Gruoch 'Lady MacBeth'

KENNETH, son of DUFF King of Scotland & his wife --- (-killed in battle Monzievaird [25 Mar 1005]). The 11th century Synchronisms of Flann Mainistreach name (in order) "…Cuillen mac Illiulb, Cinaet mac Maelcolaim, Custantin mac Cuilen, Cinaet mac Duib, Maelcolaim mac Cinaeta" as Scottish kings, dated to the 10th and 11th centuries[208]. The 12th century Cronica Regum Scottorum lists "…Chinet filius Duf i anno et dimidium…" as king[209]. He succeeded in 997 as KENNETH III King of Scotland. The Annals of Ulster record that "the king of the Albu Cinaed son of Dub" was killed in battle "between the men of Albu themselves" in 1005[210]. m ---. The name of Kenneth's wife is not known. Kenneth III & his wife had [three] children:

1. GREG [Giric] (-killed in battle Monzievaird [25 Mar 1005], bur Isle of Iona).
2. GILLACOMGAIN (-killed in battle 999).

a) son .

i) daughter (-murdered 1035).

3. BOITE [Bodhe] (-before 1033). His parentage is confirmed by the Annals of Ulster which record that "the grandson of Baete son of Cinead was killed by Mael Coluim son of Cinaed" in 1033[219]. m ---. The name of Boite's wife is not known. Boite & his wife had two children:

a) GILLE . Iinquisitions by "David…Cumbrensis regionis princeps", dated 1124, concerning land owned by the church of Glasgow refer to donations by "…Gille filius Boed…"[220]. same person as…? son. m ---. m ---. The name of this son's wife is not known. He & his wife had one child:

i) son (-murdered in infancy 1033).

b) GRUOCH ([1015]-). "Machbet filius Finlach…et Gruoch filia Bodhe, rex et regina Scottorum" made grants to the church of St Serf, although the document also names "Malcolmus Rex filius Duncani" which casts doubt on its authenticity[222]. Her possible first marriage appears to be based on the following logic. The Continuation of the Synchronisms of Flann Mainistreach records Lulach as son of Macbeth[223]. The Annals of Ulster record that "Lulach son of Gilla Comgain, over-king of Scotland was killed in battle by Mael Coluim son of Donnchad" in 1058[224]. Dunbar, basing his argument on this and the other sources which are quoted in this section, states that "from the above it seems most probable that Lulach was son of Gillacomgan and step-son of Macbeth"[225]. In addition, the 12th century Cronica Regum Scottorum lists "Lulac nepos filii Boide" ["nephew of the son of Boite"] as successor of King Macbeth[226]. However, there does not appear to be a surviving source which more specifically confirms that Macbeth’s queen was the widow of Gillacomgain and mother of Lulach. [m firstly GILLACOMGAIN Mormaer of Moray, son of MAELBRIGTE & his wife --- (-burned alive 1032). The Annals of Ulster record that "Gilla Comgán son of Mael Brigte, earl of Moray was burned together with fifty people" in 1032[227].] m [secondly] ([after 1032]) MACBETH, son of FINDLAECH MacRory Thane of Angus, Mormaer of Moray & his wife Donada of Scotland ([1005]-killed in battle Lumphanan 15 Aug 1057, bur Isle of Iona). He succeeded in 1040 as MACBETH King of Scotland. Gruoch & her [first husband] had [one child]:

i) LULACH ([1032]-killed in battle Essie, Strathbogie 17 Mar 1058, bur Isle of Iona). The 12th century Cronica Regum Scottorum lists "…Macheth filius Findleg xvii, Lulac nepos filii Boide iv mensibus et dimidium…" as kings[228]. The Continuation of the Synchronisms of Flann Mainistreach records Lulach as son of Macbeth[229]. The Chronicle of John of Fordun records that "on the death of Machabeus, some of his kinsfolk" installed "his cousin Lulath…the Simple" as king at Scone but that King Malcolm killed him 3 Apr 1057, adding that he was buried "in the island of Iona"[230]. He succeeded [his stepfather] in 1057 as LULACH "the Simple" King of Scotland, crowned Aug 1057 at Scone Abbey, Perthshire. The Chronicon of Marianus Scottus records that "Lulag" was killed "[1058]…in Martio"[231]. The Annals of Ulster record that "Lulach son of Gilla Comgain, over-king of Scotland was killed in battle by Mael Coluim son of Donnchad" in 1058[232], although curiously this entry precedes the record of the death of King Macbeth in the same year. The Annals of Tigernach record that “Lulach rí Alban” was killed by “Mael-Coluimb, son of Donnchad” in 1058[233], also preceding the record in the same source of the death of King Macbeth. The Chronicle of the Scots and Picts dated 1177 records that "Lulach fatuus" reigned 4 months, was killed "in Esseg in Strathbolgin" and was buried "in Iona insula"[234].]
http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/SCOTLAND.htm#_Toc209085741

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Gruoch is the " Lady McBeth " that Shakespere wrote about.

Gruoch of Scotland

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gruoch ingen Boite was the daughter of Boite son of Kenneth III of Scotland.[1] The dates of her life are not certainly known.

Before 1032 Gruoch was married to Gille Coemgáin mac Maíl Brigti, Mormaer of Moray, with whom she had at least one son, Lulach mac Gille Coemgáin, later King of Scots. Gille Coemgáin was killed in 1032, burned in a hall with fifty of his men.[2] Gruoch's second marriage was to King Mac Bethad, again the date is unrecorded. No children of this marriage are known.

Gruoch is named with Boite and also with Mac Bethad in charters endowing the culdee monastery at Loch Leven. The date of her death is not known.

She served as the model for the character Lady Macbeth in William Shakespeare's play Macbeth.

References

Annals of Ulster (translation ) at University College Cork's CELT project.

Duncan, A. A. M., The Kingship of the Scots 842–1292: Succession and Independence. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 2002. ISBN 0-7486-1626-8

Woolf, Alex, "Macbeth" in Michael Lynch (ed.), The Oxford Companion to Scottish History. Oxford UP, Oxford, 2001. ISBN 0-19-211696-7

Gruoch mustered fierce opposition against King Malcolm II, who responded by killing her husband, Gillacomgen of Moray. Gruoch (who was pregnant at the time) fled to the protection of her cousin-in-law Macbeth, the son of Donada and Findlaech. Shortly afterwards, in 1032, she married her protector - and was henceforth Lady Macbeth.

Gruoch's husband was a cousin of MacBeth and when he was burned to death along with 50 others by Duncan, she fled to Scotland and got protection from her cousin (on her mother's side) from MacBeth, who later married her.

He won kingship by killing Duncan, let much of his lands go, went on a holy pilgramage where he threw coins like rain, and was accounted a good king.

The Celts came up with some of the prettiest, and some of the ugliest, names for women ever. "Gruoch" falls into the latter class, and is only beaten out for "worst name ever" by "Gormlaith".