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Crescent V-rod
The Crescent and the Crescent with a V-rod through it, appear often on the Pictish Stones.
The crescent is thought to symbolise the moon/sun and also thought to symbolise death.
The V-rod is thought to be a bent or broken arrow.
The crescent is thought to symbolise the moon/sun and also thought to symbolise death.
The V-rod is thought to be a bent or broken arrow.
Boar
The boar is an emblem of fertility, fearlessness, and strength, but also stubbornness, war, and chaos. As the meat of the boar is prized, it is also a symbol of hospitality.
Bull
The bull was, and still is, a symbol of fertility, wealth, and status.
The bull likewise symbolizes ties to the land, ancestry, and kinship. A good bull was a sign of wealth in a culture that revolved around farming, the prestige of a clan’s…
The bull likewise symbolizes ties to the land, ancestry, and kinship. A good bull was a sign of wealth in a culture that revolved around farming, the prestige of a clan’s…
Goose
A rare example of the Goose symbol can be seen on the Easterton Of Roseisle, Class I Pictish Symbol Stone from Moray, now housed in National Museum Scotland, Edinburgh. The stone slab features a goose, with neck arched back over body, above a…
Wolf
A good example of the Wolf Symbol can be seen on the Ardross 'wolf' Stone, now housed in Inverness Museum.
Eagle
A good example of the Eagle Symbol can be seen on The Clach an Tiompain (Sounding Stone) or Eagle Stone, a small Class I Pictish stone, located on a hill on the northern outskirts of Strathpeffer in Easter Ross, Scotland.
Horse
The horse was a tremendously important animal to the Celtic tribes, and its domestication transformed the Celtic culture Horses were used for meat and milk and provided labor for farming and transportation, making for huge advances in hunting and…
The Pictish Beast
The most common animal symbol of all is the Pictish Beast.
The Pictish Beast (sometimes Pictish Dragon or Pictish Elephant) is an artistic representation of an animal depicted on Pictish symbol stones. It is not easily identifiable with any real…
The Pictish Beast (sometimes Pictish Dragon or Pictish Elephant) is an artistic representation of an animal depicted on Pictish symbol stones. It is not easily identifiable with any real…
Key Pattern
Key Patterns (repeated vertical and horizontal lines).
Know here as the Key Pattern, or a meander or meandros (Greek: Μαίανδρος) it is a decorative border constructed from a continuous line, shaped into a repeated motif. Such a design is also…
Know here as the Key Pattern, or a meander or meandros (Greek: Μαίανδρος) it is a decorative border constructed from a continuous line, shaped into a repeated motif. Such a design is also…
Fish
The fish symbol is also known as the Salmon, it may be symbolic of wisdom and prophecy.
Salmon figure prominently in Celtic mythological tales, they often inhabited the sacred wells, feeding on the fruits (often, hazelnuts) of the tree of life.
Salmon figure prominently in Celtic mythological tales, they often inhabited the sacred wells, feeding on the fruits (often, hazelnuts) of the tree of life.
Snake
The serpent or snake, is thought to be a symbol of medicine and healing, although this is unknown.
The snake symbol can also be found with a Z-rod through it.
The snake symbol can also be found with a Z-rod through it.
Spirals
The noble spirals of Aberlemno, Shandwick, Tarbat, Hilton of Cadboll, Nigg the Tara Brooch, and the Ardagh chalice led the way to the great art of the scribes, who produced the supreme masterpieces of the world’s decoration of books, profusely…
Interlace
According to artist George Bain, Religion and Pagan laws had the greatest influence on the art form of Celtic knots, playing an important role in there design.
The interlacing of human form and Celtic knots evolved from laws forbidding drawing…
The interlacing of human form and Celtic knots evolved from laws forbidding drawing…
Plant Forms
The reference to the plant forms which rarely occur in the Book of Kells and not at all in the Book of Durrow and Lindisfarne, have been used to prove that the two latter books belong to an earlier period. It is the author’s opinion (George Bain),…
Human Figures
The representations of human figures by Celtic Artists were influenced by the Pagan Laws that forbade the copying of the works of the Almighty Creator. In Celtic Zoomorphic ornaments the physical appearance of man was not copied. His legs, arms,…
Mirror and Comb
Another object commonly inscribed on Pictish stones is the mirror, often paired with a comb.
The comb and mirror are thought to be symbols of female wealth and prestige, and may denote a woman’s memorial, although they are also heavily associated…
The comb and mirror are thought to be symbols of female wealth and prestige, and may denote a woman’s memorial, although they are also heavily associated…
Double Disc Z-Rod
The double disc is a Pictish symbol of unknown meaning, that is frequently found on Class I and Class II Pictish stones, as well as on Pictish metalwork. The symbol can be found with and without an overlaid Z-rod (also of unknown meaning), and in…