Ive been reading A History of Scotland by Neil Oliver based on his BBC series, i actually bought this for my dads Chritsmas so glad its coming in handy. When Romans arrived they observed how the locals in Britannia painted themselves with blue woad, a blue pigment used today to dye clothes its the stuff Mel Gibson wore in Braveheart despite the body painting thing having gone out of style at that time.
What ive learned is that a lot about what we know about Scotland in the few centuries after Rome made contact wasnt written by our ancestors but the people who encountered them, often as enemies. I keep getting back to this idea of Scottish history being mythologised, created by outsiders.
Ive also learned a bit about the picts or picti (the painted ones) as the Romans called them, one of the Celtic tribes who after warring with the Gaels united as the people of Alba. The picts are known for their styalised patterns and animals, one notable example is the Drosten Stone. The picts adopted the traditions of the Gaels and their way of life dissappeared, maybe this idea of loss of tradition and way of life can relate to modern day Scotland?
Ive also read a bit about the real Macbeth who was also mythologised by Shakespere. Theres a few more books for me to read but i want to get a lot of research done before i start thinking about my characters, maybe one will be pictish.
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