BodhiSeed
It all began as an idea for a friend's birthday, and then kept growing along with my research. When my ideas and artwork were combined with the amazing wood and laser work of Waleswoman (aka Alaska Laser Maid on Etsy), the Pictish Oracle was the result. There are 24 Pictish symbols engraved on 1 1/2 x 1 inch lacquered or oiled wooden tiles, with a simple muslin cloth drawstring bag. A PDF file of their meanings is included with purchase. (These will be sold through Walewoman's Etsy shop).
From the LWB for The Pictish Oracle © 2013 Beverly King
The Picts were indigenous inhabitants of ancient Scotland. First named in a Latin poem in AD 297, they were referred to as the Picti, or “Painted People.” In the early 3rd century, a number of smaller tribes had been absorbed into the Caledonii and Maeatae; by the end of the century, both were labeled Picti. It is possible these painted (or tattooed) people later transferred the symbols on their bodies to the stones for which they are known.
The Pictish stones have been categorized in two main groups, Class I or Class II. Class I stones have incised symbols on large boulders or stone slabs and are thought to have been created in the 6th and 7th centuries. Class II stones were carved in relief on rectangular shaped slabs and are thought to have been created in the 8th and 9th centuries when the Picts began converting to Christianity. The Pictish symbols have been found not only on carved stones, but also on cave walls, jewelry and domestic items. There are a quite a few theories about the meaning and purpose of these symbols. Historians and archeologists have imagined them to be grave stones, boundary markers, signposts, marriage commemorations, and tribal or lineage emblems. Unfortunately, none of these theories present a statistically significant sample. Without any ancient explanation, the Pictish symbols will likely remain much of a mystery.
The symbols I have chosen for the Pictish Oracle primarily come from the incised Class I stones. They are a collection of geometric figures, real and mythical animals and everyday items. Though I offer a few crumbs of information about them (and suggest a few keywords), most of their oracular meaning is likely to come from your own intuition or from some memory/idea triggered by the image.
From the LWB for The Pictish Oracle © 2013 Beverly King
The Picts were indigenous inhabitants of ancient Scotland. First named in a Latin poem in AD 297, they were referred to as the Picti, or “Painted People.” In the early 3rd century, a number of smaller tribes had been absorbed into the Caledonii and Maeatae; by the end of the century, both were labeled Picti. It is possible these painted (or tattooed) people later transferred the symbols on their bodies to the stones for which they are known.
The Pictish stones have been categorized in two main groups, Class I or Class II. Class I stones have incised symbols on large boulders or stone slabs and are thought to have been created in the 6th and 7th centuries. Class II stones were carved in relief on rectangular shaped slabs and are thought to have been created in the 8th and 9th centuries when the Picts began converting to Christianity. The Pictish symbols have been found not only on carved stones, but also on cave walls, jewelry and domestic items. There are a quite a few theories about the meaning and purpose of these symbols. Historians and archeologists have imagined them to be grave stones, boundary markers, signposts, marriage commemorations, and tribal or lineage emblems. Unfortunately, none of these theories present a statistically significant sample. Without any ancient explanation, the Pictish symbols will likely remain much of a mystery.
The symbols I have chosen for the Pictish Oracle primarily come from the incised Class I stones. They are a collection of geometric figures, real and mythical animals and everyday items. Though I offer a few crumbs of information about them (and suggest a few keywords), most of their oracular meaning is likely to come from your own intuition or from some memory/idea triggered by the image.
