GEN-MEDIEVAL-L Archives

Archiver > GEN-MEDIEVAL > 1999-01 > 0916978663


From: Jared L Olar< >
Subject: Re: Kings of Scotland
Date: 21 Jan 1999 20:17:43 -0800


Stewart Baldwin's reply has covered most of your query, but there are a
few other things I can contribute.

On 21 Jan 1999 06:14:03 -0800 (Leo Akershoek)
writes:
>I am looking for help to fill in the ancestors of Duncan I of
>Scotland.

[snip]

>1. Duncan I, born 1001, murdered at Elgin (Moray) on August 1, 1040
>He was married too Sybille of Northumberland, daughter of Siward
>Bjornsson and Aelflaed of Bernicia.

Sybil's parentage is unknown. Some sources show her as a daughter of
Siward Beornsson, Earl of Northumbria, but in fact all that is known is
that she was a kinswoman of Siward.

His parents were:-
>2. Cronan Dunkeld

About two or three years ago, Stewart Baldwin, Michael Davidson, and I
participated in a fascinating discussion here of the possible ancestry of
King Duncan's father Crinan, Lay Abbot of Dunkeld. Sir Iain Moncreiffe
of that Ilk, in his book THE HIGHLAND CLANS, offered the hypothesis that
Crinan's male lineage traced back to the kindred of St. Columba--a branch
of the great Irish family O'Neill--who were Abbots of Iona, Kells,
Dunkeld, etc. Nothing definite is known of Crinan's ancestry, but that
he was Lay Abbot of Dunkeld, and that Duncan mac Crinan's grandson
Aethelred was also Lay Abbot of Dunkeld, suggests that Crinan may have
belonged to that kindred.

Mike Davidson, however, argued that Crinan belonged to the Cinel
nGabhrain--that is, the Scottish royal family, the same family to which
Crinan's father-in-law King Malcolm II belonged. His reasons had to do
with succession customs in Gaelic culture--any man having or claiming
direct male descent from the founder of a royal family was eligible to
succeed, the closest male relatives being favored first. King Malcolm II
did a very good job of purging his dynasty of rival male claimaints, and
when he died the throne went to his daughter's son Duncan. But
succession could not go through the female line. That is why Mike
Davidson argued that Crinan must have been descended in the male line
from a cadet branch of the Cinel nGabhrain.

I'm not sure which hypothesis is correct, but Mr. Davidson's admittedly
deals respectfully with what we know of Gaelic succession customs of that
era. On the other hand, it is possible that Malcolm II may have done
just what many have thought he did--flouted the custom and insisted that
the throne pass through the female line to someone with no demonstrable
male ascent to the dynastic founder.

Hope this helps.

Jared
___________________________________________________________________
You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html
or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]

This thread: