House of Alpin
|
|
The House of Alpin is a dynasty of Scottish kings that ruled Scotland from 843 to 1058. Its name derives from Alpin of Kyntire, king of Dalriada, the first ruler to unify Scotland, shortly before his death. His descendants would be Alpin kings of Scotland.
The history of the House of Alpin in punctuated by endemic civil war and unrest, as well as conflicts with the neighbouring Picts and England. Of the 19 kings of the House, only the first two died natural deaths in control of the kingdom. The rest were deposed and, the great majority killed, either in battles or assassinated during coups. A possible explanation for the violence observed in this period is the tanistry rule of succession. With this laws, the king was elected from the pool of nobles of the royal family, instead of the automathic inheritance of the eldest son. The system ultimately resulted in continuous conspiracy and intrigue for power. William Shakespeare's play Macbeth was loosely inspired in this period characterized by unrest, particularly in the rule of Macbeth I of Scotland.
The following dynasty of Scottish kings was the House of Dunkeld, which started with Malcolm III of Scotland, a son of Duncan I.
Kings of the House of Alpin
- Kenneth I, r.843-858
- Donald I, r.858-862
- Constantine I, r.862-877
- Aedh, r.877-878
- Eochaid and Giric, r.878-889
- Donald II, r.889-900
- Constantine II, r.900-943
- Malcolm I, r.943-954
- Indulf, r.954-962
- Dubh, r.962-966
- Culen, r.966-971
- Kenneth II, r.971-995
- Constantine III, r.995-997
- Kenneth III, r.997-1005
- Malcolm II, r.1005-1034
- Duncan I, r.1034-1040
- Macbeth, r.1040-1057
- Lulach, r.1057-1058
- See also
- History of Scotland - Scottish monarchs family tree