Pictish standing stones remain something of a mystery. Pictish symbols may have mythological or religious meanings. However, as many symbols appear in pairs they may have to do with family groupings. Three of the finest examples of this type are found on the Tarbat peninsula in Easter Ross, including this one at Hilton.
Gradually, between 600 and 800 AD, most of the Picts were converted to Christianity. It is during this time that the carved stones for which the Picts are renowned were produced. The Hilton of Cadboll cross-slab is a Pictish stone and is regarded as a major work of art dating from the 8th and 9th centuries. It is decorated with Pictish symbols and Christian motifs.
The top panel shows a double-disc and z-rod above a crescent and v-rod and two discs. The middle panel contains a group of riders; one is a female side-saddle rider riding abreast with another rider. A mirror and comb case is shown beside them. The bottom panel contains an interlocking spiral design and there is a scroll design going up both sides of the stone face.
Click to enlarge the image, read the text then answer the following questions.
Questions
- What are the riders in the scene in the middle panel engaged in?
- An interlocking spiral design and a scroll design are used on the bottom panel. Where might you see these designs used today?