Island Enigma

Jen and I were having a lovely little Sunday stroll on the beach. Our idea was to walk out to Raccoon Island. It’s an uninhabited and intriguing wee spit of land, only accessible by foot at low tide.

It puts in mind another similar-ish seeming island, off the Orkney coast -- The Brough o’ Birsay. 

For centuries, political and religious power in Orkney centred around a small tidal island off the north-western corner of the Mainland.

Access to the Brough is restricted to a few hours each day, at either side of low tide, when a causeway across is clear. This not only meant the island had a prime defensive position, but was also an ideal base for sea travel south, north and east.

Norseman were last to inhabit the island -- before that it was the Picts. And who were the Picts?

...by the fourth century AD, the predominant people in northern Scotland were referred to as "Picts".
Throughout history, these Picts have been shadowy, enigmatic figures. From the outset, they were regarded as savage warriors and by the time the Norsemen were compiling their sagas and histories, the memory of the Picts had degenerated into a semi-mythical race of fairies.
The word "Pict" means "painted people", probably referring to the Pictish custom of either tattooing their bodies or embellishing themselves with "warpaint".

They died out and/or were subsumed into other cultures having left no written history. Everything now known about them, even the Pict designation, comes from stories told by their enemies. 

AH, romance! Fairy tales! Sagas! Huge Hollywood movies!

I walked out to The Brough o' Birsay on one of my visits. The very air, even on that sunny spring day, was heavy with glorious mystery. Years later, back here in Boston, I met an archeologist who’d actually worked on a dig there. I practically swooned with envy.


Meanwhile, just off the coast of Hough’s Neck, Raccoon Island’s history is bit calmer. As far as we know that is.

From the National Park Service notes on the joint:

There is limited recorded history of activity on Raccoon Island, though it was likely used by Native Americans as a seasonal campsite. In the 1600s, colonists grazed sheep on the island and referred to it as “Sun Island.” In the 1880s, the island was described as covering ten-acres and was used for recreational camping parties. In the 1930s, the island was used as a summer camp by a religious organization.

Sadly, Jen and I missed the low tide point when it’s possible to walk out there. Interestingly, I just noticed this on the Park Service site, access is discouraged. Cue the ominous organ music.

MYSTERY! Jen’s theory is that the island is riddled with evidence of visitors from Ganymede, possibly remnants from invasion attempts. I’m inclined to agree with her. See -- we have possible evidence RIGHT HERE! Clearly we need to get out there for a better look see. Eh?