Picts

The term Picts refers to a group of tribes that lived in northwestern Europe. Mediterranean classical-era writers named the Pictish lands Caledonia, which is now part of Scotland. This area can be found north of the River Forth in northern Britain.

Related Topics:
Europe - Mediterranean classical-era - Caledonia - Scotland - River Forth - Britain

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Pict first appears in a panegyric written by Eumenius in 297 AD. Although Picti is usually assumed to mean painted or tattooed (as in Latin), the term may have a Celtic origin. The Goidelic Celts called the Picts cruithne (e.g. Old Irish cru(i)then-túath, based on the Old Irish root cruth) and the Brythonic Celts knew them as prydyn (e.g. Early Welsh *kwriteno-teut?, or the more modern pryd), whence Britain.

Related Topics:
Panegyric - Eumenius - Latin - Goidelic - Cruithne - Old Irish - Brythonic - Early Welsh - Britain

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