Book Review: "Fians, Fairies, and Picts," by David MacRitchie
I have been curious about the Picts (the people who were in Scotland before the Scots) ever since I heard about them, probably mostly because I never had. I finally checked the library website to see if they had anything on them. They have three books, one of which is for in-library use only. The website didn't give any info about any of the books, so I just chose one. The one I chose sounded like it could be about their legends and mythology, also the newest of the two.
Nope. It's from 1893 (the website said 1974, but that's when it was reprinted apparently), and it's about how the Picts were Fairies and Fians. I hadn't heard of Fians before, but it appears they were a warrior people in Ireland way back when Picts were around. I wouldn't have thought they were Fairies either.
I found the book fascinating, not so much because of the topic (the book didn't really say anything), but because of the way it was written and the glimpse into what research was like in the late 1800's. His basic argument seemed to be something like, "These peoples were all short in stature, therefore they're the same." He was a tad racist, but in an ignorant, 1893 way, not an offensive way. Seeing the history of his writing style was just plain interesting.
"In regarding the Fians as a race of dwarfs, I do not overlook the fact that they are also spoken of as 'giants.'....the word 'giant' has very frequently been used to denote a savage, or a cave-dweller. No more appropriate illustration of this can be found than the local tradition that a certain artificially hollowed rock in the island of Hoy, Orkney, was the abode of a 'giant and his wife.' Now, this same 'giant' is also remembered as a 'dwarf,' and the largest cell in his dwelling in only 5 feet 8 inches long. Similarly, there is in Iceland a certain Trollakyrkia (literally 'the dwarf's church') which is translated 'the giants' church.'...Fians, then, are closely connected with the 'little people' called 'Fairies.'"
And Fians and Picts are the same because they lived in the same kinds of houses. Which local people sometimes called Fairy houses. So Fians and Picts are the same, and clearly are Fairies.
Yes, of course.
I wouldn't go to this book for any kind of archaeological or ethnographical purpose as far as the Picts and Fians go, but for the ethnography of 1893 researchers, I found it very entertaining.
Nope. It's from 1893 (the website said 1974, but that's when it was reprinted apparently), and it's about how the Picts were Fairies and Fians. I hadn't heard of Fians before, but it appears they were a warrior people in Ireland way back when Picts were around. I wouldn't have thought they were Fairies either.
I found the book fascinating, not so much because of the topic (the book didn't really say anything), but because of the way it was written and the glimpse into what research was like in the late 1800's. His basic argument seemed to be something like, "These peoples were all short in stature, therefore they're the same." He was a tad racist, but in an ignorant, 1893 way, not an offensive way. Seeing the history of his writing style was just plain interesting.
"In regarding the Fians as a race of dwarfs, I do not overlook the fact that they are also spoken of as 'giants.'....the word 'giant' has very frequently been used to denote a savage, or a cave-dweller. No more appropriate illustration of this can be found than the local tradition that a certain artificially hollowed rock in the island of Hoy, Orkney, was the abode of a 'giant and his wife.' Now, this same 'giant' is also remembered as a 'dwarf,' and the largest cell in his dwelling in only 5 feet 8 inches long. Similarly, there is in Iceland a certain Trollakyrkia (literally 'the dwarf's church') which is translated 'the giants' church.'...Fians, then, are closely connected with the 'little people' called 'Fairies.'"
And Fians and Picts are the same because they lived in the same kinds of houses. Which local people sometimes called Fairy houses. So Fians and Picts are the same, and clearly are Fairies.
Yes, of course.
I wouldn't go to this book for any kind of archaeological or ethnographical purpose as far as the Picts and Fians go, but for the ethnography of 1893 researchers, I found it very entertaining.
posted by melilotnfosco | 9:49 PM
4 Comments:
wow ok, categorize this entire post under "we learn something new every day", but file it under subcategory "useful only in a trivia game"
haha - you are so right :)
What most fascinates me is your choice in reading this, and just how your mind works. :) I'm wondering how long that book was. ;)
(And Auto's comment is funny and fitting. :) )
it was only 77 pages
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