Contents

Welcome to www.pictishsymbolstones.com which has four main themes:

  • Pictish-Mithraism™ – which the author proposes was a belief system developed from Roman Mithraism
  • Carvings decoded in the context of beliefs – in particular Symbols representing a form of Mithraism
  • Surfaces of Stones used as a “shared space” with carvings reflecting different beliefs
  • Transition from Mithraism to Christianity including a prospective timeframe

Across these interconnected themes connections are made with the Roman military in Scotland, where and when Pictish-Mithraism may have started, Roman indoor temples of Mithras and the concept of an Open-Air Mithraeum, “personal attributes” ascribed to Celtic animals, birds and fish plus information on the original locations of Stones and the range of objects carved on them.

The research approach started with looking elsewhere for designs similar to those on Pictish Symbol Stones – to find none. Some structure was then given to sorting and recording the researched material then analysing the data by object and category resulting in two key outputs – Mithraic Symbols being identified and decoded plus Non-Mithraic Objects being identified and recorded.

Additionally there is a section on those Artistic Techniques used in structuring and positioning Symbols on Stones.

Pictish Symbol Stones

Carvings and Beliefs

Pictish Symbols Decoded – & more

The Origin of Pictish-Mithraism?

Shared Space for different beliefs

Artistic Techniques

Pictish “Transition” Stones

Dating “Transition”

Author, Bibliography and Copyright

Contact the Author

Header shows part of Rossie Priory, Perthshire Class 2 Stone.