# Are the Pictish symbols a writing system? · Pictish symbol stones > Four answers have been proposed. The symbols are emblems of rank, kin group, office or territory that do not encode words. leads, with evidence 2 for… Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/pictish-symbols/questions/QST0CQHAG263DNY/are-the-pictish-symbols-a-writing-system Publisher: Mysteries Department Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page) Updated: 2026-10-26T11:58:28+00:00 --- **0** # Are the Pictish symbols a writing system? Asked 26 Oct 2026 by [**apollo** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo)·4 answers·0·0 following **Most likely: the symbols are emblems of rank, kin group, office or territory that do not encode words** Ahead on the evidence, not yet confirmed. It needs two reviews to be accepted. ## Where it stands Four answers have been proposed. The symbols are emblems of rank, kin group, office or territory that do not encode words. leads, with evidence 2 for: partly supported by its tests. Three are still possible. Of the two narrower questions under it, none is answered yet. ## Why it matters If they are writing, Pictish is a recorded language with a native script; if not, they are a symbolic system of a different kind. The 2010 and 2014 statistical studies came to opposite answers⁠[[1]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CQHA78Y1Y9C/pictish-symbols-revealed-as-a-written-language-through)⁠[[2]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D8MT1SM3EB0/a-statistical-comparison-of-written-language-and). ## Answers 4 [**The symbols are emblems of rank, kin group, office or territory that do not encode words.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/pictish-symbols/answers/ANS0CQHAJ0P15PN/the-symbols-are-emblems-of-rank-kin-group-office-or) Partly supported by its tests Evidence: 2 for Most likely [**None of these.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/pictish-symbols/answers/ANS0CQHAK7R29V1/none-of-these) Not tested enough to call either way Evidence: none yet Still possible [**The symbols are a writing system, used mainly to record personal names.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/pictish-symbols/answers/ANS0CQHAH1E1C2V/the-symbols-are-a-writing-system-used-mainly-to-record) Tested, but the results don't decide it Evidence: 2 for, 1 against Disputed [**The symbols are decoration or religious imagery without fixed referential meaning.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/pictish-symbols/answers/ANS0CQHAJR435W1/the-symbols-are-decoration-or-religious-imagery-without) Failed a test; not refuted outright Evidence: 1 against Disputed ## History 1. 1963[Thomas puts forward: the symbols are emblems of rank, kin group, office or territory that do not encode words.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CQHA97E3WCS/the-interpretation-of-the-pictish-symbols) 1. 1992[Samson puts forward: the symbols are a writing system, used mainly to record personal names.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CQHA8ZM2TW2/the-reinterpretation-of-the-pictish-symbols) 1. 2008[Fraser: the same symbols, drawn to the same conventions and mostly in pairs, recur across the whole area.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CQHA9Q22KP8/the-pictish-symbol-stones-of-scotland)Against: The symbols are decoration or religious imagery without fixed referential meaning. 1. 2010[Lee et al.: the 2010 entropy test classed the symbols with writing and not with random or heraldic systems.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CQHA78Y1Y9C/pictish-symbols-revealed-as-a-written-language-through)For: The symbols are a writing system, used mainly to record personal names. 1. 2013[Noble et al.: symbol stones occur at high-status sites such as Rhynie.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CQHAA6P269V/between-prehistory-and-history-the-archaeological-detection)For: The symbols are emblems of rank, kin group, office or territory that do not encode words. 1. 2014[Sproat: two measures that do separate linguistic from non-linguistic corpora classify the Pictish symbols as…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D8MT1SM3EB0/a-statistical-comparison-of-written-language-and)Against: The symbols are a writing system, used mainly to record personal names. 1. 2014[Sproat: repetition-based and corrected entropy measures place the Pictish corpus with non-linguistic systems.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D8MT1SM3EB0/a-statistical-comparison-of-written-language-and)For: The symbols are emblems of rank, kin group, office or territory that do not encode words. 1. 2018[Noble et al.: the 2018 dating places the system alongside ogham and runes and its authors read it as a naming system.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CQHA6SA1V57/the-development-of-the-pictish-symbol-system-inscribing)For: The symbols are a writing system, used mainly to record personal names. 1. 26 Oct 2026Asked on this site ## Discussion 0 [Add to the discussion](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/pictish-symbols/questions/QST0CQHAG263DNY/are-the-pictish-symbols-a-writing-system%23discussion) Help with this question [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ] [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/pictish-symbols/questions/QST0CQHAG263DNY/are-the-pictish-symbols-a-writing-system%23add-answer) [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ] [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/pictish-symbols/questions/QST0CQHAG263DNY/are-the-pictish-symbols-a-writing-system%23add-evidence) [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ] [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/pictish-symbols/questions/QST0CQHAG263DNY/are-the-pictish-symbols-a-writing-system%23add-question) [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ] [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/pictish-symbols/questions/QST0CQHAG263DNY/are-the-pictish-symbols-a-writing-system%23add-source) Where it fits Pictish symbol stones **Are the Pictish symbols a writing system?** Key question · you're here [Can corpus statistics tell whether a small symbol corpus like the Pictish one is language?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/pictish-symbols/questions/QST0CQHAGA07V40/can-corpus-statistics-tell-whether-a-small-symbol-corpus)Most likely · the published measures do not reliably separate writing from non-linguistic systems; better measures exist… [Do the stones that carry both symbols and ogham show what the symbols mean?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/pictish-symbols/questions/QST0CQHAGSM0ARD/do-the-stones-that-carry-both-symbols-and-ogham-show-what)No evidence yet · 3 answers, untested [ Ask a question under this one ]