Pictish Art & Symbol Stones
From AberlemnoEach time I return from Strathmore I find myself obsessed by Pictish art. It is one of those things that is truely extraordinary and at the same time almost unknown. The gift shop in Glamis Castle, centred in the heart of an area with some of the finest symbol stones, has not one single gift with Pictish art on it. Any kind of authentic pre-Christian art is thin on the ground in the UK, and yet there are hundreds of symbol stones throughout the east coast of Scotland, from Fife in the south to Orkney in the north, and many are huge, and covered with the most detailed and meticulous carvings.
Much of what passes for "Celtic Art" is in fact Pictish. In his classic "Celtic Art: the methods of construction", George Bain admits as much. The most complex and mature examples are found on stones along the east coast of Scotland. Celtic knotwork designs are found in many places (I've seen wooden beams on old Norwegian buildings carved with excellent knotwork), but it achieves an order-of-magnitude leap in complexity. There are also many baffling pre-Christian symbols, and narrative scenes of hunting, war, fantastic animals, and events in the Bible. The animals are often beautifully rendered as cartoons.
Part of the attraction is the mystery. Almost nothing from the 7th-9th century survives, and yet, nestling in graveyards of tiny little country churches, embedded in a landscape still recognisably the same, are these huge pages from a book of stone. There is an unexpected sophistication; one of the reasons I left the area was its relentless devotion to agriculture, and yet there is was once a world-class school of vernacular art where now there are turnips.
Part of the attraction is serendipity.There is an element of treasure hunting. One finds stones in the most curious places, and often there is little or no indication, no sign, nothing to celebrate the occasion (although that is changing). Our recent trip to St. Orlands Stone took us along miles of abandoned railway track, over a deer fence, and up a muddy track. It was worth it.
Another part of the attraction is sentimental. Both sides of my family come from Strathmore, and so far as one can tell, always did. Many of the finest stones are found within 10 miles of my Mum's house.