The Picts

From Pictland to Alba: Scotland, 789-1070 (New Edinburgh History of Scotland): Scotland, 789-1070 (New Edinburgh History of Scotland). From Pictland to Alba. Explains the destruction of the Picts and the rise of the Scottish kingdom from contemporary accounts alone.In the 780s, northern Britain was dominated by two great kingdoms; Pictavia, centred in north-eastern Scotland and Northumbria which straddled the modern Anglo-Scottish border. Within a hundred years both of these kingdoms had been thrown into chaos by the onslaught of the Vikings and within two hundred years they had become distant memories.This book charts the transformation of the political landscape of northern Britain between the mid-eighth and mid-eleventh centuries. Central to this narrative is the mysterious disappearance of the Picts and their language and the sudden rise to prominence of the Gaelic-speaking Scots who would replace them as the rulers of the North. From Pictland to Alba pays close attention to the fragmentary sources which survive from this darkest period in Scottish history.

Picts, Gaels and Scots A fully updated and expanded edition of a classic text on early Scottish history. From the 5th to the 10th century, Scotland was home to a variety of diverse peoples and cultures, all competing for land and supremacy. At the heart of the mystery of how Scotland became a single unified country lies the extraordinary influence of the Picts and their neighbours, the Gaels, originally immigrants from Ireland. Sally Foster uses the latest archaeological discoveries and interpretations as well as developments in historical, art-historical and place-name studies to explain how the Picts and Gaels became Scots and forged a nation. The Picts.

The Art of the Picts: Sculpture and Metalwork in Early Medieval Scotland A sustained art-historical analysis of the work of the Picts, perhaps the least well-known of the Celtic peoples, who occupied north-eastern Scotland between the 6th and 9th centuries. The only real traces of their society are stone cross slabs and some silverwork, all engraved with symbols. The Picts.

The Picts and the Scots at War The Picts are perhaps the most enigmatic and poorly understood of all the peoples of early medieval Britain. Nick Aitchison illuminates all aspects of their mysterious world in this book including the nature of Pictish kingship and the aristocracy, warfare and everyday life. The shadowy world of Pictish religion and mythology, pagan and Christian, is also investigated, as is the decline of the Picts and the reasons for the dominance of the Scots. Illustrated with vivid scenes of Pictish sites and works of art, including their internationally famous sculptures, this study is full of fresh insights for anyone fascinated by the mysteries of the Dark Ages or the drama of early Scottish history.

Before Scotland: The Story of Scotland Before History Before Scotland transforms prehistory into gripping narrative history, demonstrating that the history of the land that became Scotland is one of dramatic geological events and impressive human endeavour. By Alistair Moffat.