Pict
Pict
A painted people
Language unknown
Mysteries and mirrors
Picters in stone
The Picts or Picti meaning ‘painted people’ were by the fourth century AD the predominant people of northern Scotland. It is probable that prior to the Roman invasion of Britain they existed in separate tribes, only forming a kingdom in response to the threat of invasion. It is in the Pictish Chronicle that the name ‘Moray’ first appears, thought to mean ‘beside the sea’.
The Picts left behind no written records. The language they spoke has been lost and their way of life remains shrouded in mystery. Romanticised images of woodland folk have inspired fairy stories and over time the idea of the Picts has permeated folklore and legend. What does survive is evidence of their settlements, notably the ancient fort at Burghead, which is thought to have been the centre of the Pictish Kingdom.
Most intriguing of all are the Pictish stones, large monoliths carved with emblems and symbols, that have been discovered throughout Moray. There are many theories, and multiple books have been published in an attempt to unlock the meaning of these symbol stones, but their true significance remains an entrancing puzzle, waiting to be solved.
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