Picturing the past

Pictish artist Marianna Lines looks to Fife’s fascinating history as Michael Alexander joins her on a journey through time

Centuries of Scottish history have converged beneath the thatched roof of Marianna Lines’ studio in the conservation village of Collessie. For more than 20 years, this 18th Century malt barn and wash house has been used by the US-born artist and writer to create an unrivalled collection of Pictish artwork – and its heritage stretches far further back in time.

Sited less than a mile from the Collessie Man standing stone, which depicts the image of a 1,500-year-old Pictish warrior, the building’s walls were found to have horse bones in them during renovation in the mid-1990s. The discovery is thought to tie in with ancient rural protection rites so perhaps it’s no surprise that Marianna has found her own haven here.

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, she was first drawn to the region by the Collessie Man while working on an exhibition for Arts in Fife, and emigrated to Scotland in 1977.

Co-founder of the Pictish Arts Society and fellow of the Findhorn Foundation in Moray, she brought out a book called Sacred Stones, Sacred Places and set up a stone art business called Stoneline, creating wall hangings and cards from Pictish art.

Another book called Sacred Scotland, was published recently and she talks animatedly about favourite discoveries, such as the Pictish mirror found on a stone at nearby Lindores, the dancing seahorses of Aberlemno in Angus and the angel of Kirriemuir.

Yet it’s another tradition linked to the Picts of North East Scotland that Marianna wants to celebrate during my visit as she carries out her own version of the Burning of the Clavie.

The fire festival, with roots lost in Scotland’s past, takes place in Burghead, Moray, every January when the flaming Clavie (a barrel full of staves) is carried round the town followed by a large crowd.

Its final destination is on the ramparts of a Pictish fort at Burghead, where it is allowed to burn out while its still-smouldering embers are eagerly gathered by locals and visitors.

Possession of a piece of the clavie – such as the remnant in Marianna’s hands – is said to bring good luck for the coming year and she has been waiting months for a special occasion to burn her precious piece of ember.

As she adds it to her grate, sending flames dancing up the chimney, she explains the appeal of Scotland’s prehistory, which underpins her work.

“What I find fascinating is the enigmatic nature of these early people who are comparative with the native Americans and a lot of ethno-original cultures,” she says.

“The Picts have left all these messages and symbols that nobody can really decipher. We don’t really know what the code is on them.

“In some ways it’s a form of early graffiti – people writing about their lives, perhaps the earliest religion. It’s a connection with the past and a glimpse into secrets lost in the mists of time.”

In some ways it’s a form of early graffiti – people writing about their lives, perhaps the earliest religion