It is widely held, and often repeated, that ancient Britons, and most especially the Picts, painted or tattooed their bodies with Woad. ... Depictions on television and in film of the Iron Age or Roman period nearly always show the indigenous tribespeople painted in "mystical" blue designs.
Did the Picts wear woad?
Upon meeting them in battle, he recorded that they “dye themselves with woad, which produces a blue color, and makes their appearance in battle more terrible. They wear long hair, and shave every part of the body save the head and the upper lip.”
Who used woad?
Woad was used in England throughout the medieval period, much of it imported from Europe. However, the area under woad increased substantially during the 16th century. This was probably because woad supplies from abroad became unreliable and expensive.
