Everything about Constantine I Of Scotland totally explained
Constantine, son of Cináed (
Mediaeval Gaelic:
Causantín mac Cináeda;
Modern Gaelic:
Còiseam mac Choinnich), known in most modern regnal lists as
Constantine I, nicknamed
An Finn-Shoichleach, "The Wine-Bountiful" (d.877) was a son of
Kennneth MacAlpin (Cináed mac Ailpín). Although tradition makes Constantine and his father
King of Scots, it's clear from the entries in the
Chronicle of the Kings of Alba and the
Annals of Ulster, that he was, like his father, king of the
Picts. He became king in 862 on the death of his uncle
Donald MacAlpin (Domnall mac Ailpín).
In 866, the Chronicle states that Pictland — the
Annals of Ulster say
Fortriu — was ravaged by Vikings led by
Amlaíb Conung (Olaf) and
Auisle (Ásl or Auðgísl). The Chronicle claims that Amlaíb was killed by Constantine that year, but this is either incorrectly dated, or a different Amlaíb is intended as the
Irish annals make it clear that Amlaíb Conung was alive long after 866. A date of 874 has been proposed for this event.
In 870, Amlaíb Conung and Ímar captured Alt Clut, chief place of the
kingdom of Strathclyde. The king,
Artgal, was among the many captives. The Annals of Ulster say that Artgal was killed "at the instigation of Causantín mac Cináeda" (Constantine son of Kenneth) in 872. Artgal's son
Run was married to a sister of Constantine.
In 875, the Chronicle and the Annals of Ulster again report a Viking army in Pictland. A battle, fought near
Dollar, was a heavy defeat for the Picts; the Annals of Ulster say that "a great slaughter of the Picts resulted". Although there's agreement that Constantine was killed fighting Vikings in 877, it isn't clear where this happened. Some believe he was beheaded on a Fife beach, following a battle at Fife Ness, near Crail.
William Forbes Skene read the Chronicle as placing Constantine's death at Inverdovat (by
Newport-on-Tay), which appears to match the
Prophecy of Berchán. The account in the
Chronicle of Melrose names the place as the "Black Cave" and
John of Fordun calls it the "Black Den". Constantine was buried on
Iona.
Constantine's son
Donald II and his descendants represented the main line of the
kings of Alba and later
Scotland.
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