Pictish Chronicle
Encyclopedia
The Pictish Chronicle is a name often given by historians to a list of the kings of the Picts
beginning many thousand years before history was recorded in Pictavia and ending after Pictavia had been enveloped by Scotland
. The original (albeit lost) manuscript seems to date from the early years of the reign of Kenneth II of Scotland
(who ruled Scotland from 971 until 995) since he is the last king mentioned and the chronicler does not know the length of his reign. All except the king-list, survives only from the Poppleton Manuscript
, dating to the 14th century.
There are actually several versions of the Pictish Chronicle. The so-called `A' text is probably the oldest, the fullest, and seems to have fewer errors than other versions. It is in three parts:
It is evident that the latter two sections were originally written in Gaelic
since a few Gaelic words have not been translated into Latin.
Picts
The Picts were a group of Late Iron Age and Early Mediaeval people living in what is now eastern and northern Scotland. There is an association with the distribution of brochs, place names beginning 'Pit-', for instance Pitlochry, and Pictish stones. They are recorded from before the Roman conquest...
beginning many thousand years before history was recorded in Pictavia and ending after Pictavia had been enveloped by Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The original (albeit lost) manuscript seems to date from the early years of the reign of Kenneth II of Scotland
Kenneth II of Scotland
Cináed mac Maíl Coluim was King of Scots...
(who ruled Scotland from 971 until 995) since he is the last king mentioned and the chronicler does not know the length of his reign. All except the king-list, survives only from the Poppleton Manuscript
Poppleton manuscript
The Poppleton Manuscript is the name given to the fourteenth century codex likely compiled by Robert of Poppleton, a Carmelite friar who was the Prior of Hulne, near Alnwick. The manuscript contains numerous works, such as a map of the world , and works by Orosius, Geoffrey of Monmouth and Gerald...
, dating to the 14th century.
There are actually several versions of the Pictish Chronicle. The so-called `A' text is probably the oldest, the fullest, and seems to have fewer errors than other versions. It is in three parts:
- An account of the origins of the Picts, mostly from the Etymologies of Isidore of SevilleIsidore of SevilleSaint Isidore of Seville served as Archbishop of Seville for more than three decades and is considered, as the historian Montalembert put it in an oft-quoted phrase, "le dernier savant du monde ancien"...
. - A list of Pictish kings.
- Occasionally included is the Chronicle of the Kings of AlbaChronicle of the Kings of AlbaThe Chronicle of the Kings of Alba, or Scottish Chronicle, is a short written chronicle of the Kings of Alba, covering the period from the time of Kenneth MacAlpin until the reign of Kenneth II . W.F...
.
It is evident that the latter two sections were originally written in Gaelic
Middle Irish language
Middle Irish is the name given by historical philologists to the Goidelic language spoken in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man from the 10th to 12th centuries; it is therefore a contemporary of late Old English and early Middle English...
since a few Gaelic words have not been translated into Latin.
See also
- Annals of UlsterAnnals of UlsterThe Annals of Ulster are annals of medieval Ireland. The entries span the years between AD 431 to AD 1540. The entries up to AD 1489 were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrí Ó Luinín, under his patron Cathal Óg Mac Maghnusa on the island of Belle Isle on Lough Erne in the...
- List of Kings of the Picts
- Annals of Tigernach