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Dalriada: The Land of the First Scots |
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© SCRAN |
The Picts must have anticipated that Kenneth and the Gaels would have adopted Pictish ways, and become Picts. In fact, the reverse happened. As Kenneth rewarded kinsmen from Dalriada, giving them titles and honours in his new kingdom, Gaelic culture became the culture of the ruling class and Pictish ways began to disappear.
It is unclear whether the Picts were Celts or not, although the evidence of placenames accepted as Pictish tends to suggest they were, speaking a variety of Brythonic Celtic language, similar to Welsh or Breton. This language also died out with them, the Goidelic language of the Scots becoming the basis for modern Scottish Gaelic, closely related to Irish. These Pictish placenames, recognisable by the prefix Pit also often have a Gaelic second half, which perhaps indicates a gradual handover, with both languages co-existing for a considerable period.
In a sense this tale proves the maxim that history is written by the victors, the Picts are now a mystery to us, with scholars disputing the origins of the Picts, and few physical traces left of them. What had been a thriving culture for over five hundred years has now vanished.
The long reigns of Kenneth's successors, and the need for both nations to unite in the face of the Viking threat, coupled with a society already intermarrying in a significant manner, soon led to the creation of a new, Gaelic national identity. This was the birth of the nation of Scotland and the end of the line for the Picts. While the Picts may or may not have been Celts, the Scots most certainly were, and all the symbolic manifestations of "traditional" Scottishness as expoused by the likes of Sir Walter Scott - clans, tartan, bagpipes - all hark back to these early migrants from across the water.
Your comments
1 James M. McDonald from New York - 13 January 2004
"I thank you for your true and accurate historical account of the truth about Scotland's Irish ancestry. Most Highlanders can trace their roots back to Ireland, birthplace of the Scots. Centuries before the name of Scotland, there was Scotia, which referred to Ireland and her Celtic inhabitants. In the continent of Europe, this was so for many centuries. My clan, the most famous and largest of all can trace our lineage from Somerled all the way back to Conn of Tara, trough such notables as Adian, Fergus Mor, Cholla Uais and Cabri Riada, all from the line of Conn. Our Scottish customs, Gaelic language, the kilt, bagpipe and prefix surname of Mac are all from Ireland, as well as our Celtic blood. In truth, all that is Truly Scottish came from the birthplace of Scots, Ireland, land of the Scots. "
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