The Last of the Druids: The Mystery of the Pictish Symbol Stones by Iain W.G. Forbes

Author:Iain W.G. Forbes [Forbes, Iain W.G.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Amberley Publishing
Published: 2012-09-30T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 8

GIANTS, STARS AND SYMBOLS

Another Astronomical Calendar?

During the course of the last few chapters, we have explored in detail the Shandwick stone, and specifically the meaning of the hunting panel. On artistic merit alone there is no doubt that the Shandwick stone is an extraordinary monument. Despite its creation during the supposed Dark Ages, we have found that there are previously unimagined levels of complexity within the imagery. The cross slab seems to exhibit a curious mix of Christian symbolism, but also seemingly impenetrable pagan symbolism. As a result of an analysis of the imagery, we have developed a working hypothesis that the hunting panel actually represents a calendar that is integral to the meaning of the stone as a whole, a calendar based on the movement of the night sky. It has been argued that there is a strong possibility that it may even be counting down to a specific date, rather like an advent calendar. This date appears to be around the winter solstice and, in the context of the rest of the Christian message of the stone, this is most likely to be the Nativity. The starting date, around the vernal equinox, may also be significant. In the Christian context, this represents the day of the Annunciation by the Angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she would be carrying the son of God. Significantly, the prominent Pictish symbol above the hunting panel may well be linked to the imagery below, perhaps representing a constellation associated with the winter solstice (with Capricorn as the most promising candidate). This figure, the Pictish beast, may have been a very potent symbol of Christmas to the Picts, in the same way as pagan symbols, such as the Christmas tree and Santa Claus, are instantly recognised as an integral part of the Christian holiday of Christmas.

The implications of these rediscovered levels of complexity are enormous. The Picts, previously dismissed by many as barbarians, would now seem to have been deeply interested in astronomy and appear to have had a sophisticated understanding of the heavens. Furthermore we have uncovered evidence that while some of the constellations they recognised differed significantly from those of Mediterranean cultures, others shared considerable commonality with other European traditions. This suggests the possibility that astronomy may not have been the sole preserve of the classical cultures. There may have been a significantly different form of astronomy associated with northern Europe, with its own ancient pedigree. There is still a great deal of mystery about the nature and function of the imagery used on the stone, with the tantalising possibility that the Pictish symbols displayed on the Shandwick stone are not only integral to the stone’s message but may relate to a specific calendar date or to the night sky in some way.

Other Pictish monuments also display complex scenes and it would be desirable to turn our attention to other examples in order to identify other instances where there may also be an astronomical or calendrical influence. We should

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.