| Notes |
- Donald II
King of the Picts, or of Alba
Reign 889–900
Predecessor Giric
Successor Constantine II
Died 900 Forres or Dunnottar
Burial Iona
Issue Malcolm I, King of Alba
House Alpin
Father Constantín mac Cináeda, King of the Picts
Donald II of Scotland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Domnall mac Causantín (Modern Gaelic: Dòmhnall mac
Chòiseim),[1] anglicised as Donald II (died 900) was King of
the Picts or King of Scotland (Alba) in the late 9th century.
He was the son of Constantine I (Causantín mac Cináeda).
Donald is given the epithet Dásachtach, "the Madman", by
the Prophecy of Berchán.[2]
Contents
1 Life
2 See also
3 Notes
4 References
5 External links
Life
Donald became king on the death or deposition of Giric
(Giric mac Dúngail), the date of which is not certainly
known but usually placed in 889. The Chronicle of the Kings
of Alba reports:
Doniualdus son of Constantini held the kingdom
for 11 years [889–900]. The Northmen wasted
Pictland at this time. In his reign a battle
occurred between Danes and Scots at
Innisibsolian where the Scots had victory. He
was killed at Opidum Fother [modern
Dunnottar] by the Gentiles.[3]
It has been suggested that the attack on Dunnottar, rather than being a small raid by a handful of pirates, may be
associated with the ravaging of Scotland attributed to Harald Fairhair in the Heimskringla.[4] The Prophecy of
Berchán places Donald's death at Dunnottar, but appears to attribute it to Gaels rather than Norsemen; other
sources report he died at Forres.[5] Donald's death is dated to 900 by the Annals of Ulster and the Chronicon
Scotorum, where he is called king of Alba, rather than king of the Picts. He was buried on Iona. Like his father,
Constantine, he died a violent death at a premature age.
The change from king of the Picts to king of Alba is seen as indicating a step towards the kingdom of the Scots,
but historians, while divided as to when this change should be placed, do not generally attribute it to Donald in
view of his epithet.[6] The consensus view is that the key changes occurred in the reign of Constantine II
(Causantín mac Áeda),[7] but the reign of Giric has also been proposed.[8]
The Chronicle of the Kings of Alba has Donald succeeded by his cousin Constantine II. Donald's son Malcolm
(Máel Coluim mac Domnall) was later king as Malcolm I. The Prophecy of Berchán appears to suggest that
another king reigned for a short while between Donald II and Constantine II, saying "half a day will he take
sovereignty". Possible confirmation of this exists in the Chronicon Scotorum, where the death of "Ead, king of
the Picts" in battle against the Uí Ímair is reported in 904. This, however, is thought to be an error, referring
perhaps to Ædwulf, the ruler of Bernicia, whose death is reported in 913 by the other Irish annals.[9]
See also
Kingdom of Alba
Origins of the Kingdom of Alba
Notes
1. Domnall mac Causantín is the Mediaeval Gaelic form.
2. ESSH, p. 358; Kelly, Early Irish Law, pp. 92–93 & 308: "The dásachtach is the person with manic symptoms who is
liable to behave in a violent and destructive manne."r The dásachtach is not responsible for his actions. The same word
is used of enraged cattle.
3. ESSH, pp. 395–397.
4. ESSH, p 396, note 1 & p. 392, quotingS t Olaf's Saga, c. 96.
5. ESSH, pp. 395–398.
6. Smyth, pp. 217–218, disagrees.
7. Thus Broun and Woolf, among others.
8. Duncan, pp.14–15.
9. ESSH, p. 304, note 8; however, the Annals of Ulster, s.a. 904, report the death of Ímar ua Ímair (Ivar grandson of Ivar)
in Fortriu in 904, making it possible that Ead (Áed ?) was a king, if not the High King.
References
Anderson, Alan Orr, Early Sources of Scottish History A.D 500–1286, volume 1. Reprinted with corrections. Stamford:
Paul Watkins, 1990. ISBN 1-871615-03-8
Anderson, Marjorie Ogilvie, Kings and Kingship in Early Scotland .Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press, revised
edition 1980. ISBN 0-7011-1604-8
Broun, Dauvit, "National identity: 1: early medieval and the formation of Alba" in Michaely Lnch (ed.) The Oxford
Companion to Scottish History. Oxford UP, Oxford, 2001. ISBN 0-19-211696-7
Duncan, A. A. M., The Kingship of the Scots 842–1292: Succession and Independenc,e E. dinburgh: Edinburgh
University Press, 2002. ISBN 0-7486-1626-8
Kelly, Fergus (1988). A Guide to Early Irish Law. Early Irish Law Series 3. Dublin:D IAS. ISBN 0901282952.
Smyth, Alfred P., Warlords and Holy Men: Scotland AD 80-1000. Reprinted, Edinburgh: Edinburgh UP, 1998. ISBN 0-
7486-0100-7
Sturluson, Snorri, Heimskringla: History of the Kings of Norway, tr. Lee M. Hollander. Reprinted University of Texas
Press, Austin, 1992. ISBN 0-292-73061-6
Woolf, Alex, "Constantine II" in Michael Lynch (ed.) op. cit.
External links
CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts at University College Cork includes the Annals of Ulster, Tigernach,
the Four Masters and Innisfallen, the Chronicon Scotorum, the Lebor Bretnach (which includes the Duan
Albanach), Genealogies, and various Saints' Lives. Most are translated into English, or translations are in
progress.
(CKA) The Chronicle of the Kings of Alba
Donald II of Scotland
House of Alpin
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Giric
with Eochaid ?
King of Scots
889–900
Succeeded by
Constantine (Causantín) II
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Donald_II_of_Scotland&oldid=784179553"
Categories: 9th-century births 900 deaths House of Alpin 9th-century Scottish monarchs
Burials at Iona Abbey
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862 - 900 (38 years)
