PTOLOMIE's TRIBES. (some suggested meanings of names)

[ Notes to accompany Map 7.]

These notes are a compilation of the information I have so far uncovered relating to the 18 tribes that the geographer Ptolomy recorded in his famous, if unfortunate, map of 150 CE. (See Map 7a). I can make no claims as to how accurate these offerings are, since I am still in the throes of sifting material, and collating it into categories. By the same token, in the spirit of the website, it is only proper to inform the users of as much as I can, to allow them to decide what is relevant, in their own view, and what is not. Every journey has to start somewhere, and a poor beginning does not necessarily lead to a poor destination. That is not to say I intend to deliberately mislead anyone, but I have my limitations and I may possibly propagate poor quality information. Mea culpa.

There now follows a section concerning the possible meanings of the names off the map.

Boresti - Name untranslated, and geographical location not known.

Caereni - "Sheep folk".

Caledonii - No translation. Nicolaisen, the philologist, says the name may be pre-Celtic.

Carnonacae - "Folk of the trumpets"

Cornavii - "Folk of the Horn" (in the geographical sense, I suppose. Note their location)

Creone - "Folk of the Rugged Boundaries"

Damnonii - Apparently, the Romans called other people "damnonii" in Devon, Brittany and Ireland, and the conotation is "miners". Is it a job-description, or a tribal name?

Decantae - "Noble men "

Ebudae - No translation or information at present.

Epidii - "Horse breeders / trainers" It might be relevant that the name of the Mac Earchans of Kintyre translates from the Gaelic as "Children of the Horse Lord".

Luigi - "Ravens" in Gaulish. (Scots Gaelic is apparently "fitheach" for the same bird.) I don't know why they seized on Gaulish, but it is worthy of note that these people were believed to have been dark-skinned and dark-haired, like the Silures of Wales. The inhabitants of Lochcarron in Ross-shire are called "The black ravens of Lochcarron" in the Scots Gaelic, I have read.

Novantae - "Vigorous people"

Orcades - "Pig people", if the name is from the Gaelic. Also orc/ ork. Latin orca - ferocious sea beast - especially the killer whale. Perhaps it derives from the general notion of a devouring monster. Also Latin orcus - Hell. We know the Romans circumnavigated the Orkneys and it would have been quite a different experience for them compared to the calmness of the Mediterranean!

Selgovae - "Hunters"? Dubious translation.

Smertae - "Smeared folk" - Name possibly derived from the (once again Gaulish) goddess Rosmertu, who was associated with the war-god Tuetates. Tuetates demanded sacrifice by the drowning of men pushed head-first into a cauldron of blood. There are scenes which may depict this practice on Pictish stones.
Were the Smertae followers of Rosemerta, or did they smear themselves with their enemies' blood? Or is it all mere speculation, and co-incidence?

Vacomagi - "Men of the open plains" ?

Venicones - Nothing ventured on this one.

Votadini - No translation. It is believed to be a Latinized version of Fothudan in Irish Gaelic, and Goddoddin in Welsh Gaelic.