The Highlanders of Scotland - Clan Strachan Society

396 THE HIGHLANDERS [excursus
King names seriously before Brude Mac Mailcon's time, though
one figure may be historic— Nectan, son of Erp (A.D. 480), who
is said to have given Abernethy to Derlugdach, abbess of Kildare.
The name Nectan is common to Pictish and GaeHc ; it comes
from necJit, pure, whose root is iiig, wash. The Pictish form and
pronunciation is doubtless best recorded by Bede's Naiton, which
shows Brittonic phonetics in changing ct into it. Erp, the father's
name, was common in Pictland, and we last hear of it among the
Norse. Erp, son of Meldun, a Scottish Earl, and grandson of an
Irish King, was captured by the Norse, and as a freed man went
to colonise Iceland in the end of the ninth century ; from him
descended the Erplingi clan of Iceland. This is clearly the
Pictish equivalent of Welsh Yrp (Triads) and Gadelic Ere, the
latter a very common name {ere means cow, heaven). Brude
appears in Bede in a more Welsh form as Bridei ;
Stokes equates
it with Kng. proud. Mailcon, the father, may have been the famous
"
Welsh King, whom Gildas calls Maglo-cunus, High Chief,"
known later as Maelgwyn of Gwyned. The list from Brude Mac
Mailcon to Kenneth Mac Alpin is in the Pictish Chronicles as
follows :—
Gartnait filius Domelch (584-599). The name Gartnait, or Garnait,
was very common in Pictland. It comes from ^ar/, head ; Welsh,
garth. It is non-Gadelic. Domelch is in the Irish Annals given
as Domnach (from dumno).
Nectati nepos Uerb (599-619), "nephew of \'erb." Verb appears in
many Gaulish and British names. In Ir. it means "cow," "blotch ;"
in O. W. gverp, stigma.
Ciniod f. Lutfin (619-631) ; Ir. Cinaed Mac Luchtren. The first name
is our modern Kenneth {cin-aed, "fire-kin"), common to Irish and
Pictish. Lutrin is a Pictish form of Celtic Lugo-trenos,
"
strong
by the god Lug." Ltig either means the "sun-god" or "winner."
Gari7iait f. Uuid or Wid (631-635). The name Vid is to be compared
to O. W. guid as in Guid-lon, Guid-nerth ; fuller form Veida,
already mentioned. Seemingly the root is vid, know. It also
exists in Ir. as a prefix : Fid-gus, Fid-gaile.
Bridei f. Uuid ox Jf^/d? (635-641). Brude son of Vid, brother of above.
Talore fraier eoru7n (641-653). The name Talorg and Talorgan is
purely Pictish, and is the same as Gaulish Argio-talos, " Silver
Brow." It is common ; there was a St. Talorgan. The phonetics
of the Pictish Chronicle are here purely British {rg becoming re).
Talorcan f. Enfret (653-657). Talorgan, son of Eanfrid, King of
Bernicia, who was an exile in Pictland. The name Eanfnd is
Saxon.