The Highlanders of Scotland - Clan Strachan Society

CHAP. II] OFSCOTLAND 23
intra eosdem montes habent sedes multo ante tempore (ut
perhibent) relicto errore idolatria^ fidem veritatis acceperant." ^
The northern Picts mentioned by Bede, in all probability
correspond with the Dicaledones of the Roman authors, for the
Dicaledones, from their name, apparently extended along the
Deucaledonian or Northern Sea. This distinction of the Pictish
nation into the two great tribes of the northern Picts or
Dicaledones and southern Picts, or Vecturiones, took its origin
probably from incidental circumstances, and was afterwards
perpetuated and increased b}- the difference of religion between
them during the period from the conversion of the southern
Picts by Ninian, and that of the northern Picts by St. Columba,
as well as by the superior progress in civilization, which the
prior conversion of the southern Picts would naturally give rise
to. The same twofold division of the Picts can be traced subsequent
to the time of St. Columba in Tighernac and the other
Irish annalists. In Tighernac, we find the Picts sometimes
termed Picti, at other times Cruithne and Piccardach :
but
although the last two are occasionally called Picti, yet we find
a marked distinction at all times drawn between them, and
occasionally we find them even having kings independent of
each other. As an instance, in the \-ear 731, Tighernac men-
tions a battle " between Brude, the son of Angus, and Talorcan,
"
the son of Congusa. Brude conquers, but Talorcan escapes ;
and in 734, we find it mentioned, that Talorcan, the son of
Congusa, was taken by his own brother, and given over by him
into the hands of the PiCCARDACH, thus making a complete
distinction between the Piccardach and the other Picts, of whom
Talorcan Mac Congusa was one. Again< in 729, Tighernac
calls Angus, the father -of Brude above-mentioned, "Ri na
Piccardach," or King of the Piccardach, while, at that time,
Drust was king of the Picts, and
throne of the Picts till the year 731.
Angus did not attain the
We may also remark, that
whenever Tighernac has the word Piccardach, the annals of
Ulster use the word Pictores in Latin, instead of Picti, the
name usually applied by them to the Picts. These words
Piccardach and Pictores have generally been thought synony-
•
Bede, b. 3, c. 4.