The Phœnician origin of Britons, Scots & Anglo-Saxons : discovered by Phœnician & Sumerian inscriptions in Britain, by preroman Briton coins & a mass of new history : with over one hundred illustrations and maps

PICTS AS CHALDEES OR CALED-ONS 117

t.e.,“* The Children of the River (/vha/ or Gully).”1 This title of ‘‘ Khaldis ”’ is applied to the aborigines of Van in Asia Minor in the numerous sacred monuments erected by their Aryan overlords there in the ninth century B.c. and later. And concurrently with this title they also called themselves (from their old home-centre ‘“‘ Van,” “Wan”’ or “Fen” Fian or Fein), Biani or “‘ Ban,” like their branch which first peopled Erin.

Now, this riverine title ‘‘ Khal-dis’’ appears to be not only the source of the ethnic name ‘‘ Caled-on ’’ but also the source of thenumerous ancient river-namesin Britain called variously Clyde or Clotia, Clwyd, Cald, Caldy, Calder and Chelt ; and such names as the Chilt-ern Hills and Chelten-ham near the old prehistoric dwellings at Gloster, as well as the title of Columba’s mission to the Pictish aborigines—‘‘ Culdee.”’ This application of the name “ Caled-on”’ to the Picts is confirmed, as we have seen, by the Roman reference to the Pictsas “‘ Caledons” ; andit is emphasized by the further Roman record that “ The Picts are divided into two nations, the Di-Caled-ones and the Vect-uriones,’’? in which “ Vect”’ appears to be cognate with ‘“ Pict.” ‘‘ Caled” (or Caled-on ) thus seems to have been the early title used by the Picts for themselves ; * and, as we shall see in the next chapter, it is cognate through its original ‘‘ Khal-dis’’ or “ Khal-tis ’’ with “ Chaldee,” “ Galati’’ and “ Kelts”’ or “ Celts.”

Identified in this way with the cave-dwelling, dwarfish, dark Vans or Wans and gipsy “‘ Chals’ of Van and Galatia in Asia Minor, whose prehistoric line of migration westwards overland to Western Europe and Britain has already been traced, the Picts also, who were also cave-dwellers, appear to have left traces of their “ Pict’ or “‘ Pit” title in some places en route, as well as in Britain and Ireland, in addition to their Van name.

1 On this name, see before, also next chapter.

2? A.M.H., 27, viii, 5-

* Tacitus speaks of “ the red hair and large limbs of the inhabitants of Caledonia "’ (Agricola IT); but he is speaking not of aboriginal Caledons, but of the ruling race in Caledonia who were opposing Agricola, and who, we have seen, were Britons and Scots properly so-called,