Reblogged from Stepping Stones:

Day Two (Continued)

Following a rather delicious soup stop, we headed off for some light refreshment in the form of Symbol Stones. These mysterious artefacts of the Picts, with their admixture of Christian and Pagan symbolism, remain largely unexplained due to a lack of written records. The Gael provide the only evidence of who the Picts were, and that appears to be more legend than fact.

The Brandsbutt Stone, having been found in pieces making up part of a boundary wall, is not in its original location. It may not have travelled far, however, as traces of a stone circle, long gone, remain hidden a few yards away, under the well-manicured grass.

The stone is unusual in that it contains an Ogham inscription. Translating offers no insight, and it may just be 6th-century vandalism…

The main symbol, the so-called “V-rod and crescent”, is accompanied by a “Z-rod and serpent”.

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