#Dalriada Scots

[scotianostra]

Happy St Andrews Day.

As part of our Patron Saint’s Feast Day the Scottish Saltire is proudly flown and many people add it to their posts on social media to celebrate the day, but how did Scotland adopt the saltire?

There is no actual date, or in fact nothing in our written history of the time, but legend has it that in AD 832 the king of the Picts, ‘Aengus MacFergus’, ( Anglified to Angus but some stories say Hungus) with the support of 'Scots’ from Dalriada, won a great battle against King Athelstane of the Northumbrians. The site of the legendary battle became known as Athelstaneford in present-day East Lothian.

St Andrew visited the Pictish leader in a dream before the battle and told him that victory would be won. When the battle itself was raging, a miraculous vision of the St Andrew’s Cross was seen shining in the sky, giving a boost to the morale and fighting spirit of his warriors. The result was a victory over the Saxons, and the death of Athelstan. Thus, after this victory, according to the tradition, the Saltire or St Andrew’s Cross became the flag of Scotland, and St Andrew the national patron saint.

While there is no written reference to the battle in Scotland from the period it was said to have taken place, this is not surprising, as it was a time for which we have little or no documentation for anything. The earliest written mention of the Battle of Athelstaneford in Scottish history comes from years later in the newspapers of the day, if you follow my posts then you know I dip into these “Chronicles from time to time, the first one to mention Athelstaneford is the Scotichronicon, written by the Scottish historian Walter Bower.

The Scotichronicon has been described by some Scottish historians as a valuable source of historical information, especially for the times that were recent to him or within his own memory. But he also wrote about earlier times, and this included the battle at Athelstaneford.

Bower’s account includes the scene where Aengus MacFergus is visited by St Andrew in a dream before the battle. He was told that the cross of Christ would be carried before him by an angel, there was no mention of a St Andrew’s Cross in the sky in this version. It was in later accounts, from the 16th centuries onwards, that we have the description of an image of St Andrew’s Cross shining in the sky

Bower was writing in the early 1400s. The bitter and bloody struggle to retain Scotland’s independence was not just a recent memory but also a current reality for him. Parts of Scotland were still occupied by England, and Bower had been involved in raising the money to release Scotland’s king, James I, from English captivity.

Also, Scotland’s early historical records and documents had been deliberately destroyed during the invasion by the English king Edward I. This was done in part as an attempt to remove historical evidence that Scotland had been an independent kingdom. The idea was simple: take away a nation’s history and you strip it of its identity and justification for its independent existence. The theft of the Stone of Destiny was part of this process, the Black Rood which was believed to contain a piece of the Cross Jesus was crucified on was also removed, I have covered both these in previous posts.

Part of Bower’s motivation in writing his Scotichronicon was to help restore this stolen history. He was a scholar and a man of the church. In his time, the figure of St Andrew had become a prominent presence in Scottish society.

The greatest church building in the land during his time was the Cathedral of St Andrew, which housed relics of St Andrew himself. It had taken over a hundred years to build and wasn’t formally consecrated until 1318, just four years after Bannockburn. The ceremony of course included Robert the Bruce and at it thanks was given to St Andrew for Scotland’s victory.

Less than 100 years after this, in 1413, the University of St Andrews was established and Walter Bower was one of its first students. By this time, the Cathedral of St Andrew was a place of pilgrimage, with thousands travelling there to venerate the saint’s relics. A pilgrimage route from the south took in the shrine of Our Lady at Whitekirk, not far from the site of the battle, and many pilgrims took a ferry across the Firth from North Berwick, where the ruins and remains of the old St Andrew’s Kirk can still be seen close to the Scottish Seabird Centre.

So as he sat down to write his history of earlier times, he was able to trace this connection to St Andrew, using the limited earlier written accounts, such as those of earlier Chronicler I’ve mentioned before, John Fordun, who lived in the 1300s. While Fordun doesn’t specifically mention the location of Athelstaneford, he records a battle which took place between the Picts led by Aengus and a force from the south led by Athelstan, and said the location of the battle was about two miles from Haddington. The account of St Andrew appearing in a dream to Aengus is also described by Fordun.

This creates a powerful link to the development of the written version of the story. Let’s remember Bower came from what is now East Lothian. Let us also remember that people in the early centuries stored and passed on much of their historical knowledge not in the written word but in memory and handed down oral traditions. People told stories, remembered them and told them to the next generation. Undeniably, some details would be forgotten or changed over time, but the bones of the story would be handed down. And that would include reference to locations of significant events in the local landscape.

Bower will have had access to this rich oral tradition of local stories based on handed-down collective memories of past events, which is perhaps why he was able to name the location. The later writers who added to the story of the battle will likewise have found new sources in the oral tradition to add to the narrative. Even in the 19th century, cartographers mapping the area were able to identify locations traditionally associated with the battle from local people who were custodians of ancestral memory.

This is how the story of the Battle of Athelstaneford and its connection with St Andrew and the Saltire has evolved.

The village is home to the National Flag Heritage Centre which occupies a lectern doocot built in 1583 and rebuilt in 1996. It is at the back of the village church. Today the village is surrounded by farmland and has little in the way of amenities. Tourists can follow the "Saltire Trail", a road route which passes by various local landmarks and places of historical interest.

Athelstaneford Parish Kirk has a connection with the subject of my post last week, author Nigel Tranter, who was a prominent supporter of the Scottish Flag Trust. He married in the church, and in April 2008 a permanent exhibition of his memorabilia was mounted in the north transept of the church. Items include a copy of Nigel Tranter's old typewriter, a collection of manuscripts and books, and other personal items. The display was previously at Lennoxlove House, and prior to that at Abbotsford House, the home of Sir Walter Scott.

[thoughtlessarse]

With the Irish Culture and Heritage Day being held at the Grange Club in Stockbridge, Edinburgh on Saturday, September 28, GERARD CASSINI considers the Irish community in Scotland The Irish Scots are a very distinct part of the Irish in Britain community. When Thomas Winning was made Cardinal in 1994, a tartan army accompanied this son of an Irish miner working in Lanarkshire to the Vatican. The Archbishop of Glasgow’s enthusiastic band of supporters who went to Rome to see him collect his red hat were not festooned with shamrocks –they were dressed in tartan and accompanied by a piper. In Scotland, the Irish have carved out a distinct character for themselves. Unlike those who journeyed to, for example, London, Manchester or Wales, the Irish in Scotland embraced – to some extent – the culture of their new homeland. This is probably not surprising, as from the earliest times an interchange of population, ideas, language – even sports – has taken place. The first settlers to Ireland probably came from Scotland some 9,000 years ago, crossing a land bridge to what is now Co Antrim. Thereafter, cultural and trading ties were fostered. A kingdom was even established in the 5th century – Dalriada combined parts of Antrim Down and Argyll. In those days, sea journeys were probably easier and speedier than journeys overland. Sottish Gaelic is a direct descendant of the Irish language, and the Highland Gaels are often regarded as closer to the Irish than they are to Lowland Scots. Ireland even bestowed upon the Scots their very name. Roman chroniclers called the Irish ‘Scotti’ to distinguish them from the Picts. Well into medieval times a ‘Scot’ was someone who spoke the old Irish language. It was against this background that the starving of Antrim and Donegal came to Scotland in large numbers in the 19th century. Finding Scotland much closer in every way than their counterparts who settled in the Americas or Britain, they embraced Scottish culture. Most of the Irish immigrants came from Ulster  which had easy access to Scotland via sea routes. In the late 19th century more than 80 per cent of Irish immigrants came from the North of Ireland – and around 25 per cent of these were Protestant.

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Edinburgh? Really? I'd have thought Glasgow a better place for Irish Culture and Heritage Day.

Irish Scot here.

[mschmdtphotography]

The Scots of Dalriada

Book Title: The Scots of Dalriada Author: Rowena Kinreead Publication Date: January 26th, 2023 Publisher: Vanguard Press Pages: 287 Genre: Historical Fiction Twitter Handles: @RowenaKinread @cathiedunn Instagram Handles: @rowenakinread @thecoffeepotbookclub Hashtags: #HistoricalFiction #ScottishHistoricalFiction #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub Tour Schedule Page: …

[coloursofunison]

Today, I'm delighted to welcome Rowena Kinread and her new book, The Scots of Dalriada to the blog HistoricalFiction #ScottishHistoricalFiction #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @RowenaKinread @cathiedunn @rowenakinread @thecoffeepotbookclub http://mjporterauthor.blog/?p=8200

[maryeve-the-bitch]

@parasiteeve

I don't know if you want book recomandation ( i rarely read books sadly)

Also i very much recommand going to the museum of scotland in Edinburg if you have the chance. They have a whole section of many floors about the whole history of scotland. It was interesting.

but here's a few links: https://scotlandmag.telegraph.co.uk/picts-scots-scotland/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/immig_emig/scotland/western/article_1.shtml

https://scottishhistorysociety.com/dalriada/

Here's some books that I think might be interesting to read: (found them on google books)

Picts, Gaels and Scots. Early Historic Scotland By Sally M. Foster · 2014

A New History of the Picts By Stuart McHardy · 2020

Dalríada. Heartland of Scotland By K. M. MacPhee · 2012

I wanna talk about the fact that Scots were actually people from northern Ireland (the Gaelic-speaking kingdom of Dál Riata in the land of Argyll) in medieval times. They moved to the west of now Scotland and called themselves the Scots when the Picts were a thing in now-Scotland. Over the years, the two nations managed to mix and mainly spoke gealic over pictish

[on-misty-mountains]

Dunadd Hillfort, Argyll

This hillfort is pretty impressive as it is, but it also has a special slab with a footprint. This slab is one of the reasons why people visit Dunadd Hillfort. It is associated with the Kings of the Scots tribe Dal Riata and their inauguration ceremony, which according to legend involved the new King stepping into the 'footstep' of his predecessors. What you see nowadays is a cast though, so you don't have to be worried about wearing down something of historical importance. It's still a fun thing to step into that foot shape. I did it and it was precisely the size of my boot. As with the previous day of our holiday, there was a firm grasp of fog and low cloud and particularly early in the morning when we were there, the landscape around the fort was simply non-existent. We still got a pretty good idea. There is an upper level with a citadel at the top and the King's stone slightly below. And there is a lower level with remains of buildings, a wall and a well. There's a natural (or not) break in the rock, which leads in and out of the lower level. A perfect bottleneck for defending the fort. There's parking right next to the fort and it's only 5 to 10 min to get up there. So visiting Dunadd is a no-brainer when in Argyll. 

Head over to Youtube for a video of me visiting this fort and other places in Argyll.

[ckc4me]

Brittonic Naval Hegemony and The Isle of Man

Brittonic Naval Hegemony and The Isle of Man

Tradition holds that Manannan Mac Llyr was the Sorcerer-King who ruled the Isle of Man when St. Germanus arrived with a fleet to occupy the island. But Manannan (or Manawydan) was also the deified inventor of celestial navigation, venerated by the Irish, Britons and Manx alike

If one steps away from the minutiae of Dark Age British scholarship and looks at the bigger historical picture, it…

[cdesu]

To summarize ulster doesn’t like both scot and northern so he doesn’t bother, while dalriada loves both ire and scot. (Also ulster doesn’t like dalriada’s presence)

[lumierecharity]

ST PATRICK MISSIONARY TO THE IRISH c. 389 - 461 CENTURIES AGO A BUBBLING WELL IN THE HEART OF DUBLIN WAS THE SCENE OF COUNTLESS BAPTISMS AT THE HANDS OF THE CELEBRATED SAINT PATRICK.  Today, pilgrims stand and pray at the sacred site of the ancient well which lies outside the walls of St Patrick's Cathedral.  Devotees to the Saint still walk on pilgrimage to sites all over Dublin, following in the footsteps of the great Saint.  This devotion, many centuries after this man walked on Ireland's green hills, give rise to the question; Who was Patrick? Ancient Ireland Ireland was the last piece of land on the journey west; it was known as 'the back of beyond'.  In Latin this translated as ultima Thule; the voyage's last stop.  Celtic culture held full sway over the island when the young Patricius arrived, having been captured as a slave.  In the fifth century AD, Ireland's population depended on mixed farming and the rearing of cattle and sheep.  There were no cities as we know them today. Instead, early Celtic settlements had ring-forts enclosing the dwellings.  Thick forests covered large areas of the land, and about one hundred chieftains ruled as clan kings.  Within one hundred years after the death of Patricius - eventually known as Patrick - the influence of this man of God had led to the warrior-kings converting to Christianity. Patrick's early life Patrick grew up in a place called Bannavem Taberniae - possibly in Britain. His father, Calpurnius, was a local governing official who was also a deacon in the Church.  Potitus, Patrick's grandfather, was a priest - a presbyter.  The family lived in a villa on a farm, and owned slaves, to whom Patrick was very attached.  They were devout Christians, and Calpurnius' role in the Church included duties during worship and visiting Church members when they were sick or in need.  Around 400 AD, before his sixteenth birthday, Patrick was abducted from his home by slavers.  His enslavement abruptly interrupted his education, and in later years this sad fact deeply affected Patrick.  He felt that he had not been as well educated as many of his peers, and this had impact on his self image and mood.  However, this did not affect his ministry, which flourished under his God-given vocation to preach, teach, and covert to Christ. Slavery in Ireland Many thousands were enslaved alongside Patrick that fateful day.  A ship had come in from Ireland in search of plunder and valuable slave labour. At that time, large slave markets flourished in early Dublin, with buyers coming in from all over the known world.  In the Iron Age, Roman power was gradually  declining towards the end of the 3rd century.    Britain fell prey to attacks from those closest to her borders.  Irish chieftains raided across the water and expanded their territories eastward.  The kingdom of Dalriada in the north-east extended into northern Britain and Scotland.  This created a route for some of the first Irish missionaries.  Most famous of raiders and slavers was Niall of the Nine Hostages.  It is said he controlled land through hostages taken from the Scots, Saxons, Britons and Fench, as well as Irish. [1]  He is reportedly credited with capturing the young Patrick and bringing him back to Ireland as a slave in the middle of the 5th century. Mound of the Hostages   It is believed, prior to being sold, Patrick was held at the Mound of the Hostages on the Hill of Tara.  Patrick became the slave of a master on a farm near the woods of Foclut, by the western sea in County Mayo.  It is believed that the master was a warrior chief, whose opponents' heads sat atop sharp poles around his palisade in Northern Ireland.  Patrick became a herder, protecting the animals from attack by wild animals.  He toiled in his duties, battered by wind and rain, on the side of Slemish Mountain. [2]  His life as slave in Ireland was a harsh one, and he endured long bouts of hunger and thirst. [3]  He also lived in complete isolation from other human beings for months at a time - a psychologically searing experience indeed.  Patrick worked as a slave from age 16 until he was 22 on this mountain.  The mountain - which rises to 1,500 feet - lies in County Antrim.  During this time of trial, Patrick's relationship to God - not very deep initially despite his Christian upbringing - strengthened and deepened. One of his continually used prayers was eventually woven into a song called 'St Patrick's Breastplate' [the [Lorica]].  One verse reads;   'Christ be with me, Christ within me,    Christ behind me, Christ before me.    Christ beside me, Christ to win me,    Christ to comfort and restore me;    Christ beneath me, Christ above me,    Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,    Christ in hearts of all that love me,    Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.' Lifted up high Patrick placed trustful reliance on the creed, and experienced numerous dreams and visions sent by God.  In one vision Patrick saw himself portrayed as a lifeless stone. The Almighty took hold of the stone of Patrick, lifted him from the mud, and set him on top of the wall.  The inference was clear; what was slave and seen as of low consequence was about to be made leader; to be lifted to a position of pivotal importance in God's Holy Service. Escape from Captivity One night, in his sleep, Patrick heard a voice saying to him, 'It is well that you fast, soon you will go to your own country.' Again, after a short while, he heard a voice saying, 'See, your ship is ready'.  In obedience to this heavenly message, Patrick made a break for freedom.  After six years of slavery, he started on the two hundred mile journey to the east coast.  When Patrick arrived at the ship which had been foretold, it had already raised anchor for sail.  The crew - initially reluctant to take him on as passenger - eventually relented.  They set sail with Patrick safely on board.  After three days at sea, all disembarked on the opposite shore.  It is uncertain whether they landed in Britain or France. Homecoming and Priesthood From there Patrick made his way home again, where his parents gave him warm welcome.  Despite his joyous return, this young man - susceptible to dreams, visions and the moods they bring - was not the same young lad who had been abducted.  His whole outlook had changed, and he now tended towards the Church.  Patrick underwent Church training near his home in Britain.  It is probable he received further training in a Gaul Monastery in preparation for ordination.  It is thought that Patrick received guidance from Germanus, Bishop of Auxerre in France. Trial by friendship Patrick was broken hearted when a close friend betrayed his confidence.  He had confided a past life difficulty to this person who then took the opportunity to shame him publicly.  This affected Patrick's position in the Church, and the experience affected him greatly.  God Himself comforted the mortified and betrayed Patrick.  This He did by means of prophetic dream.  The dream proved fortuitous for Patrick, who had been left deeply shaken by the recent events.  His confidence had been affected by his embarrassment and inner sufferings. In the dream, Patrick saw his own face on a coin. The head of Roman emperors were often engraved on coins with words of honor and priase inscribed in letters around the head.  In Patrick's dream, the words surrounding his head were words of disgrace and shame.  Then he heard God's Voice, saying, 'We have seen with displeasure the face of Deisignatus.'  God disapproved of the words which attempted to tarnish Patrick's reputation.  Patrick arose from the dream, comforted and resolved. Call to Ireland Patrick felt called to return to Ireland after a prophetic dream.  In this dream-vision, he saw a man called Victoricus standing in front of him.  In his hand he held a countless letters. Victoricus gave Patrick one of them, and he read the opening words of the letter, which were 'The voice of the Irish'. [4]  At the same moment he read the beginning of the letter, he thought he heard their voices - they were those beside the Wood of Voclut, which is near the Western Sea - and they cried out as one, 'We ask thee, boy, come and walk among us once more.'  A series of dreams and visions prepared Patrick for his great task ahead; they contained warnings and encouragement for the difficult task that lay ahead.  It turned out to be no less than the evangelisation of an entire nation. Patrick was commissioned as a bishop to serve in Ireland; and set sail back to the very land he had fled before. Ministry in Ireland Patrick wasted no time once back on Irish soil.  He tramped all over Ireland, serving as Bishop. Patrick preached the Word of God, baptized the people into Christianity and celebrated the sacraments.  It is said among the local people in Dublin that Patrick used to wade through a ford near the River Liffey - [the ford no longer extant] - in order to reach the higher hill area where the present day Church of St Audoen stands. [5]  One day as he was wending his way up the hill Patrick stopped, leaned on his staff and looked over the whole wooded area.  It was apparent he had just seen a vision, and he declared that where there was just ford, wood and settlements, "One day there will rise a magnificent city, as far as the eye can see."  That prophecy came true; the extended city of Dublin lies in that very area, as far as the eye can reach and further.  Many pilgrims still walk in the footsteps of Saint Patrick.  From the present day Church of St Audoen, it is a short walk to where countless Irish were baptised by the great Saint.  Patrick baptized royalty and villagers, kings and shepherders alike. Well of Saint Patrick The well of Saint Patrick - no longer extant, but commemorated down the centuries and marked by a plaque in the grounds of Saint Patrick's Cathedral Dublin - was the site of the mass baptisms.  In 1901 building works beside the Cathedral unearthed six Celtic grave slabs. These were subsequently dated to the 10th century.  One of these large stones covered the remains of what looked like an ancient well.  It is possible that this is the same well which Saint Patrick used in the fifth century.  The presence of the stones [still to be viewed in the Cathedral] prove that the site has been in use for at least one thousand years.  The first record of there being a building was in 890 AD when Gregory, King of Scotland, visited a church.  The decision to build a church there was probably based upon the close connection with the Saint.  In 1190 the site was chosen by Archbishop John Comyn to be raised to Cathedral status and eventually the wooden church was replaced with the great structure which can be viewed today. [6] Confession More than fifteen hundred years ago Saint Patrick wrote a Letter in Latin.  At a later stage he authored a personal account of his work as a bishop of Ireland, called his Confession. The Confession and the Letter to the soldiers under the command of Chieftain Coroticus are recognized as authentically the work of Patrick.  Written in the 9th century, The Book of Armagh contains accounts of St Patrick's life, a copy of St Patrick's own Confessio, as well as a complete New Testament.  It was written by the monk, Ferdomnach, who died in 846 AD.  According to this book, Patrick asked the local chieftain for a site on which to build his church.  The chieftain, Daire, refused Patrick the site he requested.  He gave him instead the place now called 'St Patrick's Fold' or 'Ferta Martyrum', in the present Scotch Street. [7] PilgrimagesAs Patrick baptized the Irish people into Christianity, he nurtured their faith as well.  Some 30 000 Irish, among them some elderly and ailing, left Ireland assisted by Patrick.  He gave his permission and benediction for their pilgrimages. One group set off for the Holy Land, Jerusalem their destination.  A second group left for the pilgrimage destination of Rome.  A third group left to visit the graves of the Apostles, including that of beatissimus Jacobus in Compostela.  Christian pilgrimage thereafter became ever more popular.  Foundations of pilgrims' hostels in Dublin in 1216 and Drogheda - where St James' Street and St James' Gate still evoke the original dedication- testify to the massive numbers of pellegrini among the Irish through the centuries.   In October 1996 more than thirty burials were discovered during archeological rescue excavation in Mullingar, County Westmeath.  Two of them contained scallop shells - proof of pilgrimage in honor of Saint James.  Ten years earlier, similar finds of scallop shells had been made during excavations of Saint Mary's Cathedral, Tuam, County Galway.  They were also of thirteenth to fourteenth century origin.  In recent times, further shell-associated burial sites have been found during excavation of the Augustinian Friary at Galway.  In 1992, a pewter scallop shell was discovered underneath the wall of a late medieval tomb at Ardfert Cathedral.  Mounted within the shell was a little bronze-gilded figure of St James.  This shell is a pilgrim badge.  The emblem of the shell has always been connected with the Apostle James.  The occurrence of the shell at a burial site indicates that the deceased had been a pilgrim to the grave of the Apostle in Santiago de Compostela in Northern Spain. [8]   Missionary expeditions During his missionary expeditions, it is believed that Patrick sailed through Strangford Lough, [9] to land just outside the town of Downpatrick. [10]  In 432 AD Patrick established his first church in a simple barn.  This church became known as Saul Church.  Two miles outside Downpatrick, a replica of this first church stands today. [11] Close by, on the crest of Slieve Patrick, is a huge statue of the saint.  Bronze panels illustrate scenes from the life of Ireland's patron saint.  Armagh is the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland; Patrick called the city 'my sweet hill' and founded his first large stone church here in 445 AD.  Armagh's two Cathedrals are dedicated to him. The Armagh County Museum, the Armagh County Library and No. 5 Vicar's Hill hold material highlighting the city's role in the history of Christian Ireland. [12] Patrick called his ministry 'hunting and fishing'. He spiritually hunted after people in the Name of Christ, fishing patiently among them to help them  Patrick unfortunately experienced enslavement a second time.  After word from God, he found his freedom again - doubtless traumatized by the repeated experience. Pascal fire at Slane Patrick had taken as his mission the spread of Christianity across Ireland.  When he returned to Ireland after becoming a priest, there would already have been converts to the new faith with Palladius as their Bishop.  Small groups of Christians in rural Ireland had naturally evolved into autonomous communities - a monastic system.  Patrick founded many churches, each time leaving them in the care of a trusted follower. Trailblazer Patrick blazed his trail through Ireland. He made his mark on the Rock of Cashel.  The Rock of Cashel was the traditional seat of the Kings of Munster for several hundred years.  Cashel is reputed to be the site of the conversion of the King of Munster by St Patrick in the 5th century. [13]   Croagh Patrick - a high mountain and an important site of pilgrimage in Co Mayo in Ireland - was the site where Patrick fasted and prayed to God for forty days and nights.  Croagh Patrick thereafter became the focus of Christian pilgrimages after Patrick, and is a popular site of pilgrimage to this day. [14] and [15]  Croagh Patrick had originally been a site for pagan pilgrimage; now redirected by Patrick in the service of God.  Patrick is said to have confronted the Corra, or serpent goddess, the symbol of pagan power, at Lough Derg in Donegal.  Thus Patrick faced the powers of darkness symbolised by the serpent goddess, at this venue - and triumphed.  [16]  St Patrick's Chair and Well can be found about 5 miles out of Aughnaclay. This is Altadaven on the north eastern flank of Slieve Beagh. Its name means 'the cliff of demons'. St Patrick's chair is a massive and well worn stone in the shape of a seat with a back rest, a seat of dimensions more suited to a giant than a saint.  The chair sits on a high ridge surrounded by other enormous boulder stones, with a number of cup marks on the stones.  According to local tradition, Patrick was passing this way as he journeyed from Clogher to Armagh, when he came upon a pagan rite being performed at the site.  Instead of destroying the rock as he did at Killycluggin, he merely banished the pagan spirits to a nearby lake.  He then preached from the chair, and baptised people with water from the rock area.  This is the Well of Lughnasa, one of the famous wells of St Patrick. [17]  The Killycluggin Stone can be found by a right turn to Bawnboy.  This replica is a marker. The original is in Cavan County Museum in Ballyjamesduff and is an Iron Age ritual stone, a rounde boulder.  The stone is about 5 feet tall, elaborately decorated with closely coiled spirals interconnect with La Tene style patterns.  The top was damaged by St Patrick during his confrontation with Crom Dubh at Killycluggin.  The stone stood at one time outside the stone circle in Killycluggin and was decorated all over with gold.  It represented the god Crom Cruach, or Crom Dubh who is the dark god, the 'bent one' who received the 'first fruits' at Lughnasa or harvest in the form of the corn maiden.  The ritual or sacrifice of the girl was held to ensure the continuing fertility of the earth.  When Patrick travelled this way, he smashed the pillar stone and overturned the stones of the circle in an attempt to destroy the powerful hold this dark entity [satan] had on the people. The Hill of Tara Patrick also focused his attention on places of power. He challenged the High King at Tara when he lit the pascal fire at Slane.  The distance from the Hill of Tara to Slane is 23 kilometers.  There was good reason for Patrick's actions. According to the religion of the druids, fires were forbidden on the eve of the Spring Festival. The Hill of Tara, known as Temair in gaeilge, was the seat of ancient power in Ireland.  142 kings are said to have reigned there in prehistoric and historic times.  Temair was considered the sacred place of dwelling of dwelling for the pagan gods, and was the entrance to the otherworld.  By lighting the Fire of Christ on the Eve of the Christian Festival, Patrick was proclaiming the God's Kingship above the power of the Irish Kings and their religion.  Patrick came to Temair to confront the ancient religion of the pagans at its most powerful site. [18]  When Patrick lit the fire of the Easter Vigil at Slane, the druids predicted the fire would destroy Tara.  They were correct; the ancient religion went into decline, in correlation with the spread of Christianity across the country.  It must be remembered, too, that the fire on Tara was lit in view of the slave holdings.  Patrick's defiant claiming of Christianity was also a message to the captives; according to the Gospel, they would eventually be set free not only from sin, but from their fetters.  As, indeed, history proved. The slave markets of Dublin are no more. Letter to Coroticus Patrick challenged many. He wrote an open letter to chieftain-king Coroticus in southern Scotland.  This man had enslaved some of Patrick's newly confirmed Christians, murdered a number of them, mistreated the evangelized, and sold from their number.  Patrick tried to buy back the captives without success.  He suffered deeply as he thought about the Christians now suffering so deeply.  He wrote a letter to Coroticus which was searing in its condemnation of the actions of the chieftain-king and his followers. Fulfilment of Patrick's life Patrick was an inspiration during his lifetime.  Patrick is a continued inspiration today, and deeply beloved in Ireland.  Eventually Patrick went home to God, leaving his earthly body - his outer coat, as it were - in his beloved Ireland.  Patrick's body lies in Downpatrick graveyard, on the grounds of the Cathedral.  His resting place is marked by a flat boulder stone. [19]  This man - youth, son, slave, priest, bishop, maligned, missionary - ranged the land of Ireland and claimed it for God.  It is fitting that today - in every town and city in Ireland, and every year on a special Feast Day - the people of Ireland reclaim him as their Holy Patron Saint. [1] Meehan, Cary. The Traveller's Guide to Sacred Ireland. 2002. Gothic Image Publications; England [2] Slemish Mountain http://www.ireland.com/en-us/what-is-available/destinations/northern-ireland/county-antrim/ballymena/all/2-1727/ [3] Cagney, Mary. Patrick the Saint. www. christiantoday. com/history / issues/ issue-60/patrick-saint. html [4] The Confession of Saint Patrick http://www.catholicplanet.com/ebooks/Confession-of-St-Patrick.pdf [5] St Audoen's Church, Dublin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Audoen%27s_Church,_Dublin_(Church_of_Ireland) [6] St Patrick and the Cathedral https://www.stpatrickscathedral.ie/saint-patrick-and-the-cathedral/ [7] Meehan, Cary. The Traveller's Guide to Sacred Ireland, Page 48. 2002. Gothic Image Publications; England [8] http:// www. historyireland.com/ medieval-hitory -pre-1500/the- irish-medieval-pilgrimage-to-santiago-de-compostal/ [9] Strangford Lough Lookout http://www.ireland.com/en-us/what-is-available/attractions-built-heritage/nature-and-wildlife-attractions/destinations/northern-ireland/county-down/newtownards/all/2-26010/ [10] Downpatrick http://www.ireland.com/en-us/destinations/northern-ireland/county-down/downpatrick/all/2-14077/ [11] Saul Church http://www.ireland.com/en-us/what-is-available/attractions-built-heritage/churches-abbeys-and-monasteries/destinations/northern-ireland/county-down/all/2-3387/ [12] Armagh https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_Armagh [13] Rock of Cashel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_of_Cashel [14] Meehan, Cary. The Traveller's Guide to Sacred Ireland, Page 25. 2002. Gothic Image Publications; England [15] Teach na Miasa, Croagh Patrick Visitor Center at the Foot of the Holy Mountain. www. croagh-patrick. com [16] Meehan, Cary. The Traveller's Guide to Sacred Ireland, Page 40. 2002. Gothic Image Publications; England [17] Meehan, Cary. The Traveller's Guide to Sacred Ireland, Pages 143 to 144. 2002. Gothic Image Publications; England [18] Tara - Temail http://www.mythicalireland.com/ancientsites/tara/ [19] Down Cathedral and Saint Patrick's Grave http://www.ireland.com/en-us/what-is-available/attractions-built-heritage/churches-abbeys-and-monasteries/destinations/northern-ireland/county-down/downpatrick/all/2-3000/ The True Story of Saint Patrick https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTYQyv8e-x4 The Saint Patrick Centre http://www.ireland.com/en-us/what-is-available/attractions-built-heritage/museums-and-attractions/destinations/northern-ireland/county-down/downpatrick/all/2-3359/ Resource; Simms, George Otto. 2004. Saint Patrick, Ireland's Patron Saitn. The O'Brien Press; Dublin. With thanks to ireland.com, catholicplanet.com, wikipedia.org, stpatrickscathedral.ie, Ireland.com, mythicalireland.com, youtube

[jason-1971]

Sueno's Stone is the largest and most spectacular of the many carved stones that have survived from the early medieval period in Scotland. It stands in a purpose built glass shelter on the north eastern edge of the town of Forres beside a disused spur of road near the roundabout between the B9011 and the A96. The most striking thing about Sueno's Stone is its enormous scale. It stands over 6.5m or 21ft high and carries intricate carvings that completely cover the front and rear faces of the stone, and its sides. The western or front side of the stone carries a huge ring headed cross, the body and surrounds of which have been filled with interlaced knotwork designs. The base of the cross is a few feet above the base of the stone, and the gap beneath it carries carvings of two bearded figures facing one another, with a smaller figure between them and others behind them. The rear or eastern side of the stone is very different. Here you are confronted with what amounts to a Bayeux Tapestry in stone: an account of a battle told in a series of horizontal strips set within panels which are displayed one above another down the length of the stone. Similar techniques have been used elsewhere, especially on the Pictish symbol stone at Aberlemno Kirk, but it is the sheer scale of the battle being depicted, and the scale of the stone that has resulted, that makes Sueno's Stone unique. The uppermost panel shows nine mounted warriors in three lines and has been interpreted as showing a leader arriving for battle with his personal escort. The second panel shows two lines of warriors on foot, the lower line apparently in the midst of combat, with those on the left turning to flee, signifying defeat. The next strip within the panel shows warriors besieging a broch, while on the left is a pile of headless corpses, whose detached heads are depicted in front of the broch. The final strip in this panel shows a scene in which warriors on foot are routing mounted warriors. The third panel shows another pile of corpses underneath a curved object, by one interpretation a bridge. One element of this panel is thought to depicts the defeated chieftain, again without a head, while the bottom strip shows more of the enemy running away. As one commentator wrote: "This is war reporting on a monumentally self-confident scale". Opinions differ about which battle the stone is meant to depict. Some say it represents the defeat of the Picts by the Scots of Dalriada under Kenneth Mac Alpin in 841, which would mean it was not actually a "Pictish" symbol stone: as histories are always written by the victors. For the philosopher Hector Boece, writing in the 1520s, the stone signified a battle involving the forces of the Norse King Swein Forkbeard (or "Sueno") against Scots. which explains the name now given to the stone. Other theories involve more historically likely encounters between Norse and Picts or Norse and Scots, or the battle known to have been fought at Forres in 966 in which King Duff or "Dubh" of Alba fought for control over Moray. Duff was subsequently murdered and his body hidden under a bridge at nearby Kinloss. If you subscribe to this theory then the arched structure shown on the stone is the bridge under which Duff's body was hidden. The truth, of course, is that no-one really knows which battle the stone depicts, but trying to guess is half the fun. The slab used to make Sueno's Stone weighs over seven tons and was probably quarried at Covesea, on the coast 11 miles to the north east. It could have been brought most of the way to its current site by boat. Most commentators agree that the stone is standing close to its original location, though it has been suggested that it might originally have been one of a pair, perhaps flanking some ceremonial entrance. The main source for this theory is a map of Moray drawn by Timothy Pont in the 1590s. This shows, quite clearly, two pillars standing just to the north of Forres. Or Pont may simply have been mistaken. Either way, it seems that Sueno's Stone fell or was pushed over at some time, perhaps in the 1600s, and became buried. It was only uncovered again in the early 1700s, before being re-erected near where it had been found. The Victorians protected the stone with iron railings and a cap made of lead sheeting, and in the 1990s full protection was afforded by the glass box in which the stone now stands. This can make photography awkward, but it does ensure that the stone will still be here for future generations to enjoy. Meanwhile, of course, the thought that the other half of a matching pair may still be waiting to be unearthed somewhere nearby is an intriguing one.

[clan-carruthers]

CLAN CARRUTHERS: The story behind the return of the Stone of Destiny to Scotland.

CLAN CARRUTHERS: The story behind the return of the Stone of Destiny to Scotland.

According to Ben Johnson, a well known Scottish historian, the Celtic name of the Stone upon which the true kings of Scotland have traditionally been crowned is Lia Fall ‘the speaking stone’ or the stone which would proclaim the chosen king. Originally used as part of the crowning ceremonies of the Scots kings of Dalriada but was moved by Kenneth I (MacAlpin) top his capital in Scone, Perthshire…

[scotianostra]

13th February 862 Kenneth MacAlpin (Cináed mac Ailpin); who united the Picts and Scots in one kingdom, died at Forteviot. His reign is given in the Pictish Chronicle as twenty eight years.

Kenneth, the son of Alpin went by a few names, Cináed mac Ailpín, Kenneth Mac Alpin, and Kenneth the Hardy, many regard him as the first King of Scotland.

Battling against Norse (Viking) raids, he brought some unification between the Gaels and the Picts to found a united kingdom of Alba or Scotia. The Picts had been weakened by incursions from the Vikings and Irish tribes who under Fergus Mor had settled in the area of Argyll. The term Scots came from the Latin Scotti which was Latin for Irish.

Kenneth was Dalriada son of King Alpin II of Dalriada and succeeded his father to the crown of Dalriada in 839 but he also had a claim to be King of the Picts through his mother, he was however not the only claimant to the Pictish throne.

The Picts agreed to a meeting with Mac Alpin at Scone, attended by all claimants to the Pictish Crown, Now this story is a bit far fetched but it is a story none the less of what is said to have happened at that meeting, it has since been referred to as Mac Alpin’s treason.

The leading Pict Claimant, Drust X and his nobles were all killed by the Scots: allegedly (and improbably) by having their booby-trapped benches collapsed so Kenneth’s rivals plunged into pits in the floor and impaled themselves on spikes set there for the purpose.

Suddenly there was only one claimant for the Pictish Crown, and Kenneth was crowned King of the Picts and the Scots in 843. He was the first King of the House of Alpin, the dynasty named after his father. Kenneth made his capital at Forteviot, a small village 5 miles south west of today’s Perth. He also moved the religious focus of his kingdom from Iona, where he was said to have been born, to Dunkeld, and had St Columba’s remains moved there in 849, perhaps for safe keeping from the continuing Vikings raids.

Kenneth MacAlpin was succeeded by Donald MacAlpin/ Domnall mac Ailpín his brother.

[kiragecko]

[Map titled "British Isles about 802." (Though only half of Ireland is visible.)

Map is divided by colour into "States of the Angles," "States of the Saxons," "State of the Jutes," and "states of the native Britons: Picts and Scots." (I believe 'Scots' is being used to refer to Gaelic-speaking peoples.)

Kent, in the South-East, is the only Jute state.

Wessex (all of South and South-West Britain), Essex, and Sussex (north and south of Kent), are Saxon states. The very west of Wessex is called West Wales, and is both Saxon and Pict.

Ireland is depicted as one 'Scottish' state, despite being 5 separate regions (albeit regions with unclear and shifting borders).

Scotland is divided into Pictish Pictland (north), 'Scottish' Dalriada (taking a chunk out of the south-east of Pictland), and Britonish Strathclyde (Galloway in the south of Scotland, and Cumbria in the North-West of Britain).

The Isle of Man and Isle of Anglesey are 'Scottish' states.

North Wales (west of central Britain) is also a 'native Briton' (Celtic/Kombroges) state.

Anglish states are Northumbria (north-central, including Lothian in modern south-east Scotland), East Anglia (east-central), and Mercia (central).

End ID.]

The map should probably be labeled "Great Britain" rather than "British Isles," given it's treatment of Ireland. And it would be cool if the different 'native Briton' peoples were separated. But I like being able to see at a glance that there's only one Jute territory! And I really like how county names become somewhat transparent this way:

Wessex, Essex, and Sussex are "West-Saxon," "East-Saxon," and "South-Saxon" kingdoms.

East Anglia is a "East Angle" kingdom.

Mercia is a Latinization of 'march' ('border territory', where the aristocratic titles 'Marquess' and 'Marchioness' come from)

Other cool naming stuff related to Great Britain:

Wales, Gaelic, Gaul, Cornwall, and probably many other names in the area come from the Germanic root '*walhaz,' which meant 'Romance (Latin-speaking) people!' (Well, it originally meant a specific Celtic tribe in Eastern Europe - but most of Europe was part of the Roman Empire, most of the Roman Empire spoke Latin, and who can tell the weird Latin-speakers apart?)

'Gaul' is from 'walhaz', but 'Gallia', the Latin name for the area in France that the Gauls lived? And 'Galloway', in Scotland? Those are from a different word! Which is possibly related to 'Celt?' The Irish of this period sometimes made jokes about 'Gaels' vs. 'Galls.'

Cumbria and Northumbria are not related terms

Cumbria, Cambria, Cumberland, and Cymru (proper names of Wales) are all related to the 'Kombroges' people

Norfolk and Suffolk, land of the "North Folks" and the "South Folks."

Maps and languages are both a lot of fun.

Peoples of Britain and Ireland, circa 802 AD.

[coloursofunison]

Today, I'm delighted to welcome Rowena Kinread and her new book, The Scots of Dalriada to the blog HistoricalFiction #ScottishHistoricalFiction #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

Today, I'm delighted to welcome Rowena Kinreead and her new book, The Scots of Dalriada to the blog HistoricalFiction #ScottishHistoricalFiction #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @RowenaKinread @cathiedunn @rowenakinread @thecoffeepotbookclub

The Scots of Dalriada The Scots of Dalriada takes place in 5th century Ireland and Scotland and tells the fictional story of the legendary king Fergus Mór. Recorded Irish history begins with the introduction of Christianity and Latin literacy, beginning in the 5th century. Most of my research however, relied on sources written much later. First and foremost, Studies in the History of Dalriada by…

[milenapetrofig]

The Celtic name of the stone upon which the true kings of Scotland have traditionally been crowned is Lia Fail, “the speaking stone”, or the stone which would proclaim the chosen king. It was originally used as part of the crowning ceremonies of the Scots kings of Dalriada, in the west of Scotland, an area just north of Glasgow now called Argyll. When Kenneth I, the 36th King of Dalriada united the Scots and Pictish kingdoms and moved his capital to Scone from western Scotland around 840AD, the Stone of Destiny was moved there too. All future Scottish kings would henceforth be enthroned on the Stone of Destiny atop Moot Hill at Scone Palace in Perthshire. The stone in question is no ornately carved megalith, just a simple oblong block of red sandstone, measuring some 650mm in length by 400mm wide, and 27mm deep: with chisel marks apparent on its flat top. So where did this magical or mythical stone originate from, and why was it held in such reverence by the kings of old? One legend dates back to biblical times and states that it is the same stone which Jacob used as a pillow at Bethel. Later, according to Jewish legend, it became the pedestal of the ark in the Temple. The stone was brought from Syria to Egypt by King Gathelus, who then fled to Spain following the defeat of the Egyptian army. A descendant of Gathelus brought the stone to Ireland, and was crowned on it as King of Ireland. And from Ireland, the stone moved with the invading Scots to Argyll. What is sure however, is that the Stone of Destiny remained at Scone until it was forcibly removed by the English King Edward I (“Hammer of the Scots”) after his Scottish victories in 1296, and taken to Westminster Abbey in London. The current Coronation Chair was made to house the stone in 1301 and it was first used at the coronation of Edward II, and thereafter to crown every subsequent king and queen of England. But can we even be sure of that? Still another interesting legend surrounding this mystical stone suggests that as King Edward I approached the palace, the monks of Scone hurriedly removed the Stone of Destiny and hid it, replacing it with another stone of similar size and shape. And it was this which the English King carried off in triumph back to London. Moot Hill chapel and Moot Hill at Scone Palace, with a replica of the Stone of Destiny in the foreground of the photo Perhaps this legend is not so far-fetched as it could help to explain why the Coronation Stone is so geologically similar to the sandstone commonly found around Scone. On St Andrews Day, 30 November 1996, 10,000 people lined Edinburgh’s Royal Mile to witness the Stone of Destiny return to Scotland for the first time in 700 years. In a service at St Giles cathedral the Church of Scotland Moderator, the Right Reverend John MacIndoe, formally accepted the stone’s return. But was this the real stone? A further twist surrounds the abduction of the Stone of Destiny from Westminster by Scottish Nationalists on Christmas Day 1950. Although the stone was eventually returned by the ‘stone-nappers’ in the following April, modern myth questions whether it was the actual Stone of Destiny that they returned! Whether or not the Stone of Destiny which is now proudly displayed at Edinburgh Castle is in actual fact the traditional coronation stone of Scottish kings it still remains a powerful symbol of Scottish independence.

[ask-his-flower-and-her-bear]

BRINGING THIS BACK BECAUSE I HAVE JUST HAD SOME MAJOR DEVELOPMENT CONSERNING SCANDINAVIA.

I have finally worked out when both my muses die/ disappear from this world.

Mum died in around 800 due to Wessex (who I headcannon to be the beginnings of England) uniting the southern Saxon kingdoms of Britain and also due to the dynastic chaos happening to the north.

Celt dies in or just after 830. I haven't worked on the specifics but vagely it is because he went to pay his respects to his dead wife in one of her churches or monistries on Iona, something she had held dear to her. However Vikings attacked the holy site and Celt fell in the fight.

Because Iona was in Scots territory, a place that had a personification and the lands of pictland and the Scot governed Dalriada, he didn't wake up.

{not really}

{not very well}

C: Her and her children payed visits to our islands toward the end of my time, so we didn’t really know eachother. They came after Britannia had left.