DOCSLIB.ORG

Notes on the Words Men and Maiden in British

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Notes on the Words Men and Maiden in British II. MAIDEND WORDE AN NOTE BRITISTH N N I N SME O H TOPOGRAPHY. BY DAVID MAORITCHIE, F.S.A. SOOT. n writinI g upo e antiquitieth n f Cornwallo s , Professo Miillex Ma r r observes1 that e larg"onth f ee o stone s with rock-basin s callei se th d Men-rode, rock being simply the interpretation of the Cornish MC-n." An f thoso d e special pillar-stones n Scotlani whic e w h d generally kno s "wa bore-stones, e remarksh " 2:— " The e callear y d M6n-an-tol, hole-stones Cornwalln i , e namth f tol-men,d eo an ; r dol-men,o which is somewhat promiscuously used by Celtic antiquarians, should be re- stricte monumento dt f thio ss class, toll bein Cornise gth h wor hole,r dfo e article.th e n add a maH r stone, "sd fo n an further 3:—"Kist-vaen .... means a stone-chamber, from cist, the Latin cista, a chest, and vaen, e modifieth d for f maenmo r m&n,o stone." e samTh e. wors i d again seen in the compound " men-hir " ; and, in short, throughout the Cymric districts of Brittany, Cornwall, and Wales, the word man or men, wit s labiait h l letters sometimes modifie , / dsignifie r into v o s atone.* 1 Chips from a German Workshop, 1870, vol. iii. p. 319. til.,. 278Op p 3 . cit.,. 283Op p 2 . The Welsh maen (see n "i n Pen-OTacn-mawr ") hacompoune th s d derivatives hogfaen, whetstona e (A<^=whet) d cistfaen,an , define y Spun-elb d a Britis" s a l h monument, consistin f fouo g r flat stones place t righa d t angles, wit a hfift n o h top" ; n Cornishi cist, s a , Gaelic d Lowland-Scotchan , , signifyin g"chesta , coffer, or box. Cornise Th " h spelling mean occur "n si Gwrean "n s i (1611)d By n An sa . Breton we have "wicn-hir," " lichaww" or "licawft," and "peuhxiw" (Souvestre's 'MEN. 'MAIDEND AN ' BBITISN I ' H TOPOGRAPHY9 15 . Of special stones denoted by this word, some Cornish examples are the Men r InscribeSerifo , a d Stone Men-Rode,e n Perhenth Me ,d an both n Constantini e e circleparishth d s an calle, Dawnse dth Men, some five miles west of Penzance. With regard to this last, Max Muller says1 that the name, which signifies " the dancing stones," " was soon cor- rupted iiito dance-men, and a legend sprang up at once to account for the - name, viz., that these men had danced on a Sunday and been changed into stones. Another corruptio same th ef o nnam e into Danis- traditioe th o t men nd le that these circles wer e Danes. th buil y b t " t anotheYe r misconceptio . TregellesP . G s indicatei o n r wh M , y b d states that, about four miles fro t ColombS m detachea , "s i d menhir, 7 feet 6 inches high, .... called the ' Old Man,' .... and Mr W. C. Borlase point t tha Manou d st 'Ol ' sounds very much lik e' hue l maen' or ' sun stone.'"2 " A still more curious name for these circles," continues Professor Max Mliller,3 " is that of ' Nine Maidens,' which occurs at Boscawen-un, and in several other places in Cornwall. Now the Boscawen-im circle consists of nineteen stones, and there are very few ' Nine Maidens' that consist of nine stone e namth s t eonly prevailsYe s likewis.i d an , e supported by local legends of nine maidens having been changed into stones for dancing on a Sunday, or some other misdeed. One part of the legend may perhaps be explained by the fact that medn would be a common corruption in modern Cornish for men, stone, as pen becomes pedn, and (jwyn gwi/dn, etc., and that the Saxons mistook Cornish medn for their own maiden." earln A y recorded instanc f thieo s misconceptio thas ni t of Hals, who, writing abou e yeath t r 1700, describes "nine large moor stones commonly calle e Ninth d e Maids r Yirgio , n Sisters; ^probably Les Verniers Bretons, i. 105). A special Breton example is that of Men Jensel, the rocke namth f so elyin Capf gof e Ushan whicn o t e unfortunathth e " Drummond Castle" struc n Juni e ksam th e e n i 189localit 6d an ; y occur e namth sr A e Men. eit., . 284-5Op pp 1 . e StoneTh f . o 16-1CirclesPp 7 2 f Cornwall,o y Georgb x TregellesFo e . Re- printed froe Transactionsmth e Penzanceth f o Natural History d Antiquarianan Society, 1893-4. 3 Op. fit., . 285p . 100 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , MA11CH 14, 3898; set un memori p o mans f yo y sister nuns heretofore interred there."1 This last example showexceptionan a s su e numbel th cas f eo f stone o r s agreeing with the English numeral nine; although it is pretty evident that the Cornish word represented hy that sound has some other mean- ing. It is, moreover, interesting to note that in this case of the year 1700 we have the form maid, instead of maiden or men. It may well be questioned whether the d in gwydn, pedn, and medn does not re- presen obsoletn a t e form, instea f beino d ga moder n corruptiox Ma s na Miiller states. t maycleas i e thii B s t sa i r , tha e Cymrith t c wor r rode stoner dfo O gradualls ha y become confused wit Englise hth h word f similaso r sorind but different meaning,—man, men, maid, and maiden. Without pausing to consider how far other districts of South Britain may furnish parallel islande evidence parth n f o t.ow r I ,shaltur ou w o nt no l " The Maiden Way" which comes northward through Cumberland has I think, , been pronounce r MacclonalD drova y b e db e o roadt d , and not a Koman causeway. It ought, however, to be mentioned in this connection; as also a " Maiden Castle" situated in the same county. r StuartD citeo 2 swh , these two, speaks als e f Maide"o th n Stone" at Ayton in Berwickshire,—" a striking rock on the coast, isolate t higa d h water" therd an ;e are, further e " Maideth , n Bower Craigs " near Dumfries.3 Going northward alon coase gth t from Ayton, we com e Maidenso "t eTh f Nortof " h Berwick d theian , r offshoot, " The Maiden Foot," a dangerous submerged rock near the entrance to the harbour; off the south end of the Isle of May lies the " Maiden Hair " rock; and then at St Andrews, on the sea-shore, there is the natural rock-pillar called " The Maiden Rock." Inland in Fife there is e Maide"Th n Castl ef Collessieo " , e vestige" whern th a e f o ar se ancient fort" ;4 and, in the Falkland district, there is another ancient . F stoneG 1.e r QuoteTregellesTh M s . y referre d. b cit.,10 . op , p for o t dm a e pariscirclth Wendfonn f ei ho , between Redrut Helstpnd han . 2 Sculptured Stones of Scotland, vol. i. p. 3. Mr F. E. Coles, to whom I am indebted for this last reference, mentions an interestin3 g local custom connected with these rocks. 4 Sculptured Stones of Scotland,- vol. i. j>. 3. 'MEN 'MAIDEND AN ' BRITISN I ' H TOPOGRAPHY1 16 . fortification known as "The Maiden Castle."1 [I have been sub- sequently informed by Sheriff Mackay that there is another " Maiden Castle " in the neighbouring parish of Kennoway.] Returning across the Forth finde w , e Maide"Th n Castl ef Eoslin e "o banke th th f n o so , Esk, " wher e e foundationpartth f so see e b fortresa n o f t d "; o s e 2an ar s the more notable " Maiden Castle " of Dunedin or Edinburgh. Of this last-named, an anonymous writer of 1718 remarks :—" The Castle was formerly call'd Castrum puettarum, i.e., the Maiden Castle, because, as some say, the Kings of the Plots kept their Daughters in it while unmarry'd: But those who understand the ancient Scots or Highland Language, say the Words Ma-eden signify only a Castle built upon a Hil Bock."r o l 3 Whether this write analyses ha r wore dth d accurately may well be questioned. But the point to be noticed is that, about two centurie believes s agowa t i ,d tha t leasa t t this " Maiden Castle " really derived its name from a Celtic term meaning " the castle of the rock." Proceeding northward acros Firte sth f Tay ho e encounte w , a namr e whic t oncha e recall mane sth y stone circle Cornwalf so l designatede "th nine maidens." This is a well beside the old churchyard of Strathmar- tine, near Dundee, know Nine "s nth a e Maidens' Well, associated "an d in popular tradition with certain nine maidens, and also with the sculp- tured stone called "t Martin'S s Stone.o " tw Thif o se stonon s i e which, Dr Stuart states, were dug out of the old churchyard about yeae th r 17 96.4 Some twenty miles farther e parisnortth f s Menmuii ho h r (spelt "Menmoreth" about 1280 A.D.) ; and Mr Johnston, in his Place-Names of Scotland,5 suggests that the first syllable of this word may be the Cymric men, "a stone." Certainly, Menmuir possesse e well-knowson n sculptured stonelocaa d l an ;rhyme , quoter Jervisr Pro-M ou y db n ei s situate i southere t th 1I n o d n bas f Blaceo k Hill, S.W.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • THE PINNING STONES Culture and Community in Aberdeenshire
    THE PINNING STONES Culture and community in Aberdeenshire When traditional rubble stone masonry walls were originally constructed it was common practice to use a variety of small stones, called pinnings, to make the larger stones secure in the wall. This gave rubble walls distinctively varied appearances across the country depend- ing upon what local practices and materials were used. Historic Scotland, Repointing Rubble First published in 2014 by Aberdeenshire Council Woodhill House, Westburn Road, Aberdeen AB16 5GB Text ©2014 François Matarasso Images ©2014 Anne Murray and Ray Smith The moral rights of the creators have been asserted. ISBN 978-0-9929334-0-1 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 UK: England & Wales. You are free to copy, distribute, or display the digital version on condition that: you attribute the work to the author; the work is not used for commercial purposes; and you do not alter, transform, or add to it. Designed by Niamh Mooney, Aberdeenshire Council Printed by McKenzie Print THE PINNING STONES Culture and community in Aberdeenshire An essay by François Matarasso With additional research by Fiona Jack woodblock prints by Anne Murray and photographs by Ray Smith Commissioned by Aberdeenshire Council With support from Creative Scotland 2014 Foreword 10 PART ONE 1 Hidden in plain view 15 2 Place and People 25 3 A cultural mosaic 49 A physical heritage 52 A living heritage 62 A renewed culture 72 A distinctive voice in contemporary culture 89 4 Culture and
    [Show full text]
  • A Guide to Ten of the Best Pictish Symbol Stones in Aberdeenshire
    Pictish Symbol Stones The Pictish Period 300 AD – 900 AD MAIDEN STONE ST PETER’S CHURCH, FYVIE As one of the heartlands of the Pictish community, Aberdeenshire is home to a large The origin of the Picts can be found in the tribal society of the Iron Age. Their society was number of the elaborately decorated Symbol Stones for which the Picts are famed – around hierarchical, with a warrior elite and a lower farming class. They lived in Scotland, North of PICARDY STONE 20% of all Pictish stones recorded in Scotland can be found in Aberdeenshire. the Forth and Clyde rivers, between the 4th and 9th Centuries AD, with a particularly strong presence in what is now Aberdeenshire. This can be seen in the frequent occurrence of place The stones, incised or carved in relief, are decorated with a variety of symbols, ranging from names beginning “Pit”, thought to indicate the site of a Pictish settlement, as well as the BRANDSBUTT geometric shapes and patterns, to animals (real and mythical), human figures, objects, evidence from the archaeological record such as Symbol Stones and fortifications. and Christian motifs. Some earlier Pictish stones are also incised with a script known as Ogham, which comprises a pattern of short linear strokes crossing a vertical line. Said to They acquired the name Pict, or Picti, meaning “Painted People”, from the Romans – indeed, have originated around the 4th Century AD, it is an early form of the Irish language. Most much of what is known of the Picts is derived from historical writers from outside of examples of Ogham inscriptions are thought to represent personal names.
    [Show full text]
  • A Reconsideration of Pictish Mirror and Comb Symbols Traci N
    University of Wisconsin Milwaukee UWM Digital Commons Theses and Dissertations December 2016 Gender Reflections: a Reconsideration of Pictish Mirror and Comb Symbols Traci N. Billings University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.uwm.edu/etd Part of the Archaeological Anthropology Commons, European History Commons, and the Medieval History Commons Recommended Citation Billings, Traci N., "Gender Reflections: a Reconsideration of Pictish Mirror and Comb Symbols" (2016). Theses and Dissertations. 1351. https://dc.uwm.edu/etd/1351 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by UWM Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of UWM Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. GENDER REFLECTIONS: A RECONSIDERATION OF PICTISH MIRROR AND COMB SYMBOLS by Traci N. Billings A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Anthropology at The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee December 2016 ABSTRACT GENDER REFLECTIONS: A RECONSIDERATION OF PICTISH MIRROR AND COMB SYMBOLS by Traci N. Billings The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2016 Under the Supervision of Professor Bettina Arnold, PhD. The interpretation of prehistoric iconography is complicated by the tendency to project contemporary male/female gender dichotomies into the past. Pictish monumental stone sculpture in Scotland has been studied over the last 100 years. Traditionally, mirror and comb symbols found on some stones produced in Scotland between AD 400 and AD 900 have been interpreted as being associated exclusively with women and/or the female gender. This thesis re-examines this assumption in light of more recent work to offer a new interpretation of Pictish mirror and comb symbols and to suggest a larger context for their possible meaning.
    [Show full text]
  • The Declining Pictish Symbol - a Reappraisal the Late Gordon Murray
    Proc SocAntiq Scot, (1986)6 11 , 223-253 The declining Pictish symbol - a reappraisal The late Gordon Murray SUMMARY The paper is mainly concerned with the three commonest Pictish symbols, the crescent, the double disc with Pictish the Z-rod and 'elephant' 'beast'.BStevensonR or K ideasDr The of and Dr I Henderson are outlined, namely that for each of these symbols a stylistic 'declining sequence' can be traced that corresponds approximately to a chronological sequence, enabling the probable place of origin of the symbol to be determined. The forms and distributions of the three symbols are examined in detail and it is argued that the finer examples of each are centred in different areas. For reasons which are stated, the classification of the crescent differs here from that made by Stevenson. The different decorative forms show significantly different distributions originthe but appears be to north. far most The the typicalin examples Z-rodthe of accompanying doublethe discfoundare predominantly in Aberdeenshire, where it is suggested that the symbol may have originated. Examples Pictishthe of beast hereare graded according extentthe to that their features correspond otherwiseor with lista whatof 'classical' the appear be to features form. distributionofthe The and general quality existingof examples suggest that originthe centre thisof symbol probablyis the in area Angusof easternand Perthshire. The paper also discusses arrangementthe symbolsthe of statements, in with some tentative remarks on the relative chronology of the mirror appearing alone as a qualifier. INTRODUCTION principle Th e declininth f eo g symbo thas i l t there existe prototypda r 'correcteo ' forr mfo at least some of the Pictish symbols, to which all surviving instances approximate in varying degrees, but from which later examples tend to depart more than earlier ones.
    [Show full text]
  • V-Rod, Crescent Fantastic Beast / Creature
    APPENDIX F PICTISH SYMBOL STONES - OBJECTS BY LOCATION These locations are derived from entries in The Pictish Symbol Stones of Scotland - RCAHMS 2008 Object Category / Item by Location (including RCAHMS Site Number): V-rod, Crescent V-Rod & crescent - Dyce NJ81 NE 8; Bourtie NJ82SW 4; Brandsbutt, Inverurie NJ72SE 23; Broomend of Crichie NJ71NE 8; Cairnton NJ81NE 79; Deer NJ94NE 5; Daviot NJ72NE 11; Fyvie NJ73NE 1; Inverurie NJ72SE 11 (stone 1); Kinellar NJ81SW 6; Kintore, Churchyard NJ1NE 33; Logie Elphinstone NJ72NW 7 (stone 1); Logie Elphinstone NJ72NW 7 (stone 2); Logie Elphinstone NJ72NW 7 (stone 3); Park House NO79NE 44.10; Rhynie Mains NJ42NE 36; Rhynie Old Church NJ42NE 30 (stone 2); Tillypronie NJ40NW 7; Tillytarmont NJ54NW 1 (stone 1); Tillytarmont NJ54NW 1 (stone 2); Turriff Manse NJ74NW 20; Aberlemno NO55NW 8 Roadside 2; Cossans NO45SW 4; Kinblethmont NO64NW 12; Monifieth NO43SE 25 (stone 2); Strathmartine Castle NO33NE 21; Edinburgh NT27SE 130; Abdie NO21NE 10; Advie NJ13SW 2; Ballintomb NJ02SW 36; Findlarig NH92NE 3; Inverallan NJ02NW 4; Lynchurn NH92SE 1; Crosskirk ND07SW 4; Latheron ND13SE 31; Skinnet Chapel, Halkirk ND16SW 2; Ulbster ND34SW 28.01; Watenan ND34SW 57; Balblair, Kilmorack NH54NW 155 (stone 2); Garbeg NH53SW 15; Invereen NH73SE 5; Glenferness NH94SW 10; Dalnavie Farm NH67SW 55; Dingwall NH55NW 7 ( x 3); Hilton of Cadboll NH87NE 7; Poolewe NG88SE 10; Rosemarkie NH75NW 7 (x 3); Tarbat NH98SW 15; Clach Ard, Tote, Skye NG44NW 1; Fiscavaig, Skye NG33SW 3; Raasay NG53NW 3; Tobar na Maor, Skye NG24NW 3; Clynekirkton
    [Show full text]
  • Sueno's Stone, on the Northern Outskirts of Forres, Is a 6.5M-High Cross-Slab, the Tallest Piece of Early Historic Sculpture in Scotland
    Property in Care no: 309 Designations: Scheduled Monument (90292) Taken into State care: 1923 (Guardianship) Last reviewed: 2015 HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT SCOTLAND STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE SUENO’S STONE We continually revise our Statements of Significance, so they may vary in length, format and level of detail. While every effort is made to keep them up to date, they should not be considered a definitive or final assessment of our properties Historic Environment Scotland – Scottish Charity No. SC045925 Principal Office: Longmore House, Salisbury Place, Edinburgh EH9 1SH HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT SCOTLAND STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE SUENO’S STONE CONTENTS 1 Summary 2 1.1 Introduction 2 1.2 Statement of significance 2 2 Assessment of values 3 2.1 Background 3 2.2 Evidential values 5 2.3 Historical values 5 2.4 Architectural and artistic values 6 2.5 Landscape and aesthetic values 7 2.6 Natural heritage values 8 2.7 Contemporary/use values 8 3 Major gaps in understanding 10 4 Associated properties 10 5 Keywords 10 Bibliography 10 APPENDICES Appendix 1: Timeline 11 Appendix 2: Summary of archaeological investigations 12 Historic Environment Scotland – Scottish Charity No. SC045925 Principal Office: Longmore House, Salisbury Place, Edinburgh EH9 1SH 1 1 Summary 1.1 Introduction Sueno's Stone, on the northern outskirts of Forres, is a 6.5m-high cross-slab, the tallest piece of early historic sculpture in Scotland. It probably dates to the late first millennia AD.(The name Sueno, current from around 1700 and apparently in tribute to Svein Forkbeard, an 11th-century Danish king, is entirely without foundation.) In 1991 the stone was enclosed in a glass shelter to protect it from further erosion.
    [Show full text]
  • Dunfallandy Stone Statement of Significance
    Property in Care (PIC) ID:PIC022 Designations: Scheduled Monument (SM90115) Taken into State care: 1959 (Guardianship) Last reviewed: 2016 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE DUNFALLANDY STONE We continually revise our Statements of Significance, so they may vary in length, format and level of detail. While every effort is made to keep them up to date, they should not be considered a definitive or final assessment of our properties. Historic Environment Scotland – Scottish Charity No. SC045925 Principal Office: Longmore House, Salisbury Place, Edinburgh EH9 1SH © Historic Environment Scotland 2018 You may re-use this information (excluding logos and images) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit http://nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/version/3/ or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: [email protected] Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. Any enquiries regarding this document should be sent to us at: Historic Environment Scotland Longmore House Salisbury Place Edinburgh EH9 1SH +44 (0) 131 668 8600 www.historicenvironment.scot You can download this publication from our website at www.historicenvironment.scot Historic Environment Scotland – Scottish Charity No. SC045925 Principal Office: Longmore House, Salisbury Place, Edinburgh EH9 1SH HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT
    [Show full text]
  • Newsletter 39 Summer 2006
    NEWSLETTER 39 SUMMER 2006 Strathmartine fragments Castle of Fiddes cross-slab – return to Angus an old discovery re-discovered In 1969, the Ordnance Survey noted that ‘part of the head of a Celtic cross-slab … found … amongst rubble, after renovations to farm outbuildings at Castle of Fiddes … in 1964 … is preserved inside the castle.’ Up until now, this was the only record of the stone that existed. By March 2005, having almost completed the Commission’s measured survey of all the early medieval sculpture of Aberdeenshire (including the former county of Kincardineshire), the Castle of Fiddes cross-slab was amongst the last few Strathmartine 8 (© Angus Council, Cultural Services) to record. However, the stone hadn’t been recorded since the above O.S. report was made After an absence of many years two of the ‘lost’ and was no longer at the Castle. After a bit of stones from Strathmartine have returned to detective work, I tracked down the stone’s finder, Angus having been tracked down to a location who filled me in on its current location – Devon. near Jedburgh and subsequently donated to He kindly agreed to negotiate access with the Angus Council by Mr C Hall. This is not the stone’s present owner who contacted me in first time Angus stones have travelled to the February 2006. I arranged to visit her home and Borders – shortly after its discovery in 1819 the travelled to Devon in early March. A long Woodrae, Aberlemno, stone was sent to Sir journey perhaps, but I wasn’t disappointed. Walter Scott and remained in the garden at Abbotsford until 1924 when it was donated to The small fragment of course-grained red the Museum of Antiquities in Edinburgh and is sandstone, measuring approximately 275mm now displayed in the Museum of Scotland.
    [Show full text]
  • A Learning Resource for Teachers of Curriculum for Excellence Level 2
    A learning resource for teachers of Curriculum for Excellence Level 2 A learning resource for teachers i Introduction The Picts are one of Scotland’s greatest mysteries: an apparently vanished nation, chronicled by others but not by themselves. The Picts speak to us only through their inspiring creativity – their marvellous carved stones, their monumental hillforts and their beautiful jewellery. This resource will aim to provide an introduction to a topic rich in imagination, creativity and enquiry. Through discovery, exploration and sharing, teachers can engage young people by inspiring curiosity and inviting them to investigate this hidden part of their history and the evidence it has left in our culture and environment. The resource will act as a portal to enable the discovery of local sites and resources, integrating them with national learning resources such as SCRAN. This resource aims to: • inspire and encourage practitioners to engage with this fascinating topic; • bring the early historic Picts alive through a series of classroom and place-based activities (particularly focused on the hillforts on Scotland’s National Forest Estate); • encourage teachers and pupils to explore their local museums, archaeological sites and historic monuments; and to • promote the active engagement of schools with the wealth of historic and archaeological learning resources available both online and in print. With the help and support of: iii The Picts Contents Page Introduction i How to use this resource 2 Curriculum for Excellence 3 Outdoor Learning 5 Introducing the Picts 8 Who were the Picts? 14 Finding the Picts 22 Creative Picts 34 Pagan Picts? 41 What have you discovered about the Picts? 51 Further Resources 52 A learning resource for teachers 1 How to use this resource Teachers and pupils can use this resource in a number of different ways.
    [Show full text]
  • A Learning Resource for Teachers of Curriculum for Excellence Level 2
    A learning resource for teachers of Curriculum for Excellence Level 2 A learning resource for teachers i Introduction The Picts are one of Scotland’s greatest mysteries: an apparently vanished nation, chronicled by others but not by themselves. The Picts speak to us only through their inspiring creativity – their marvellous carved stones, their monumental hillforts and their beautiful jewellery. This resource will aim to provide an introduction to a topic rich in imagination, creativity and enquiry. Through discovery, exploration and sharing, teachers can engage young people by inspiring curiosity and inviting them to investigate this hidden part of their history and the evidence it has left in our culture and environment. The resource will act as a portal to enable the discovery of local sites and resources, integrating them with national learning resources such as SCRAN. This resource aims to: • inspire and encourage practitioners to engage with this fascinating topic; • bring the early historic Picts alive through a series of classroom and place-based activities (particularly focused on the hillforts on Scotland’s National Forest Estate); • encourage teachers and pupils to explore their local museums, archaeological sites and historic monuments; and to • promote the active engagement of schools with the wealth of historic and archaeological learning resources available both online and in print. With the help and support of: iii The Picts Contents Page Introduction i How to use this resource 2 Curriculum for Excellence 3 Outdoor Learning 5 Introducing the Picts 8 Who were the Picts? 14 Finding the Picts 22 Creative Picts 34 Pagan Picts? 41 What have you discovered about the Picts? 51 Further Resources 52 A learning resource for teachers 1 How to use this resource Teachers and pupils can use this resource in a number of different ways.
    [Show full text]
  • Folklore of the Aberdeenshire Stone Circles
    I. FOLKLOR ABERDEENSHIRE TH F EO E STONE CIRCLE STANDD SAN - ING-STONES. BY THE LATE JAMES RITCHIE, CORRESPONDING MEMBER, F.E.I.S. The mysteriou a fascinatio s e humaha th s r nfo n y mindAn . phenomenon beyon e comprehensiodth challengen ma o fin t f n o d m hi s an explanation of it that will satisfy his restless intellect. And as time passes and the once sufficient explanation becomes inadequate, it s replacei y furtheb d r attempt a solutio e problemt a th s f e o n Th . tracing of such folklore has become a recognised branch of the study of human races ;s clea i fo t i rr tha t reveali t s trait f mentalito s y which otherwise fail to leave much mark in human progress. The tracing is t alwayno s easy r beforfo , e writin s inventegwa d memore solth e s ywa repository of these traditions, and many factors, particularly the move- ment f populationso s , militate against their permanence. Nevertheless, a considerable numbe e purposth s ri f thi remaint eo i s d papean , r o gathet r together those whic e stilar h l curren n Aberdeenshiri t e in connection with stone circles and standing-stones, so that they may e altogetheb t no r forgotten traditionaw fe A . l storie e includear s d which, although not strictly belonging to the bounds of Aberdeen- shire, fall withi e samth n e geographical district. They have taken many yeard mucan s h patient inquir o e gathersubject yth s s a i ,t one on which many people are reticent.
    [Show full text]
  • Maiden Castle, Insch, Aberdeenshire: Choice and Architecture in Pictland
    25 Maiden Castle, Insch, Aberdeenshire: choice and architecture in Pictland Murray Cook from contributions by Gordon Cook, Lindsay Dunbar, Rob Engl, Stefan Sagrott, and Hana Kdolska Introduction The RCAHMS survey of Strathdon characterised the environs are Mither Tap (NMRS NJ62SE 1) and the various hillforts within the area into six types, on the Maiden Stone (NMRS NJ62SE 2; RCAHMS 2007, 105– basis of size and defensive system (RCAHMS 2007), 7; 116; Figure 1). though without any chronological significance. As no Mither Tap, which occupies the rocky summit of documented intrusive work had been undertaken on the Bennachie, is one of the most spectacular hillforts in sites it was unclear how the classes related to each other. Scotland and dominates the surrounding area (ibid). The Hillforts of Strathdon Project explored the While the fort itself is undated, charcoal recovered chronological relationships between the various hill- from a hearth identified during the construction of forts (Cook 2010). The aim was to undertake keyhole a new access path in its interior yielded radiocarbon excavation, with local volunteers on a range of these dates indicating activity between AD 340–540 and sites to recover dating evidence. The project examined AD 640–780 (Atkinson 2007). The Maiden Stone, six hillforts over five years: Bruce’s Camp (NJ71NE 3; which is a Class II Pictish symbol stone, carved in relief Cook et al forthcoming), Maiden Castle (NJ62SE2); and combining Pictish and Christian iconography Dunnideer (NJ62NW1; Cook et al 2008); Hill of (RCAHMS 2007, 116), possibly dating from the eighth Newleslie (NJ52NE 31), Hill of Barra (NJ82NW 4; century (Alcock 2003, 283–4), lies approximately 1km Cook et al 2009) and Cairnmore (NJ52SW 9; Cook NE of Maiden Castle.
    [Show full text]