It is now Celtic New Year’s Eve (traditionally known as Samhain Eve and also celebrated as Halloween), and in one day National Novel Writing Month will commence. I plan to participate, but I am still undecided about the subject of my new novel. Time is running out… Nonetheless, I will participate, and if anyone wants to be my writing buddy online or in the corporeal world, let me know — the more the merrier, eh?
:-?
Och, there so many things to rant about, I don’t know where to start. To be honest, I’ve been trying mightily not to give in to my emotions on a variety of topics. Should I breathe fire or be consumed by it? That’s the question. The solution is probably a Buddhist one, which is fine, but my ancient ancestors were worshipers of a thunder goddess, and I tend to commune with her whether I like it or not (figuratively speaking, of course).
Wandering to other things, I would like to know the true origin of the Picts, since I carry their blood thanks to their mingling with the Celts. Where were they really from, and to what linguistic family did their language belong? Has any of it survived apart from Latin transcriptions? Have Pictish human remains ever been found and has any DNA testing been able to ascertain if there are descendants apart from the Scots? Or whether there are Pictish remains or settlements in Europe or elsewhere? [Edit: Pictish human remains have been found, but I don't know if they have tested anyone other than modern Scots. That's a waste of time, of course — it's common knowledge that the Picts were gradually absorbed by the Celts in Scotland. The question is: From whence did they migrate to Scotland, and are there surviving descendants from their earlier continental settlements? And did they build megaliths? O.K., three questions. Actually, I can think of more than three...]
On a related subject: Has anyone yet determined with certainty the true identity of the ancient Caledonians, i.e. whether they were Picts or Britons?
I guess I’m just making a note of these questions for future reference. The thunder goddess reference started my thoughts in this direction again. Her name was Bolg, by the way.
[Edit: This is reprinted from my LiveJournal posting, because it's better suited here.]