century; one has an inscription with a prayer in Old English. One of the mounts has a triple spiral design. We know of exchanges of gifts between Anglo-Saxon and Pictish rulers, and generally "weapons are among the objects which travelled most widely in the early medieval period".[11]

The treasure was donated to the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland (NMAS) in 1965-6 and is currently in the Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, whilst replicas are held by the Shetland Museum.[12]
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« Reply #58 on: December 09, 2014, 07:38:23 pm »



Mounts
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« Reply #59 on: December 09, 2014, 07:39:08 pm »




St Ninian's Isle and tombolo
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