Ancient Alba

The Class II Pictish stone at Dyce On the southern bank of the River Don in Aberdeenshire, at a place called Dyce, there are two Pictish stones. They are found in the ruined chapel of St Fergus. One of the stones is a Class I stone dated to around the 5 th /6 th centuries, whereas the other is a Class II stone dated to around the 7 th /8 th centuries. The Class I stone includes two symbols - a Pictish beastie and a double disc and Z rod. The Class II stone includes a Christian cross, four symbols and Ogham script on the side of the stone. This post will focus on the Class II stone. The stone probably commemorates two individuals as there are two symbol pairs – the crescent moon and V rod and a triple disc and the double disc and Z rod and mirror case. The Ogham script reads - EOTTASSARRHETODDEDDOTS MAQQ ROGODDADD Like the Ogham script on the Brandsbutt stone, there are very few interpretations as to what this means. It clearly refers to an individual who is the son of Rogodadd.

www.canmore.org.uk In the small town of Inverurie in Aberdeenshire, there is a Pictish symbol stone with two symbols and some Ogham script on the left hand side of the stone. The stone is known as the ‘Brandsbutt stone’. The symbols include a crescent moon and V rod and a snake and Z rod. Ogham stones are mainly found in Ireland. However, there are a few in Wales and Scotland, mainly in Argyll and the north east. This suggests there was some level of Irish migration to these areas. The Ogham inscriptions usually include a personal name or two personal names e.g. X son of Y. However, the Ogham script on the Brandsbutt stone is unusual, to say the least. This, and other Ogham inscriptions on Pictish stones, have led people to believe that the Picts may have spoken some kind of pre Indo-European language. The Ogham script reads – IRATADDOARENS This may be a Pictish name. However, some scholars have suggested that ‘Ira’ is Old Breton for ‘here lies’. The Picts may have had a similar wo