MacAlpin's treason
Encyclopedia
MacAlpin's treason is a medieval legend
which explains the replacement of the Pictish language
by Gaelic
in the 9th and 10th centuries.
The legend tells of the murder of the nobles of Pictavia (situated in modern day Scotland
). Kenneth MacAlpin
's mother was probably descended from the royal house of Fortriu
and his great-grand uncle, Alpín
, had reigned as kings of the Picts until deposed by Óengus
in 728. It is thus that Kenneth was one of several nobles with a claim to the crown of the Picts
and Scots
.
, and De Instructione Principus, note that in 841 Mac Alpin attacked the remnants of the Pictish army and defeated them. Mac Alpin then invited the Pictish king, Drest
, and the remaining Pictish nobles to Scone to settle the issue of Dál Riata
's freedom or MacAlpin's claim to the Dál Riatan crown. Faced with a recently victorious MacAlpin in the south and a devastated army in the north, Drest, as well as all claimants to the Pictish throne from the seven royal houses attended this meeting at Scone. Legend has it that the Gaels came secretly armed to Scone, where Drest and the Pictish nobles were killed.
It is Giraldus Cambrensis
in De Instructione Principus who recounts how a great banquet
was held at Scone, and the Pictish king and his nobles were plied with drinks and became quite drunk. Once the Picts were drunk, the Gaels allegedly pulled bolts from the benches, trapping the Picts in concealed earthen hollows under the benches; additionally, the traps were set with sharp blades, such that the falling Picts impale
d themselves.
The Prophecy of Berchán
tells that Mac Alpin plunged them in the pitted earth, sown with deadly blades. Trapped and unable to defend themselves, the surviving Picts were then murdered from above and their bodies, clothes and ornaments plundered.
Following this event, Kenneth MacAlpin became king of both realms, heralding back to his maternal ancestry to establish his claim to the throne of Pictavia and inheriting Dál Riada from his father. He merged the two into one body named Alba
.
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
which explains the replacement of the Pictish language
Pictish language
Pictish is a term used for the extinct language or languages thought to have been spoken by the Picts, the people of northern and central Scotland in the Early Middle Ages...
by Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic language
Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....
in the 9th and 10th centuries.
The legend tells of the murder of the nobles of Pictavia (situated in modern day Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
). Kenneth MacAlpin
Kenneth I of Scotland
Cináed mac Ailpín , commonly Anglicised as Kenneth MacAlpin and known in most modern regnal lists as Kenneth I was king of the Picts and, according to national myth, first king of Scots, earning him the posthumous nickname of An Ferbasach, "The Conqueror"...
's mother was probably descended from the royal house of Fortriu
Fortriu
Fortriu or the Kingdom of Fortriu is the name given by historians for an ancient Pictish kingdom, and often used synonymously with Pictland in general...
and his great-grand uncle, Alpín
Alpín I of the Picts
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 Bernician exiles in Pictland, such as Eanfrith, father of Talorgan mac...
, had reigned as kings of the Picts until deposed by 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...
in 728. It is thus that Kenneth was one of several nobles with a claim to the crown of the Picts
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...
and Scots
Gaels
The Gaels or Goidels are speakers of one of the Goidelic Celtic languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx. Goidelic speech originated in Ireland and subsequently spread to western and northern Scotland and the Isle of Man....
.
Historical sources
The sources of Kenneth MacAlpin becoming king of the Picts are few and suspect. Two such sources, the Prophecy of BerchánProphecy of Berchán
The Prophecy of Berchán, is a relatively large historical poem written in the Middle Irish language. The text is preserved in the Royal Irish Academy, as MS 679 , with a few early modern copies...
, and De Instructione Principus, note that in 841 Mac Alpin attacked the remnants of the Pictish army and defeated them. Mac Alpin then invited the Pictish king, Drest
Drest X of the Picts
Drest was king of the Picts from before 845 until 848, a rival of Kenneth MacAlpin . According to the Pictish Chronicle, he was the son of Uurad....
, and the remaining Pictish nobles to Scone to settle the issue of 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...
's freedom or MacAlpin's claim to the Dál Riatan crown. Faced with a recently victorious MacAlpin in the south and a devastated army in the north, Drest, as well as all claimants to the Pictish throne from the seven royal houses attended this meeting at Scone. Legend has it that the Gaels came secretly armed to Scone, where Drest and the Pictish nobles were killed.
It is Giraldus Cambrensis
Giraldus Cambrensis
Gerald of Wales , also known as Gerallt Gymro in Welsh or Giraldus Cambrensis in Latin, archdeacon of Brecon, was a medieval clergyman and chronicler of his times...
in De Instructione Principus who recounts how a great banquet
Banquet
A banquet is a large meal or feast, complete with main courses and desserts. It usually serves a purpose such as a charitable gathering, a ceremony, or a celebration, and is often preceded or followed by speeches in honour of someone....
was held at Scone, and the Pictish king and his nobles were plied with drinks and became quite drunk. Once the Picts were drunk, the Gaels allegedly pulled bolts from the benches, trapping the Picts in concealed earthen hollows under the benches; additionally, the traps were set with sharp blades, such that the falling Picts impale
Impale
Impale may refer to:* Impaled , a magic trick simulating impalement* Impaled , American death metal band* Impalement, accidental injury, torture or execution* Impalement arts, a group of performing arts that includes knife throwing...
d themselves.
The Prophecy of Berchán
Prophecy of Berchán
The Prophecy of Berchán, is a relatively large historical poem written in the Middle Irish language. The text is preserved in the Royal Irish Academy, as MS 679 , with a few early modern copies...
tells that Mac Alpin plunged them in the pitted earth, sown with deadly blades. Trapped and unable to defend themselves, the surviving Picts were then murdered from above and their bodies, clothes and ornaments plundered.
Following this event, Kenneth MacAlpin became king of both realms, heralding back to his maternal ancestry to establish his claim to the throne of Pictavia and inheriting Dál Riada from his father. He merged the two into one body named Alba
Kingdom of Alba
The name Kingdom of Alba pertains to the Kingdom of Scotland between the deaths of Donald II in 900, and of Alexander III in 1286 which then led indirectly to the Scottish Wars of Independence...
.
See also
- Origins of the Kingdom of AlbaOrigins of the Kingdom of AlbaThe Origins of the Kingdom of Alba pertains to the origins of the Kingdom of Alba, or the Gaelic Kingdom of Scotland, either as a mythological event or a historical process, during the Early Middle Ages.-Medieval version:...
- Braflang ScóineBraflang ScóineThe Braflang Scóine , is a non-extant tale of suggested 11th century Scottish origin...
, tale upon which the legend may be based