Macbeth Ier of Scotland

See also: Macbeth

Macbeth Ier of Scotland (born v. 1005 - died the August 15th 1057, with the Battle of Lumphanan) was king d' Écosse starting from 1040 until its death.

The reign of the Picte Macbeth, which succeeded by the force in 1040 the Scot Duncan I {{er}}, before being, seventeen years later, overcome and reversed in its turn by the son of Duncan, Malcolm III '' Canmore '' is especially known to us by the tragedy of Shakespeare and operated it Verdi, which returned celebrates this history, finally rather anecdotic, with which, moreover, Shakespeare took great freedoms.

Macbeth was since 1032 Mormaer (chief of clan) of the district of Moray, load occupied formerly by his/her father Findláech MacRory (of 990 with 1020), and thus hereditary lord, according to the Annales of Tigernach, and wire of a king d' Écosse, Findláech being called rí Alban - what means “ king d' Écosse ” in the language Gaelic of the Moyen-âge - according to the “ Annales of Ulster ” and the Livre of Leinster . It would seem in any case that he was not entitled any to the royalty and that it is as ordering with the service of the king Duncan I {{er}} that he made assassinate the latter, during the Bataille of Pitgaveny close to Elgin the August 14th 1040, in order to adapt the kingdom.

The combat continues against Crinan or laic Cronan Abbé of Dunkeld, the father of Duncan, which is killed in its turn 5 years later

So Macbeth is sometimes presented like a usurping general. In fact, the murder of Duncan by Macbeth finds its base in two major elements:

on the one hand, Macbeth - which was a Picte - restores the order successional picte, founded by the founder of the Scottish royal dynasty, Kenneth I {{er}} '' Mac Alpin '' and modified by the grandfather of Duncan Ier, Malcolm II, which was a Scot;
in addition, Macbeth restores the order in Scotland, upset by the disordered reign of Duncan. Macbeth will expiera its murder by a pilgrimage which it made in Rome in 1050.

Moreover, Macbeth had married - when this one was widowed Gillacomgain mac Maelbrigte - his/her cousin Gruoch , girl of Boïte of Scotland and grand-daughter of Kenneth III, which was assassinated by Malcolm II, the grandfather of Duncan. Grandson by alliance of Kenneth III, it could assert the throne of Scotland with died of Malcolm II, but this one modified the rules of succession to the throne with the profit of its own grandson Duncan I {{er}}.

Residing at the castle of Dunsinane , it would have had seventeen years a prosperous reign before being killed with the combat, in 1057, with Lumphanan - in the Highlands - at the time of a battle against the army of Siward, Count de Northumbrie, which supported the legitimate royal family. This one had already, in 1054, makes a first attempt reverse Macbeth in favor of Malcolm, the future Malcolm III '' Canmore '', the elder one of Duncan Ier, but it had failed.

Macbeth was buried in the island of Iona, Nécropole of the legitimate kings of Scotland.

His/her son-in-law Lulach Ier says Lulach Insane the succeeded to him, but it was him also killed by Malcolm Canmore, the March 17th 1058.

Thus the purely Celtic period of the history of Scotland was completed.

Random links: