Findláech of Moray
Mormaer of Moray and father of Macbeth.
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Findláech mac Ruaidrí was a minor king, or Mormaer, of Moray in northern Scotland. He ruled from some point before 1014 until his death in 1020. His son Macbethad mac Findláech became famous as the protagonist of William Shakespeare's play Macbeth.
Quick Facts
- Full name
- Findláech mac Ruaidrí
- Title
- Mormaer of Moray
- Died
- 1020
- Father
- Ruaidrí mac Donald
Facts from the source article.
Life and death
Modern historians suggest Findláech was ruling before 1014, as the Orkneyinga saga describes Jarl Siguðr of Orkney fighting a battle with Scots led by a Jarl Finnlekr, the Norse form of Findláech. The saga records that Siguðr later brought a raven banner, made by Irish princess Eithne, to the Battle of Clontarf in 1014, where he was killed. The Annals of Ulster record Findláech's death in 1020, calling him ri Alban, or King of Alba, though 12th century Scottish King Lists record only Malcolm II as King of Alba at that time.
The same annals describe Malcolm as ard ri Alban, High King of Alba. The Annals of Tigernach refer to Findláech as Mormaer of Moray. The Annals of Ulster also state that Findláech was killed by his own people. The Annals of Tigernach attribute the killing to the sons of Máel Brigte.
Two of Brigte's sons, Máel Coluim mac Máil Brigti and Gille Coemgáin, both benefited by succeeding to the throne. Findláech's son Macbeth eventually succeeded to the throne of Moray in 1032, likely by killing Gille Coemgain, and later to the throne of Alba after the killing of Duncan I of Scotland.
More in Orkneyinga Saga Characters
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Findláech of Moray (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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