I have heard some say that the top semi circle represents the horizon and the lower one – the sphere of the earth, where the ground touches the sky, and the v being divination rods? Whilst Druids are said to of used such rods, we know nothing of their practices?

Though i do lean mostly to Cummins findings, he does write a compelling argument!

However, never once did he entertain pictish tattoos and the ramifications they may have on possible interpretations of the symbol stones?

or do you dismiss the possibility of Picts wearing tattoos or body paint?

Just a thought?

Wonderful personal notepad. My great, great, great grandparents are buried in St. Serf’s Kirkyard at Dunning – watched over today by the Dupplin Cross. We are scattered like autumn leaves now around the world but its always good to know more about home.

As a Canadian whose great grandparents emigrated to Canada from the Isle of Arran, circa 1849, I’ve always been fascinated by our origins. I’ve traced my direct line on Arran back to 1780, when our name was MacMhurrigh, and there the written records ran out. I can only presume we are descended from Muireadach Albannach, otherwise known as Muireadach O’Daly, an Irish poet, and that he brought literacy to Scotland, according to historian Ian Grimble. The only link I could find was that Arran was given to one Muirdach (various spellings) by the King of Norway after the so-called Battle of Largs, and again, presume this man to be a son or grandson of Muireadach Albannach and also a poet/bard/warrior. So I conveniently accepted that the Scots were a tribe of Irish who gradually took over from the Picts, etc. Now the evidence doesn’t seem to support this, so I’m even more fascinated. While I now live in Thailand, I return to Canada to conduct orchestras and wind ensenbles, and I shall try to locate a copy of The Picts: A History, and be even more fascinated. Thanks.

Goddodin is the Votadini of Ptolemy’s map of 140 C.E. Go = Fo (Vo, Dwarves = the Irish), -do =
-taidh (multitude, the dh is not pronouced), and
-din, of course = -daoine (people). The Pictish warriors on the Battle Stone of Aberlemno commemorating their victory at Dunichean in 683 B.C. shows them wearing Irish clothing.

The Picts having been matrilineal explains the great mixing of Irish and Welsh in Southern Pictland. It’s not really necessary if even possible to separate the Welsh element from the Irish element in Pictish history. Sort of like the Celt-Iberians.

Check my web-page for more details.

Na Fineachan Gaidhealach: The Day Before Mons Graupius

In the end I suppose we shall never know.