Bethóc Unknown (abt. 1105 - aft. 1142)

Descendants

Died after 1142 after about age 37 in Norway [uncertain]

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Biography

Bethóc was born in Ireland or Scotland and there had a son, Eystein, with Harald Gille, later king of Norway from 1130-1136. After the king's death and, presumably when Eystein came of age, he went, accompanied by Bethóc, to Norway to claim his birthright.^[1] This was in 1142, six years after the death of king Harald.^[1]

Research Note

Biadocs brother Gillebride (possibly Mac_Gille_Adomnan-2) was father of Somerled (died 1164), who is described as "regulus" of Argyll and king of the Suderøyene/Hebrides and Kintyre and progenitor of, among others, the MacDonalds (the later Lords of the Isles). https://nbl.snl.no/Harald_4_Gille

Research Notes

The many alternative names of Bethóc in the literature: Blathach / Bláthóc / Biadok etc. all seem to derive from back transcription of her name in Old Norse: Biaðǫk. Bethóc was not an uncommon name in this period of Scottish history.

Her parentage is not documented but modern historians speculate that she may have been the sister of Gillebride. Claims that she is connected to Gilla Adamnáin as his daughter and Somairle mac Gilla Brigte, King of the Isles (d 1164) (who himself had a daughter named Bethóc) as his Aunt are as modern as the late 18th Century - so, short of decent primary sources, although the naming is similar.

She does not seem to be mentioned by name by any near-contemporary sources apart from Heimskringla.

She is recorded as a mistress (frille), not a wife, of Harald Gille in Norwegian tradition.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Snorre: The Saga of the Sons of Harald ch 13

• Heimskringla

See also:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bja%C3%B0%C7%ABk
• https://snl.no/%C3%98ystein_2_Haraldsson (Norwegian)