After discussing the linguistic changes and yet continuity in Dalriada yesterday, lets look at the names for the Britons and Picts in the Early Historic Period. Fraser points out that the usual explanation that Pict means ‘painted people’ doesn’t really hold up historically or linguistically.
What do you call an inhabitant of Britain in the early [...]
Archive for the ‘Picts’ Category
17 Mar
What’s in a name?
1 Mar
Bede’s use of gens
So I’m reading along in Fraser’s From Caledonia to Pictland: Scotland to 795, and I’m reading through the Roman period. Not really my period of interest, so not much has really caught by attention.
Anyway, Fraser points out (p. 47) that Bede uses the term gens Pictorum which has been used for ages [...]
17 Feb
Peanfahel and Catraeth
Still reading Fraser’s From Caledonia to Pictland: Scotland to 795…. today I read through part of his discussion on the Pictish language and I really enjoyed it. He noted that linguists are now secure in their belief that the Pictish language is a dialect of British, in fact Fraser refers to it as ‘Pictish British’. [...]
3 Feb
Pseudo-History and Historicization
After a long wait, From Caledonia to Pictland: Scotland to 795 (New Edinburgh History of Scotland) by James Fraser has been published and arrived in my mailbox this week! Its out in the UK, and should be soon available in the US. I’ve known about this book for several years so I’m rather eager to [...]
29 Dec
Clarkson’s The Picts: A History
Tim Clarkson, The Picts: A History. Tempus, 2008
As you may have noticed I’ve been taking quite a few talking points from Tim Clarkson’s The Picts for some time now. I think its time for a more general review. I’d say it must have been generally received well as its is getting hard to find already. [...]
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