However, Ocampo and Hedge-Hog, Faeroese is really the only language in the region that was derived from Old Norse. Pictish was a language of northern England and Scottland at the time of the druidic religion, but died out in the pre-Christian period.

Sorry to contradict Saint, but the Picts were still around during the Early Christian Period, they found a trove of Pictish ecclesiastical silver under the altar of one of the monasteries/abbeys on one of the Western Islands. The archaeologists reckoned it had been stashed at the time of the Viking raids.

They also left a lot of rune stones around Scotland, nobody has managed to crack the runes yet. These runes also appeared on Early Christian wheelheaded (Celtic) crosses in the region, along with pictures which they believe are a fusion of Celtic Mythology with Christian biblical tales.

You're right about the Faroese Norse languge stuff though.

It's sort of my "special interest" area, I studied under a crusty old Prof called James Graham-Campbell who's churned out quite a few books and papers on this period.

Eye, I stand corrected, then. This is a very interesting topic. Tell us more.

yes very interesting

well one of my favourite snippets was about an early Christian Irish reliquary - basically an ornate box for "saints relics" (like saints finger bones or bits of the "true cross". Often kept in the altar of monastic abbeys at this time.

They found one in the grave of a Viking woman in Scandinavia, filled with her combs and brooches.

I had a great vision of her Viking husband raiding an Irish monastery, chucking out all the "rubbish" in the box, and saying this'll do as a jewellery box for the missus, she's always complaining I never bring her back any souvenenirs !

wait deep-fried pizza???!

WTF?!

heartburn and acid indigestion next stop.....

Deep-fried pizza, anyone...?....?

Deep-fried pizza, anyone...?....?

wait now I remember

we went to scotland on holiday once

I did have deep-fried pizza

and I have to say it was one of the nicest pizzas I have ever tasted

okay to have ONCE though...

I can speak a few sentences of Irish Gaelic that my father taught me; wish I knew more.

Your wish is granted!

http://www.standingstones.com/gaelpron.html

Cybergenie

Thanks flardox...you got me thinking and I found this website...
One Minute Irish
And there's also...
One minute German, Norwegian, Polish and Russian.
Personally speaking I think the best way to learn a language is to live in the country.

well one of my favourite snippets was about an early Christian Irish reliquary - basically an ornate box for "saints relics" (like saints finger bones or bits of the "true cross". Often kept in the altar of monastic abbeys at this time.

They found one in the grave of a Viking woman in Scandinavia, filled with her combs and brooches.

I had a great vision of her Viking husband raiding an Irish monastery, chucking out all the "rubbish" in the box, and saying this'll do as a jewellery box for the missus, she's always complaining I never bring her back any souvenenirs !

Apparently my father traced our family history back to the Vikings; or so he said. So I've Irish with Viking influences on my father's side.

you're welcome

I'm American, but I've always been quite interested in Irish mythology, and by extension the mythologies of the surrounding countries (which are quite closely related, so much so that most figures in Welsh and Irish mythology are pretty much the same deity with a name change- a lot like the Greeks and Romans).  What tiny little bit of Welsh and Irish I have picked up comes from reading the Mabinogi and other texts like it.  I also learned a bit from studying names- For example, Gwenevere roots from Gwenhfar, which means "White lady".
However, I don't know nearly enough to speak any of it.
Then again, I do know the pronunciation of Wlesh quite well, as the copy of the Mabinogi I read had a very detailed and clear pronunciation guide which I memorized.
Therefore, I present to those of you who were confused by flardox's post, a phonetic guide to saying these phrases:

Bore da (Bor dah) - good morning

P'nawn da (P naoon dah) - good afternoon

Nos da (Nos dah) - good night

Diolch (Deeolch, with one of those phlemy "ch"s like in "Chanukah") - thanks

Diolch yn fawr (Deeolch in faoor) - thank you very much

Dim diolch (Deem deeolch) - no thank you

Iechyd da (Ee echid dah, where the "ch" is phlemy, NOT "ch" as in "cheese") - Cheers!

Os gwelwch yn da (Os gooelooch in dah) - please

Of course, I have never actually *heard* it spoken, so if I have made any mistakes please correct me.  The y's always confuse me.  Also, since beginning Japanese lessons, when I see a word like "Bore" I automatically think "Bo-ray" and can't remember how it really should be pronounced, so I may have fudged that one.  ^_^;

If anyone can find a good, concise guide to pronouncing Irish I would love to see it.  Words like "Daoine" have always confused me.  One book says this should be pronounced "Theen", but I have no idea if that's true.  I've also been given different pronunciations for Sidhe- either "Seed" or "Shee", and I don't know which one is correct.  Being able to pronounce Irish would also be useful to me in a religious context, as I am a Druid, and often run across groups like Ar nDraiocht Fein, whose name I cannot even begin to pronounce.

Also, if you like deciphering scots, try your hand at this one:  http://www.geocities.com/celticlyricscor.../young.htm
One of my favorite songs from one of the most popular bands in Scotland (or so I've been told), the Old Blind Dogs.  They write all their lyrics with accent included.  I can just about make out all of this one, but only when reading it.  When I listen to it, it still sounds like a completely separate language.