Scotlands National Day

St Andrews Day

Celebrate deerhounds everywhere for today is Scotlands National day (relating to the Christian belief) . . . of course we know that we deerhounds long pre date Christianity in Scotland and as a little special tie-in today, I have decided to feature the image below - some of the information is obtained from St Andrews University and the St Andrews Legend from Wikipedia.

This relief carving of hunting scene, features deer surrounded by pack of hounds, and hunter with a spear.

The image features archaelogical remains. The Pictish sarcophagus was found by workmen in the grounds of St Andrews Cathedral in the 19th century. It is nearly 6 feet long and has elaborate carvings on the four sides and corner posts. It is believed to be a royal tomb shrine of a Pictish king and is one of the finest examples of Pictish carving in existence. The early Celtic 'Culdee' missionary monks built a church on the headland over looking St Andrews harbour ca. 800. It was replaced by the church of St-Mary-on-the-Crag, the outline of which is still visible outwith the cathedral grounds.

Does the Pictish sarcophagus have links to the tale of St Andrew?

The Saltire (or "St. Andrew's Cross") is the national flag of Scotland.
About the middle of the tenth century, Andrew became the patron saint of Scotland. Several legends state that the relics of Andrew were brought under supernatural guidance from Constantinople to the place where the modern town of St. Andrews stands (Pictish, Muckross; Gaelic, Cill Rìmhinn).

The oldest surviving accounts are two:

One is among the manuscripts collected by Jean-Baptiste Colbert and willed to Louis XIV, now in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, the other in the Harleian Mss in the British Library, London. They state that the relics of Andrew were brought by one Regulus to the Pictish king Óengus mac Fegusa (729–761). The only historical Regulus (Riagail or Rule) — the name is preserved by the tower of St. Rule — was an Irish monk expelled from Ireland with St. Columba; his date, however, is c. 573–600. There are good reasons for supposing that the relics were originally in the collection of Acca, bishop of Hexham, who took them into Pictish country when he was driven from Hexham (c. 732), and founded a see, not, according to tradition, in Galloway, but on the site of St. Andrews. The connection made with Regulus is, therefore, due in all probability to the desire to date the foundation of the church at St. Andrews as early as possible.

Another legend says that in the late eighth century, during a joint battle with the English, King Ungus (either the Óengus mac Fergusa mentioned previously or Óengus II of the Picts (820–834)) saw a cloud shaped like a saltire, and declared Andrew was watching over them, and if they won by his grace, then he would be their patron saint. However, there is evidence Andrew was venerated in Scotland before this.

The 1320 Declaration of Arbroath cites Scotland's conversion to Christianity by St. Andrew, "the first to be an Apostle".

Whatever your belief, as a hound I wish you all to enjoy the day!