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Chad
In: Ramsbottom
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| Gaelic's arrival and expansion in the various different regions of Scotland in the Middle Ages, examining in particular a number of different nodes of controversy, where paradigms have been shifting over recent years, including the advent of Gaelic in northern Britain; the dominance of G aelic in the kingdom of Alba; and Gaelic in the south-west, the Western Isles, and the far north. What will emerge is a much more complex, nuanced series of interlocking episodes in Scotland's linguistic history. |
An archaic dialect of Gaelic was spoken in remote parts of Scotland up until a couple of hundred years ago... (I think as far east as Perthshire)... which is said to be little changed since the Palaeolithic.
Its vocabulary is centred mainly on hunting terms (and other basic communication necessities) and very similar words in the modern western Gaelic dialects have acquired meanings more appropriate to a post hunting culture, but with fairly obvious connection to the archaic.
This would suggest Gaelic was the original language of Scotland, rather than an Irish import.
(Wiley knows much more about this stuff than I do.)
http://lochearnhead.wikidot.com/archaic-gaelic
Well worth looking at.
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N R Scott
In: Middlesbrough
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Skara Brae - Elizabethan Village?
I've been reading Hakluyt's Voyages (the edition I'm reading was published in the 60's by Irwin R. Blacker). Today I was reading an account of Martin Frobisher's 2nd voyage in search of the Northwest Passage (1577), written by the sailor Master Dionise Settle. Before heading further into the Arctic they stopped off at the Orkney Islands.
..with a merrie wind the 7. of June we arrived at the Islands called Orcades, or vulgarly Orkney, being in number 30. subject and adjacent to Scotland, where we made provision of fresh water; in the doing whereof our Generall licensed the Gentlemen and souldiers for their recreation, to goe on shore. At our landing, the people fled from their poore cottages, with shrikes and alarms, to warne their neighbours of enemies, but by gentle perswasions we reclamed them to their houses. It seemeth they are often frighted with Pirats, or some other enemies, that moove them to such sudden feare.
Their houses are very simply builded with Pibble stone, without any chimmeis, the fire being made in the middest thereof. The good man, wife, children, and other of their family eate and sleepe on the one side of the house, and the cattell on the other, very beastly and rudely, in respect of civilitie. They are destitute of wood, their fire is turffes, and Cowshards. They have corne, bigge, and oates, with which they pay their Kings rent, to the maintenance of his house. They take great quantitie of fish, which they dry in the wind and Sunne. They dresse their meat very filthily, and eate it without salt. Their apparell is after the rudest sort of Scotland. Their money is all base. Their Church and religion is reformed according to the Scots. - [my italics] |
Obviously it's a bit of a long shot as it would mean the dating is about 4000 years out! ..but the description is almost perfect. Especially the fires being in the centre of the homes, and the fact that cattle, fish and grain are found in the archaeology.
It might also help explain things like;
| A sophisticated drainage system was incorporated into the village's design. It included a primitive form of toilet in each dwelling. ~ Wiki, | |
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N R Scott
In: Middlesbrough
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Another thing I also thought was worth noting came later in Settle's tale. When they were in Frisland (which I'm guessing is either Iceland or perhaps Greenland) they piled stones up as markers of their discovery.
| ..[we] now and then heaped up stones on high mountaines, and other places in token of possession, as likewise to signifie unto such as hereafter may chance to arrive there, the possession is taken in the behalfe of some other Prince.. |
Were I to see a pile of stones out on some hill today I would think it very ancient, but if this account is correct then it was seemingly a common way to mark things up until fairly recently.
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Wile E. Coyote
In: Arizona
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| N R Scott wrote: | Another thing I also thought was worth noting came later in Settle's tale. When they were in Frisland (which I'm guessing is either Iceland or perhaps Greenland) they piled stones up as markers of their discovery.
| ..[we] now and then heaped up stones on high mountaines, and other places in token of possession, as likewise to signifie unto such as hereafter may chance to arrive there, the possession is taken in the behalfe of some other Prince.. |
Were I to see a pile of stones out on some hill today I would think it very ancient, but if this account is correct then it was seemingly a common way to mark things up until fairly recently. |
Before I was researching Shell Middens, I associated them with so called mesolithic...
https://www.thoughtco.com/archaeological-study-of-shell-middens-170122
But is that the case?
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Ishmael
In: Toronto
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| N R Scott wrote: | | Obviously it's a bit of a long shot as it would mean the dating is about 4000 years out! ..but the description is almost perfect. Especially the fires being in the centre of the homes, and the fact that cattle, fish and grain are found in the archaeology. |
I'm afraid it's worse than that!
I have come to the conclusion that nothing in British History is reliable prior to 1700. I have not come to this conclusion with any good cheer.
Frobisher's voyage is itself likely to be a duplication of a voyage made by someone else from somewhere else or is a duplication of a much more recent voyage.
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Ishmael
In: Toronto
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Aside...
Thinking about that name, Frobisher. It consists of a three syllables, two of which I can identify as parts of my universal language system (for lack of a better description).
"Bisher" is the "Tzar" root word combined with the "Bi" prefix. I have Tzar means division. "Bi" I have thought to have something to do with blood--but in terms of familiar relation ("blood is thicker than water).
I think now though that I may have it wrong. This particular combination is the basis of the words "brother," "bizarre," and "border," for example. I think the prefix is more likely meant to imply something like "twinning" or duplicating---especially given its continued use in modern words like "bisexual" and "biplane."
I suspect that this word Bi-Tzar (Bizarre) is the heart of the name Byzantium (Bi-Tzar -- Tium).
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Mick Harper
Site Admin
In: London
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