The Picts - genocide?

[Hirta]

What happened to the Picts? Were they the original inhabitants of Scotland? I have heard that they were wiped out by the Scots (originally from Ireland?). If this is so then there is a certain amount of irony here - for they blame the English for trying to do what they themselves did to another group of people!

Seriously, does anyone really know what happened to them and the role of the Scots in this? (if any)

There is very little hard evidence about the Picts. Even their name is just the name given to them by the Romans. It is far from certain what they called themselves. I doubt if they were the "original" inhabitants of Scotland, they are just the first recorded inhabitants (by the Romans again). Who knows how many peoples passed through Scotland since Humans first walked the Earth?

As for genocide, I seriously doubt it. Everything we do know about the Picts and their interaction with the Scots (carved symbol stones, place names, etc.) points more to assimilation than massacre. I believe the Picts were a Celtic tribe and had much in common with the Scots. It is known their Royal Families intermarried, and I'm sure many "ordinary" people did too.

I think the Picts are still living in Scotland and if, like me, you have roots in the North East of Scotland you almost certainly have a fair bit of Pict in you.

[ANDY-J]

Hirta,
As Neil says the origin of the Picts is not known for certain.It is likely that they were the descendents of the tribe which the second century Roman historian Tacitus named Caledonii and were possibly a mixture of Brythonic Celts and the original pre-Celtic inhabitants of the far north of Scotland.The southern picts who inhabited the area around the river Forth were known as Maetae and their name remains in the hill outside Stirling called Dumyat(The hill fort of the Maetae).They were under constant pressure from the Angles of Northumbria until they defeated them at Nechtanesmere(near Forfar) in the eighth century.They were also in conflict with the Scots of Dalriada and the Britons of Strathclyde but the arrival of the vikings probably sealed their fate.Their army was annihalated by the vikings in a battle near Dollar in central Scotland and the greater part of the Pictish aristocracy was either killed in battle or murdered by the Scots.As a result Pictish society came under the control of the Scots and the only trace of them remains in the names of a few Scottish towns.

[The_Bruce]

Hello all, I seem to remember that Charlie and I discussed this 10 days ago on another thread.

Any chance of posting a link to the thread in question?

[Hirta]

Interesting.. Were they called Picts because of tattoos? Also is there any possible connection with ogham inscriptions?
All the best, Hirta

[ANDY-J]

Hirta,
The word Pict like the English word picture is derived from the Latin word pingere(to paint).The Romans called the Picts "Picti"- literally the painted men-because they covered their bodies in tatoos.