GEN-MEDIEVAL-L Archives
Archiver > GEN-MEDIEVAL > 1996-04 > 0830933171
From: Stewart Baldwin < >
Subject: Macbeth's pedigree
Date: Wed, 1 May 1996 06:46:11 GMT
On 29 Apr 1996, Jared Olar ( ) wrote:
>On Wed, 17 Apr 1996 wrote:
>
>> In the `tenth-century edition' of the _Senchus_ we have a pedigree which
>> runs from Loairn, through to Ainbhcellach, and on to someone who appears to
>> have been a tenth-century contemporary, but for whom there is no mention in
>> any but genealogical sources. Therefore, the only part of the pedigree that
>> could have been made is the part between Ainbhcellach and Ruari.
>
>For convenience, I thought I'd collate the versions of the Cenel nLoairn
>pedigree available to me. (These come from the Appendix of volume three
>of Skene's CELTIC SCOTLAND, pp.476-7, and Skene's edition of the _Senchus
>Fer nAlban_ in CHRONICLES OF THE PICTS, CHRONICLES OF THE SCOTS, AND
>OTHER EARLY MEMORIALS OF SCOTTISH HISTORY, 1867, pp.316-7.)
>
>`Celtic Scotland' `Chronicles' 1 `Chronicles' 2 `Chronicles' 3
>------------------------------------------------------------------
>Eirc Eirc
>Loarn moir Loairnd mair
>Muredaig Muredaig Muredach
>Eathaig Ecdach Echach
>Buadan Boetain Boetan Boetan
>Colmain Coluim
>Sneachtain Nechtan
>Fergusa Fergusa
>Fearadaig Feradaich
>Ferchair fhoda Ferchair fotai Ferchair Ferchair
>Aircellach Ainbhcellach
>Ruadri Ruadrach Ruadrach
>Cathmail Cathmai Caithnia
>Domnall Domnall Domnall
>Morgaind Mongan Morgan
>Domnall
>Ruadri
>Maelbrigde
>Gillicomgan (d.1032)
>Lulaig (d.1058)
>Maelsnectai (d.1085)
>
>The problem of the missing generations between Ruadri II and Ainbhcellach
>*might* be able to be solved by treating the Muredach who heads the list in
>the fourth column as identical to Ainbhcellach's son of that name. This
>is apparently what Moncreiffe did in his pedigree chart in HIGHLAND
>CLANS. (But he inserts yet another Muredach between Boetan and
>Ferchair.) Eleven or so generations in about two hundred and sixty years
>seems plausible.
> On the other hand, the pedigree of Morgan shown in the last two
>columns might just be fragmentary versions of the Cenel nLoairn lineage
>represented in the first two columns.
>
>Any light on this issue?
Having now looked at these pedigrees more carefully, I think it can be
determined roughly how far back Macbeth's pedigree is accurate (i.e.,
probably only to his grandfather). When looking at these old
pedigrees, they should not be considered in isolation, but should be
examined in the context of other pedigrees which appear in the same
collection. In particular, there are several pedigrees appended to
the Senchus fer nAlban, of which five of them seem to form a group
which was drawn up in the early eighth century. (See the discussion
in Anderson's "Kings and Kingship in Early Scotland", pp. 158ff.) I
don't have access to Bannerman's edition of these pedigrees, so they
are taken from Anderson's Early Sources of Scotish History, p. clvi.
(Anderson did not keep the forms of the manuscript, but changed the
names to modern forms.)
The pedigrees are:
Congus, son of Consalma, son of Conai Garb, son of Gartnait, son of
Aidan, son of Gabran. (Cenel nGabrain) [Cano, son of Gartnait
appears in the annals, as do three sons of a certain Congus (early 8th
century) who is probably this Congus.]
Ainfcellach, son of Ferchar Fota, son of Feradach, son of Fergus, son
of Nechtan, son of Colum, son of Baetan, son of Eochaid. son of
Muiredach, son of Loarn Mor, son of Erc, son of Eochaid Muin-remor.
(Cenel Loairn)
Morgan/Mongan, son of Don[ald], son of Cathma[il], son of Ruadri, son
of Ferchar, son of Muiredach, son of Baetan, son of Eochaid, son of
Muiredach. (also Cenel Loairn)
Eochaid, son of Nechtan, son of Ferchar, son of Fingin, son of
Eochaid, son of Loingsech, *, son of Comgall, son of Domangart, son of
Macc-Misi Mor, son of Erc. (Cenel Comgaill) [* "son of Conall was
probably inadvertantly omitted here, as Conall, son of Comgall is
known to have had a son named Loingsech.]
Angus, son of Boib, son of Ronan, son of Aidan, son of Coiblein, son
of Natsluaig, son of Ronan, son of Angus, son of Erc, son of Eochaid
Muin-remor. (Cenel nOengusa)
Because the pedigrees seem to form a group, and the number of
generations suggests that all of them may have been contemporaries, it
is reasonable to accept Anderson's suggestion (Kings and Kingship, pp.
161-2) that the pedigrees were drawn up in the early eighth century,
and that the first person mentioned was the head of his family at the
time the pedigrees were written, since such pedigrees are easy to
bring up to date.
If this is correct (and I think it is), then this Morgan/Mongan lived
about the year 700, and therefore cannot possibly be the near ancestor
of Macbeth. It appears that when the pedigree of Macbeth's kinsman
Maelsnechtai was concocted, the above two Cenel Loairn pedigrees were
set end-to-end, the duplicate names at the beginning of one of them
were deleted, and then the known part of the Moray pedigree was added
to the end. Whether or not this was done because of a genuine
tradition of descent from the Cenel Loairn is of no immediate
relevance. The pedigree as it stands appears to be a fabrication.
Morgan/Mongan is most likely a historical person from the early eighth
century, who may or may not have anything to do with the later family
of the mormaers of Moray. Macbeth's pedigree can be considered
certain only back to his grandfather Ruaidri, who appears as the
father of Findlaech in the latter's obituary in the contemporary Irish
annals. (Ruaidri also appears as mormaer of Moray in the Book of the
Deer, assuming it is the same man, which is likely.) Whether or not
the generation linking Ruaidri (ca. 1000) to Morgan/Mongan (ca. 700)
was genuinely the father of Ruaidri is impossible to determine, but it
looks like skepticism is best in that regard.
Stewart Baldwin
This thread:
| Macbeth's pedigree by Stewart Baldwin < > |