Domnall III of Strathclyde
Encyclopedia
Dyfnwal III was ruler of the Kingdom of Strathclyde
(died 975) for some period in the mid tenth century, and the son of one of his predecessors, Owen I of Strathclyde.
Dyfnwal is almost certainly the king visited by Cathróe of Metz
. The vita of the latter saint states that Cathróe was Dyfnwal's relative. The visit must have happened between 941 and 946 , meaning that Dyfnwal may have been reigning as early as 941. This fact presents historiographical problems, because the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
states that in 945 king Eadmund of England
"harried all Cumbria and leased it to Máel Coluim, king of Scots, on the condition that he be his helper both on land and sea". The only possibilities are that, firstly, one source is wrong; secondly, that Strathclyde was a divided kingdom; thirdly, that Malcolm I of Scotland
(Máel Coluim mac Domnaill) gave the kingdom to Dyfnwal as soon as he received it, with Cathróe visiting the following year; or that Máel Coluim simply became the overlord of Dyfnwal. It is perhaps worthy of note that Edmund I's campaign in Cumbria is associated with the downfall of Dunmail
, said to be the "last king of Cumbria".
He is styled Domnall m. Eogain, rí
Bretan (king of the Britons
) in the Annals of Ulster
, which notes his death in 975 on pilgrimage. The Welsh source known as the Brut y Tywysogion
, which calls him Dunguallon, confirms that Dyfnwal did indeed set off on pilgrimage to Rome
It is possible that Dyfnwal resigned the kingship sometime before 971. Dyfnwal must have left on pilgrimage a good time before his death, because Florence of Worcester
tells us that in 973 the king of the Cumbrians was Máel Coluim I of Strathclyde
; moreover, it is Dyfnwal's son Amdarch
who was named by Scottish sources as the killer of the Scottish king Cuilén in 971.
Kingdom of Strathclyde
Strathclyde , originally Brythonic Ystrad Clud, was one of the early medieval kingdoms of the celtic people called the Britons in the Hen Ogledd, the Brythonic-speaking parts of what is now southern Scotland and northern England. The kingdom developed during the post-Roman period...
(died 975) for some period in the mid tenth century, and the son of one of his predecessors, Owen I of Strathclyde.
Dyfnwal is almost certainly the king visited by Cathróe of Metz
Cathróe of Metz
Saint Cathróe was a monk and abbot. His life is recorded in a hagiography written soon after his death by a monk at the monastery of Saint Felix at Metz, where Cathróe was abbot...
. The vita of the latter saint states that Cathróe was Dyfnwal's relative. The visit must have happened between 941 and 946 , meaning that Dyfnwal may have been reigning as early as 941. This fact presents historiographical problems, because the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of annals in Old English chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the Chronicle was created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of Alfred the Great...
states that in 945 king Eadmund of England
Edmund I of England
Edmund I , called the Elder, the Deed-doer, the Just, or the Magnificent, was King of England from 939 until his death. He was a son of Edward the Elder and half-brother of Athelstan. Athelstan died on 27 October 939, and Edmund succeeded him as king.-Military threats:Shortly after his...
"harried all Cumbria and leased it to Máel Coluim, king of Scots, on the condition that he be his helper both on land and sea". The only possibilities are that, firstly, one source is wrong; secondly, that Strathclyde was a divided kingdom; thirdly, that Malcolm I of Scotland
Malcolm I of Scotland
Máel Coluim mac Domnaill was king of Scots , becoming king when his cousin Causantín mac Áeda abdicated to become a monk...
(Máel Coluim mac Domnaill) gave the kingdom to Dyfnwal as soon as he received it, with Cathróe visiting the following year; or that Máel Coluim simply became the overlord of Dyfnwal. It is perhaps worthy of note that Edmund I's campaign in Cumbria is associated with the downfall of Dunmail
Dunmail
Dunmail, last King of Cumbria is a figure of both history and legend.In 945AD the Saxon king Edmund I of England conquered Strathclyde and ceded Cumbria to his ally, Malcolm I MacDonald, king of Scotland...
, said to be the "last king of Cumbria".
He is styled Domnall m. Eogain, rí
Rí
Rí, or very commonly ríg , is an ancient Gaelic word meaning "King". It is used in historical texts referring to the Irish and Scottish kings and those of similar rank. While the modern Irish word is exactly the same, in modern Scottish it is Rìgh, apparently derived from the genitive. The word...
Bretan (king of the Britons
King of the Britons
The Britons or Brythons were the Celtic-speaking people of what is now England, Wales and southern Scotland, whose ethnic identity is today maintained by the Welsh, Cornish and Bretons...
) in 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...
, which notes his death in 975 on pilgrimage. The Welsh source known as the Brut y Tywysogion
Brut y Tywysogion
Brut y Tywysogion is one of the most important primary sources for Welsh history. It is an annalistic chronicle that serves as a continuation of Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae. Brut y Tywysogion has survived as several Welsh translations of an original Latin version, which has...
, which calls him Dunguallon, confirms that Dyfnwal did indeed set off on pilgrimage to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
It is possible that Dyfnwal resigned the kingship sometime before 971. Dyfnwal must have left on pilgrimage a good time before his death, because Florence of Worcester
Florence of Worcester
Florence of Worcester , known in Latin as Florentius, was a monk of Worcester, who played some part in the production of the Chronicon ex chronicis, a Latin world chronicle which begins with the creation and ends in 1140....
tells us that in 973 the king of the Cumbrians was Máel Coluim I of Strathclyde
Máel Coluim I of Strathclyde
Máel Coluim I of Strathclyde was ruler of the Kingdom of Strathclyde, the probable son of one of his predecessor King Dyfnwal III of Strathclyde; he was brother of Amdarch, who possibly held the throne in 971....
; moreover, it is Dyfnwal's son Amdarch
Amdarch of Strathclyde
Amdarch was a military leader of the Kingdom of Strathclyde, the probable son of King Dyfnwal III of Strathclyde, and noted in the historical records only as the slayer of King Cuilén of Scotland in 971....
who was named by Scottish sources as the killer of the Scottish king Cuilén in 971.