Picts
The Picts were an ancient people inhabiting what is now Scotland, known primarily through limited archaeological evidence and references from other cultures, notably the Romans. They are first mentioned in a Roman poem around 297 CE, which describes their involvement in conflicts against Roman forces at Hadrian's Wall. The term "Pict" may derive from their practice of tattooing, though it is unclear if they used this name for themselves. The historian Bede indicated that the Picts spoke a unique language distinct from other British peoples and followed a matrilineal line of succession for their rulers.
Christianity began to spread among the Picts in the fifth century, attributed to the missionary Saint Ninian, with further influence from Saint Columba in the following century. By the seventh century, the Picts appeared to have formed a more unified entity known as Pictland. This unity was solidified around 843 CE when Kenneth MacAlpine, the king of the Scots, also became king of the Picts, leading to the establishment of the kingdom of Alba. Overall, the Picts remain a fascinating subject of study, illustrating the complexities of early Scottish history and the interplay of cultures in the region.
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Picts
Date: 200-700 c.e.
Locale: Scotland
Picts
The Picts (pihktz) left virtually no documentary evidence about their lives. What little scholars know about the Picts has been derived from symbol stones, artifacts including silver jewelry, archaeological digs, and documents written by other early sources.
The first reference to the Picts occurs in a Roman poem dated circa 297 c.e. about attacks on Hadrian’s Wall by Picts and Scots. It is unknown if the Roman poet referred to them as Picts because they tattooed their skins or if this was the name the people called themselves.
The eighth century c.e. historian Bede suggested that the Picts spoke a language different from that of any other people in Britain and that they handed down their kingship through matrilineal lines.
Some sources suggest that the southern Picts were first Christianized by Saint Ninian in the fifth century c.e., while crediting the Irish Saint Columba with introducing Christianity in the north and west during the sixth century. By the seventh century, there seems to have been a united Pictland. However, in about 843 c.e., Kenneth MacAlpine, king of the Scots, also became king of the Picts, forming the united land “Alba.”
Bibliography
Cummins, W. A. The Picts and Their Symbols. Phoenix Mill, England: Sutton, 1999.
Foster, Sally M. Picts, Gaels, and Scots: Early Historic Scotland. London: B. T. Batsford, 1996.
Sutherland, Elizabeth. In Search of the Picts: A Celtic Dark Age Nation. London: Constable, 1994.