Picts, a name given during the late Roman Empire to the tribes of the northern part of Caledonia (Scotland). It is believed that the Picts were composed of both Celtic and pre-Celtic peoples. The name Pict may have meant “tattooed man.”
The Picts invaded the northern frontier region of Roman Britain in the fourth and fifth centuries. By 500, the various Pict tribes had united and formed a kingdom in the northern areas of Caledonia. They were converted to Christianity by Saint Columba in the late sixth century. By the eighth century, they had imposed overlordship on the neighboring Scots. In the ninth century, Norse raids weakened the Pictish kingdom. About 843, the king of Scots, Kenneth MacAlpine (Kenneth I), united the Picts and Scots under his rule.
