Customer Reviews

In Search of the Picts - A Celtic Dark Age Nation

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A very readable book that responsibly explores the questions about the Picts, without getting too much into the egg-head stuff that usually makes books on these subjects dreadfully dull. The Picts were the inhabitants of Northern Scotland whose unique culture prior to 800 AD contributed greatly to our wealth of Celtic Art, mainly in the form of stone carvings. I wish more books were written in this style as it assumes a popular readership without dumbing down the subject or wafting off into New-Age fantasies.

Elizabeth Sutherland, former curator of Groam House in Rosemarkie, Rose-shire, was responsible for establishing the museum as a Pictish Centre. She had published several novels, a guidebook for the Highland life, and other books on the Picts.
There are excellent photographs, maps and drawing to help illustrate her text presentation.
She begins by tracing the origins fo the picts from the neolithic nomad-farmer, coming of bronze age, moving into the invaders from Rome, covering Mons Graupius. The next part of the text goes into the 'foundation myths', the Kings List, St Columba. Also it covers the forts and palaces. She dedications a section to the stones and symbols, especially Pictish-Christian interaction. The 5th sections covers the important people in a Pictish tribe, the warlocks, hunters, monks and touches on Pictish Lore. Section Six dealing with what has been left behind, Language, writing, jewellery. Seventh section dealing with the everyday life in a Pictich Settlement. Finally the last section deals with the Viking invaders, later Viking settlers and the Rise of Kenneth mac Alpin.

The Only fault I find in the work was she lightly skipped over Kenneth's slaughter of the Pictish royal houses in order to cement his matriarchal claim to rule the Picts. Other than that, I found the work very well done and would be of interest for someone wanting a bit more detail about these fascinating people that formed the backbone of the Highlands.