Malcolm IV of Scotland
Malcolm IV | |
---|---|
Henry, Earl of Huntingdon and Northumbria | |
Mother | Ada de Warenne |
Malcolm IV (
Called Malcolm the Maiden by later chroniclers, a name which may incorrectly suggest weakness or effeminacy to modern readers, he was noted for his religious zeal and interest in knighthood and warfare. For much of his reign he was in poor health and died unmarried at the age of twenty-four.
Accession
Malcolm, the eldest of Earl Henry's sons, was only eleven years old when he became heir apparent. Nonetheless, he was sent by his grandfather on a circuit of the kingdom, accompanied by
Donnchad, who duly became regent for the young Malcolm, ensured that the inauguration took place before the old king was even buried. This might appear unseemly, but there was good reason for the haste. Malcolm was not without rivals for the kingship. Donnchad himself died a year later, in 1154.Rivals and neighbours
The
As a new and young king, Malcolm also faced threats to his rule from his neighbours. Foremost among them were
The first open opposition to Malcolm came in November 1153, from family rivals, the sons of Máel Coluim mac Alaxandair. They mounted their challenge with the aid of a neighbour,
In 1157, it is reported, King Malcolm was reconciled with
Malcolm IV and Henry II
Malcolm was not only King of Scots, but also inherited the Earldom of Northumbria, which his father and grandfather had gained during the wars between
After a second meeting between Malcolm and Henry, at
Malcolm returned from Toulouse in 1160. At
Sometime before July 1163, when he did homage to Henry II, Malcolm was taken seriously ill at Doncaster.[17] Scottish sources report that a revolt in Moray brought Malcolm north, and it is said that he:
[R]emoved [the men of Moray] from the land of their birth, as of old
Having made peace with Henry, replaced Fergus of Galloway with his sons, and resettled Moray, only one of Malcolm's foes remained, Somerled, by 1160 king of the Isles as well as of Argyll. In 1164, Somerled led a large army of Islesmen and Irishmen to attack
Marriage project
In 1160, a marriage between Malcolm and
Death and posterity
Malcolm IV died on 9 December 1165 at Jedburgh, aged twenty-four. His premature death may have been hastened by Paget's disease (a chronic disorder that typically results in enlarged and deformed bones).[21] While his contemporaries were in no doubt that Malcolm had some of the qualities of a great king, later writers were less convinced. The compiler of the Annals of Ulster, writing soon after 1165, praises Malcolm:
Máel Coluim Cenn Mór, son of Henry, high king of Scotland, the best Christian that was of the Gaidhil [who dwell] by the sea on the east for almsdeeds, hospitality and piety, died.[22]
Likewise, William of Newburgh praises Malcolm, "the most Christian king of the Scots", highly in his Historia Rerum Anglicarum.[23]
Nonetheless, Malcolm was not well regarded in all quarters. The Gesta Annalia remarks
[Malcolm] quite neglected the care, as well as governance, of his kingdom. Wherefore he was so hated by all the common people that William, the elder of his brothers – who had always been on bad terms with the English, and their lasting foe, forasmuch as they had taken away his patrimony, the earldom of Northumbria, to wit – was by them appointed warden of the whole kingdom, against the king's will[24]
According to legend, he had a daughter who was betrothed to Henry, Prince of Capua, on the latter's deathbed, but this is said to be false as Malcolm had no heirs. However, since illegitimacy did not apply to medieval females, but it was often pretended that it did, she may have been overlooked. Malcolm's mother had formulated a plan for a marriage to Constance, daughter of Conan III, Duke of Brittany, but Malcolm died before the wedding could be celebrated.[25] This does not mean that Malcolm could not have had a concubine, or mistress.
It is difficult, given the paucity of sources, to date many of the reforms of the Scoto-Norman era, but it appears that Malcolm continued the reforms begun by his grandfather and grand-uncles. The sheriffdoms of Crail, Dunfermline, Edinburgh, Forfar, Lanark and Linlithgow appear to date from Malcolm's reign, and the office of Justiciar of Lothian may also date from this period.[26]
Malcolm founded a
Fictional portrayals
Malcolm IV has been depicted in historical novels. They include :
- Lord of the Isles (1983) by Nigel Tranter. The main character of the novel is Somerled, Lord of the Isles. The plot follows his military career, rise to power, swearing of fealty to David I of Scotland, and support of a revolt against Malcolm IV. It concludes with the murder of Somerled.[28][29]
- Tapestry of the Boar (1993) by Nigel Tranter. The main character is Hugh De Swinton, a huntsman at the court of Malcolm IV. He is at first employed to slay wild boars which threaten humans, sheep and cattle of the Scottish countryside. He then serves as a scout to the army of the king during the conflict with Fergus of Galloway. Malcolm IV eventually tasks Hugh with establishing Soutra Aisle, "the first real hospital for the sick and poor in Scotland".[30][31]
References
Citations
- ^ a b W. W. Scott, "Malcolm IV (1141–1165)".
- ^ Oram, David I, p. 200.
- ^ Oram, David I, p. 201.
- ^ Duncan, p. 71.
- ^ Duncan, p. 70; Orkneyinga Saga, c. 33.
- ^ Oram, David I, pp. 93 & 182–186; Duncan, p. 102.
- ^ Duncan, p.71; McDonald, Kingdom of the Isles, pp. 51–54.
- ^ McDonald, Outlaws, pp. 28–29.
- ^ Duncan, pp. 71–72; McDonald, Outlaws, p. 29.
- ^ Duncan, p.72; Barrow, p. 47; William of Newburgh in SAEC, p. 239.
- Roger of Hovedenin SAEC, p. 240.
- ^ Duncan, p. 72.
- ^ Gesta Annalia, iii; SAEC, pp. 241–242; Duncan, pp. 72–73.
- ^ Duncan, pp. 72–73.
- ^ Gesta Annalia, iii.
- ^ Brooke, pp. 91–95; McDonald, Outlaws, pp. 89–91.
- ^ SAEC, p. 242.
- ^ Gesta Annalia, iv; McDonald, Outlaws, pp. 30–31.
- ^ McDonald, Kingdom of the Isles, pp. 61–67.
- ^ Roujoux, Prudence Guillaume. Histoire des rois et des ducs de Bretagne, Volume 2 (1828), p. 426-429.
- ^ Duncan, pp. 74–75.
- ^ Annals of Ulster, s.a. 1165.
- ^ Quoted in SAEC, p. 243.
- ^ Gesta Annalia, iv; Duncan, p. 74, doubts Fordun's account.
- ^ Oram, The Canmores, p. 51.
- ^ McNeill & MacQueen, p. 192; Barrow ?
- ^ McNeill & MacQueen, p. 340.
- ^ "Lord of the Isles", description from the bookjacket
- ^ "Lord of the Isles",customer reviews
- ^ "Tranter first edition books, publication timeline", part IV
- ^ ""Tapestry of the Boar",summary". Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2011.
Sources
- For the Gesta Annalia, see John of Fordun.
- Anderson, Alan Orr, Scottish Annals from English Chroniclers A.D. 500–1286. D. Nutt, London, 1908.
- Anon., A Medieval Chronicle of Scotland: The Chronicle of Melrose, ed. & tr. Joseph Stevenson. Reprinted, Llanerch Press, Lampeter, 1991. ISBN 0-947992-60-X
- Anon., Orkneyinga Saga: The History of the Earls of Orkney, tr. Hermann Pálsson and Paul Edwards. Penguin, London, 1978. ISBN 0-14-044383-5
- Barrell, A.D.M. Medieval Scotland. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2000. ISBN 0-521-58602-X
- ISBN 0-7486-1803-1
- Brooke, Daphne, Wild Men and Holy Places: St Ninian, Whithorn and the Medieval Realm of Galloway. Canongate, Edinburgh, 1994. ISBN 0-86241-558-6
- Duncan, A.A.M., The Kingship of the Scots 842–1292: Succession and Independence. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 2002. ISBN 0-7486-1626-8
- ISBN 1-897853-05-X
- McDonald, R. Andrew, The Kingdom of the Isles: Scotland's Western Seaboard, c. 1100–c.1336. Tuckwell Press, East Linton, 1997. ISBN 1-898410-85-2
- McDonald, R. Andrew, Outlaws of Medieval Scotland: Challenges to the Canmore Kings, 1058–1266. Tuckwell Press, East Linton, 2003. ISBN 1-86232-236-8
- ISBN 0-7524-2825-X
- Oram, Richard, The Canmores: Kings & Queens of the Scots 1040–1290. Tempus, Stroud, 2002. ISBN 0-7524-2325-8
- Scott, W. W., "Malcolm IV (1141–1165)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 , accessed 27 May 2007
External links
- Malcolm IV at the official website of the British monarchy
- CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts at University College Cork includes the Annals of Ulster, Tigernach and Innisfallen, the Lebor Bretnach and the Chronicon Scotorum among others. Most are translated or translations are in progress.
- Orkneyinga Saga at Northvegr