The Picts And The Martyrs
Encyclopedia
The Picts and the Martyrs is the eleventh book in Arthur Ransome
's Swallows and Amazons series of children's books. It was published in 1943. This is the last completed book set in the Lake District
and features the Blackett sisters, the Amazons and the Callum siblings, Dick and Dorothea, known as the Ds. Ransome's most native character, the Great Aunt also features prominently as do many aspects of Lakeland life. The Dog's Home is based on a small stone hut built in the woods above Coniston Water
close to Ransome's then residence.
Nancy Blackett
insists that the Ds' holiday will not be spoiled and that they will learn to sail the Scarab
, a dinghy their father has bought for them. So they move out to the Dog's Home, a small hut in the woods, and become secretive Picts
while the Blacketts are martyr
s to the Great Aunt.
Despite the Great Aunt's attempts to civilize the Amazon pirates, they manage to accomplish a number of adventures while the Great Aunt suspects they are seeing the Swallows. Near the end of her visit, the Great Aunt goes missing and there is a hue and cry and search for her. The Ds find her despite being the only people who shouldn't meet her. They deliver the GA back to Beckfoot in time to catch her train – managing to avoid revealing their identities to her and slipping away before they can be questioned – while Nancy manages to save the Great Aunt some embarrassment for which she gets praised in a letter to her mother.
Arthur Ransome
Arthur Michell Ransome was an English author and journalist, best known for writing the Swallows and Amazons series of children's books. These tell of school-holiday adventures of children, mostly in the Lake District and the Norfolk Broads. Many of the books involve sailing; other common subjects...
's Swallows and Amazons series of children's books. It was published in 1943. This is the last completed book set in the Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
and features the Blackett sisters, the Amazons and the Callum siblings, Dick and Dorothea, known as the Ds. Ransome's most native character, the Great Aunt also features prominently as do many aspects of Lakeland life. The Dog's Home is based on a small stone hut built in the woods above Coniston Water
Coniston Water
Coniston Water in Cumbria, England is the third largest lake in the English Lake District. It is five miles long, half a mile wide, has a maximum depth of 184 feet , and covers an area of . The lake has an elevation of 143 feet above sea level...
close to Ransome's then residence.
Plot summary
The Ds have been invited to stay at Beckfoot at the start of the summer holidays while Mrs Blackett has been sent on a cruise for her health. However, when Great Aunt Maria finds out that the Blackett girls have been left at home, she decides to come and take care of them. She is unaware of the Ds' visit.Nancy Blackett
Nancy Blackett (character)
Nancy Blackett is a fictional character in nine of the twelve juvenile novels in Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series of books. She is a bit of a tomboy—acting as captain of the dinghy, Amazon and usually directing her friends in their various adventures...
insists that the Ds' holiday will not be spoiled and that they will learn to sail the Scarab
Scarab
Scarab may refer to:Vehicles* Stout Scarab, limited production automobile* Scammell Scarab - A small, 3-wheeled articulated lorry tractor unit produced 1948-1967* Scarab Other* Scarab of Ancient Egypt...
, a dinghy their father has bought for them. So they move out to the Dog's Home, a small hut in the woods, and become secretive Picts
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...
while the Blacketts are martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
s to the Great Aunt.
Despite the Great Aunt's attempts to civilize the Amazon pirates, they manage to accomplish a number of adventures while the Great Aunt suspects they are seeing the Swallows. Near the end of her visit, the Great Aunt goes missing and there is a hue and cry and search for her. The Ds find her despite being the only people who shouldn't meet her. They deliver the GA back to Beckfoot in time to catch her train – managing to avoid revealing their identities to her and slipping away before they can be questioned – while Nancy manages to save the Great Aunt some embarrassment for which she gets praised in a letter to her mother.