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The House Of Moray |
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Macbeth
1040-1057
Macbeth or Maelbeatha was the son of Finlech MacRory, Mormaer of Moray and Donada, the daughter of Malcolm II and was born around 1005. Malcolm's elder daughter, Bethoc had been the mother of King Duncan, making him Macbeth's first cousin. Macbeth, nicknamed Rí Deircc, meaning "the Red King" married Gruoch, who herself had a claim to the Scottish crown being the daughter of Beoedhe, the son of Kenneth III. Gruoch had been previously married to Gilla Coemgain, by whom she had a son, Lulach.
Macbeth was determined, resolute and ambitious. He defeated Duncan in battle at Elgin or murdered him shortly after the battle and usurped the throne of Scotland on 14th August, 1040. He held the throne for seventeen years. Malcolm, the son of Duncan took refuge in Strathclyde. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Macbeth was one of three Scottish Kings who submitted to King Canute.
The Norsemen had for a long time been in possession of not only the Shetlands and the Orkneys, but also of the north and west of the mainland. Their leader was Thorfinn, who like Duncan, was a grandson of Malcolm II. Macbeth attempted to compel him to pay tribute to him as King, but Thorfinn refused. Repeated attempts to conquer him failed to achieve the desired result. The war was carried into Moray by Thorfinn, who ravaged the country as far as Fife, forcing Macbeth to come to terms with him. Macbeth's erstwhile enemy later supported him in resisting an attack made by Malcolm, the son of Duncan.
The reign of Macbeth was noted as a time of prosperity in Scotland, allowing him to go on pilgrimage to Rome where he was said to have distributed money to the poor.
The elder of Duncan's sons, Malcolm, enlisted the aid of Edward the Confessor, King of England and Siward, the Danish Earl of Northumbria. He invaded Scotland in 1054 and was met in battle by Macbeth, but fell short of dislodging him. Undeterred, Malcolm lead a further invasion in 1057. Macbeth met him in battle at Dunsinane in Aberdeenshire, on 15th August, 1057, where he was killed. Malcolm took the throne, reigning as Malcolm III and re-establishing the House of Dunkeld.