Cináed (MacAlpin) King of Scots (abt. 966 - 1005)

Born about 0966 in Scotland

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 25 Mar 1005 at about age 39 in Monzievaird, Stewardship of Strathearn, Scotland

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Kenneth III (MacAlpin) King of Scots was a member of Scottish Nobility. Join: Scotland Project Discuss: Scotland

Biography

Kenneth III (MacAlpin) King of Scots is a member of House of Alpin.

"An Donn (the Chief/the Brown)," "Chenet filius Duf," "Cináed mac Duib,” “Coinneach mac Dhuibh," "Girgus," "Girgus mac Kinat mac Duff," "Gryme," "Rí Alban," ”Rì nan Albannaich"

House of Alpin

Clann Chausantan (Northern Branch)

Birth

Kenneth MacAlpin was born the son of Duff I (Dubh), King of Scots ^[1][2] and an unknown wife.

Children of Kenneth MacAlpin and an Unknown Wife

1. Greg (Giric) MacAlpin, "killed in battle Monzievaird 25 Mar 1005, bur Isle of Iona." "His existence is not recorded in any of the earlier chronicles and should be treated with caution." ^[1]
2. Gillacomgain MacAlpin, b. abt. 980; d. abt. 999, "killed in battle" ^[1]
3. Boete (Bodhe) McAlpin, b. abt. 990; ^[1] He was the father of Gruoch, wife of MacBeth. ^[3]

Kenneth III, King of Scots

He reigned from 997 to 1005. ^[4] He killed his distant cousin, Constantine III, in 997, "at rath inber Amon, ‘the fort at the mouth of the Almond,’ probably near Scone in what is now Perthshire," becoming Kenneth III, King of Scots.^[2] "Constantin’s successor was Kenneth, son of Dubh, who was the son of Malcolm, and the elder brother of Kenneth, son of Malcolm, the predecessor of Constantin." ^[5][6][7]

In the the year 999, there is a possible reference to his son, Gillacomgain MacAlpin, "Dunghal, son of Cinaedh, was slain by Gillacaeimhghin, son of Cinaedh." ^[8] As there many other men named, "Cinaedh," during this period, the Annals are unclear if a brother is killing a brother or another person with the same name. ^[9] There are no other known events of his lifetime.

"The Prophecy of St. Berchán," however, highly praises his reign,

The Donn will possess who will dispense steeds,

He will scatter hosts of the Saxons,

After the day of battle he will possess,

I remember the high tale.

Told is his reign in the east,

Short shall it be over Alban,

Great strength was against his enemies without,

The Donn from strong Duncath. ^[10]

Eight years and a half, bright the deeds,

To the Donn in his sovereignty,

‘Twas short till they came against him,

Alas! the Gael again.

The Gael gathered around him,

The day in which he will be killed by us,

At his stone of blood between two glens

Not far from the banks of the Earn. ^[11]

Death

Kenneth MacAlpin died on 25 Mar 1005, possibly along with a son, Giric, in the battle of Monzievaird, ^{[1][2][12][13][14]} killed and succeeded by his 1st cousin, Malcolm II, King of Scots, son of Kenneth II, King of Alba. ^[15]

Research Notes

1. Sources conflict on whether Kenneth III or a son, Giric, ruled as king. ^[7][15][16] However, since certainty is unobtainable, and both Kenneth III and the uncertain son were reported killed on the same date in the same battle, the succession does not change; Malcolm II, King of Scots became king.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4} Cawley, Charles. Foundation for Medieval Genealogy: Medieval Lands Database, chap. 1, Kenneth,
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Broun, Dauvit. Kenneth III [Cináed mac Duib]. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press (2004), citing, "Kenneth III [Cináed mac Duib] (d. 1005), king in Scotland, was the son of King Dubh (d. 966)."Kenneth III.
3. ↑ Dunbar, Archibald Hamilton, Sir. Scottish kings; a revised chronology of Scottish history, 1005-1625. Edinburgh: David Douglas (1899), p. 18.
4. ↑ Dunbar, Sir Archibald H. Scottish Kings: A Revised Chronology of Scottish History 1005-1625. Edinburgh: D. Douglas (1899), p. 280
5. ↑ Skene, William Forbes. Celtic Scotland: A History of Ancient Alba. Edinburgh: David Douglas (1886). Kindle edition. Paisley PA: Grian Press (2014). Volume I. History and Ethnology, chap. VII. The Kingdom if Alban, loc. 4647, citing, "Constantin’s successor was Kenneth, son of Dubh, who was the son of Malcolm, and the elder brother of Kenneth, son of Malcolm, the predecessor of Constantin. He is termed by St. Berchan The Donn, or brown, from strong Duncath."
6. ↑ Broun, Dauvit. Culen [Cuilén mac Illuilb, Cuilén Hringr](d. 971). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press (2004), citing, "He [Constantine III] was killed at (rath inber Amon (‘the fort at the mouth of the Almond’)), probably near Scone in what is now Perthshire, by Kenneth III, who, like the slayer of Culen, was a member of the alternative branch of the royal dynasty." Culen [Cuilén mac Illuilb, Cuilén Hringr(d. 971)
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Fordun, John. John of Fordun's Chronicle of the Scottish nation. Skene, William F. (ed). Edinburgh: Edmonston and Douglas (1872), bk. iv, citing, “Fordun makes Constantinus's successor, Gryme, son of Kenneth, son of Duff, and gives him a reign of eight years and three months, beginning in 996, which would place his death in 1004 or 1005.” p. 412.
8. ↑ Annals of the Four Masters. CELT: The Corpus of Electronic Texts. University College Cork, Ireland (Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh) (2022), vol. 2, p. 731
9. ↑ Anderson, Allan Orr. Early Sources of Scottish History A.D 500 to 1286. Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd (1922), vol. 1, citing, "Annals of the Four Masters vol. ii, p. 740, s.a. 998=999, Dungal and Gillacoimgin may possibly have been sons of Kenneth II (995) and Kenneth III (1005); but this is by no means certain. The feud seems to have been continued by the family of Boite, another son (possibly) of Kenneth III, on the one side; and by Malcolm II, son of Kenneth II, on the other side." p. 520
10. ↑ Mackay, Aeneas James George. Lee, Sidney, ed. Kenneth III. Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900. London: Smith, Elder, and Co. (1885). vol. 30, p. 440
11. ↑ Skene, William F. Chronicles of the Picts, Chronicles of the Scots,… Edinburgh: H. M. General Register House (1867). The Prophecy of St. Berchán. p. 98.
12. ↑ Anderson, Alan Orr. Early sources of Scottish history, A.D. 500 to 1286. Edinburgh, London: Oliver and Boyd (1922), vol. 1, citing “1005, Annals of Ulster, vol. I, pp. 512, 514l; s.a. 1004 or 1005=1005. ‘A battle [was fought] between men of Scotland on either side; and in it the king of Scotland, Kenneth, Dub’s son fell.’” p. 521
13. ↑ Dunbar, Archibald Hamilton, Sir. Scottish kings; a revised chronology of Scottish history, 1005-1625. Edinburgh: David Douglas (1899), p. 1.
14. ↑ Clarkson, Tim. Strathclyde and the Anglo-Saxons in the Viking Age. Edinburgh: Birlinn Ltd (2014). Kindle edition. p. 198, citing, "His contemporary in neighbouring Alba was Máel Coluim mac Cináeda, who took the kingship of the Scots in 1005 after destroying his rival Cináed mac Duib."
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1} Cannon, John; Hargreaves, Anne. The Kings and Queens of Britain (Oxford Quick Reference). New York: Oxford University Press (2001,2004), p. 97, citing, “it remains unclear whether it was Kenneth who succeeded to the kingship, or his son Giric, or whether they ruled jointly. Both have been given an eight-year reign before being killed at Monzievaird (west of Perth) by Kenneth’s first cousin, Malcolm II, who thereby realized his father’s ambition of triumphing over the house of Dub”
16. ↑ Broun, Dauvit. Kenneth III [Cináed mac Duib] (d. 1005) Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press (2004), citing, “Kenneth III's supposed son Giric was apparently the product of a copyist's error, but Kenneth probably did have a son or sons whose descendants became the clann Duib (later Macduff). Kenneth III [Cináed mac Duib (d. 1005)].

See also:

• Goodey, Emma. Kenneth III (r. 997-1005) The Royal Family. London: The Royal Household (2016). Kenneth III.
• Ó Corráin, Professor Donnchadh; Morgan, Dr Hiram, CELT; Corpus of Electronic Texts, (Cork, Ireland: University College, 2023), Index.
• Wikipedia contributors. Kenneth III of Scotland. Wikipedia. The Free Encyclopedia. (2023), Kenneth III of Scotland