![]() ![]() She had also proven that she could produce boys, two of the most important qualifications for any medieval aristocratic woman. Gruoch was the grand-daughter of Kenneth III, King of Scotland. But in the medieval world, it was not unusual, regardless of the thoughts of the lady involved. In the 21st century, the idea of a woman marrying the murderer of her husband is completely unthinkable. He then married the widow of Gille Comgáin. Revenge would be taken in 1032 when Macbeth, in his 20s, defeated the brothers, burning them alive with their supporters. When he was 15, his father was murdered and his birthright stolen by his cousins, Gille Comgáin and Mael Coluim. ![]() This lineage gave him a strong claim to the Scottish Throne. His mother was the daughter of the ruling king, Malcolm II, who ascended to the Throne the year Macbeth was born. His father, Findlaech mac Ruaidrí was the grandson of Malcolm I, who was the King of Scotland between 943 and 954. Mac Bethad mac Findlaích, anglicized to Macbeth, was born around 1005, the son of the King of Moray. King Of Moray Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth by John Singer Sargent, 1889 via The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York ![]() James succeeded both Queens to their Thrones, becoming James IV of Scotland and James I of England and incidentally also the patron of Shakespeare. She was the mother of James and was beheaded by Elizabeth I of England. The first woman to be a regnant Queen who lived in Scotland rather than a consort or regent was the tragic Mary, Queen of Scots (r. 1620, via The Royal Collection Trust, London In this period a king was a warlord as he needed to be able to lead his men in battle. The practice was known as tanistry and in Scotland included both the male and female lines, although only a mature male could become king. The kingship of Scotland was not hereditary, instead, the kings were elected from a pool of suitable candidates who were all descended from King Kenneth MacAlpin (810-50). The Kingdom of Moray was the successor to the original Pictish Kingdom and culturally Celtic. It was a buffer zone between the Norsemen in the North and the early Scottish kingdom to the south and thus needed a strong king.Ĭulturally the southern Kingdom of Scotland was influenced by the Anglo Saxons and Normans, the west still demonstrated some of the Gaelic traditions of their Irish ancestors. Its northern border was the Moray Firth, with the Grampian Mountains forming the southern extent of the kingdom. It stretched from the West Coast facing the Isle of Skye to the East Coast and River Spey. The Kingdom of Moray in the 11th century was originally the Kingdom of the Picts, centered on what is now Inverness. The Scottish king had no influence here.Įngraving of a Pictish Warrior of the Medieval Period by Theodore De Bry, 1585-88 It was still subject to Viking Invasions, and the Norsemen, as they were known, controlled much of the North of Scotland and the Islands. Please check your inbox to activate your subscription Thank you! ![]()
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