BELIEVE IT OR NOT
Or - So you thought you knew everything about the
MacGregors and the Picts
(Including many little-known facts that
some don't want you to know)
All men admit the clan Gregor to be the purest branch of the ancient race of Scotland now in existence. - true descendents, in short, of the native Celtic stock of the country, and unmixed by blood with immigrants either of their own or of any other race. About this point there is no dispute; and the name of clan Alpine, commonly adopted by them for centuries, would almost alone suffice to prove their descent from the Albiones, the first known inhabitants of Scotland. Condensed from "Clans of the highlands of Scotland", Thomas Smibert, 1850.
Amazing Facts
of the MacGregors & the Picts of Alba
You Would Never Have Guessed
(No particular order)
Believe it or not, the first symbol of the Pict Kingdom was the bull.
This particular purebred is my alpha female, with a one year old bull calf as big as her already. When this photo was taken, she had just run out of the woods to see what I was up to. This particular lady broke through a fence, and was out in the open forest (which was infested with brush wolves) for four days. She later appeared without a mark on her. Highland cattle are not afraid of wolves !! Once I went into her space to chase other cows away so she and her calf could eat grain, and she came up behind me and tossed me four feet in the air. Obviously, she did not want my assistance.
My three foundation cows came from a 600 acre spread where they were never handled, so they are in effect wild cattle, and are dangerous to approach without precautions.
The "Hyland" or "Highland" cattle of Scotland are direct descendents of the original wild cattle of northern Europe. They developed their shaggy coats to cope with the harsh winters, their split hoofs to navigate the rocky mountainous regions they prefer, and their short front legs to lower their center of gravity (for better stability). They have retained the small head, tiny ears, massive horns, and the narrow hips of the original wild cattle.
As with their human Scottish co-habitants, they are fiercely defensive of their families, and will form a protective ring around their youngsters when threatened. They will shake their heads to warn antagonists of the potential of their powerful horns, and that usually wards off any predators.
They come in red, white or black, but most are red like this one. They are one of only a few types of cattle that can be left in a large range area, and will successfully fend for themselves. They will thrive on bushes and saplings as well as poor quality grasses where lesser cattle could not survive.
This is Newton, a purebred Highland bull in his summer coat. He is well-mannered. His shaggy coat is designed to ensure he is warm on the coldest of days.
Heather, cleaning off her first born calf,
Hester, 14 Feb 2006. Hester is
now bigger than her mother.
BossLady's
newest calf 06 Feb 2008.
Crooked
horns and her new baby, Kahlua - 14 Feb 2008
Kahlua is special to
me, as I had to bring her inside to put her under a heat lamp to save her life,
and I bottle-fed her for several months. Her mother was not
impressed.
Highlands have a double coat of hair - a downy undercoat and a long outer coat which may reach 13 inches, and which is well-oiled to shed rain and snow. With the double coat of hair and thick hide, the Highland has been adapted by nature to withstand great exposure. It is not uncommon for Highlands to shed this heavy hair coat when exposed to a hot dry climate and then grow a new one as the damp cold weather returns
.
Feeding
time in the morning, with some goats and chickens picking up whatever
is spilled
Highlands have a highly developed mothering instinct. I have seen a second female act as midwife to a new mother in delivering her calf and help in removing the birth membrane, each cow working from its end of the calf. The new mother appears to be completely at ease with another female helping her, and appreciates the assistance.
Some
other unique traits of Highlands:
* They can growl like a dog -
and bite.
* They don't get along with other kinds of cattle.
*
They can run faster than any human.
*
Hyland meat is on a par with Bison meat, in that it is a level above
ordinary beef with low cholesterol.
* They are exceptionally
affectionate to each other, and will lick another individual in the
face to cement a relationship.
* They are a northern breed and do not do well
in a hot environment.
* They have no respect for fences.
*
The bull has a call much like that of the bull Elk (Wapiti).
*
Other cattle will run away from wolves. Highlands will run
towards wolves.
* Like none other, Highlands delight in
standing in chest deep water to cool off - so.
* Don't
expect an unfenced river or lake to contain them.
*
Highlands have small heads. Why? To have less heat
loss and for easier birthing.
This Highland cow will tolerate goat kids playing on her back.
No,
this is not the latest Highland hairdo. It is the result of
BossLady getting caught up in an overhead netting. I had to
gingerly cut her out of it. With her patient help of course (by
standing still for me). Perhaps it helps keep the flies off her
face.
In North America, Highlands were first imported to Canada's provinces of Ontario and Nova Scotia from Scotland, then some were introduced to the United States.
These were the tough little cattle that the Picts depended on for sustenance throughout their long turbulent history. Believe it or not, these magnificent creatures, with their family values, their hardiness, and their natural beauty, are truly the very -
"Spirit if the Highlands".
1.
Where and how did the term "Blackmail"
originate?
The term "Blackmail" was coined by the cattle
insurance that farmers of the central and eastern Lowlands paid to
Highland Chiefs along their northern borders. This rent was
sanctioned by the government, and Rob Roy became the most renowned of
all who were engaged in those duties called the
"Watch". The word, "mail", meant rent
in those days. Black, because the Angus cattle were
black.
Rob was an
insurance salesman. He guaranteed his customers any stolen cattle would be
retrieved within a certain time period or a similar herd would be
substituted. Most raiders stayed away from herds that bore
his insurance, as they knew full well that Rob would hunt them down
and take the cattle back, often in a rather violent manner. Many considered Rob's business a scam, as it was well
known that those who spurned Rob's offer of insurance would sooner or
later be victims of cattle thievery, so the term blackmail took on a
sinister meaning.
In Rob's defence, other
Highlanders would take advantage of an "uninsured" herd as
they knew Rob and his Glengyle clansmen would not hunt them down. Therefore, to offer
protection as a scam became known as "blackmail". To
render this business more complicated, those raiders who were merely
passing through Glengyle clan property with a stolen herd, but were
not stealing from any of Rob's insured herds, paid him a remittance as
a guarantee of safe passage. 2. Who
was the first honorary Colonel of the Black Watch Regiment? 3. When
was the first attempt to raise Highland troops by the British
Parliament? In
AD 1737, Duncan Forbes of Culloden, proposed the raising of two
regiments of loyal Highlanders to prevent another Jacobite uprising,
and to provide efficient troops for the continental wars. It was
turned down by the English Parliament because of the fear that giving these Highland troops
heavy weapons would enable them to conquer
England.
4. Did Bonnie Prince
Charlie ever set foot in Britain after the failed 1745 rebellion? Prince Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince
Charley) actually visited London in 1750, five years after Culloden,
in a vain attempt to enlist his Tory friends. His presence was
known by the government, but no attempt was made to detain him. 5.
What British Naval Officer became the
"father" of the Russian Imperial Navy?
Although a British Naval officer named Samuel Greig (aka MacGregor) was loaned
to the Russian Imperial Navy on the request of Catherine the Great,
and was promoted to Grand Admiral, and was responsible for the Russian
naval victory at Hogeland in 1788, which put an end to Swedish
ambitions in Europe, and was later honored by the Russians with a
national holiday, his name has never appeared in the Encyclopedia Britannica. 6.
Who decreed the end to the first proscription of the
MacGregors, and why?.
The first repeal of the proscriptions against the MacGregors was
decreed by Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England, not because
of any love for the MacGregors but because of his sense of fair play
and his opposition to fanaticism.
7. Who decreed the re-imposition of the
proscription of the MacGregors, and why? In
1693, William of Orange, under the instigation of the Earl of Stair,
his Campbell overlord of Scotland, decreed the second proscription as
a means to settling scores with the MacGregors, who had been stalwarts
and beneficiaries of the Stuarts under Charles II. 8.
How did Alasdair MacGregor of Glenstrae react when
he heard that King James VI had granted the Laird of Luss a commission
of "Fire and Sword" against the
MacGregors? In 1602,
upon hearing of the threat, Alasdair of Glenstrae, the recognized
Chief of the Clan, sent the fiery cross
not only throughout the lands occupied by MacGregors but also into
Glencoe and Rannoch to successfully enlist the support of the MacIans
and the Camerons therein. 9. When
was the Fiery cross last used to gather all Clan Gregor men and their
allies to
battle? In 1745, the last
Jacobite rebellion. 10. Was
Rob Roy ever the actual Chief of the Clan Gregor ?
No, he was the third son of Lt. Colonel Donald Glas of Glengyle, a
chieftain of the Doughal Ciar (Glengyle) branch . However, he
was proclaimed acting Chief of the Glengyle Branch (Clan Dughaill
Ciar) after his after died, and when he assumed guardianship of the
heir, young Gregor. But in 1715,
and again in 1719, during those two failed Jacobite uprisings, Rob
was proclaimed temporary War Chief of the
entire clan,
which entitled him to wear the three eagle's feathers of a chief.
The appointment of a War Chief was an old Celtic practice.
11. How many
children did Rob Roy MacGregor of Inversnaid and Mary MacGregor of Comar have? 12. What was the
peculiar connection between Robert Roy MacGregor and Robert the Bruce? 13. In
what army did Rob Roy's father, Donald Glas MacGregor, attain the rank
of Lieutenant Colonel? In the Scottish army of
King Charles II. (In those days, Scotland and England had
separate armies.) 14. What
ever happened to the disputed farming area originally occupied by
MacGregors, but in the 17th century, was occupied by the
MacLaurins, (a sept of the Stewarts of Appin), which was the
scene of a near battle between Rob Roy's MacGregors and a larger force
of Stewarts, and was only averted by the astute backing off of an elderly
Rob Roy after he and a young Stewart champion dueled, and Rob received
a slight wound? Note: All those farms are now
the property of the chief of clan Gregor, having been purchased by the
MacGregor GlenCarnoch branch about 1798, from the Commissioners of the
Forfeited Estates. 15. What was the
actual name and origin of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of
Ireland? Under what circumstances did he arrive in Ireland? He
was born into a Pict Christian family in 387-390 AD, as Maewyn
Succat (warlike). Like many young Picts, he was kidnapped
and sold as a slave and shipped off to Ireland. He worked as a
shepherd and spent most of his spare time in prayer. He
eventually escaped and fled to the continent, where he studied in
several monasteries. He eventually became a Bishop and was sent
by Pope Celestine to Britain to evangelize England and Ireland.
He was most successful in Ireland, and completely converted Ireland to
Christianity within 33 years. In the Middle Ages, Ireland became
known as the Land of Saints, and during the Dark Ages, its many
monasteries were the great repositories of learning in Europe, all
because of Saint Patrick. He died at Saul, County Down in
461-464 AD.
16. What is the origin of
the Scottish Gaelic name for church: "Kirk"? After
the death of King Grig, (Gregor in English) a church in Kincardineshire,
and a surrounding parish were named "Ecclesia
Cirig", after him
(Cirig being the Latin form for Grig, and pronounced "kirg" in
both Pict and Gaelic).
It was later corrupted to "Cill-Cirig",
and it was eventually Anglicized to Selkirk.
Gradually, the Scottish word "Kirk" came to denote church.
17. What
Pict legacy did King Grig legislate to be implemented after his death? With
Grig's death in AD889, the name of the
succeeding Picto-Scot line of kings' titles, instead of being in the
previous Latin form "Rex Pictorum,"
became "Ri Albain", which was unintelligible to all except the
Picts. - and
was maintained until after MacBeth's death in AD1056, a length of 167 years. 18.
Why was
the above title unintelligible to all except the Picts?
The Latin form for king is Rex.
The Irish and Scottish Gaelic
form is Rěgh. The Welsh P-Celtic form is Brenin,
The Breton P-Celtic form is Roue, only the Pict form was Ri.
19. When was the last
person executed in the Pict tradition in Scotland?
In 1820, a James Wilson, was beheaded
(after being hanged) on Glasgow Green, for leading a protest march
against the rampant starvation of the time.
20.
How
did Loch Katrine get its name?
An
early Gaelic name was recorded as being "Loch Ceathairneach"
21.
What
were the origins of the Clan Grant? When, where, and
under what circumstances was this proven?
The Grants are descended from
Gregor Mohr MacGregor, second son of Malcolm, Morear nan Castal.
They carry the same Suaitheanntas or mark of distinction,
i.e. a branch of fir, and as the MacGregors carried an imperial crown
proper, in the shield, the Grants assumed three crowns, as a mark of
cadency. So true it is they esteemed themselves one people, that for
fourteen days at the end of 1725 and the beginning of 1726, there was
a celebrated meeting between those two Clans at Blair-Atholl, in order
that they should assume one surname.
This was an attempt to circumvent
the devastating proscription of the Clan Gregor by combining the two
Clans and assuming a name which would not be proscribed e.g..
MacAlpine. The conference objective failed due to petty
bickering, although some delegates did assume the old name, MacAlpin.
22. What
remnants of the Pict language remain in Scotland?
In
parts of Scotland, people still speak with a Pict accent,
rather than Gaelic, e.g.. "W" is still pronounced as
"F", (which is not a Gaelic linguistic phenomenon).
23. During
the First General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which took place
in Glasgow in 1638, what precautions were taken to protect visiting
clergy, and from what? The
clergy were in such fear of marauding bands of MacGregors that two
Army regiments were brought in to guard facilities, and all officials
were continually escorted by armed bodyguards. Note:
Glasgow, although home to a Cathedral for centuries, at that
time had a population of only 7,000. 24.
What was the significance of the three
feathers worn only by the Chief of the Clan Gregor? They
signified three MacGregor Glens; Orchy, Lochy, and Strae. 25.
When the MacLivers and MacIvers, (the MacGregors of Glen
Lyon), were
massacred by the Stuarts, what MacGregor family successfully claimed
their senior seat on the Clan council? The
MacGregors of Roro. 26.
What was the relationship between the
Campbell Earl of Stair, (the one who instigated and planned the Glen
Coe massacre) with Rob Roy MacGregor? He
was the father of Rob Roy's mother. 27.
What was the early name of the Glen Gyle MacGregors. 'Doughal
Ciar', from the premature gray hair of its founder. 28.
Where did the MacGregors originate? According
to W.F. Skene, in "Celtic Scotland", They originated in
ecclesiastic communities founded by St. Fillan in Glen
Dochart near the great fortress, Dundurn, the scene of much of
King Gregor's activities.
29. What
two Alban Picts are represented on the British Union Jack? King
Onnust and Maewyn
Succat. Maewyn
Succat ("warlike" in Pict) was born near Kilmarnock, and was kidnapped while still a child
and taken to Ireland, where he eventually managed to escape to the continent and
joined the priesthood. He was re-christened
as Patricius (Padrig in Pict) by the Church, and became
a Bishop. He was sent to Ireland to
convert the inhabitants there, and after 30 years, succeeded. His
representation
is a red saltire cross on a white background, (the cross of St.
Patrick).
30.
What
four flags represent a dream of the great Pict King, Onnust? The
British Union Jack, the National flag of Scotland, the flag of Nova
Scotia and the first half of the flag of Newfoundland.
31.
What
jurisdictions (besides the British) have the cross of St. Patrick as
their flag? The
American states of Alabama and Florida. 32.
What
is the only jurisdiction in the British Empire that was declared loyal
to the Court in Edinburgh (not the English court) by its very
charter. A hint: This was done through trickery by a
Scottish patriot. Nova
Scotia.
Explanation:
The charter was drawn up by King James VI of Scotland (King
James I of England). Like most learned men of Scotland, he was
fluent in Latin, and drew up the charter entirely in that language,
thereby impressing his English subjects, but they were entirely
ignorant of the contents, until many years later. It was never
modified. 33.
Which house of the MacGregors was known as "the Children of
the mist", and why? The
house of Glenstrae. After the Campbells installed a young
MacGregor, the
sub-chief of the Doughal Ciar as Grand Chief, intra-Clan warfare broke
out. The legitimate Clan Chiefs and their families of the Glen Strae MacGregors were hunted down
and murdered by the Earl of Argyle's forces. They took to the hills and were seldom seen in the
daylight by strangers, hence the name "children of the
mist". The last Glenstrae Chief (Grand Chief of the Clan
Gregor) died during Rob Roy's
lifetime. 34.
What
parts of three modern countries were included in the Alban Empire. Scotland,
Northumbria in England, Ulster in Ireland (+ the Isle
of Man). 35.
What
happened to the term "Empire" after the Pict/Scottish union
of the two crowns? The
term "Empire" remained officially in the title of Alban, then Scotland,
until 1603, when King James VI left for London.
He was the first monarch to assume the title of "King of
Great Britain".
36.
Who
was the first Christian martyr in Britain? What were the
circumstances of his martyrdom? Alban,
who was a Pict soldier and a solid citizen. He was converted to
Christianity by a persecuted priest whom he sheltered from the Pagan
Roman authorities. He then changed clothes with the priest, allowing him to escape.
Caught, he was ordered to renounce his new faith. He refused and became the first Christian martyr in Britain.
The second was the executioner who was to kill him, who heard his testimony, converted on the spot, and refused to kill Alban.
The third was the priest, who, when he learned that Alban had been arrested in his place, hurried to the court in the hope of saving Alban by turning himself in. The place of their deaths is near the site of Saint Alban's Cathedral. Editor's
note: "Alpin" was pronounced Alban by all
Celts.
37. What did King James VI
do to anyone outside Scotland who criticized or ridiculed Scotland? He
arrested them and sent them to Scotland to be charged with treason,
where they were each hanged. If they had been tried in England,
the case would have been thrown out of court. He also sent an assassin to Poland
to kill a Polish journalist who wrote that Edinburgh was too
cold and draughty to be a proper national capital.
38. Who
was, and remains, Canada's most decorated soldier? Lt
Col. John (Jock) MacGregor - V. C., M.C. and Bar, D.C.M., E.D. of
Powell River, B.C. (1889-1952) Born
south of Nairn, not far from Inverness, Scotland. In 1909, with
no inheritance rights, he set out for Canada. In March of 1915,
while trapping in the interior of B.C., he heard that Canada was at
war. Snow shoeing for days, he caught a boxcar into Prince Rupert
where he was rejected. He groomed himself and went to Vancouver
where he was accepted. He was the first Canadian
over Vimy Ridge, where, as a Sergeant, he earned the
Distinguished Conduct Medal. As a Lieutenant at Hill 70,
he earned a Military Cross. He added a bar to his Military Cross
at Quievrain. As a Captain at Cambrai, he earned the Victoria
Cross. At the outbreak
of the Second World War, Canada called on him again, promoted him to
Lt. Colonel. He commanded the 2nd Canadian Scottish Regiment, where he
trained men for battle in Europe. Of his Canadian citizenship
papers, he said "They are the greatest gift my country has given
me."
39. Who
was Bonnie Prince Charlie's personal piper? John
MacGregor, he was wounded at Culloden, but survived. 40.
Why is there no Clan Gregor memorial on the
Culloden battlefield? On
the day of the battle, the MacGregors and MacKinnons (under the Chief
of the GlenGyle MacGregors) were in Sutherland confronting the MacKays
and MacKenzies to keep them from joining the main Hanoverian
army The MacGregors who did fight at Culloden were in the mixed
clans contingents and were buried as such. 41.
What foreign troops did the British
Government bring in to police the MacGregors after Culloden, similar
to what the Romans did 1660 years earlier? Troops
from the low countries, (Belgium and Holland), exactly the same as did
the Romans in 84 AD. 42.
What fort did the British army build to
police the MacGregors in the 1700s? Inversnaid. 43.
How many times did the MacGregors destroy
Inversnaid? Three
times, during the 1715, 1719 and 1745 rebellions. 44.
What British officer was put in charge of
rebuilding Inversnaid after the 45? James
Wolfe (later General) . 45.
Did Clan Gregor ever raise a regiment to
serve in the British army? Yes,
in the 1780s, the MacAlpine Fencibles who were stationed in
Ireland. 46. Did
the majority of Highlanders serve under Bonnie Prince Charlie? No,
the majority of Scottish Highlanders actually fought on the Hanoverian
side, although, after Culloden, all of the Highlanders suffered
pillage, rapine and eventually the clearances.. 47.
Who was Bonnie Prince Charlie's personal adjutant? Lt.
Colonel James Mohr MacGregor, son of Rob Roy. 48.
Who was Simon Bolivar's right hand man,
and a hero of the Venezuelan revolt against Spain? General
Sir Gregor MacGregor, grandson of Gregor Glun Dhubh, the nephew of Rob
Roy. 49. What
was the marching song of the MacGregors that struck such terror into
all those who heard it, and what form does it have today? It
was "How the mighty have fallen" and is now a street song
for many Scottish children that goes by the name "In and out of
the bluebells". 50.
Which Scottish Clan has the highest number of
Victoria Cross winners? The
MacGregors, with eleven. To see their stories click here. 51.
Where on earth is Scotland still referred to
as Alba? In the three remaining
jurisdictions that preserve the Celtic language, (1) Brittany, where
Scotland is called Alba. (2) In Wales, where Scotland is
called Alban (as the Picts called it) (3) In Ireland where
Scotland is called Albain. 52.
Where on earth is Scotland still referred to
as Caledonia? In the
Vatican, were the official language is Latin. 53.
Who is universally recognized as the father of the
British Army Medical corps? Sir
James MacGrigor, who served during the Napoleonic wars. Napoleon
once gave him an outstanding compliment when he said "The British
forces are under sanitary discipline while the French army is a
perambulating brothel." 54.
Who was the most pugnacious Officer ever to
have served in the British Army? Sir
Colin Campbell (MacLiver), Lord Clyde. Due to an
administrative error, he was entered into the army at the age of 16 as a Campbell.
The repeal of the MacGregor proscriptions had not yet permeated into
army bureaucracy, although he was duly christened as Colin MacLiver,
(a well-known MacGregor alias originally from Glen Lyon). His
army career ranged from the crossing of the Bidaossa river in the
Basque country, to suppressing the West Indian revolt, to the Crimea,
to enforcing the debauchery of the Chinese in the opium wars, to the
relief of Lucknow in India. This man was
recognized as having no fear, and was held in awe by all who knew
him. He was a "battling ram" that the army sent to any
crisis that was unmanageable by any other. A true
MacGregor!
55. Who
invented the reflection telescope, which permitted the human mind to
explore the remotest depths of outer space?
James
Gregory of Aberdeen.
56. What
was King Gregor's christened name in Pict? Grig
MacDungal (which meant Grig, son of the dark stranger). 57.
Who was primarily responsible for the vindication of
the Clan Gregor? Sir
Walter E. Scott.
58. Who
is the most outstanding MacGregor who ever left Scotland? Rev
Dr. James Drummond MacGregor, from Loch Earn. He changed his
surname back to MacGregor while enrolled in the Presbyterian theology
school in Edinburgh. He taught himself Gaelic, and preached to
all the Gaelic speaking highlanders he could find in Canada's maritime
provinces. The "Godfather" of all Protestants of
northern Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and south-eastern New
Brunswick, he was the only Protestant clergyman in that area for
decades, and is universally recognized as the most outstanding
MacGregor to have left Scotland.
59. Who
is the only person who ever had a Scottish Tartan named after him? Rob
Roy MacGregor.
60. What
was the origin of this particular tartan? It
was the ancient tartan of the MacGregors, and was eventually called
the Rob Roy tartan because his band of GlenGyle MacGregors popularized
it. 61. What
people were fist reported in history as wearing the highland Tartans, which today
are synonymous with Scottish culture? In
80 AD, Tacitus reported the Caledonians (later called
"Picts") wore "primitive" tartan
kilts. That
factually recorded description observed long before Scots arrived in Argyll, effectively proves the Picts originated the tartan garb.
62.
Where
did the "flaming", red hair so predominant in Scottish
Highlanders (e.g. Rob Roy), originate? From
the early inhabitants of "Caledonia", as reported by Greek
merchant seamen, who recorded the first written descriptions of those
people. They were referred to as "Albiones" (pale
skinned) with blonde or red hair. 63.
Who
was Rob Roy's father, Lt. Col. Donald Glas MacGregor, named after? His
maternal uncle, Donald Glas MacDonald. Glas was a common
nickname for many early Highlanders. It meant 'naturally pale
skin' in P-Celtic, the language of the Picts. 64.
Under
what circumstances did Rob Roy's father die a premature death? He
died from the results of a prolonged torture in the Tolbooth prison in
Edinburgh, under direct orders from a vengeful (Campbell) Earl of
Stair, upon the ascension of William of Orange to the throne of
Britain. Stair was bitter at Donald for having played such a
large part in the battle of Killiecrankie, where the Campbell forces
were obliterated.
65.
What
is the oldest provincial flag still flying in any jurisdiction in
Canada? The
Flag of Nova Scotia (designed by King James VI in 1603).
66.
What
is the origin of the term "rigmarole", (which today means foolish
talk or foolish activity)? From
the "Ragman's Roll", which was a list of Scottish landowners
prepared on the orders of England's Edward I (long shanks), so they
could be identified and forced to pay him a remittance. 67.
What
is the origin of the term "decimate", which today means to
slaughter? In
the Roman army, when troops did not perform to the satisfaction of
their officers, often, the subject soldiers would be lined up, and
every tenth man was beaten to death by his comrades on orders
from above. This practice was particularly common in Britain
when the Picts, through guerrilla warfare, were successful in
driving the Romans from their territory north of Hadrian's Wall, and
eventually reduced London to a smoking ruin.
68.
Who
was the last monarch of the Picto/Gaelic bloodline? MacBeth
of the immortal (but not historically accurate) Shakespearian play of
that name. 69.
What was
the ethnic origins of the new line of Scottish Kings after MacBeth? Norman/Saxon. 70.
Was
King Grig (Gregor) any relation to the MacAlpin family? No,
his father was Dungal of Fortrenn, so his full name was Grig
MacDungal. 71.
How do
we know the above is true? Five
of six historical chronicles of the day stated the above. The
only dissenting chronicle was "The Scottish Chronicles",
which was politically tainted. 72.
How
did Grig attain the Alban throne? In
the time honoured fashion of most monarchs of that day, by slaying the
previous monarch, Hugh MacKenneth, a son of Kenneth MacAlpin,
(a Scot/Pict whose first and last name were both Pict). 73.
Were
the Alban Picts, Celts, or were they descendents of the Orcadians? They
were actually a mixture of both. We know this because most of
the names of Pict
Kings, as related in the Pict Chronicles were pure Celtic; e.g. Alpin,
Bili, Brude, Conall (equivalent to the Breton "Conall"), Kinnid
(Kenneth), Dungall,
Finghin, Garnard, Girom, Drust, Talorc, Wroid (pronounced Froid). Personal names of common people were often more Orcadian
(pre-Celtic) derived; e.g. Canatulachama, Bliesblituth, Erp,
Guididgaedbrecach and Usconbuts. 74.
Where
did the Picts of Alba come from? They
came in three waves, the first (Stone age hunter gatherers) from
Spain, the second (Copper using Beaker peoples) and third (Iron using
Brythonic Celts) from northern Europe. The
Brythonic Celt world, 500BC. 75.
Were
the Scots a Celtic race? Yes,
although they were the result of earlier Celts mixing with
Carthaginians of northern Spain, then with the earlier inhabitants of
southern Ireland,
thereby creating a new culture, called Gaelic.
76.
Were
the Celts a homogenous racial group? No,
all Roman historians described the Celts as a group united merely by culture,
not race.
77.
Which
origin was Clan Gregor derived from, Pict or Scot? Pict,
according to Forbes MacGregor who wrote the authoritative book
"Clan Gregor", which was published by the Clan Gregor
Society in 1977. His exact words were "The
extraordinary discovery is, that although Grig (Gregor) was by all authentic
accounts a Pict, and the clan, (but not the old line of chiefs) are of
Pictish origin". 78.
What
was the racial division between Picts and Scots upon the union of the
two crowns under Alpin? 90%
Pict and 10% Scot. 79.
What
extreme measure was taken by the Pict monk, Finghin, to reestablish
Pict numerical superiority in Glen Dochart? He
made a successful plea to Pope Benedict in Rome to allow Pict monks to marry
and begat children. 80.
What
monarch gave the Scottic church equal status to the Pict church under
Alban law? King
Grig (Gregor).
81.
What
are the connections between the Berbers of North Africa and the Celts? Tests
have proven that Berbers and the Celts of Ireland, Wales and Scotland
have very similar dna, indicating they are from the same racial stock.
The Berber language contains many Celtic words.
82.
Which
two clans were best known for giving shelter to MacGregors when
they were proscribed? The
Grants and the MacAulays (who were both related to the
MacGregors).
83.
How
did the term "Scot" originate? In
the 2nd century AD, marauders based in Ireland, began to ravage the
western coast of Roman Pretania (Britain). The Romans called
them "Scotti", which was a Latin derisive slang meaning - sea
raiders. 84.
What
were the Picts who first colonized northern Ireland, called by the
earlier inhabitants? What did it mean literally? The
"Cruithne" in Gaelic (Pryden in Brythonic), who formed a confederation called the "Uliad".
The term, Cruithne, is derived from Pict legend which claims Cruithne
was the creator. Cruithne
meant "old Irish" in Gaelic; cru(i)then-túath), 85.
What
were the Picts who later colonized north-east Ireland, called by the
Gaels? The
S'goth (boat people in Gaelic). 86.
How
were the Picts able to colonize northern Ireland when Gael-type Celts
were already there? The
Gaels belonged to an earlier Celt culture called "Hallstatters",
(from a site in Austria where one of their villages was unearthed),
and swept down into Spain from western France. The Picts were
part of a
later, more advanced type of Celt culture called, "La Tene",
with better tools and weapons (from a site in Switzerland where one of their villages was
unearthed). 87.
Did
the Hallstatter and La Tene Celts speak the same language? Originally
yes
but, over time, they eventually differed, as the Hallstatters
spoke Q-Celtic where the LaTene Celts spoke P-Celtic. 88.
What
is the main difference between Q-Celtic and P-Celtic? In
Q-Celtic, many words are pronounced with a "Q" or
"K" sounding consonant, whereas in P-Celtic those words are
usually pronounced with a "P" or a
"B"; e.g. "head" is pronounced as Kaen
(and written as Caen) in Q-Celtic, whereas in P-Celtic,
head is pronounced as Benn (and is written as Penn).
In general, Q-Celtic had many words that came from the throat (i.e. Q,
K, G and CH) where those words had been modified in P-Celtic to
incorporate sounds that came from the lips (i.e. P, D, N and T). 89.
Is
there any similarity between Celtic and Latin? Yes,
for example, in both languages, there is no soft "C". "C" is pronounced as a "K", also, a
"J" is pronounced as a "Y" in both
languages. Note: Caesar was actually pronounced as Kaiser,
and John was pronounced as 'Yon' in both languages.
Actually old Celtic was more similar to Latin than are the five
surviving Romance languages. Below is a table illustrating the
similarities between Latin and seven Celtic languages.
First ten numerals in Latin and six Celtic
languages 90.
What
drove the Romans to hate the Celts so much? In
390 BC, Gaulish Celts, captured Rome, and taxed it until they were
satisfied they had been fully compensated for a perceived
treachery by the Romans. The Romans never forgot the
humiliation. 91.
Did
Celts ever march through a captured Rome again? Yes,
in 1944 AD, when victorious British and other Commonwealth Highland
regiments marched through Rome with bagpipes blaring. (Although,
this time, they were welcomed as liberators).
92.
When
did the Celts arrive in Britain? About
500 BC.
93.
What
was the origin of the bitter enmity between Highlanders and Lowlanders
in Scotland? Apart
from differing language and culture, the Highlanders' stubborn refusal
to accept Norman feudalism, as was forced on the Lowlanders by David
II, was the main reason for the bitterness.
94.
How
did Britain gets its name? The
Romans called this colony "Pretania", after the name the Celtic Britons
called the Picts, "Prydyn", which sounds like Britain
in English. The confederation of England and Scotland was named
Great Britain by a Celtic Scot, King James VI.
95.
What
was Rob Roy's wife's name, and what was her family connection to that
of Rob Roy? Her
maiden name was "Helen Mary MacGregor" of Comar, (not
the Helen Campbell of Sir Walter Scott's novel). She was the
daughter of Gregor Og MacGregor, who lived across the glen from Donald
Glas MacGregor and his family. Gregor and Donald had a common
paternal grandfather, Gregor
Dhu, born
in 1545.
96.
When
and why was the name of Clan Alpin changed to Clan Gregor? In
1432 AD, MacCailein Mor (alias Campbell), laid claim to the three
Glens, Orchy, Lochy and Strae, in Argyle, which was contrary to a
traditional Celtic rule that all lands belonged to the Clan, not to any
single family. Clan Alpin, which inhabited those three
Glens, chose Gregor, the nephew of Iain of Orchy as the
new Chief, and to emphasize their repudiation of the Campbell, changed
the name of their clan to Clan Gregor. 97.
How did
the Campbell family gain control of the lands of Lorne? In
1464, MacCailein Mor, (the first Campbell) plotted the assassination of the Lord of Lorne,
then tore Lorne's only child, a girl of four, from her mother's arms,
and kept her as a prisoner in his castle until she was
fifteen. He then forcibly
married her to his eldest son. 98.
How did
the Campbells gain control of Cowal, the land of the Lamonts? In
1646, a Campbell army invaded their neighbours, the Lamonts taking
their Castles, Toward and Ascog. Sir James Lamont surrendered
after accepting fair terms for his people. However the Campbells
then slaughtered over two hundred of Lamont's men, women and
children. One tree was said to have held thirty five bodies
from its branches, and another thirty six men were buried alive.
The two Lamont castles were obliterated. This tragedy became known as the
Dunoon Massacre. 99.
How did
the Campbells gain possession of traditional MacGregor lands? They
first used murder and rape. Then, they refined their technique to
gaining influence in the Royal court, false promises, instigation
to violence, false witness, control of courts of justice, and Letters
of Fire and Sword. Then as hereditary High Sheriffs of Scotland,
the Campbells managed to enact a law to dispossess the MacGregors of
owning any land, and all land seized from them was to be turned over to the
Campbells. 100.
How was
feudalism introduced into Scotland? In
1124 AD, King David I, who had spent twenty years at the English court,
was proclaimed King of Scotland. He brought 1,000 land-seeking
Norman nobles to Scotland with him. He distributed estates to these Normans
by arbitrarily dispossessing native landowners. 101.
Did the
Picts speak P-Celtic? Yes,
but it was a unique dialect due to the result of their isolation, and
of the influence of the earlier Orcadian culture they assimilated. 102.
Was the
flaming red hair of the northern Picts unique? No,
many of the Picts of England and Ireland also had red hair.
103. When was the fiery
cross last used in the defence of any clan property? 104.
How do we know for certain that Grig MacDungal killed
Hugh MacKenneth, the youngest son of Kenneth MacAlpin? The Pictish Chronicles stated quite boldly (in
Latin) " Ed Mac Kinet uno anno.
Interfectus in bello in Strathalin a Girg filio Dungal". (The
English
translation= Hugh MacKenneth ruled for one year. Slain in war in Strathearn by
Gregor son of Dunegal). Note: The names were in Pict.
105. Has
there ever been an objective scientific study of the inhabitants of the
Perthshire Highlands (where the MacGregors arose) to determine if they
were descended from the "Caledonians"? Yes,
Dr. Beddoe, the leading European ethnologist of the 19th century,
conducted a very meticulous study of the people of this area, measuring
skulls, noting height, eye and hair colour, and other personal
characteristics. He published his findings in his "Study of
Races of Britain" and concluded these people were more homogenous
than in any other part of Europe, and that they resembled the
Caledonians described by Tacitus, in that there was a minority with
large athletic frame with red hair but this was also a minority in
Roman times. He also stated these people had not changed
their characteristics for over 18 centuries.
106. By
what legal means did Alpin claim ascendancy to the Pict throne? His
mother was a Pict princess.
107. What
was Alpin's full name? Was he King of Dalriada? Alpin
Mac Eachaidh Anguibh (in Gaelic), Alpin MacHugh the Poisonous (in English). He
reigned over Dalriada from 834 to 837 AD.
108. How
did Alpin gain the throne of both Picts and Scots? How long did
he reign? The Picts under Onnust II had
just suffered a horrendous defeat at the hands of the Norse Vikings,
losing their King and most of their leaders and warriors. Alpin
committed the unpardonable sin of attacked them on the holiest
Christian day, Easter, in 837 AD. In the Autumn of that year,
Alpin was defeated by a reconstituted Pict army, and was publicly
beheaded in front of a large hostile army. (Beheading was
the most shameful of all Pict deaths.) 109.
How did Cinnid mac Ailpín (anglicized
to Kenneth MacAlpin) gain the throne of
both Picts and Scots? Did he try to weaken the Pict control on
power? In the early 800s AD, the
Vikings laid waste to much of Alban and severely weakened the Pict
establishment. The Picts had to unite with the Scots of Dalriada
or perish. Alpins eldest son, Kenneth, was offered the throne,
and he accepted. During his reign, he worked to unite both the
Picts and Scots, and did nothing to weaken the Pict church's control on
the clerical and educational establishment in Alban. 110.
Did Kenneth MacAlpin invite all
the Pict nobles to a grand dinner and treacherously execute them as is claimed by some Scottish historians? No,
this is utter nonsense. There is no factual record of any such treachery. Neither is
there any independent record of such an event. The fact that the
Picts were later strong enough to break into the MacAlpin line of succession and
name Grig MacDungal as King, illustrates that they were not weakened in any way
by Kenneth's rule. Otherwise, the Vikings were still a terrible
threat and all able bodied men were needed to fight them off. 111. How
many times were the MacGregors proscribed, and why? Twice: The
first time was in 1603 by James VI. He proscribed the MacGregors,
taking away their humanity, and reducing them to live as animals of the
forest because they defeated and slaughtered a force twice their size of the
Colquhouns, the Buchanans and a Militia from Dumbarton, who were
bent of destroying them. This proscription was the worst as several
successive acts of the Scottish Parliament were enacted to make
it more severe. It
lasted until 1650, when Oliver Cromwell became Lord Protector of
Britain, as he was against fanaticism in all its forms. This
lifting was upheld by Charles II, but he never returned any stolen
MacGregor land or possessions, as was previously promised. The
second time was when William Of Orange defeated Charles II, and became
King in 1693. This proscription was implemented at the
instigation of the Earl of Stair, the Campbell nobleman, who Cromwell
allowed to run Scotland during his entire reign. His reason? He
had a score to settle with the MacGregors, who had benefited from the
previous rules of Cromwell, and Charles II, at the expense of the
Campbells. This proscription was not as severe as the first, and
was largely ignored by many of those in power, becoming moot in the
waning years of its term. This one was lifted in 1774, largely by
the influence of Sir Walter E. Scott. 112.
What was a Royal Commission of
Fire and Sword? When the
sovereign gave someone a legal written permission to attack an entity, take any
of their possessions, burn their buildings and kill as many of them as
they wished. 113. How
many times were the MacGregors subjected to Royal Commissions
of Fire and Sword, when, and by whom ? 114.
Four times: In
1488; by the Campbells of Glen Orchy, Stewarts of Fothergill, and
Campbells of Glen Falloch. This was when the Stewarts, raided
Glen Lyon and massacred the MacGregor septs; MacLivers and MacIvers. 115.
What type of people has research proven were the
founding communities of the Clan Gregor? All
historical researchers agree the body of Clan Gregor (but not its Glen
Orchy line of Chiefs), and closely associated clans, sprang from the
ecclesiastic communities founded by St. Filian, seconded by Columban
monks, and secured in succession by Finghin (traditionally the grandson
of King Grig).
116. What
was the Pict system of Sovereign succession. Why was it first
implemented? Was it used in all cases of succession? The
succeeding Sovereign was often chosen from the sons of a sister of the
previous King (matrilineal). 117.
Was the Pict
system of Sovereign succession ever implemented after the union of the
Pict/Scot crown? Yes, at least 4 times.
1/ On 02 March 1316, Robert Stewart was proclaimed
King Robert II of the Scottish Empire. His legal claim was of the fact
his mother was Marjorie Bruce, a daughter of King Robert I, the last of
the Bruce family (in the Pict tradition). 2/ On 24 March 1603, James VI of
Scotland was proclaimed King James I of Great Britain. His legal
claim was based on the fact his mother was a daughter of King Henry
VIII, and was a sister of Queen Elizabeth I, the previous monarch (in
the Pict tradition). 3/
On 13 February
1689, William (of Orange) was declared King William III of Great Britain.
His legal claim was based on the fact his mother was the Princess
Royal, daughter of Charles I, and sister of James VII, the previous
monarch (in the Pict tradition). 4/
Malcom 118.
How did Ciricius (in Latin) become Girig
in Celtic. In Latin
naming practices, "ius" or "us" were
often added to common names to embellish them, so outside the Roman
sphere of influence, Ciricius would revert to Ciric.
In Latin (and Celtic), a "C" followed by an "i" was
pronounced as a "K", so Ciric was pronounced as Kirik
in Latin, and Girig in Celtic, as Celts tended to pronounce a
"k' harsher. In later Celtic societies, Christian monks were
the people who maintained literacy. Using the Latin alphabet,
Celtic words were spelled phonetically. 119.
Who was the first declared King of the Picts and
Scots? Onnust I, he ruled from 729 to 761
AD. This was verified by the Ulster Annals. 120. Who was the Pict
King, when they burned and sacked Roman London? Drust,
son of Erp. 121. How
many Kings did the Picts list in their "Pict Chronicles"? Forty. 122.
Why is it that any history of the Picts is
defamatory? Because
their history was largely related by their enemies. Even the
original "Pict Chronicle" "disappeared", and was
translated into Gaelic, so all of the original context is missing. 123.
Was there ever any peaceful contact between
Alban and Rome? Yes, Dio
Cassius recorded in the 3rd century AD, a Caledonian envoy,
Argentocoxus, and his wife living in Rome. 124.
Who baptized Columba, the Irish missionary who
brought Christianity to Alban? He was
baptized in Ireland at Tulach-Dubhglaise, now Temple-Douglas, by a Pict priest
named Cruithnechan (in Gaelic), (Prydennehhton in Pict), who afterwards became his tutor and foster-father. 125.
What is the Celtic family tree, and what is its significance to Pict.
The family tree of the Insular Celtic languages is as follows: Goidelic languages:
(1) Primitive Irish, (ancestral to) Brythonic languages:
(1) Pictish (extinct)
(3) Southwestern
Brythonic
(ancestral to) 126.
Who actually defeated the Pict Army?
The Vikings.
The Scots were merely
invited to pick up the pieces.
127. Are
there any places in Scotland left with their original Pict names?
Yes, those prefixed with "Aber-",
"Lhan-", or "Pit-" indicate regions inhabited by
Picts in the past (for example: Aberdeen, Lhanbryde, Pitmedden, Pittodrie,
etc). Places such as Moray, Wemys, Urquhart The city of Perth has a
non-Gaelic name also. "Pert" meant hedge in Pict (It
was Gaelicized to Perth).
128. Since the Picts were
originally a loose confederation of kingdoms, what caused them to form
a strong national government?
The threat from the Romans to the
south.
129. When
was the first reference to "Picts" ever recorded.
The Greek word Πικτοί
(Latin
"Picti") first appears in a panegyric
written by Eumenius
in AD 297. 130. We know the Q-Celtic
speaking Gaels called the Picts "Cruithne", but what did the
P-Celtic Welsh speaking Britons in Strathclyde (around Glasgow) call
them? The Welsh and Britons of Strathclyde knew
them, in the P-Celtic form of "Cruithne", as Prydyn. 131. What did the Germanic
Angles of Lothian (around Edinburgh) call them? Pects. 132. Who
was the greatest King of the Picts? What was the meaning of his
name in other languages? In P-Celtic: Onnust,
in old Q-Celtic: Óengus, in
English: Angus. In Latin: Augustus.
The meaning is "trustworthy". 133. Who actually was
Grig? Was he related to the MacAlpin family in any way? No. Benjamin Hudson, an objective
historian, has written that Giric, rather than being a member of the
Cináed mac Ailpín dynasty, was a member of the northern Pict Cenel
Loairn dynasty of Moray. 134. Then, why have so many
Scottish records claimed that Grig was from the MacAlpin family? Because, that would suggest
Kenneth MacAlpin did not eradicate the Pict aristocracy as was claimed
by a Scottish Chronicle fairy tale. 135. What
alphabet(s) did the Picts use? They used the alphabets of
literate peoples who visited them. First the Greeks, then Latin,
then the Ogham alphabet
which was invented in Ireland around the 4th century AD.
When Albann became converted to Christianity, Latin became the
language of the Church and the aristocracy. (The Church
was responsible for schooling all boys.) 136. Did Pict soldiers ever
fight in England as a Pict unit after the 11th century? Yes, as late as the 12 twelfth
century the English chronicler Richard of Hexham recorded that Picts
were present at the Battle of the Standard, fought in Yorkshire in
1138AD. 137. Was
there any difference between the Caledonians and
the Picts? The Caledonians were one
powerful Kingdom in the central area of ancient Scotland (Alban) that
now comprises the counties of Inverness shire, Nairnshire, Moray,
Banffshire, Aberdeenshire, Kincardinshire, Forfarshire and
Perthshire, They were so powerful, the Romans called the
entire area Caledonia. However, they were only one of many Pict tribes.
The Picts comprised all
the various peoples of Alban. 138. Is
there any objective proof that The Picts ever ruled Ireland also? Yes, according to the Irish 'Book
of Lecain', Gede, King of the Picts, ruled in Ireland as well as in
Caledonia. 138. Is
there any proof that the Picts came from Scandinavia? Yes, many Pict symbol
stones (such as the Lunnasting Stone) found throughout Scotland, are written in
an old Norse style
called Ogham. In later Scandinavia, memorial inscriptions like those would have been carved in
runes not ogham. Therefore, the ancestors of the people who
inscribed these stones must have came from Norway in an epoch before
the advent of the later type of writing (or the writers were
influenced somehow by those more ancient Scandinavians). 139. What does the
Lunnasting stone say in Pict? The inscription reads "ettocuhetts
ahehhttann hccvvevv nehhtonn" It contains the personal name - Nehhtonn (Nechtan
in Gaelic). 140. What actually was the
"Pictish Chronicle" and who wrote it? What languages
were used? The Pictish Chronicle was a historical document
comprising three parts: Part 1. An account of the origins of the
Picts. It was basically taken from part of the Entomologies of
Seville, Spain. It is fantasy and pure conjecture for the
most part. Part 2. A list of Pictish kings from the
earliest times to the reign of Kenneth MacAlpin. The original
manuscript could have been written by a Pict monk but it disappeared, and
only undocumented translated (into Gaelic) copies are available today. Part 3. A list of kings of the combined kingdom
of Picts and Scots until the reign of Kenneth II with some notes about
religious events during each reign. Note: All three parts were written in
Latin. The names of the kings were mostly in Gaelic. The
translations that were made in several renditions of these Chronicles
were different from each other, indicating the Scottish translators did not do a very good job. 141. Where
is the original Pictish Chronicle? No one knows, it was lost
(probably
destroyed). 142. When
were the 3 original Pictish Chronicle parts written? Part 1: (560-636 AD)
in Seville, Spain by Isidore. Part 2: During the reign of Kenneth MacAlpin
(843-859 AD). Part 3: During the reign
of Kenneth II (971-995AD). 143. When
was the oldest remaining copy written? During the 14th century. 144. Was
everything in the 1st part of the Pictish Chronicle true? No, e.g. "Some of the Scythian
people were born with white hair because of the continuous snowfall, and they
could see better in the dark than in the daytime." 145. Was
everything in the 2nd part true? No. Some early statements are outlandish e.g. Gilgidi
ruled 150 years, Denbecan ruled 100 years. 146. Was
everything in the 3rd part true? No. e.g. "Kenneth
slaughtered the Pict ruling class". All learned
historians consider this statement to be rubbish. 147. Who
actually wrote the 3rd part of the Pictish Chronicle? How is this certain? Do doubt some Scottish religious person
(monk). The Chronicle is very pro-Scottish, and there is a
great deal of religious data that has nothing to do with the list of
kings; e.g. Dates of visits to Rome, resignations and the comings and
goings of many religious officials. There are several
false and inflammatory pro-Scottish & anti-Pict statements
that indicate a hatred toward the Pict establishment. 148. What was the intent of
the Scottish church in publishing of the Pictish Chronicle? To defame the Pict establishment,
and to eulogize the Scots. 149. How
do we know for certain that Onnus conquered Dal Riata and
killed the leaders there? Because the Annals of Ulster, written by Irish
monks, with entries by each year, wrote in 736 AD: 150. How did Kenneth II
(971-995AD) die? In 995 AD, he was lured to a house in
Fettercairn by Finella (a daughter of Kindar, a mormaer of
Angus) and there killed, in revenge for the death of her son who had
been executed on Kenneth's orders. 151. How did the modern
term "Mayor" originate? The Pict monarchs created loyal governorships who reported directly to
them. They were named "Mormaers". When the crown
was united, the Scots named their own followers to these
positions. To ensure their loyalty, the King usually appointed
them from his own family. Their positions became hereditary. 152. What areas were
designated as Mormaerdoms? Moray, Fife, Strathearn, Angus,
Atholl, Buchan, Caithness, Orkney, Carrick, Lothian/Dunbar, Lennox,
Mar, Menteith and Ross. 153. How
did James 1st die? He was stabbed to death by
several of his own Mormaers. 154. Whatever happened to
the Mormaers of Scotland? They were renamed
"Earls" (a Germanic title) in the 1400s. Eventually,
they were all executed for treason. The last, the Earl of
Albany, was executed in 1425 AD. 155. Who
were the Druids, and what was their legacy? They were the top level of Celtic
society, which was structured into four class layers: intelligentsia,
warriors, traders and food producers. Under Roman rule, many
became great philosophers and writers, often confused as Romans. 156. What
was the actual Pict succession system, and how is this proven? The Picts chose their Kings by
majority votes from a group of seven sub Kings. This was the
typical succession system employed in all Celt societies. 157. Where
did the claim of matrilineal Pict succession come from? Bede, the foremost historian of
Northumbria (died 735AD), claimed that Pict kings and chieftains took
Irish wives on condition that the Kingship passed through the female
line. All later historians claimed this was merely Irish
propaganda related to Irish claims over Pict Kingship. 158. Was
there ever a flower named after Alba? Yes, the Evening Lychnis,
scientific name = "Lychnis
Alba". (photo attached). 159. Has there ever been a
pure white blue-eyed Highland cow? Check out this photo of my
"Snowflake", born June 6th, 2006. It is not a
fake. For more photos of Snowflake, email me at: rioghal@allstream.net. 160.
The Lunnasting stone has never been deciphered. Has the author
actually deciphered the
Lunnasting stone? How would it read in modern Welsh?
The Lunnasting stone is a stone
bearing an Ogham inscription, found in Lunnasting, Shetland. It was
donated to the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland in 1876.
The inscription reads: ettocuhetts ahehhttann hccvvevv
nehhtonn
- containing the personal name
Nehhtonn,
but otherwise without an acceptable interpretation to date. The language:
Pictish? It has been assumed by scholars that the language was
in Pictish. However, records have proven that the peculiar
P-Celtic of the Britons of Strathclyde and Goddodin had infiltrated into the
remotest recesses of Albann, including the Orkney and Shetland islands
by 300 AD. After that time, the common language of Albann was a
peculiar northern Briton P-Celtic tinted with residual Pict/Orcadian embellishments. Nevertheless,
in 1582, the humanist scholar (and native Gaelic-speaker) George
Buchanan, expressed the view that Pictish was similar to languages
like Welsh, Gaulish and Gaelic.
There is no question that the P-Celtic language that the expanding P-Celtic
Britons brought to Albann about 400 BC, was a derivative of Gaulish. Buchanon was a Gael
and was under political pressure to conform with popular sentiment
that Gaelic played a significant part in the development of the Pict
language. The truth is otherwise. The linkage between
P-Celtic and Q-Celtic is undeniable but it went back many centuries to
the time when the Celts were still in their ancient homelands of
central Europe. The language
on this stone can correctly be
described as an early (or prototype) "Welsh" as the
transplantation of the Goddodin people to Wales in the 2nd century AD
to Wales fused the Welsh language with the language of those north Britons. Albann society embraced the Latin alphabet upon their
conversion to Christianity during Brude's reign after 565AD. Nehhtonn Morbet, the king who built 1,000 stone churches, began his reign in
708 AD. By this time, the inhabitants of the Shetland had been
speaking their unique dialect of P-Celtic for over 400 years. Therefore the language on the Lunnasting stone would
be a form of P-Celtic, with Pict embellishments (such as a
fixation with doubling up of certain consonants, i.e.
hh, nn, ll, tt, rr, uu, and of the overuse of "u"). The structure:
First, one has
to understand what one is looking at. This message contains four
compound words assembled by an educated person. This complex
word structure was put
together by no ordinary tradesman. It was no doubt the work of a
highly educated religious figure or an administrator i.e. mayor, governor). It
would have been meant to be displayed prominently in a Church or other
public place to either influence local sentiments or to reflect a
popular sentiment, or to be displayed for posterity. In the remote
region of Shetland, there would be no fancy verbal
embellishments, merely simple compound words understood by all. It is known that all Celtic
and Latin languages (as is
often the case in other languages as well) often added two or more simple words
to constitute a larger word in formal inscriptions. Here is my
methodology: One must check the closest
remaining P. Celtic languages: Modern Welsh gives us the
best matches (old Welsh would be better). The first word "ettocuhetts"
is relatively easy. There is
no eto in Breton, but in Welsh, "eto" means Again, yet or
still. The "u"
sound In old Welsh was replaced with a "y" in modern
Welsh. The doubling up of the middle "t" was the result of Pict
influence. In modern Welsh, "cyhoeddi",
pronounced
as cuhedd (exactly the same as would the Pict "cuhett"),
means "proclaim". (In Celtic words, a "T"
ainvariably sounds like a "D"). The final "S' is probably a
grammatical insertion to set the verb as the first person plural : e.g. "Let
us". This stone is no doubt a
favourable proclamation in regard to Nehhton, so it stands to reason a
simple translation of the first word to "Again, Let us proclaim"
would fit very nicely into what is expected of it. The second word: "ahehhttann":
In modern Welsh, "heddychol"
means peaceful. In modern Welsh, "an" means "before". Together, the
compound phonetical word "ahedan"
likely meant "peaceful as before". The third word "hccvvevv"
is at first quite complicated. However, one must remember there was no
actual "V" in neither old Welsh nor Pict, although "UU"
sounded like a "V". When translated into Gaelic it came
out as an "F". Latin and Celtic calligraphers,
routinely wrote
a "U' as a "V". (Often, two "U"s
together were incorrectly deciphered as a "W". So this word properly becomes
"hccuueuu". In the south of Wales, one "U"
by itself is still spoken as an "I", and was no doubt spoken as
such by the Picts. Two connected "U"s were pronounced as
"VE"; eg. the Pict name, "Uurgus", became the
Gaelic "Fergus". In Celtic, and no doubt in Pict also, an "H"
was never silent, so it constituted a pronounced part of the word.
Sadly, most Pict words are lost forever. However, considering the second
part of this word, we come to an interesting fit. It is rather apparent the
second half of the word ("uueuu"), would phonetically sound like "fefe"
or "ferf". In modern Welsh, "fferf"
means solid. So, it is likely the third word means
"solidarity". In English, the entire inscription probably meant"
Again, let us proclaim as
before, (a) peaceful solidarity with Nehhtonn
Note: One must bear in mind that
Nehhtonn Morbet (the Great) was a controversial figure due to his unpopular meddling in
sensitive religious affairs. Although he modernized his country, he
interfered in the religious aspects of his country, in no small part
due to his foreign wife being a Roman Catholic zealot. This caused civil strife throughout
Albann, and
he had to flee to Ireland for his own safety. It is universally
recognized that those people who live off the bounties of nature
(farmers, fishermen, hunters) and who live in the hinterlands of
society, are the ones who most fiercely cling to traditional
values. The semi-isolated inhabitants of the Orkney and
Shetlands would have been fiercely loyal to the conservative
ideologies of their religion, be it pagan, or in this case,
Christianity. The Church hierarchy
in remote areas would have enjoyed a much greater influence and
respect amongst this rural population as the church was the beacon of
both religion and literacy. This proclamation could
well have been Church propaganda designed to influence the
local population.
For an in depth explanation of
Nehhtonn's life and times, click here.
In modern Welsh
(which is the closest living language to the now extinct P-Celtic of
post 300 AD Albann), It would read: Eto cyhoeddi
heddychol an fferf â Neifion
61. Has
there ever been a portrait of Rob Roy in his early manhood? Yes,
Check this painting. 162.
Is there a specimen of Rob Roy's handwriting in
existence? Yes, Here is
his signature. It
reads, At Portnellan
24th Yours as formerly Rob signed his name as
Campbell because "MacGregor" was proscribed in 1693 in a
petty act of vengeance by the Earl of Argyll, William of Orange's
dictator of Scotland. Rob was 22 years of age. 163.
Whatever happened to Rob Roy's battle-sword
(claymore)? It was
exhibited in the Library Hall of the Long Island Historical Society in
1898. Its whereabouts is now unknown. 164. Agricola's
historian and son-in-law, Tacitus, gave the Caledonian War Chief at
the battle of Mons Graupius, the name "Galgacus". What
was the likely name of that person? He
certainly did not have a Roman name. It was likely a Pict name,
"Galanan" (which in English means strong), and was
probably embellished for a Roman audience by Tacitus. 165. What
country's Navy recently re-adopted the Cross of St Andrew (with colors
reversed) as its own
flag. Russia.
Explanation: In January 1992, a Russian Army Officers' Assembly
petitioned the Government to replace the revolutionary USSR Naval
Flag with the old Czarist era "Andreyevsky" (Cross of St. Andrews) Russian
Naval Flag. President Putin later presented the old/new flag to
the head of the Russian Navy. Note the similarity to the flag of
Nova Scotia. 166.
Were the Celts and Latins from the same racial
stock? Yes.
Experts universally agree that the similarities between Latin and
Gaulish were of such a nature in Julius Caesar's time that 60
generations previously (about 1500 BC), they were the same people. eg.
"He has given to the mothers of Nîmes" was "DEDE
MATREBO NAMAUSIKABO" in Gaulish Celtic. In Latin, it
was "DEDIT MATRIBUS NEMAUSICABUS". 167.
Why were the Celts so successful in becoming the
dominant force in Europe? Due
to their superior horse-drawn chariots and metal weapons. 168.
Are there any cities in Italy with Celtic names? Milan
was originally named "Mediolanum" (Gaulish for mid-plain". 169.
Why were the Celts content to remain
illiterate when they dominated Europe? For
several thousands of years (4,000 - 250 BC), they had been able to
rely on their superior weapons without having to outwit their enemies. 170.
Why did Latin not become the language of
Britain? Although Latin
quickly became the language of officialdom and literacy, it never
became the language of the common
people, largely due to the Celts being impervious to it. 171.
Which of the ancient cultures; Greek, Roman
or Celtic, contributed the word "iron" to the
English language? The
Latin word for iron was "ferrum", the Greek word was
"sidęron", the Celtic word was "isarno".
The German Goths borrowed the Celtic word, and converted it to "eisarn".
Then, the old English word became "ďsern", later
shortened to "ďren", then "iron".. 172.
Are there many more German words borrowed
from the Celts. Yes.
eg. Gaulish "uper" = over, became "uber"
(the way it sounded) in German. 173.
How was Brittany (Breton) settled with
Brythonic Celts? The
most accepted theory is that British Celts fleeing from Cornwall to
escape the Germanic invasions, landed in Brittany during the first millennium
AD. 174. Did
P-Celtic ever completely overwhelm the previous Orcadian language that
was spoken by the Picts in the northernmost parts of Albann? Yes,
historians agree that P-Celtic (Brythonic) reached the Shetland
Islands by the year 300AD. 175. Are
there any characteristics of the Orcadian language that researchers
have identified? If so, what were they, and why did they appear
in the northern P-Celtic dialect? Linguists
have determined that the P-Celtic spoken by the Picts became
"different" than in other parts of Europe. Some
differences were the verb-subject-object as basic word order, mutation
of initial consonants, conjugated prepositions and strange locutions
to express status and activity. Most researchers believe these
differences were attributed to the lost previous languages of the
Orcadians. Failing to understand the new language completely,
they simply continued with many features of their older language. 176.
In ancient Albann and Ireland, which came
first, the Pict "Uu" or the Irish "Fi"? Definitely
the Pict "Uu". Although they both were pronounced the
same, the Orcadian penchant for using the "Uu" for an
"Fi" sound in personal names was developed thousands of
years before the Irish Gaels arrived in Ireland. Many Irish
names were borrowed from the "Fi" and "Fe" sounds
of names which were spelled "Uu" in Pict; eg. Findlay,
Finella, Finnegan, Finghin, Flynn, Fergus, et al. 177.
Where else in Europe is a double
"U" pronounced as an "F"? In
modern German where a "W" is pronounced as "V" or
"F". 178. How
was the Picto-Scot Royal line usurped?
Clan Duff was the royal line of which Queen
Gruoch was the senior representative. After the death of her
second husband, King MacBeth, who was also of the house of Duff, her
son by her first husband succeeded as King Lulach. However, he
was murdered in 1058. Malcolm Canmore won the crown, and as much of
southern Scotland as he could manage with English military help.
Although he had a son by his first marriage within the established
royal line, his sons by his second marriage to a Saxon, Princess
Margaret, usurped the throne, again with English military help. In this manner, the English gained a great
influence over Scotland, and it took two bloody revolutions, under
William Wallace, and then Robert Bruce to re-establish Scottish
independence. 179. Who
wrote the immortal love ballad, Loch Lomond, and under what
circumstances? One of the most immoral and horrific
acts of vengeance in the annals of English armed forces was committed
under the butcher of Culloden at Carlisle a few miles from the
Scottish border on England's west coast. When the Jacobites troops swept out
of Scotland towards London in 1745, they met with success after lucky
success. The town of Carlisle was quickly surrounded and the
English garrison was promised a safe passage out of the town if they
surrendered their arms and left peacefully. That is
exactly what happened. A skeleton garrison force was left
behind, amongst them was an officer in Charlie's army of the Clan
Gregor. In 1746, when two English armies were chasing the
Highlanders back into Scotland, the town was surrounded again, this
time by English Hanoverian troops. Naturally this garrison expected to
be treated as they had treated the English when the fortunes of war were reversed. Such was not the case. The men were quickly
rounded up and treated as common criminals. Those men from
the ranks who took a renewed oath of allegiance to George II were
pardoned. The remainder were thrown into prisons where many
perished from maltreatment. However, they fared much
better than their 3 officers, who were summarily sentenced to death by
hanging and quartering. That method of execution was
terribly grisly as it combined hanging and then before death, the
victim was cut into pieces. Due to request by the town officials
for mercy, the condemned men were allowed one letter each to
family. One such letter was sent by Lt. MacGregor to his wife,
through a friend who was being pardoned and was returning to the
Highlands.. An old Gaelic myth claims that a
Highlander who dies outside his beloved homeland will return home
through the underground. So he told his friend "Ye take the
high road and I'll take the low road, and I'll be in Scotland afore
ye". It became one of the most beloved
and moving love songs ever written. It was written in Gaelic,
but the English version was called: "The ballad of Loch Lomond". 180. What was the response
of the severely weakened Clan Gregor when King James VI awarded the
Laird of Luss (hereditary Chief of the Clan Colquhoun) a Royal
permission to pursue the Clan Gregor with "Fire and Sword"
(to decimate them at will)? The Chief of the Clan Gregor,
Alasdair Mac Gregor of Glenstrae, sent the Fiery Cross throughout the
entire south-west Highlands, and thereby gained the support of many
Campbells, MacDonalds and Camerons. The pending conflagration
became a fight between a Highland (Scottish) force and a Lowland
(Briton) force. Although the MacGregors were outnumbered
2:1, the Colquhouns didn't stand a chance. The two parties met for a peace
talk in the Colquhoun heartland, but the Laird of Luss had other
ideas. After an unsuccessful discussion, the MacGregors headed
back home. The Colquhouns waited in ambush on the return track
but were outwitted by the MacGregors and were slaughtered. 181. What
was the result of this MacGregor victory? King James VI was so enraged, he
proscribed the entire Clan Gregor ,and the name, Gregor in 1603.
Although this unprecedented act served to outlaw the MacGregors and
made them essentially landless, they continued to expand in numbers
and strength under fabricated names. 182. What
was the British government's reaction to the failure of the
proscription? The government reaction was to
regularly increase the severity of the proscription over the next
several years. 183. When
did these proscriptions end, and why? These punitive laws stayed
in effect until Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of Great
Britain, took over the British government in 1653, not because
he had any sympathy for the MacGregors, but because he was totally
against fanaticism. 184. What
was the retribution to Cromwell after his death? When the Royalists returned to power in 1660,
his corpse was dug up, hung in chains, and beheaded. 185. After Cromwell's
death, were the proscriptions against the MacGregors reinstated?
Why? No, King Charles II maintained
the lifting of the proscriptions because of the unbridled support the
MacGregors had given him in his fight for ascension to the
throne. 186. Were
the properties formerly owned by the MacGregors ever given back to
them as promised by Charles II? Why? No, due to the greater influence
of the Campbells. 187. What
pseudonym did Sir Walter Scott give to the Chief of Clan Gregor in his
classic poem "Lady of the Lake?" "Roderick Dhu"
on page 118, in Canto 5, chapter xv, line 1. 188. What
name did Sir Walter Scott give to Clan Gregor in The Lady of the Lake.
(Note this epic poem was written while Clan Gregor was still
proscribed). Clan MacAlpine. 189. What
name did Sir Walter Scott give to the Campbells in "Lady of the
Lake"? "Dermid's Race" on page 146, in Canto
VI, Chapter xiv, line 10. 190. By how much time did
the Picts predate the Scots in north Britain? 8,000 years. 191. What
two popular phrases verify the precursor status of the
MacGregors in Scotland? "The MacGregors are the
Rock" and of their sept, the Fletchers, "They were the first
to draw water in Argyle". This is the flag adopted by the Brythonic Celts of
Cornwall in England, and in Breton, France. This is considered to be the legendary Cross of
Saint David. Its impact on Scotland is: If the saltire
cross of St. Andrew had not been adopted as the national flag of
Albann, this could quite possible be the present national flag
of Scotland also. (The Welsh later changed the colour of the cross to
gold but retained the black background.) 193. What is the origin of
the English word "honest". Believe it or not, the English
word, "honest", was derived from the great Pict King, Onnust,
and is still pronounced the same as it was back then. (If
anyone does not believe this, just check a Welsh dictionary for
"honest"). 194. What was the actual
origin of the foundation family of Dalriada? According to a modern Scottish legend, Fergus, Lorne, and Angus, "sons of
Erc", were the traditional founders of the principal foundation lines
establishing the Scottish kingdom of Dalriada on the British mainland around 465AD.
The Scottish Chronicles listed these men as Erc, Fergus, Loarn and
Oengus. What
has not been mentioned in any Scottish tradition is that those four names were obviously of Pict
origin, not Scot or Irish. Erc was the recognized Gaelic translation of the
earlier Pict Uerb (meaning genuine in P-Celtic), later modified to
Uerp, and finally Earp. In their earlier Pict form, the three sons were
actually: Uurgus, Llann and Onnus. Fergus was the
Gaelic translation of the earlier Pict Uurgus (meaning 'vigorous' in
P-Celtic). Loarn was a translation of
the earlier Pict name, Llann, (meaning 'handsome' in P-Celtic). Angus is the English translation of the
earlier Gaelic, Oengus, which in turn, was a translation of the earlier Pict Onnus
(meaning 'trustworthy' in P-Celtic). It must be remembered that the
Picts preceded the Gaels to north Britain by thousands of years, and it is very unlikely these
four Gaelic translated names miraculously appeared on their own. They were as described above,
merely Gaelic translations of well-established Pict names; e.g. Uuerb
was a not uncommon Pict name, as an Uuerb was listed in the Pict Chronicles
as the father of Drust, who reigned in Albann when St. Patrick arrived
as a missionary in Ireland in 432 AD. Another Uuerb was listed
as
being the father of the Great King Nehhtonn, who reigned from 455 to
480 AD. Another Uerb was listed as the grandfather of
another King Nehhtonn, who reigned as King of Albann
from 597 to 617 AD. On the other hand, Uurc was a very
rare name in Dalriada. It was merely another example of the Gaels
regressing a name by replacing a "P" with a hard "C"
(after it had been modernized hundreds of years earlier by Celts on the
European continent by replacing the hard "C" with a
"P"). By themselves, Erc, Fergus, Lorne and Oengus
have no meanings whatsoever in either the Irish or Scottish/Gaelic
dictionaries, strongly indicating they were imported from another
language. 195. Is
there any documented evidence of these claims? Yes, in the following list of
Dalriadic Kings, many with Pict names. SCOTO-IRISH
(DALRIADIC) KINGS, FROM AD503 196. Is there a
chronological list of the Pict Kings that corresponds to the
"Annals of Ulster" - with Pict names? 197. With the ascension
of Kenneth MacAlpin to the throne of Albann, did the Picts lose their
blood lines in the royal lines of succession? No, as can be seen in this chart of
the Picto/Scot line of Kings of Albann. KINNID MacALPIN
The flag of the Isle of Man (The Manx
flag) Why the three leg (Trie Cassyn) symbol was
adopted by the Isle of Man is unknown, but its existence can be traced
as far back as the thirteenth century. It was first used as the
coat of arms or armorial bearings by island kings from Norway.
By the fourteenth century, the symbol was to be found on the Manx
Sword of State and by the seventeenth century it was to be seen on the
coinage of the Isle of Man. About 6,720 acres. It
extended from the Allt Rostan near the head of Loch Lomond eight miles
down the eastern shore to near Rowardennan, including the entire west
flank of Ben Lomond, its northern spurs, and the west end of Loch
Arklet. 200. (a) What
is the institution in Scotland that is responsible for preserving cultural and
historical objects? (b) Has it protected MacGregor properties? (a) The National trust of
Scotland. In its own literature, it describes itself as "Scotland's
leading conservation charity and cares for Scotland's heritage". 201. What
Scottish breed of cattle was named after both the greatest of the Pict Kings and the
greatest Roman Emperor? Hints: It comes in two colours, and is recognized as the
choicest beef on the market. Angus: Originally derived from
Onnust, the greatest of the Pict Kings, which was the Pict translation of
Augustus. (Explanation: As the Picts became more aware of the
outside world, they developed a penchant for
naming their sons after famous foreign leaders.) In turn, the old Gaelic
translation of Onnust was
Oengus, which later became the modern Gaelic; Aonghus, and
was eventually anglicized to Angus. If it had not been for that
Pict naming trend, the name "Angus" would not exist. 202. What three P-Celts (Picts) are represented
in the British Union Jack flag? 1. King Onnust (from his dream of a white
saltire cross of St. Andrew before the battle of Athelstaneford) 203. Was Saint
George, the patron saint of England, a native Englishman? Where else is St. George
recognized as a patron saint? No, he was a soldier in the Roman army, born in
Greek Anatolia, now modern Turkey. (He never set foot in England.) 204. Was Saint
David a P-Celt? What is his life story? Yes. David was the son of the King of part of
Ceredigion. He was conceived through the rape of his mother, the daughter of
Lord Cynyr of Caer Goch, in Pembrokeshire in Wales. She gave birth to him on a
cliff top during a violent storm. David was educated at Whitland in
Carmarthenshire under Saint Paulinus of Wales. He became renowned as a teacher and preacher, founding
monastic settlements and churches in Wales, Cornwall and Brittany in a period
when neighbouring tribal regions were still mostly pagan. He presided over two
synods, as well as going on pilgrimages to Jerusalem. (where he was anointed as
a bishop by the Patriarch of Jerusalem and by the Pope in Rome. St.
David's Cathedral now stands on the site of the monastery he founded in the
remote and inhospitable valley of 'Glyn Rhosyn' in Pembrokeshire. 205. Is there a modern day example of
Pict vernacular in Scotland where a 'W' is pronounced as an 'F' ? Yes. In Fife and Angus, 'What's
wrong with you today?' is spoken as ' Fit's rang wi ye the day? 206. What was
the inspiration for the MacGregor Coat of Arms?
Highland
cattle cooling off in Loch Lomond, Scotland
Arguably the most renowned and decorated regiment in the British Army, the
Black Watch (Royal 72nd Regiment) was established to replace Rob
Roy's band of MacGregors (after the reinstated proscription of the
MacGregors under William of Orange) to keep a watch on the black
cattle of the Lowlanders so the adjacent Highlanders would not steal
them. Who was the first honorary Colonel of the Regiment?
None other than Rob Roy himself.
And why was it put aside?
And if so, did the British authorities make any attempt to detain him?
It is generally accepted they had ten or more
children. There is recorded proof of five
surviving sons + one daughter. They were James, known as
Mohr (from the Gaelic word for big), Ranald, Duncan,
Coll, and
Robert , (known as
Robin Oig) (from the Gaelic name for youngest). Although
Duncan's parentage is not certain. There was one recorded
daughter, Lucie, and probably another daughter, Margaret
Some records state that half their children died at an early age, and
were not officially recorded.
In 1306, Robert the Bruce, when his fortunes were at a very low ebb,
hid out in a cave by the side of Loch Lomond. Rob also took
refuge in that same cave when he was a fugitive.
How long was this legacy maintained?
Explanation: Onnust had a dream before an epic battle where he saw the
white saltire
cross of St. Andrew on a background of sky blue. After
the battle, It was
pronounced the flag of Alban, and still remains as the national flag
of Scotland.
He died by being tortured and beheaded in AD305 at Holmhurst Hill, England.
Latin
Proto-Celtic
(Gaulish)Breton
Cornish
Welsh
Old Irish
New Irish
Scottish
Gaelic
1
primus
cintus
unan
onan
cynt
ceta
cead
aon
2
secundus
allos
daou
dew
ail
aile
eile
dhŕ
3
tertius
tritios
tri
tri
trydydd
treide
treas
tri
4
quartus
petuarios
pevar
peswar
pedwerydd
cethramad
ceithir
ceithir
5
quintus
pinpoetos
pemp
pymp
pumed
coiced
coig
cňig
6
sextus
suexos
c'hwec'h
hwegh
chweched
seissed
sianar
sč
7
septimus
sextametos
seizh
seyth
seithfed
sechtmad
seachd
seachd
8
octavus
oxtumetos
eizh
eth
wythfed
ochtmad
ochd
ochd
9
nonus
nametos
nav
naw
nawfed
nomad
naodh
naodh
10
decimus
decametos
dek
deg
degfed
dechmad
deich
deich
![[image of a burning cross]](crossfire.jpg)
Clan
Grant, a Clan Gregor cadet (offshoot), claims to have been the last clan to have used it - in defence of
its principle castle, Urquhart, which overlooks Loch Ness, and was originally
a great Pict fortress.
In early
1563; by all nobles and Chiefs of all
Clans in Scotland.
In late 1563; a special commission for Sir
John Campbell of Glen Orchy to murder and destroy the paramount Clan
Gregor house of Glen Strae.
In 1602; by the Laird of Luss (an
adversary of the Campbells of Argyle). The Duke of Argyle gave
Alasdair of Glenstrae his blessings to resist the Colquhouns.
It was implemented to inhibit the previous custom of
a prospective Sovereign killing the previous King to claim the Crown.
The matrilineal system was not always used.
(a)
Old Irish, (ancestral to)
(i) Middle Irish, (ancestral to)
(a)
Modern Irish,
(b)
Scottish Gaelic,
(c)
Manx (extinct),
(d)
Galwegian (extinct).
(2) British,
(ancestral to)
(a) Cumbric
(extinct)
(b) Old
Welsh, (ancestral to)
(1) Middle Welsh, (ancestral to)
(a) Welsh.
(a) Breton,
(b) Cornish.
"Aengus son of
Fergus, king of the Picts, laid waste to the territory of Dál Riata and
seized Dún At and burned Creic and bound in chains two sons of
Selbach, i.e. Donngal and Feradach."
June
1711
Ro: Campbell
192. What
constituencies in two countries of Europe consider this as
their "national" flag, and what impact does it have on
Scotland? What are its origins?
Note 1: Names in blue are of P-Celtic and/or Pict origin.
Names & Affiliations
Date of Accession (AD)
Duration of Reign
Demise (AD)
Loarn with Uurgust,
sons of Uurc
(Uuerb)
503
3
506
Uurgust, son of
Uurc (Fergus)
503
3
506
Domangart, son of Uurgust
506
5
511
Comgal, son of Domangart
511
24
535
Gauran, son of Domangart
535
22
557
Conall I, son of Comgal
557
14
571
Aedan, son of Gauran
571
34
605
Eoacha'-Bui, son of Aedan
605
16
621
Kinnid, son of Eoacha
621
1/4
621
Ferchar I, son of Eogan
621
16
636
Donal-Brec, son of Eoacha
637
5
642
Dungal with
Conall II, grandson of Conall I
642
10
652
Donal-Duin, son of
Conall II
652
13
665
Mael-Duin, son of
Conall II
665
16
681
Uurgust-Uuada, grandson of
Uurgust I
681
21
702
Eogan-Rinevel, son of Domangart
702
3
705
Ainbhcealach, son of Ferchar-Fada
705
1
706
Selvach, son of Ferchar-Fada (ruled Lorn)
706
23
729
Duncha-Beg, (ruled Cantyr & Argyll)
706
14
720
Eogan III, (ruled Cantyr & Argyll)
"
" (ruled also over Lorn)720
7299
4729
733
Muredach, son of Ainbhcealach
733
3
736
Eogan, son of Muredach
736
3
739
Aodh-Fin, son of Eoacha III
739
30
769
Uurgust, son of
Aodh-Fin
769
3
772
Selvach II, son of Eogan
772
24
796
Eogan-Annuine IV, son of Aodh-Fin
796
30
826
Dungal, son of Selvach II
826
7
833
Alpin, son of Eoacha-Annuine IV
833
3
836
Kinnid, son of
Alpin (Kenneth
MacAlpin)
836
7
843
Note
2: Pict Kings who actually controlled Dalriada at times are omitted in
this chart.
Series
NAMES and
FILIATIONS
Date of
Accession
Duration of
Reign (year)
Date of End
of Rule
(AD)
1
DRUST I, son of
Urb (Reigned when St. Patrick arrived in Ireland as a missionary
in 432 AD.)
451
2
TALORC I, son of Aniel
451
4
455
3
NEHHTONN I, son of
Urb
455
25
480
4
DRUST II, son
of Guidid
480
30
510
5
GALAM I, son
of Etelig
510
12
522
6
DRUST III, son of Girom
with
DRUST, son of Udros
522
5
527
7
DRUST III, son of Girom, again
527
5
532
8
GARNARD I, son of Girom
532
7
539
9
GALAM II, son of Girom
539
1
540
10
TALORC II, son of
Maelgwn
540
11
551
11
DRUST IV, son of Munait
552
1
553
12
GALAM II (Died 580)
GALAM II with BRUDE
554
555
1
1555
556
13
BRUD I, son of
Maelgwn (Columba converted him 565)
556
30
586
14
GARNARD II, son of
Dommed
586
11
597
15
NEHHTONN II, grandson
of Urb
597
20
617
16
KINNID I, son of Lutrin
617
16
633
17
GARNARD III, son of
Uuid
636
4
637
18
BRUD II, son of
Uuid
637
5
642
19
TALORC III, their brother
642
12
653
20
TALORC IV, son of Enfret
(Defeated Dalriada invasion in 654)
653
4
657
21
GARNARD III, son of
Dommed
657
6 1/2
663
22
DRUST V, his brother
(expelled in 672)
663
9
672
23
BRUD III, son of Bili
(Defeated Saxon invasion in 685)
674
21
695
24
TARAN, son of
Entifidit (Expelled in 687)
695
4
697
25
BRUD IV, son of
Derog
697
11
708
26
NEHHTONN III, son of
Derog (Abdicated to join monastery)
708
17
724
27
DRUST VI
(expelled by Alpin) (attempted to regain
crown)
724
2
726
28
ALPIN I
(In 728, a 3 way civil war was
fought)
727
2
729
29
ONNUST I, son of
Uurgus.
(conquered Dalriada
& Ulster 741)
729
31
761
30
BRUD V, son of
Uurgus
761
2
763
31
KINNID I, son of
Uurdet (Defeated Dalriada invasion in 768)
763
12
775
32
ALPIN II, son of
Brud
775
3 1/2
779
33
DRUST VII, son of
Talorc
779
1
780
34
TALORC V, son
of Drust (called "Black" Talorc)
780
2
782
35
TALORC VI, son of
Onnust
784
2
786
36
CONALL I, son of
Tadg (Lost to Kastantin. Killed in 807)
786
5
791
37
KASTANTIN I, son of
Uurgus (Also King of Dalriada)
791
30
820
36
ONNUST II, son of
Uurgus (Also King of Dalriada)
821
12
833
37
DRUST VII, son of
Kastantin with TALORC son of Uuroid
833
3
836
38
UEN, son of
Onnust (Killed in battle against Vikings)
836
3
839
39
UUROID, son of Bargoit
839
3
842
40
BRUD VI, son of
Uuroid
(slain by Kenneth
MacAlpin)
842
1
843
This line of Monarchs was terminated when Alasdair III's two sons died
before adulthood.
NAMES OF THE PICTO/SCOT KINGS
of Albann
(Names in blue are those of Pict origin)Date of Accession (AD)
Duration of Reign
(years)Demise (AD)
843
16
858
DOMNALL MacALPIN,
Kinnid's brother
858
4
862
KASTANTIN II,
son of
Kinnid (killed by Danish Vikings)
862
18
877
AODH,
(Hugh or Ed), son of
Kinnid (slain by
Grig)
877
1
878
GRIG,
son of Hugh Dungal (not
related to MacAlpin family)
878
11
889
DOMNALL IV, son of
Kastantin
(killed by Norse Vikings)
889
7
900
KASTANTIN II,
(Causantín mac Áeda) (Abdicated in
943)
900
40
943
MALCOM I, son of
Donal IV (Killed
in battle at Stonehaven)
943
11
954
INDULF, son of
Kastantin II (Won
Lothian and Edinburgh)
953
8
962
DUB (or DUF), son of
Malcom I (Fought
civil war with Culen)
962
4
966
CULEN, son of
Indulf (Killed
by Britons of Strathclyde)
967
5
971
AMLAIB,
son of Indulf (Tutored
by Kinnid II)
973
4
977
KINNID II, son of
Malcom I, killed
by
Uuinella (Finella)
971
24
995
KASTANTIN III, son of
Culen
994
1
1/2
995
KINNID III son of
Duf
997
8
1005
MALCOM II, son of
Kinnid III
1005
30
1034
DUNCAN I grandson of
Malcom II (Sickly,
killed by MacBeth)
1034
6
1040
MacBETH, son of
Uunnlehh (Findlaich
in Gaelic)
1040
17
1057
LULACH,
gr grandson of Kinnid II, (his mother was
Gruohh)
1056
1
1/2
1057
MALCOM
III, son of
Duncan I
1058
36
1093
DONALBANE, son of
Duncan I (deposed)
1093
6
months
1094
DUNCAN II, son of
Malcom III
1094
6
months
1094
DONALBANE
(restored) (later deposed)
1094
3
1097
EDGAR, son of
Malcom III
1097
10
1107
ALASDAIR I,
son of
Malcom III
1107
17
1124
DAVID I, son of
Malcom III
1124
29
1153
MALCOM IV,
grandson of David I
1153
11
1164
WILLIAM
I, grandson of David I
1165
49
1214
ALASDAIR II,
son of William I
1214
35
1249
ALASDAIR
III,
son of Alasdair II
1249
37
1286
His only daughter, Margaret, married King Eric II of Norway before
herself dying at sea.
A period of turmoil followed wherein England's Edward I seized control of
Scotland.
A series of revolts under William Wallace, then Robert Bruce
finally led to Scotland's legal independence.
198. What Celtic
jurisdiction in the United Kingdom has an ancient flag which at a
distance resembles the German N.S.D.A.P. swastika?
199. Where, and how
much land did Rob Roy MacGregor actually own?
(b) No, it allowed Lanrick Castle, former home of Clan Gregor, and
known as "MacGregor House" for centuries, to become decrepit, and be
demolished in 2002 without as much as a whimper. The demolisher received a
slap on the wrist fine of Ł1,000.00, when normally such a transgression
would bring a fine of Ł20,000.00. This outrage illustrates that
Scotland's government has no consideration whatsoever for Clan Gregor or its
legacy.
Decrepit Lanrick Castle (between Doune and Callander)
before its demolition.
The District of Stirling took no action to protect
it.
2. Maewyn Succat [baptized Patricius (St.
Patrick) by the Roman Catholic Church] from the red saltire cross)
3.
St. David (Patron saint of the Celts of Wales, Cornwall and Breton) from the white
cross.
Other
countries/jurisdictions that officially recognize St. George as their
patron saint are (alphabetically): Aragon, Canada, Catalonia, China, Ethiopia,
Georgia, Montenegro, Palestine, Portugal, Russia and Serbia, as well as the
cities of Amersfoort, Beirut, Ferrara, Freiburg, Genoa, Ljubljana, and
Moscow. 
St.
David's Cathedral
MALCOLM MACGREGOR, Laird of GlenOrchy during the reign of David 1 (1124-1153) led his clan in his sovereign's army which invaded England 1135-1138 to assist Matilda, Countess of Anjou, in her unsuccessful effort to win the crown of England.
In the ancient chronicles, Malcolm is called "Morair Callum nan Caistel" (Lord Malcolm of the Castles), because of several castles occupied by him. The traditions described him as a man of Herculean size and strength. It is related of him that while in the royal retinue at a great hunting party, the young King Malcolm IV (reigned 1153-1165) became in dire peril from the attack of a wild boar; Malcolm offered his assistance, whereupon the King assented, saying. "E'en do, bait spair nocht".
Thereupon, Malcolm tore out an oak tree from the ground and rushing between his sovereign and the infuriated boar, with the oak in one hand he kept the animal at bay, while wielding his sword with the other, until he succeeded in running it through the beast's heart. In memory of this exploit the King conferred on Malcolm for a coat-of-arms; a sword with a crown on its point, crossed with an oak tree. From this circumstance were derived the MacGregor arms, crest and motto, as already heraldically described and emblazoned. These or similar arms appear on MacGregor seals of the fifteenth century, and also in an illuminated manuscript, now in the Lyon Herald's Office, Edinburgh, compiled about 1565, in which this emblazon is assigned to "Lord Mak Gregour of Ould"
207. What direct descendent of the Great King Nehhtonn attained the highest levels in the Canadian Armed Forces - including Chief of the General Staff, Minster of National Defence, a Companion of the Order of the Bath, founder of Canada's national airline, inventor of precision artillery barrages, inventor of the cathode ray tube direction finder, President of the National Research Council, President of the United Nations Security Council, and declined an appointment as Canada's Governor General?
General A.G.L. MacNaughton (son of Nehhtonn) PC, CH, CB, CMG, DSO, CD (1887 – 1966).
He was born in Moosomin, Saskatchewan, on 25 February 1887 and studied at McGill University. In May 1909, he was commissioned a Provisional Lieutenant, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1910. That same year, he was appointed Lieutenant in the 3rd Montreal Battery, Canadian Field Artillery.
In 1911, he was promoted Captain, and represented the Canadian Field Artillery in Britain. On return to Canada, he resumed his studies, gaining a Master of Science and Electrical Engineering degree. He lectured at McGill in hydro-electrical subjects during 1912-13, later entering private practice. On 28 May 1913, he was promoted Major, and appointed to command the 3rd Battery.
In September 1914, he was appointed to command the 4th Battery and embarked for England, arriving in France on 9 February 1915. In April, he was wounded during the second battle of Ypres and invalided to England. In October, he transferred to the 2nd Division Artillery returning to the front in January 1916 with the 6th Howitzer Brigade. He subsequently commanded the 21st Howitzer Battery, was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel, and given command of the 11th Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery. In July 1916, he was seconded to the Canadian Corps Headquarters as Counter-Battery Officer – his work in devising innovative techniques, new equipments and the use of aircraft to locate enemy guns was recognized with the award of the Distinguished Service Order. His near perfect barrage at Valenciennes incorporating the well-planned use of smoke, the accurate use of counter-fire, and with particular care taken to reduce damage to civilian life and property, remain to this day a classic example of the gunners’ art. He was credited with the invention of the “Box Barrage”, although he professed it to be more the result of evolution rather than invention. For these and other actions he was thrice Mentioned-in-Dispatches, and appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath. During the final months of the war, at the battle of Soissons he was again wounded.
On returning to Canada he was appointed to the Permanent Force. In 1919, he was a member of the Committee for Reorganization of the Militia, appointed Brevet Colonel and to the General List. He became Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff in 1923 and in 1928 was appointed District Officer Commanding Militia District 11. He was promoted Major-General and appointed Chief of the General Staff on 1 January 1929. Subsequently he was seconded as President of the National Research Council.
At the outbreak of hostilities in 1939, he was appointed to the Canadian Army Special Force in the rank of Major-General and as General Officer Commanding, the 1st Canadian Division. As the Canadian Army grew he moved on to command the Canadian Corps and the 1st Canadian Army in the rank of Lieutenant-General. In February 1944, at age 58, he returned to Canada and was promoted to full General. In November 1944, he was sworn in as Minister of National Defence.
He was offered the Governor-Generalship but refused that honour believing he could be more use to Canada as a Minister in the War time government. He remained in this portfolio until August 1948. Among his long and exceptional listing of accomplishments in the service of his country as a citizen soldier, scientist and statesman are the development of the Cathode Ray Direction Finder, the co-development of the Vickers Vedette flying boat, the building of Trans-Canada Airways, the development of the discarding sabot round, the establishment of the National Aviation Museum, the establishment of unemployment relief camps and service as President of the United Nations Security Council. He was keenly interested in conservation and was among the first to plead for the preservation of Canada’s energy resources. General MacNaughton's entire life was one of service to Canada. Men of his calibre are rare national treasures. A true specimen of Pict nobility!
208. What is the history of the Clan Naughton?
Derived
from the Pict, Nehhtonn, (Gaelic = Neachdainn), Anglicized
to Nechtan, then Naughton, meaning "pure one".
Many members of the Nehhtonn family moved to northern Ireland in the AD400s, and were included in the Irish Picts who the Gaels called "Cruithne". Some eventually changed their surname to Norton.
Clan "Nechtan" was established in Strathtay in the 12th century, forcibly transferred there from Moray by Malcolm IV, who imported Norman and Saxon aristocrats to replace old Celtic families in the north, and expelled them to areas of the south, in an effort to eliminate the power of regional Chiefs. Their possessions extended over the upper part of Loch Awe, Glenarn, Glenshira and Loch Fyne. Gilchrist MacNaughton was granted the castle and island of Fraoch Eilean in Loch Awe by Alexander III in 1267.
In addition, Gilchrist also held Dunderave on Loch Fyne and the castle of Dubh Loch in Glenshira. As the MacNaughtons were allied to the MacDougalls of Lorne, their chief, Donald MacNaughton, opposed Robert the Bruce (as did the Comyns in the north and the MacGregors of Glen Orchy). On Robert becoming King, the MacNaughtons lost many of their lands in Argyll to the Campbells. However Donald's son, Duncan, loyally supported King David II, who rewarded his son Alexander with lands in the Isle of Lewis. Sir Alexander, chief of the clan during the reign of James IV fell with his King at Flodden in 1513.
Both Charles II, and James VII, had intended to confer substantial honours on the MacNaughton chiefs, the former with a charter of the hereditary sheriffship of Argyll, and the latter with a commission as steward and hereditary bailie of all the lands which he and his ancestors had ever possessed; but in the former case the patent, by reason of some court intrigue, never passed the seals, and in the second case, though the deed was signed by the king, and counter-signed by the Earl of Perth, its purpose was defeated by the outbreak of the Revolution of 1688.
The MacNaughtons continued to be loyal to the Stewarts both during the wars of Charles I, and at the revolution of 1688 that overthrew James VII, for which they lost their estates in 1691. The 17th and last chief of the MacNaughtons was John of Dundarave who fell out with Campbell of Ardkinglas whose daughter he was to marry. MacNaughton thought he was to marry the younger daughter with whom he was in love. However, after taking too much refreshment prior to the ceremony, he discovered he'd been wed to the eldest daughter. On realizing his predicament, he promptly deserted his new wife, and eloped to Ireland with his true love, the second daughter. Campbell of Ardkinglas gained possession of the MacNaughton estates on the grounds of "incest", and the chiefship became vacant. (Another typical Campbell plot to steal land).
In 1818, the Lord Lyon King of Arms accepted Edmund A. MacNaghton of Bushmills Co. Antrim as chief of the clan. His descendant, Sir Patrick MacNaghton of Dundarave County, Antrim in Northern Ireland, is the present-day chief.
Septs in Scotland of the Clan Naughton are: Kendrick, Hendry, MacHenry, Maceol, MacBrayne, MacHendry, MacKendrick, MacKenrick, Macknight, MacNair, MacNayer, MacNiven, MacNuir, MacNuyer, MacVicar, Niven, Weir, MacKendrick, Mackenrick, Macnight, Macnayers, Macbraynes, Henderson, Eanruig, McNitt.
Modern name variations: MacNaughton, MacNaghton, O'Neachtain, Naughton, MacNachtan. Norton.
209. By what modern name do the descendants of the greatest of the Pict Kings, Onnust, go by?
Ogilvie.
Ogilvie derives from the Pict word "Ocel Fa", meaning high plain. The Earl of Angus, founder of this clan, was a descendant of the ancient house of Onnust, the greatest of the Pict Kings. It was in this province that the Angles from Northumbria were defeated in 685, putting a halt to their northward expansion.
Their descendants became the hereditary Sheriffs of Angus. A Sheriff Ogilvie was killed in the battle of Harlaw in 1411 AD. His son, Sir Walter, became Lord High Treasurer, and built the tower of Airlie.
The castle of the chief, the 'bonnie hoos o' Aairlie' was destroyed in 1640 in one of the blackest crimes of the Campbells. The first Earl was with Charles at York at the outset of the Civil War when Argyll used his position as a Covenanting leader to pursue his private vendetta against his absent neighbour.
The 2nd Earl was captured at Montrose's defeat in 1645 at Philiphaugh and condemned to death. But he escaped from prison on the eve of his execution, and his descendant had an equally lucky escape in the '45, and fled to France. However, he was able to return under a pardon in 1783.
210. What was the relationship between the Picts and the P-Celtic "Britons" of Strathclyde?
The Picts were the aboriginal inhabitants of all Britain including northern Albann, and appeared there about 8,000 BC. The Britons were the P-Celtic inhabitants of southern Albann, and appeared there about 400 BC. The Britons introduced the Iron Age to Albann, and influenced the Picts through trade and a more advanced culture, not conquest. By 300AD, the P-Celtic language had displaced the old Orcadian Pict language all the way to the Shetland Islands. However, in the north of Scotland, they still speak with Pict accents.
Tacitus reported in 80AD that the Caledonians were the
horsemen and the Britons were their infantry. However, it must be realized
the Romans reported other civilizations as being in their own likeness. It
is known that the Britons or Southern Picts as they were later called, were not
conquered by the northern Picts, and were in fact an independent Kingdom.
Even Onnust could not take their impregnable fortress of Dumbarton. It is
now certain the two peoples formed a temporary alliance to jointly repel the
Romans than for one to have had dominion over the other.
211. Who was the second-last Pict-descendant Prime Minister of the United Kingdom?
Harold MacMillan, who served 1957 - 1963.
212. Who was the last Pict-descendant Prime Minister of the United Kingdom?
For
the period; 18 October 1963 - 16 October 1964, Sir Alec Douglas
Home, renounced his peerage to become
UK Prime Minister.
Upon his return to the House of Lords, he took the title, Lord Home of the Hirsel.
213. Where exactly did the term Scot come from?
The Romans gave them a derisive slang; 'Scoti', which is derived from an Irish verb, 'SCOILT', meaning to split, divide, or cause a rift. Therefore, with its unique Irish connotation, "Scoti" would have meant those people from Ireland who split apart (plunder).
Similarly, the term, "Picti", meant those people who paint themselves.
214. What was this Pict fixation with 'U' that is so different than other languages?
"U" was not a popular vowel in any Celtic language. However, the unique Germanic Orcadian/Pict language found it attractive for its many variations. For example, "UU was used similar to the German 'W' in that it was pronounced as 'FE'. A sole 'U' was pronounced as an I or an E, and still is in southern Wales.
This fixation persisted in the north of Albann even after the assimilation of the old Pict language by the north Britain 'Welsh' P-Celtic dialect. This lead to several later weird phonetic translations into Gaelic, such as - 'Uurgus' became 'Fearghus', then Fergus, 'Onnus' became 'Oenghus' then 'Aonghus', eventually Angus, 'Uuroid' became 'Feroid' in the north and 'Uchtred' in the south, 'Brud' became 'Bridei' then 'Brodie', 'Drus' became 'Drest', then Theresa.
In
many instances, the unique Pict/Celtic wordage was more efficient (in its
lettering) than were the guttural Gaelic translations.
Note:
Similar to Latin inscriptions, Pict inscriptions wrote "U' as 'V', leading
to misunderstandings by transcribers.
215. Why is the modern Welsh language so similar to the extinct P-Celtic language of southern Scotland ?
In 367 AD, the unthinkable happened. The Picts, Scots and Saxons all attacked Hadrian's Wall in a surprise mass attack. The Roman defences were swamped, and the raiders pillaged northern England at will. Emperor Theodosius brought an army to England and chased them out, and the powerful Roman allies, the Britons of the area between the Antonnine Wall and Hadrian's Wall were mobilized into auxiliary legions.
The Dumnonii of the west (Strathclyde) and the Votadini of the east (Gododdin) were organized into three infantry and six cavalry regiments numbering 5,000 men. The Votadini regiments under Cunedda (a Roman-Briton) marched from Hadrian's Wall to north Wales to drive out Scoti invaders who were settling down to stay. In 390 AD, Cunedda drove out the Scoti, and his army stayed there as garrison troops. The descendants of his army founded the kingdom of Gynedd in North Wales.
216. What was the origin of the Red Dragon on the flag of Wales?
Cunedda's descendants and his Votadini regiments established themselves on the corn-growing island of Anglesey, and their power extended along the Welsh coast between the Roman bastions of Chester and Caernarvon. The kings of Gwynedd bore the title of island dragon, a reference to their dragon standard. From this evolved "Y Ddraig Goch" - the Red Dragon of Wales.
217. Where did the terms 'Welsh' and 'Wales' actually come from?
'Welsh' and 'Wales' are of Teutonic origin, not Celt. They were brought over from Europe by the Germanic Angles and Saxons in the fifth century. The Anglo-Saxon 'Walas', indicating 'strangers', was derived from earlier contact in middle Europe between Teutonic-speaking peoples and the great Celtic tribe, the Volcae. Those Teutonic peoples used their version of this name for all strangers, although, as they pressed westwards, these continued to be mainly Celts.
218. What was the Pict equivalent to these terms?
The
fair-skinned Picts called the Celts 'Du-Gal', literally - 'dark-skinned Gaul',
which became the surnames 'Dougal' in Welsh, and later, 'Dungall' in Gaelic, then, eventually
'MacDougal' and MacDungall.
219. How did the Greeks derive the terms, 'Iernę', 'Albion' and 'Pretannic'? How did these terms affect 'Irish', 'Albann' and 'Britain'?
These are Greek forms of the names that were referred to them by the Celtic inhabitants of the city of Tartessos, near the Pillars of Hercules, in the 6th century BC. Whether these terms were originally the actual names of those places in the inhabitants' own languages or were the names allotted to those islands by the Tartessians will never be known for sure.
Tartessians had been trading with the inhabitants of the two large 'Pretannic' islands of 'Iernę' and 'Albion' for some time, especially in the tin trade, as tin was a big export commodity of those islands.
From their city state of Massilia (present day Marseilles in southern France), sea-faring Greek traders began trading with the two islands by way of Tartessos.
When the Carthaginians seized Tartessos about 500 BC, and blocked further access by Greek traders to the Atlantic via Tartessos, contact with those islands was maintained by venturing overland through friendly Celtic, Oestrimnides, territory.
Greek names and culture impressed the islanders, and that influence resulted in these names becoming popular.
Therefore, any inhabitants the Greeks encountered on the coast of Albion would have been called 'Albiones'. The Greek, "Albion", eventually became the Celtic, Albann, in North Britain. "Pretannic" eventually became Britannic, in Latin (due to a Roman mispronunciation), then Briton in English.
Those on the coast of Iernę would have been called Iernęs by the Greeks. Iernę may have came from the old Irish, Ériu, and eventually became Éire in modern Irish, and Ireland in English. Iernęs eventually became Irish in English.
220. What
was the "Betrayal of Trust" by the Romans that inspired the Celtic
sack and occupation of Rome? What price did the Romans pay for that
betrayal? What price did the Celts pay?
About the year 400 BC, under their king, Ambicatus, the Celts poured into northern Italy and fought the Etruscans for living space. At the same time, the Romans were pressing on the Etruscans from the south. This brought about an alliance of convenience between the Romans and the Celts. In 391 BC, the Celts laid siege to Clusium, a stronghold of the Etruscans. During that siege, the Celts recognized certain Romans who had earlier come to them in the sacred character of ambassadors, fighting in the ranks of the enemy.
The Celts applied to the Roman authorities for satisfaction for the treachery of those envoys but the Romans refused to listen to their claims. The Celts then abandoned the siege of Clusium, and marched straight to Rome, bypassing all towns and fortifications enroute. "We are bound for Rome" was the cry of the Celts as they passed provincial towns and terrified guards, showing perfect discipline.
On July 18, 390 BC, a great battle took place at Allia, a few miles south of Rome, where the Roman army was annihilated. For a year, Celts were masters of Rome, until a great fine was exacted and full vengeance was realized for the perfidy of Clusium. This defeat and ensuing occupation was the greatest shame in the history of Rome, and they never forgave the Celts for that.
In the ensuing centuries, the Romans annually strove for revenge, enslaved the Celts, and finally wiped all trace of the Gaullic language from Europe and Asia.
221. What was the original source of the name "Gregor"? The early Greek explorer/traders had a great influence on the Picts. They imparted stories about their gods, their legends and their alphabet to the Picts. One demigod, who greatly impressed the Picts was Heracles (in Greek) (later, Hercules in Latin). Heracles was a demigod son of Zeus and was the strongest man who ever lived. He was often referred to as the “Conqueror”. Celts were known to speak with a harsher vernacular than did Romans in their related Latin. .
It must be remembered that linguists universally agree Greek, Latin and Gaullish (GLG) were one language in 1500 BC. For example both the “foreign” “H” sound and the hard “C” sound in Greco/Latin became a hard “G” sound in classical Celtic, Pictish & the later Cumbric. For other examples in Pictic; Apollo became Polnann, Augustus became Onnuss, Neptune became Nehhtonn (pronounced Nekton), Constantine became Kast, Zeus became Dios, Jupiter became Upidd and Thor became Tallorhh, (somewhat similar to how it is pronounced in French)..
Note: These names had nothing to do with Celtic, contrary to some historical accounts. They were direct Greek/Latin/Norse to Pictish translations. Heracles in Greek, became Hercules in classical Latin, Ciric in street Latin (pronounced Kirik), Gireg in Gaullish, Goreg in old Welsh, Grygor in modern Welsh, Grig in Pictish & Cumbric, translated to Cirig (pronounced Kirig) in old Scottish Gaelic, Grioghair in modern Gaelic, and eventually, Gregor in English..
So our surname, MacGregor, literally means Son of Hercules. Note: It is universally agreed, Clan Gregor emanated from the High King, Grig MacDungall, a Pict of Fortriu, who reigned 878 - 889AD.b>
222. What were the effects of Greeks from Masillia (Marseilles) trading with northern Picts as early as 1,000BC? How did it affect Pict develoment?
Greek trade brought the northern Picts into the iron age much sooner than it happened to some other parts of northwest Europe. It also brought Greek culture to northern Britain, which competed with the West Norse for influence. Perhaps most important, it brought them literacy.
Due to this early iron technology, the Pict Dal n'Arradd tribe at Kintyre were able to successfully invade Antrim about 750BC with superb war chariots and iron technology, and dominate Ireland militarily for one thousand years..
To see the list of Pict kings in Ulster, from 750BC to 1201 AD, check out "Picts of the Ulladd" on this website.
They were able to embark on a huge national project to build over one hundred huge 'Brochs' around the entire Albann coast within 100 years (100BC to 0BC), to use as lookouts and temporary refuges from sea raiders. They were able to form a strong central government and Empire, to expand their boundaries south deep into Celtic territory to as far as the Humber River (where the Romans first encountered their mounted scouts in 71AD).
They expanded north to encompass the Orkneys, Shetlands, Faroes, and Tulli (Iceland), They established a presence in Tulli about 250BC, and traded with the Dorset Eskimoes of Baffin Island, Canada, in Walrus tusks. Refer to Farley Mowat's Book, 'The Farfarers'. ISBN-10: 0385659261. .
This early iron technology enabled the Picts to obtain the confidence to overcome four Roman legions, when Agricola attacked them in the 83/84AD winter campaign. The Romans never ventured north into the Pict heartland again (Inverness/Aberdeenshire). Tacitus invented a battle which never happened, fourteen years after the fact, to explain the losses in men and material. For the Roman public's consumption, he claimed the Picts were forced to fight because their grainhouses were being burned. The truth is, the Picts fed their cows a mixture of pulverized seaweed and dried herring. There were no grain houses! However, the Roman public could relate to that outright lie.
Note: Pict Brochs and several of their stone fortifications were the best form of drystone masonry ever seen on the planet to date.
Note: This
background tartan is faded MacGregor of GlenGyle.