Amlaíb, King of Scotland

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Amlaíb mac Illuilb
Illulb mac Custantín

Amlaíb mac Illuilb (

Amlaíb mac Gofraid
.

Following Illulb's death in 962, the kingship of

Cináed mac Maíl Choluim
. According to Irish sources, the latter slew Amlaíb in 977. The fact that these sources style Amlaíb as a king, and fail to accord a royal title to Cináed, suggests that Amlaíb was successful in seizing the kingship from his rival. Amlaíb's short reign appears to date to 971/976–977.

Parentage and personal names

Illulb mac Custantín as it appears on 29v of Paris Bibliothèque Nationale MS Latin 4126 (the Poppleton manuscript): "Indolf filius Constantini".[11]

Amlaíb was one of three sons of

Gaelicised form of the Old English personal name Eadwulf,[15] or else a Gaelicised form of the Old Norse personal name Hildulfr.[16]

Photograph of a hogback sculpted tombstone
A hogback grave slab on display in Glasgow. Such stones may be indicative of Scandinavian settlement in Perthshire and Fife. The evidence of Scandinavian influence upon Amlaíb's immediate family could indicate that his kindred was involved with such immigration.[17]

Evidence of Scandinavian influence on the Scottish court may be a possible epithet accorded to Amlaíb's brother, Cuilén (died 971), by the ninth–twelfth-century Chronicle of the Kings of Alba.[18] In one instance, this source records Cuilén's name as "Culenrīg".[19] The bar above the letter "i" in this word appears to indicate that rīg should be expanded to "ring".[20] Whilst it is possible that this word represents the Old Norse hringr, meaning "ring"[21] or "ring-giver",[17] the name may be corrupted from a scribal error, and the word itself might refer to something else.[22]

Refer to caption
Amlaíb's name as it appears on 15r of Oxford Bodleian Library MS Rawlinson B 488 (the Annals of Tigernach): "Amlaim mac Illuilb".[23]

Other possible evidence of Scandinavian influence upon Custantín's family may be Amlaíb's own name. Although his name may represent a 'modernised' form of the

Amlaíb mac Gofraid (died 941).[28][note 2] Certainly, members of Gaelic dynasties were accorded Scandinavian names by the end of the century, just as members of insular Scandinavian dynasties began to bear Gaelic names. If Amlaíb's name is indeed Scandinavian in origin, he would be one of the first figures to bear such a cross-ethnic personal name.[31]

Kin-strife amongst the Alpínids

Dub mac Maíl Choluim, as it appears on folio 32v of Oxford Bodleian Library MS Rawlinson B 489.[34]

Amlaíb and his immediate family were members of the ruling

kings of Dublin seem to have ceased their overseas adventures during this period as well. Unlike English monarchs who had to endure Viking depredations from the 980s to the 1010s, the kings of Alba were left in relative peace from about the time of Illulb's fall. Free from such outside threats, however, the Alpínids seem to have struggled amongst themselves.[41]

Refer to caption
The name of Cuilén mac Illuilb as it appears on folio 33r of Oxford Bodleian Library MS Rawlinson B 489.[42]

There is some uncertainty regarding the succession after Illulb's demise. On one hand, he may well have been succeeded by Máel Coluim's son,

Dyfnwal ab Owain, King of Strathclyde (died 975).[53]

Reign and death

Cináed mac Maíl Choluim, as it appears on folio 15r of Oxford Bodleian Library MS Rawlinson B 488: "Cinaeth mac Mail Cholaim".[23]

Although the Chronicle of the Kings of Alba reports that Dub's brother,

Prophecy of Berchán—an important source for the hostilities between Dub and Cuilén—suffers from a lacuna in its account of Cináed's reign.[24] One possibility is that the kingship had been shared between Amlaíb and Cináed until the former's elimination.[61]

Edgar, King of the English being rowed down the River Dee by eight kings.[62] According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Edgar met six kings at Chester. By the twelfth century, chroniclers alleged that eight kings rowed Edgar down the river in an act of submission.[63]
The assembly itself took place in 975, when Amlaíb may have reigned as king.

Amlaíb's reign is not attested by any Scottish king-list,

Edgar, King of the English (died 975) assembled a massive naval force and met with six kings at Chester in 975.[66] Although later sources corroborate the event, the reliability of the names accorded to the assembled kings is less certain.[67] Two of the named kings appear to be the aforesaid Dyfnwal and Cináed.[68] Considering the fact that the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle numbers the kings at six, if Cináed was indeed present, it is unlikely that Amlaíb was in attendance as well.[69] Although the chronology concerning the reigns of Cináed and Amlaíb is uncertain—with Cináed's reign perhaps dating from 971/977–995[70]—the part played by the particular King of Alba at the assembly could well have concerned the frontier of his realm.[71] One of the other named kings seems to have been Maccus mac Arailt (fl. 974),[72] whilst another could have been this man's brother, Gofraid (died 989).[73] These two Islesmen may have been regarded as threats by the Scots[71] and Cumbrians.[69] Maccus and Gofraid are recorded to have devastated Anglesey at the beginning of the decade,[74] which could indicate that Edgar's assembly was undertaken as a means to counter the menace posed by these energetic siblings.[75] In fact, there is evidence to suggest that, as a consequence of the assembly at Chester, the brothers may have turned their attention from the British mainland westwards towards Ireland,[76] and that Gofraid ceased his operations in Wales until the next decade.[69] Whatever the case, within two years both Dyfnwal and Edgar were dead.[77] Contemporary English sources described the period after Edgar's demise as a time of "dissension", "trouble", "sedition",[78] and "most unhappy times".[79] In fact, the upheaval caused by the deaths of these men may well have contributed to Cináed's elimination of Amlaíb.[77]

Refer to caption
Amlaíb's title as it appears on folio 33v of Oxford Bodleian Library MS Rawlinson B 489.[80][note 5]

According to the twelfth-century De primo Saxonum adventu, at some point Edgar granted Lothian to Cináed in return for his recognition of English overlordship. If correct, one possibility is that the transaction dates to the 960s/970s, and was intended to assist Cináed's opposition against Amlaíb.[83] The revolving succession within the Alpínid dynasty reveals that the inter-dynastic struggle between Cuilén and Dub was continued by their respective brothers.[84] As for Cuilén's other brother, Eochaid, this man's death with Cuilén seems to be evidence of his prominent position within the kingdom. The fact that Amlaíb reigned after his brother's death likewise appears to indicate that he too played an important part in Cuilén's regime.[85] One of Cináed's first acts as king was evidently an invasion of the kingdom of the Cumbrians.[86] Although this campaign may well have been a retaliatory response to Cuilén's killing,[87] it may be more likely that Cináed carried out this enterprise in the context of crushing a British affront to Scottish authority rather than as a means of avenging the death of his kinsman.[51] In any event, Cináed's invasion ended in defeat,[88] a fact which coupled with Cuilén's killing reveals that the Kingdom of Strathclyde was indeed a power to be reckoned with.[89]

Notes

  1. ^ Since the 1990s, academics have accorded Amlaíb various patronymic names in English secondary sources: Amblaib mac Idulb,[2] Amblaih mac Idulb,[2] Amlaíb mac Iduilb,[3] Amlaíb mac Illuilb,[4] and Óláfr mac Castantín.[5] Likewise since the 1990s, academics have accorded Amlaíb various personal names in English secondary sources: Amalgaid,[3] Amblaih,[2] Amlaíb,[6] Anlaf,[7] Olaf,[8] Óláfr,[9] and Ólafr.[10]
  2. ^ Likewise, if Illulb's own name is indeed of Old Norse origin, then it could indicate that this man's mother was similarly a member of a Scandinavian kindred,[29] like the Uí Ímair.[30]
  3. Cenél nEógain and Clann Cholmáin branches of the Uí Néill in regards to the latter kindred's monopolisation of the kingship of Tara between the eighth- and tenth centuries.[37] The aforesaid two branches of the Alpínid dynasty are not attested by contemporary records, but rather deduced as a result of the succession.[38]
  4. ^ The Annals of Ulster misidentifies Cináed's father as Domnall.[60]
  5. rí Alban ("king of Alba").[82]

Citations

  1. ISBN 9780598067593
    – via Google Books.
  2. ^ a b c Walker (2013).
  3. ^ a b Hudson (1994).
  4. ^ Busse (2006a); Dumville (2000).
  5. ^ Oram (2011).
  6. ^ Busse (2006a); Dumville (2000); Hudson (1994).
  7. ^ Clarkson (2014).
  8. ^ Broun (2015b); Broun (2015e); Walker (2013); Broun (2004b).
  9. ^ Oram (2011); Downham (2007).
  10. ^ Busse (2006a).
  11. ^ Howlett (2000) p. 65; Skene (1867) p. 131; Lat. 4126 (n.d.) fol. 29v.
  12. ^ Broun (2004b); Broun (2004d); Hudson (1994) pp. 91, 164, 169.
  13. ^ Broun (2004a); Broun (2004d); Driscoll (1998) p. 113.
  14. ^ Broun (2004d); Woolf (2001); Driscoll (1998) p. 113, 113 n. 55.
  15. ^ Clarkson (2014) ch. 6; Walker (2013) ch. 4; Woolf (2007) p. 192; Dumville (2000) p. 81; Hudson (1998b) p. 159 n. 56; Hudson (1994) p. 89.
  16. ^ Clarkson (2014) ch. 6; Walker (2013) ch. 4; Woolf (2009) p. 258; Downham (2007) p. 151; Woolf (2007) p. 192; Busse (2006b); Dumville (2000) p. 81; Driscoll (1998) p. 113 n. 55; Hudson (1998b) p. 159 n. 56; Hudson (1994) p. 89; Anderson (1922) pp. 475 n. 6, 484–485 n. 3.
  17. ^ a b Broun (2015b).
  18. ^ Broun (2015b); Downham (2007) p. 151; Busse (2006b); Dumville (2000) p. 81; Driscoll (1998) p. 113 n. 55; Hudson (1998a) p. 66.
  19. ^ Woolf (2007) pp. 199, 203; Duncan (2002) pp. 20–21; Hudson (1998a) p. 66; Hudson (1998b) p. 151; Skene (1867) p. 10.
  20. ^ Woolf (2007) p. 203.
  21. ^ Woolf (2007) p. 203; Busse (2006b); Duncan (2002) p. 20; Driscoll (1998) p. 113 n. 55; Hudson (1998a) p. 66; Hudson (1998b) p. 151 n. 34.
  22. ^ Woolf (2007) p. 203; Duncan (2002) pp. 20–21; Hudson (1998a) p. 66; Hudson (1998b) pp. 141, 151 n. 34.
  23. ^ a b The Annals of Tigernach (2010) § 977.4; Annals of Tigernach (2005) § 977.4; Bodleian Library MS. Rawl. B. 488 (n.d.).
  24. ^ a b Hudson (1994) p. 94.
  25. ^ Clancy, T (2016) p. 64; Sellar (2004) p. 53; Hudson (1994) p. 94; Ó Corráin; Maguire (1981) p. 22.
  26. ^ Woolf (2009) p. 258; Woolf (2007) p. 206; Dumville (2000) p. 81; Hudson (1994) p. 94.
  27. ^ Clarkson (2014) ch. 7; Woolf (2009) p. 258; Woolf (2001); Williams, DGE (1997) p. 96 n. 33.
  28. ^ Woolf (2007) p. 206.
  29. ^ Broun (2015d); Downham (2007) p. 155.
  30. ^ Downham (2007) p. 155.
  31. ^ Woolf (2009) p. 258; Woolf (2007) p. 206.
  32. ^ a b Lynch (2001); Woolf (2000) p. 146 tab. 1; Hudson (1994) p. 169.
  33. ^ Woolf (2000) p. 146 tab. 1.
  34. ^ The Annals of Ulster (2012) § 967.1; The Annals of Ulster (2008) § 967.1; Bodleian Library MS. Rawl. B. 489 (n.d.).
  35. ^ Broun (2001).
  36. ^ Clancy, TO (2006); Broun (2001); Woolf (2001); Woolf (2000) p. 152.
  37. ^ McGuigan (2015) p. 274; Woolf (2009) p. 258; Broun (2001).
  38. ^ McGuigan (2015) p. 274.
  39. ^ Broun (2015d); Walker (2013) ch. 4; Broun (2004d); Duncan (2002) p. 20; Broun (2001).
  40. ^ Duncan (2002) p. 20; Dumville (2000) p. 81.
  41. ^ Duncan (2002) p. 20.
  42. ^ The Annals of Ulster (2012) § 971.1; The Annals of Ulster (2008) § 971.1; Bodleian Library MS. Rawl. B. 489 (n.d.).
  43. ^ Walker (2013) ch. 4; Woolf (2009) p. 258; Broun (2004c); Broun (2004d).
  44. ^ Hudson (1994) pp. 91–92.
  45. ^ Broun (2004c).
  46. ^ Broun (2015c); Broun (2004c); Hudson (1994) pp. 91–92.
  47. ^ Woolf (2000) p. 157.
  48. ^ Walker (2013) ch. 4; Charles-Edwards (2008) p. 183; Woolf (2007) pp. 199, 201–202; Duncan (2002) p. 20; Dumville (2000) p. 77; Woolf (2000) pp. 260–261; Hudson (1994) p. 92.
  49. ^ Broun (2015c); McGuigan (2015) p. 275; Walker (2013) ch. 4; Woolf (2007) pp. 196, 200, 199, 202; Duncan (2002) pp. 20–22; Dumville (2000) p. 77; Hudson (1996) p. 88 n. 99; Hudson (1994) p. 92.
  50. ^ Walker (2013) ch. 4; Monarchs of Scotland (842–1707) (2011); Busse (2006b); Hudson (1994) p. 163 tab. 1; Williams; Smyth; Kirby (1991) pp. 91–92.
  51. ^ a b Walker (2013) ch. 4.
  52. ^ Clarkson (2010) ch. 9; Woolf (2007) pp. 199, 204; Hudson (1998b) pp. 151, 160; Hudson (1996) p. 88 n. 100; Hudson (1994) p. 93; Anderson (1922) p. 475; Skene (1867) p. 10.
  53. ^ Broun (2015b); Walker (2013) ch. 4; Clarkson (2012) ch. 9; Oram (2011) chs. 2, 5; Clarkson (2010) ch. 9; Busse (2006c); Broun (2004f) p. 135; Macquarrie (2004); Macquarrie (1998) pp. 6, 16; Williams; Smyth; Kirby (1991) pp. 92, 104.
  54. ^ Walker (2013) ch. 4; Woolf (2009) p. 258; Woolf (2007) p. 205; Hudson (1998b) pp. 151, 161; Anderson (1922) pp. 512–513; Skene (1867) p. 10.
  55. ^ Book of Leinster (2015) § Genelach rig Alban; Duncan (2002) p. 21; Hudson (1994) p. 94.
  56. ^ The Annals of Tigernach (2010) § 977.4; Annals of Tigernach (2005) § 977.4; Duncan (2002) p. 21; Anderson (1922) p. 484.
  57. ^ Walker (2013) ch. 4; The Annals of Ulster (2012) § 977.4; Woolf (2009) p. 258; The Annals of Ulster (2008) § 977.4; Woolf (2007) pp. 196, 205; Duncan (2002) p. 21; Hudson (1994) p. 93; Anderson (1922) pp. 484–485 n. 3, 485 n. 4.
  58. ^ Broun (2015e); Walker (2013) ch. 4; Broun (2004b); Broun (2004e); Duncan (2002) p. 21.
  59. ^ Walker (2013) ch. 4; Duncan (2002) p. 21.
  60. ^ The Annals of Ulster (2012) § 977.4; The Annals of Ulster (2008) § 977.4; Duncan (2002) p. 21 n. 45; Anderson (1922) p. 485 n. 4.
  61. ^ Clarkson (2014) ch. 7.
  62. ^ Cassell's History of England (1909) p. 53.
  63. ^ Williams, A (2004).
  64. ^ Duncan (2002) p. 22.
  65. ^ Duncan (2002) pp. 21–22; Hudson (1994) p. 93.
  66. ^ Clarkson (2014) ch. 7; Downham (2007) p. 224; Matthews (2007) p. 10; Woolf (2007) pp. 207–208; Whitelock (1996) p. 229; Hudson (1994) pp. 97–98; Thorpe (1861) pp. 224–226.
  67. ^ Woolf (2007) pp. 207–208; Williams, A (2004).
  68. ^ Clarkson (2014) ch. 7; Downham (2007) p. 224; Woolf (2007) p. 208.
  69. ^ a b c Woolf (2007) p. 208.
  70. ^ Woolf (2007) pp. 208–209.
  71. ^ a b Matthews (2007) p. 25.
  72. ^ Clarkson (2014) ch. 7; Downham (2007) pp. 124–125, 222; Matthews (2007) p. 25.
  73. ^ Clarkson (2014) ch. 7; Downham (2007) pp. 125 n. 10, 222; Matthews (2007) p. 25.
  74. ^ Gough-Cooper (2015) p. 43 § b993.1; Clarkson (2014) ch. 7; Matthews (2007) p. 9; Woolf (2007) pp. 206–207; Anderson (1922) pp. 478–479 n. 6; Rhŷs (1890) p. 262; Williams Ab Ithel (1860) pp. 24–25.
  75. ^ Downham (2007) pp. 222–223; Matthews (2007) pp. 9, 15; Woolf (2007) pp. 207–208.
  76. ^ Downham (2007) pp. 126–127, 222–223; Woolf (2007) p. 208.
  77. ^ a b Woolf (2007) pp. 207–208.
  78. ^ Keynes (2008) p. 52; Raine (1879) p. 448.
  79. ^ Keynes (2008) p. 52; Birch (1893) pp. 604–605. § 1290.
  80. ^ The Annals of Ulster (2012) § 977.4; The Annals of Ulster (2008) § 977.4; Bodleian Library MS. Rawl. B. 489 (n.d.).
  81. ^ Woolf (2009) pp. 251–252; Broun (2007) p. 72; Woolf (2007) p. 340.
  82. ^ Broun (2015a) pp. 120, 122–123; Woolf (2009) p. 252.
  83. ^ McGuigan (2015) pp. 142–143, 144 n. 470; Woolf (2007) p. 211; Anderson, AO (1908) p. 77; Arnold (1885) pp. 382–383.
  84. ^ Walker (2013) ch. 4; Hudson (1994) p. 93.
  85. ^ Woolf (2007) pp. 205–206.
  86. ^ Clarkson (2014) ch. 7; Walker (2013) ch. 4; Woolf (2009) p. 259; Busse (2006a); Clarkson (2010) ch. 9; Broun (2004e).
  87. ^ Walker (2013) ch. 4; Woolf (2009) p. 259.
  88. ^ Clarkson (2010) ch. 9; Broun (2004e).
  89. ^ McGuigan (2015) p. 140; Clarkson (2012) ch. 9; Clarkson (2010) ch. 9.

References

Primary sources

Secondary sources

Media related to Amlaíb mac Illuilb at Wikimedia Commons

Amlaíb mac Illuilb
Clann Áeda meic Cináeda
Cadet branch of the
Alpínid dynasty
 Died: 977
Regnal titles
Preceded by
King of Alba

971/976–977 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Amlaíb,_King_of_Scotland&oldid=1140962171"