Hew Morrison Collection > Leabhar Nan Gleann

15
glance over tbe series of names of the nilers
of Pictisk race certain peculiarities in-
voluntarily strike us: (1) a limited number
of kino^'s names occur (Brede, Talore,*
Brest, NechtanS; (2) the further method
of naming' is as among the British and
Irish, hence the addition of the father's
name with "filius" (son) prefixed e.g.
"Breidei filius TVid"; (3) These fathees
OF Kings xever themselves appear as
Kings; they succeed each other, "Garnard
£lius Wid iv. annis regnavit, Bridei filiua
Wid V. annis regnavit, Talore frater eorura
xii . annis regnavit" ; after these three
brothers, sons of Wid, cornea "Tallorcen
filius Enfret v. annis regnavit," after him
"Gratnait filius Donnel vi. annis regnavit
et dimidium" and "Drest frater ejus vii.
annis regnavit"; then after these two
brothers cornea "Bredei filius Bili" — all of
them names occurring in the Irish Annals;
(4) The fathers of the Pictish Kings,
to judge from the names, abb for the
jiost part not Picts, but belong to the
neighbouring Irish or Welsh or
Angles. Thus, the father of "Tallorcen
filius Enfret, who reigns, according to the
Ulster Annals, from 653-657 is according to
iis name (Aiufret, in the Irish Annals En-
fret), certainly an Angle (Eeanfrith, En-
frith). The father of Tallorcen's successors,
'•Gratnait filiua Donnel" reigning from
657-663, and his brother " Drest" (666-673)
is according to his name ("Donnell, Don-
nail") certainly Irish. The father of the
successor of both these brothers, viz., of
"Bredei Bili" (died 693) is according to his
name a Welshman. In the case first ad-
duced we can make the deduction drawn
from the name almost positively certain
* A form remaining in a parish named after a Pictiah
saint,— Kiltarlity (CiUtaraalan, for Talargan) ($) in Mac
Xaughton.— G. H.