Episode 481: The Pictish Beast
About this episode
This episode explores the mysterious Pictish Beast, an unidentified creature depicted in ancient Scottish carvings.
This week we’ll learn about a long-forgotten animal of folklore! Further reading: https://www.anomalist.com/ The Pictish Beast: A dragonesque brooch: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. The Picts were a population of Celtic people who lived in what is now northern and eastern Scotland between around the third and tenth centuries. They had their own language, which is lost to time except for a handful of place-names, and made beautiful rock carvings and metal art, but we know very little about them even though their descendants still live in Scotland today. Vikings conquered the area, which led to upheavals among the many small kingdoms, so that by the 11th century, all the Picts had been absorbed into the greater Scottish population and had completely forgotten their heritage. The carvings are what we’re interested in today. The Picts carved lots of different animals along with more abstract designs, and although the carvings are often stylized, we generally know what animals they represent. There are roe deer, red deer, dogs, boars, horses, cattle, salmon and other fish, otters, eagles, and more. But there’s one animal no one can…
More episodes of Strange Animals Podcast
- Episode 488: The Java Tiger Mystery
- Episode 487: Animals and the Sense of Taste
- Episode 486: Two Rediscovered Birds
- Episode 485: Cryodraken’s Very Bad Day
- Episode 484: The Sewellel and the Superflea
- Episode 482: Smoky Mountain Mystery Animals
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