Alpín I of the Picts
Encyclopedia
Alpín was king of the Picts
in the 720s, together with Drest
. The Pictish Chronicle
king lists give Alpín and Drest a five year joint rule. Alpín is a Pictish form of the Old English
Ælfwine and may, perhaps, indicate a tie to Bernicia
n exiles in Pictland, such as Eanfrith
, father of Talorgan mac Enfret
, and Oswiu
.
In 724, Nechtan mac Der-Ilei
is reported in the Annals of Tigernach
to have abdicated in favour of Drest, entering a monastery. Alpín, who is associated with Drest in the Pictish Chronicle
king lists, is not mentioned at this time. In 726, the Annals of Tigernach report that "Drest was cast from the kingdom of the Picts; and Alpín reigned in his stead."
In 728–729, a war in Pictland involving Alpín, Drest, Nechtan and Óengus
is reported in various sources. Alpín appears to have been the initial opponent of Nechtan and Óengus. He was first defeated by Óengus at Monaidh Craeb, for which Monicrieffe near Perth
has been suggested, where his son was killed. A second defeat led to Alpín's flight and Nechtan being restored as king. Drest was killed the following year, but Alpín's fate is not known.
Whether this Alpín has any connection to the "Elffin son of Crup" who the Annals of Ulster
say was besieged in 742, by whom is not said, is not known. Likewise, whether there is any connection between this Alpín and the Alpín mac Echdach
who may have ruled in Dál Riata
in the 730s is also unknown. Anderson
notes that the capture of "Elén son of Corp and of Conamail son of Cano" is recorded by the Annals of Ulster
circa
673. This Conamail was probably the Conamail son of Cano killed in 705.
If the report of 742 refers to this Alpín, then his father's name was Crup. Some versions of the Pictish Chronicle king lists include a king named Alpín son of Feret or Feredach, but this appears to be the later king, Alpín II
, Alpín son of Uuroid. The small number of sources which refer to a king named Alpín son of Óengus, again probably refer to Alpín II.
Picts
The Picts were a group of Late Iron Age and Early Mediaeval people living in what is now eastern and northern Scotland. There is an association with the distribution of brochs, place names beginning 'Pit-', for instance Pitlochry, and Pictish stones. They are recorded from before the Roman conquest...
in the 720s, together with Drest
Drest VII of the Picts
Drest was king of the Picts from 724 until 726 or 729. He succeeded Nechtan mac Der-Ilei when the latter abdicated and entered a monastery in 724....
. The Pictish Chronicle
Pictish Chronicle
The Pictish Chronicle is a name often given by historians to a list of the kings of the Picts beginning many thousand years before history was recorded in Pictavia and ending after Pictavia had been enveloped by Scotland...
king lists give Alpín and Drest a five year joint rule. Alpín is a Pictish form of the Old English
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
Ælfwine and may, perhaps, indicate a tie to Bernicia
Bernicia
Bernicia was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom established by Anglian settlers of the 6th century in what is now southeastern Scotland and North East England....
n exiles in Pictland, such as Eanfrith
Eanfrith of Bernicia
Eanfrith was briefly King of Bernicia from 633 to 634. He was the son of Æthelfrith, a Bernician king who had also ruled Deira to the south before being killed in battle around 616 against Raedwald of East Anglia, who had given refuge to Edwin, an exiled prince of Deira.Edwin became king of...
, father of Talorgan mac Enfret
Talorcan of the Picts
Talorcan mac Enfret was a King of the Picts . He was the son of Eanfrith of Bernicia, who had fled into exile among the Picts after his father, Æthelfrith of Northumbria, was killed around the year 616...
, and Oswiu
Oswiu of Northumbria
Oswiu , also known as Oswy or Oswig , was a King of Bernicia. His father, Æthelfrith of Bernicia, was killed in battle, fighting against Rædwald, King of the East Angles and Edwin of Deira at the River Idle in 616...
.
In 724, Nechtan mac Der-Ilei
Nechtan IV of the Picts
Nechtan mac Der-Ilei or Nechtan mac Dargarto was king of the Picts in the early 8th century. He succeeded his brother Bridei in 706. He is associated with significant religious reforms in Pictland. He abdicated in 724 in favour of his nephew and became a monk...
is reported in the Annals of Tigernach
Annals of Tigernach
The Annals of Tigernach is a chronicle probably originating in Clonmacnoise, Ireland. The language is a mixture of Latin and Old and Middle Irish....
to have abdicated in favour of Drest, entering a monastery. Alpín, who is associated with Drest in the Pictish Chronicle
Pictish Chronicle
The Pictish Chronicle is a name often given by historians to a list of the kings of the Picts beginning many thousand years before history was recorded in Pictavia and ending after Pictavia had been enveloped by Scotland...
king lists, is not mentioned at this time. In 726, the Annals of Tigernach report that "Drest was cast from the kingdom of the Picts; and Alpín reigned in his stead."
In 728–729, a war in Pictland involving Alpín, Drest, Nechtan and Óengus
Óengus I of the Picts
Óengus son of Fergus , was king of the Picts from 732 until his death in 761. His reign can be reconstructed in some detail from a variety of sources.Óengus became the chief king in Pictland following a period of civil war in the late 720s...
is reported in various sources. Alpín appears to have been the initial opponent of Nechtan and Óengus. He was first defeated by Óengus at Monaidh Craeb, for which Monicrieffe near Perth
Perth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
has been suggested, where his son was killed. A second defeat led to Alpín's flight and Nechtan being restored as king. Drest was killed the following year, but Alpín's fate is not known.
Whether this Alpín has any connection to the "Elffin son of Crup" who the Annals of Ulster
Annals of Ulster
The Annals of Ulster are annals of medieval Ireland. The entries span the years between AD 431 to AD 1540. The entries up to AD 1489 were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrí Ó Luinín, under his patron Cathal Óg Mac Maghnusa on the island of Belle Isle on Lough Erne in the...
say was besieged in 742, by whom is not said, is not known. Likewise, whether there is any connection between this Alpín and the Alpín mac Echdach
Alpín mac Echdach
Alpín mac Eochaid may refer to two persons. The first person is a presumed king of Dál Riata in the late 730s. The second is the father of Kenneth MacAlpin...
who may have ruled in Dál Riata
Dál Riata
Dál Riata was a Gaelic overkingdom on the western coast of Scotland with some territory on the northeast coast of Ireland...
in the 730s is also unknown. Anderson
Alan Orr Anderson
Alan Orr Anderson was a Scottish historian and compiler. He graduated from the University of Edinburgh. The son of Rev. John Anderson and Ann Masson, he was born in 1879...
notes that the capture of "Elén son of Corp and of Conamail son of Cano" is recorded by the Annals of Ulster
Annals of Ulster
The Annals of Ulster are annals of medieval Ireland. The entries span the years between AD 431 to AD 1540. The entries up to AD 1489 were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrí Ó Luinín, under his patron Cathal Óg Mac Maghnusa on the island of Belle Isle on Lough Erne in the...
circa
Circa
Circa , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
673. This Conamail was probably the Conamail son of Cano killed in 705.
If the report of 742 refers to this Alpín, then his father's name was Crup. Some versions of the Pictish Chronicle king lists include a king named Alpín son of Feret or Feredach, but this appears to be the later king, Alpín II
Alpín II of the Picts
Alpín son of Uuroid was king of the Picts.On anthroponymic grounds Alpin may have been the brother of his predecessor Ciniod son of Uuredach as both have similar patronyms, the Pictish equivalent of the Old Irish Feredach, but no certain evidence exists for this identification, nor for an...
, Alpín son of Uuroid. The small number of sources which refer to a king named Alpín son of Óengus, again probably refer to Alpín II.
External links
- CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts at University College Cork includes the Annals of Ulster, Tigernach, the Four Masters and Innisfallen, the Chronicon Scotorum, the Lebor Bretnach (which includes the Duan Albanach), Genealogies, and various Saints' Lives. Most are translated into English, or translations are in progress.
- Annals of Clonmacnoise at Cornell
- Pictish Chronicle