Hi Fiona, what a lovely blog to make me smile, thanks! I am so glad you can laugh about changing your mind, way to go. Just a little comment if I may, the Drainie stone is upside down, the mirror + comb are always below the main components on Pictish stones, not on top. Also, we have done a fair bit of work on Sueno's stone, which you are welcome to, by joining our group Pictish symbols: Art and Context. Don't worry though, there's always plenty more to go.
Hi Helen, thanks very much for commenting! I'm glad you enjoyed the blog. I did think I'd never seen the mirror symbol that way up before. I was worried I might have got the photo the wrong way up, but it seems that's how it's displayed in Elgin Museum - as the little 5 at bottom left shows. Thanks for letting me know about your FB group, I've requested to join :)
Hi Fiona. Thanks for highlighting this, I wasn’t aware of this find. On Kinloss and a bridge can I throw in one of my pet theories? There’s never been an accepted etymological root for Kinloss but for me it would make sense if it was head (kin) of the loxa (lossie from Ptolemy). The current outflow of the Lossie is fairly recent, it is a very meandering river and did always feed the Laich. An outflow from the Laich (or a meandering Lossie) into Findhorn Bay would then make sense of Kinloss. Not sure where a bridge would be located mind you. Somewhere near Roseisle providing access to the Burghead island? All speculation but I do think the core samples do support at least the presence of the watercourse. Certainly don’t think they can be talking about a bridge over Kinloss burn!
Hi Alastair, thanks very much for commenting. Ha, I have the same pet theory about Kinloss being "head of the Loxa" - made even more plausible by the fact that W.J. Watson in The Celtic Place-Names of Scotland writes: "Half a degree north of the estuary of Varar, and in the same longitude, Ptolemy places the mouth of the river Loxa. If the estuary was reckoned to end at the narrow between the points of Chanonry and Ardersier, the position of Loxa equates with that of the Findhorn, and this appears to be the river actually meant."
I welcome all and any theories about the bridge! They weren't big on bridges in general in the 10th century - certainly not arched ones as apparently depicted on Sueno's stone - and my strong feeling is that the stuff about the bridge (and in fact Kinloss) was added into the chronicle later, post-dating the establishment of the Abbey. But that's going to require grappling with manuscripts, which I'm not yet equipped to do!
Hi Fiona, what a lovely blog to make me smile, thanks! I am so glad you can laugh about changing your mind, way to go. Just a little comment if I may, the Drainie stone is upside down, the mirror + comb are always below the main components on Pictish stones, not on top. Also, we have done a fair bit of work on Sueno's stone, which you are welcome to, by joining our group Pictish symbols: Art and Context. Don't worry though, there's always plenty more to go.
Hi Helen, thanks very much for commenting! I'm glad you enjoyed the blog. I did think I'd never seen the mirror symbol that way up before. I was worried I might have got the photo the wrong way up, but it seems that's how it's displayed in Elgin Museum - as the little 5 at bottom left shows. Thanks for letting me know about your FB group, I've requested to join :)
Hi Fiona. Thanks for highlighting this, I wasn’t aware of this find. On Kinloss and a bridge can I throw in one of my pet theories? There’s never been an accepted etymological root for Kinloss but for me it would make sense if it was head (kin) of the loxa (lossie from Ptolemy). The current outflow of the Lossie is fairly recent, it is a very meandering river and did always feed the Laich. An outflow from the Laich (or a meandering Lossie) into Findhorn Bay would then make sense of Kinloss. Not sure where a bridge would be located mind you. Somewhere near Roseisle providing access to the Burghead island? All speculation but I do think the core samples do support at least the presence of the watercourse. Certainly don’t think they can be talking about a bridge over Kinloss burn!
Hi Alastair, thanks very much for commenting. Ha, I have the same pet theory about Kinloss being "head of the Loxa" - made even more plausible by the fact that W.J. Watson in The Celtic Place-Names of Scotland writes: "Half a degree north of the estuary of Varar, and in the same longitude, Ptolemy places the mouth of the river Loxa. If the estuary was reckoned to end at the narrow between the points of Chanonry and Ardersier, the position of Loxa equates with that of the Findhorn, and this appears to be the river actually meant."
He also adds "I offer no opinion as to the meaning of Loxa" - although I think it can't be coincidence that "lox" is an ancient word for "salmon": https://nautil.us/the-english-word-that-hasnt-changed-in-sound-or-meaning-in-8000-years-8188/
I welcome all and any theories about the bridge! They weren't big on bridges in general in the 10th century - certainly not arched ones as apparently depicted on Sueno's stone - and my strong feeling is that the stuff about the bridge (and in fact Kinloss) was added into the chronicle later, post-dating the establishment of the Abbey. But that's going to require grappling with manuscripts, which I'm not yet equipped to do!