Editing Picts (section)

==Religion==
{{Main|Christianisation of Scotland}}
[[File:St Ninian's Isle TreasureDSCF6209det.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Animal head from [[St Ninian's Isle Treasure]] (c.750–825 AD), found in [[Shetland]]]]

Early Pictish religion is presumed to have resembled [[Celtic polytheism]] in general, although only place names remain from the pre-Christian era. When the Pictish elite converted to [[Christianity]] is uncertain, but traditions place Saint [[Palladius (bishop of Ireland)|Palladius]] in Pictland after he left [[Ireland]], and link [[Abernethy, Perth and Kinross|Abernethy]] with Saint [[Brigid of Kildare]].<ref>{{harvnb|Clancy|2000|pp=95–96}}, {{harvnb|Smyth|1984|pp=82–83}}</ref> [[Saint Patrick]] refers to "apostate Picts", while the poem ''[[Y Gododdin]]'' does not remark on the Picts as pagans.<ref>{{harvnb|Markus|2001a}}.</ref> Bede wrote that [[Saint Ninian]] (confused by some with Saint [[Finnian of Moville]], who died {{Circa|589}}), had converted the southern Picts.<ref>Bede, III, 4. For the identities of Ninian/Finnian see Yorke, p. 129.</ref> Recent archaeological work at [[Portmahomack]] places the foundation of the [[monastery]] there, an area once assumed to be among the last converted, in the late 6th century.<ref>Mentioned by Foster, but more information is available from the Tarbat Discovery Programme: see under External links.</ref> This is contemporary with [[Bridei I of the Picts|Bridei mac Maelchon]] and Columba, but the process of establishing Christianity throughout Pictland will have extended over a much longer period.

Pictland was not solely influenced by [[Iona]] and Ireland. It also had ties to churches in Northumbria, as seen in the reign of [[Nechtan IV of the Picts|Nechtan mac Der Ilei]]. The reported expulsion of Ionan monks and clergy by Nechtan in 717 may have been related to the controversy over the dating of [[Easter]], and the manner of [[tonsure]], where Nechtan appears to have supported the Roman usages, but may equally have been intended to increase royal power over the church.<ref>Bede, IV, cc. 21–22, Clancy, "Church institutions", Clancy, "Nechtan".</ref> Nonetheless, the evidence of place names suggests a wide area of Ionan influence in Pictland.<ref>{{harvnb|Taylor|1999}}</ref> Likewise, the ''[[Cáin Adomnáin]]'' (Law of [[Adomnán]], ''Lex Innocentium'') counts Nechtan's brother [[Bridei IV of the Picts|Bridei]] among its guarantors.

The importance of monastic centres in Pictland was not as great as in Ireland. In areas that have been studied, such as [[Strathspey, Scotland|Strathspey]] and [[Perthshire]], it appears that the parochial structure of the [[Scotland in the High Middle Ages|High Middle Ages]] existed in early medieval times. Among the major religious sites of eastern Pictland were Portmahomack, Cennrígmonaid (later [[St Andrews]]), [[Dunkeld]], [[Abernethy, Perth and Kinross|Abernethy]] and [[Rosemarkie]]. It appears that these are associated with Pictish kings, which argue for a considerable degree of royal patronage and control of the church.<ref>Clancy, "Church institutions", Markus, "Religious life".</ref> Portmahomack in particular has been the subject of recent excavation and research, published by [[Martin Carver]].<ref name="auto1"/>

The cult of saints was, as throughout Christian lands, of great importance in later Pictland. While kings might venerate great saints, such as [[Saint Peter]] in the case of Nechtan, and perhaps [[Saint Andrew]] in the case of the second [[Óengus II of the Picts|Óengus mac Fergusa]], many lesser saints, some now obscure, were important. The Pictish Saint [[Drostan]] appears to have had a wide following in the north in earlier times, although he was all but forgotten by the 12th century. [[Saint Serf]] of [[Culross]] was associated with Nechtan's brother Bridei.<ref>{{harvnb|Clancy|1999}} {{harvnb|Clancy|2001c}}, {{harvnb|Taylor|1999}}</ref> It appears, as is well known in later times, that noble kin groups had their own patron saints, and their own churches or abbeys.<ref>{{harvnb|Markus|2001b}}</ref>