The Story Of Scottish Art.

[Goatboy]

Was dog sitting for a wee while today and caught a great program on BBC IPlayer. The Story Of Scottish Art hosted by Lachlan Goudie. Was a fair section on Pictish art and as well as being lucky enough to be brought up 'round an area where there was a fair bit of it lying around it brought a fair bit of Dreadheads leatherwork to mind. Don't know if you managed to catch it Hamish but it's well worth a deco. Anyone else who likes a bit of art or is looking for a bit of carving inspiration in leather or wood should try and catch it.

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.

 

[Monikieman]

Oops. Need to catch up on the day now. Got a wee bit engrossed............. Cheers.

 

[Dreadhead]

ooo sounds braw, I'll watch that today whilst I'm carving. Launching a batch of new products within the next month, all heavily carved with Pictish carvings taken directly from the stones, so I'll enjoy having this on whilst I'm carving today cheers for the heads up

 

[Klenchblaize]

Those carved stone balls are truly fab:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b06h7xsm/the-story-of-scottish-art-episode-1

 

[sandbender]

I'm going to check that out, many thanks.

 

[Dreadhead]

you have opened a box that cannot be closed Colin The Picts didn't dissappear! We're still here! The Picts eventually merged with the Scots and Scotland was at the time the only nation unified under a single king in the UK, which is astounding when you think the pressures they had around them. The manuscripts and texts we have were referring to the King of the Picts and Pictland, and over time as the languages of the texts changed between latin and gaelic, it suddenly just started to be called scotland with king of the scots.
From what I've read, the people were the same, there were no huge decisive battles that wiped one or the other out. They just merged, and over the centuries their identity changed. But, there are also so many sources and theories out there so who really knows for sure. At least that's my understanding, feel free to come and poke holes in it

 

[Dreadhead]

Just watched the rest of it where he goes on to briefly mention the merging and the kingdom of Alba. Got a bit carried away there hahah

Not a bad wee show though, highlighted some good things. I turned it off after the Pictish part as I can't help it but my interest in history plumments after the 11th/12th century.

Now going to wach treasures of the anglo saxons, also on Iplayer

P.S fully reccommend treasures of the anglo saxons, really fascinating and hosted by the lovely Nina Ramirez

 

[Goatboy]

She's a bonny & clever lass that one. The programs & lectures she's done are informative & entertaining. Plus that Anglo-Saxon being is lovely.
On the poking holes I wouldn't and couldn't. There's so little hard Pictish evidence, something that's bugged me since childhood as I always wanted to know more. Now if you were basing it on that terrible film (was it Legion or Centurion?) that depicted the Picts (see what I did there ) as a bunch of stoneage savages then I may take issue.
Did you ever get to Pictavia up at Brechin? Good museum and well worth a visit.

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.

 

[Dreadhead]

She's a bonny & clever lass that one. The programs & lectures she's done are informative & entertaining. Plus that Anglo-Saxon being is lovely.
On the poking holes I wouldn't and couldn't. There's so little hard Pictish evidence, something that's bugged me since childhood as I always wanted to know more. Now if you were basing it on that terrible film (was it Legion or Centurion?) that depicted the Picts (see what I did there ) as a bunch of stoneage savages then I may take issue.
Did you ever get to Pictavia up at Brechin? Good museum and well worth a visit.

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.

oh don't get started on that movie ha!

I never did make it up to Pictavia no, but I grew up a miles miles from Archaeolink up in Aberdeenshire. There they had a large pictish roundhouse, acually they had a structure from each period up there. As well as big leather boats, stone circles, the lot. Sadly it shut down the other year, and if I remember correctly so was Pictavia?

 

[sandbender]

"..on that terrible film (was it Legion or Centurion?) that depicted the Picts (see what I did there ) as a bunch of stoneage savages then I may take issue..."

Wasn't it 'The Eagle'?

Most of it was filmed here in Hungary with Hungarian extras, with only the odd 'men walking next to a loch or towards a mountain' scene filmed here.

Not a great film.

 

[Rich D]

Wasn't it 'The Eagle'?

Most of it was filmed here in Hungary with Hungarian extras, with only the odd 'men walking next to a loch or towards a mountain' scene filmed here.

Not a great film.

that's the one what a load of rubbish..

 

[Goatboy]

The Eagle it was, though thwarting other ones weren't great either.
That's a bummer about both of those museums closing (What will Brechin do with that and Flicks gone ? )
Always sad to see any museum go but ones with good Pictish content are rare beasts.

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.

 

[Dreadhead]

There's nothing quite so satisfying as derailibg a thread with the authenticity of a movie or tv show

But aye if no funding is going towards those, where the hell is it going? I would hate to see Archaeolink bulldozed with how much they have put into it.

 

[Toddy]

I get really, really, vexed at this.

No other country in western Europe (or indeed in much of the world) pays so little towards supporting it's cultural history
We pay pennies where they pay pounds, and that's literally.

Archaeolink just could not bring in the numbers that it needed to keep itself going. No idea why, the concept was brilliant, it should have become a real education focus and it just didn't. Didn't help that the original folks who set it up were voted out (fired) right enough, and in came supposedly 'business' orientated ones as a condition of funding I believe. Y'can see how well that worked.

As for the Brechin site, it's the same issue. It needs numbers of people or it needs an educational basis. A research base for scholars and a constantly refreshed programme of events. It didn't happen and the cuts to local council budgets mean that core necessities get the money.
http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/lo...mber-surprised-it-has-lasted-so-long-1.602045

Groam House in Rosemarkie though is still open and still a good, if smallish, place for a trip

M

 

[Goatboy]

Those carved stone balls are truly fab:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b06h7xsm/the-story-of-scottish-art-episode-1

Aye those and the "Westry Wife" are lovely things. If I remember correctly John Fenna made a copy of her a wee while back.
I've been trying to get to all the standing stones in Perthshire over the last few years, working from an old antiquarian book on the subject. Sadly a fair few have disappeared in the intervening years but its been fun.
Speaking of antiquarians I don't know if any of you have any of Julian Copes books (He the former musician of "World Shut Your Mouth" fame)? Not that easy to come by but jammed full of good information and photographs.

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.

 

[nic a char]

you have opened a box that cannot be closed Colin The Picts didn't dissappear! We're still here! The Picts eventually merged with the Scots and Scotland was at the time the only nation unified under a single king in the UK, which is astounding when you think the pressures they had around them. The manuscripts and texts we have were referring to the King of the Picts and Pictland, and over time as the languages of the texts changed between latin and gaelic, it suddenly just started to be called scotland with king of the scots.
From what I've read, the people were the same, there were no huge decisive battles that wiped one or the other out. They just merged, and over the centuries their identity changed. But, there are also so many sources and theories out there so who really knows for sure. At least that's my understanding, feel free to come and poke holes in it

Yes, agreed, & fascinating. The Picts didn't write = explanation for their "disappearance", & unknown meanings of their art /symbols.
The many books about the Picts vary, hence the quote "history = agreed lies".