A history of the Highlands and of the Highland clans : with an ...

PHELIMINARY DISSERTATION XlV
With respect to the term Picti, it is unnecessary to search for its
etymon any where but in the well known practice « liich exisfeil among
the ancient Britons of painting their bodies with a blue juice ex-
tracted from woad called glastum, in Gaul, according to Pliny,
ivho says that it resembled plantain. This custom was universal
among (he Britons in the time of Cissar, who informs us that they
thereby intended to make themselves look more terrible to their
enemies in battle.* As the Roman arras prevailed, and civilization
was diffused, this barbarous practice was gradually given up, and it
is supposed that about the end of the second, or beginning of the
third century, it had been wholly disused by the provincial Britons,
including, of course, the midland Britons, or Ma;at;E of the Romans,
living between the northern walls. To distinguish, therefore, these
provincials who had submitted themselves to the Roman laws, and
had laid aside manj' of their barbarous customs, from the uncon-
quered Caledonians of the north, the Roman writers gave them the
Latinized appellation of Picti, in reference to the practice of painting
their bodies, which, after the expedition of Severusf into the north of
Scotland, was observed to be in general use among the barbarous
tribes of that country by those who accompanied him. The same dis-
tinction was afterwards Gaelicized by the Irish and ancient Scots into
Cruinilli, or Cruineacht, from the Gaelic verb Cruinicam, to paint.
The Picts were called b3' the southern Britons Pliychthead, a term which
resembles Pichatach, a Gaelic word signifying pie-coloured, variegated,
or painted.^ From the practice alluded to, Innes thinks that the name
Britannia was derived, Biilk in the Celtic signifying, according to
Camden, paint, and Taniiia in the same language, according to
Pezron,§ country ; so that Britannia originally signified the country of
the painted, or figured people.[|
Although the national distinctions of Scots and Piets appear to have
been unknown to the ancient inhabitants of North Britain till the sixth
• Comni. Buuk v.
f The follo'.ving account of Severus*s expedition, is tal»en from the fr.igmcnt of Dio
before referred to :—" Of lliis island, not much less tlian tlie Ijalf is curs. Severus,
wisliing to ]"educe tlie whole under his power, entered Caledonia. In ills niarcli he met
with unspeakal>]e ditiiculties in cutting dowii woods, levell ng eminences, raising banivs
across the marslies, and building bridges over tlie rivers. He fouglit no battle, the
enemy never appearing in array, but advisedly placing sheep and oxen in the way of our
troops, that while our soldiers attempted to seize them, and by the fraud were dra^n
into defiles, they might be easily cut off. The lakes likewise were destructive to our
men, as dividing them, so that they fell into ambuscades ; and while thej- could not be
brought off, were slain by our arn\v. that they n'iglit not fall into the hands of the enem)
Owing to these causes, there died no Jess than fifty thousand of our troops. Severus,
however, did not desist till he had reached the extreme part of the island, where he di-
ligently remarked the diversity of the solar course, and the length of the nights and daj-a
in summer and winter."
\ Kuddleston's Notes to Tolaml's History of the Uruids, p. .338.
5 Anli^- des Gauls, p. S7f