Macbeth (874 words)

MacbethRe: Macbeth
Re: Macbeth
On March 30, Ben Glassman wrote:
* A non-list friend has asked me for help on the following question:
* Can anyone provide information or a bibliography on the historical
* figure Macbeth?
* She is especially interested in any feuds that his family might have been
* engaged in. Thanks.

There has been very little work done on the historical Macbeth.

There is a modern work, Peter Berresford Ellis, MACBETH, HIGH KING OF
SCOTLAND: 1040-1057, (Belfast: Blackstaff, 1990). Unfortunately, this is
an unscholarly re-hashing of William Skene’s nineteenth century work on
Celtic Scotland, and should be taken with a ton of salt. It is, however, a
good read, and may have limited use as a introduction for someone new to
the subject. Many of the contemporary sources for Macbeth’s reign have
been edited and translated in A. O. Anderson, EARLY SOURCES OF SCOTTISH
HISTORY A.D. 500-1286 vol. I, (Paul Watkins, Stamford, 1990), pp. 579-604,
and A. O. Anderson, SCOTTISH ANNALS FROM ENGLISH CHRONICLERS, (Paul
Watkins, Stamford, 1991), pp. 83-86. Here follows an account of
the circumstances surrounding Macbeth’s reign, and the ‘feuds’ involved.

Most of these comments are the subject of scholarly debate.

Macbeth was a member of the ruling family of Moray, the
northermost region of Scotland. Moray’s rulers are mentioned in the sources
sometimes as kings, and sometimes as _mormaers_, a term translated as
‘great-steward’ or ‘sea-steward’. The use of the term _mormaer_ in
reference to the rulers of Moray indicates that they were possibly
subordinate to the kings of Scotland.

Macbeth’s father Finnlaech ruled until 1020, when he was killed by
his nephews Malcolm and Gillacomgain. Malcolm succeeded to Moray and died
in 1029, when he was succeeded by Gillacomgain. In 1032, Gillacomgain was
burned to death along with fifty other people. (Annals of Ulster) Macbeth
succeeded to Moray at this time, and was probably the perpetrator of
Gillacomgain’s death, which may have served as a pay-back for the killing
of Finnlaech. Macbeth probably also married Gillacomgain’s wife Gruoch at
this time. Here follows a chart of the relationships:
Ruaidri
___________|___________
| |
Findlaech d. 1020 Maelbrigte
| |___________
| | |
Macbeth m. Grouch m. Gillacomgain Malcolm
d. 1058 d. 1032 d. 1029
|
Lulach d. 1058
|
further descendants
There were two important marriage connections between the rulers
of Moray and the kings of Scotland. Finnlaech probably married a duaghter
of Kenneth II, (971-995), and Grouch was granddaughter of Kenneth III,
(997-1005).

The Scottish situation requires some more background information.

*From c. 840-1034 Scotland was ruled by members, in the male line of the
mac Alpin dynasty. (Alpin fl. in the early part of the ninth century)
Malcolm II (1005-1034) left no male offspring, and he killed the only
other surviving member (in the male line) of the mac Alpin dynasty in
1033, creating a succession problem. He had married his daughter Bethoc
to Crinan, abbot of Dunkeld, and Malcolm arranged to have Crinan and
Bethoc’s son Duncan succeed him in the kingship. It was unprecedented in
Celtic kingship for succession to pass through the female line, another
possible explanation is that Crinan had some claim to the throne, and
passed it on to Duncan. Duncan ruled until 1040, when he was killed in
battle, probably by Macbeth, following a disastrous raid on Durham.

Macbeth succeeded to the Scottish kingship in the manner which had
become the norm over the preceding hundred years, by killing his
predescessor. Macbeth, like Duncan, had a claim to the Scottish kingship
through the female line, but his claim was probably based on his descent
from the Cenel Loairn, one of the three tribal groupings of the kingdom of
Dalriada (roughly corresponding to modern Argyll, Scotland), which was
founded in the sixth century. (See John Bannerman, STUDIES IN THE HISTORY
OF DALRIADA, Edinburgh, 1974 on Dalriada. The mac Alpin dynasty was
descended from another tribal grouping, the Cenel nGabhrain) Macbeth’s
pedigree, in MS Rawl B. 502, a reliable source of genealogies, shows his
descent from Ferchair, who held the kingship of Dalriada in the late
seventh century.

There are scrappy bits of information on Macbeth’s actual reign.

In 1045, Duncan’s father Crinan was killed in A battle between the Scots
themselves, (Annals of Ulster) and this event probably represented an
attempt to oust Macbeth. In 1050, Macbeth is reported to have scattered
money like seed to the poor at Rome. (Marianus Scottus) From 1054
onwards, Macbeth was probably occupied in a struggle with Duncan’s son
Malcolm to retain the throne. Earl Siward of Northumbria invaded Scotland
in 1054, probably with the intention of placing Duncan’s son Malcolm on
the throne in an attempt to effect a friendly Scotland. Siward inflicted a
costly defeat on the Scots; Siward’s son and nephew were both killed in
the battle. (Anglo-Saxon Chroncle) In 1058, the Annals of Ulster and other
sources record Macbeth’s death at the hands of Malcolm. Macbeth was first
succeeded by his stepson Lulach, the son of Grouch and Gillacomgain. He
had a reign ranging from four to seven months according to the sources,
until he in turn was also killed by Malcolm, who then took the kingship.

Descendants of Lulach survived into the twelfth century, and continued
their hostility to the descendants of Duncan until the death of Lulach’s
grandson in 1130, which probably extinguished the line of the rulers of Moray.

I know that there is a great deal of confusing information here, I will be
happy to provide clarification on any points.

Michael Davidson
[emailprotected]
Thu, 31 Mar 1994 15:42:47 -0500]
Bibliography
shakespear macbeth
Shakespeare