Sunday 31 January 2016

Rhynie Symbol Stones

Below the slopes of Tap o' Noth and its summit hillfort lies the village of Rhynie.  A quiet and unassuming place, archaeologists believe that at one time Rhynie was a major centre of Pictish power.  A glance at the map shows the amount of standing stones and stone circles in the surrounding area, most of which pre-date the Picts, but in 2011 a dig near to the spot where the "Rhynie Man" was found revealed the traces of a substantial fortified settlement.  Some of the artefacts recovered were of Roman origin and alongside other research has led to the suggestion that Rhynie was a royal Pictish site.

The Picts have proved elusive for historians; the word most often used when referring to them is "enigmatic".  Believed to have been both ethnically and linguistically a Celtic people, they controlled much of the north and east of what is now Scotland for at least 600 years.  Despite this prominence, comparatively little is known about them. They left no chronicles or written records and much of what is known of them comes from Roman, Gaelic and Norse sources; peoples they were in conflict with.  The Pictish language remains only in echoes down the centuries, in personal names such as Kenneth and Alpin, and in identifiably Pictish place name roots such as "Pit" or "Peth" (as in Pitmedden and Perth), "Aber" (as in Aberdeen) and "Lhan" (as in Lhanbryde).

The most tangible remains aside from fortified sites such as Tap o' Noth and Burghead are undoubtedly the several hundred Symbol Stones discovered across what was once Pictland.  Carved with great skill and artistry, most feature a range of uniquely Pictish motifs, often abstract or animistic and sometimes with representations of domestic objects. "Enigmatic" to the modern mind, the fact that the symbols occur on stones across the whole of Pictland from Shetland to the Forth implies that they would have been understood by all Picts.  A great resource for discovering more about the stones themselves and the Picts as a people is Historic Scotland's "Pictish Stones" website.

Rhynie has a good collection of symbol stones (aside from the Rhynie Man which, incongrously, is located in Aberdeen city council's HQ).  There are three stones in a shelter near to the present day churchyard, with a fourth in a nearby field.  




The light wasn't so good for photography when I visited on a grey November afternoon. This, the  largest stone, is 1.3 metres tall and carved with a "beast" possibly representing a seal or an otter combined with two typically Pictish abstract symbols- the double disc and Z-rod and a mirror and comb.






An information board nearby has clear representations of the carvings; the one in my photograph is at the lower left.

The fact that the meanings behind the symbols are uncertain adds to the experience of visiting the stones; I find Pictish sites fascinating and hope to explore more in the coming months.

11 comments:

  1. Yes, please do explore the Picts and their stones more! Thrilled...

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    1. It'll be a pleasure to do so Leif! :o)

      Best wishes

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  2. So fascinating, Ian. We have a stone, of Pictish origin, on display in St. Athernase (where I served for nine months last year). The church is 900 years old...the stone so much older. It's quite incredible to ponder that passage of time. Most enjoyable read. Warm wishes to you.

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    1. Hi Duncan, that's a stone I wasn't aware of - and another to visit! I just read that St Athernase is situated near the remains of an even older Pictish church -an amazing span of faith. And what's more the kirk seems to have been equipped with a MTKTV - astonishing! :o)

      Warm wishes to you both

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    2. Good point, Ian. ;) You must have seen the manse pics I was asked to take. The MTKTV (based, as you know, on a rare civilian-model Ford Focus), is currently under MG Mike's watchful eye in a secure neighbourhood of Bridge of Allan, patiently waiting. The J-racks, discreetly hidden away, are ready to be filled. :)

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  3. I've seen a few pictish stones over the years. Very simple yet highly elegant designs considering they are carved in stone with not many straight line shapes as you would presume they would be easier and less inclined to chip or fracture.

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  4. Elegant is just the word Bob, the work of proper craftsmen I think

    Kind Regards

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  5. It was very rewarding following your link suggestions, and also Duncan & Joan's to St Athernase. Been interested in runestones and rock carvings for many years and life before those. Today when I was going to put up an art book on a bookshelf at home, I found "The Art of the Picts. Sculpture and Metalwork in Early Medieval Scotland" by George and Isabel Henderson on my bookshelf! 256 pages, printed 2004. Completely forgotten about it! Found photos of the Rhynie man and the the stone on your photo, Ian. There are several maps in it and lot of pictures. Sincerely recommended. My admiration of their artwork grows and grows.

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  6. Hi Leif, thanks for the tip - I'll look out for that book! :o)

    Kind Regards

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  7. A kayaking friend in Sweden told me about this site today. Please click on the map of Pictland...
    http://www.historyfiles.co.uk/FeaturesBritain/BritishMap.htm
    Enjoy!
    Sunny regards from a country where the water is getting soft again.
    Kind Regards

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  8. Thanks Leif - that's a useful resource :o) My home is in what once would have been Pictland;we're very lucky to have so much history surrounding us in the landscape

    The water getting soft again - I love that image!

    Warm wishes

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