Kenneth I Mac Alpine, king of the Picts

1. [EOCHAID . m ---. The name of Eochaid’s wife is not known. Eochaid & his wife had [one child]:]

a) [ALPIN (-killed in battle against the Picts in Galloway [20 Jul/Aug] 834). The Chronicle of John of Fordun records the accession of "Alpin the son of Achay" in 831, his reign of three years, and his defeat by the Picts "20 July" after which he was beheaded[14]. The 12th century Cronica Regum Scottorum lists "Alpin filius Eochal venenosi iii, Kynedus filius Alpini primus rex Scottorum xvi…" as kings, dated to the 9th century[15]. It should be noted that Alpin’s parentage is not stated in the earlier chronicles.] m ---. The name of Alpin's wife is not known. Alpin & his wife had two children:

i) KENNETH [Cinaed] MacAlpin, son of ALPIN & his wife --- (-Forteviot, Perthshire 13 Feb [858], bur [Isle of Iona]). The 10th century Pictish Chronicle Cronica de Origine Antiquorum Pictorum records that "Kinadius…filius Alpini, primus Scottorum" assumed the "Dalriete regnum" two years before coming to "Pictaviam" which he for 16 years[33]. The 12th century Cronica Regum Scottorum lists "Alpin filius Eochal venenosi iii, Kynedus filius Alpini primus rex Scottorum xvi…" as kings, dated to the 9th century[34]. The Chronicle of John of Fordun records that "Kenneth son of Alpin" succeeded his father in 834, and became king of the Picts in 839 "when they had been overcome", and reigned "nearly sixteen years as sole monarch of these kingdoms"[35]. Thereafter he is considered to have succeeded as KENNETH I King of Scotland. The 11th century Synchronisms of Flann Mainistreach name (in order) "Cinaet mac Ailpin…Domnall mac Ailpin, Custantin mac Cinaeta, (Aedh mac Cinaedha), Girg mac Dungaile, Domnall Dasachtach (mac Custantin)" as Scottish kings, dated to the 9th and 10th centuries, adding that "Kenneth son of Alpin…was the first king who possessed the kingdom of Scone, of the Gael"[36]. The Annals of Ulster record the death in 858 of "Cinaed son of Ailpín king of the Picts"[37]. The 10th century Pictish Chronicle Cronica de Origine Antiquorum Pictorum records that "Kinadius…filius Alpini, primus Scottorum" died "Id Feb" from a tumour "in palacio Fothuirtabaicht"[38]. The Chronicle of the Scots and Picts dated 1177 records that "Kynat mac Alpin" reigned for 16 years, died "in Fethertauethn" and was buried "in Yona insula"[39]. The Chronicle of the Picts and Scots dated 1251 includes the same information but records his place of death as "Forteviet", and adds that "tres filii…Fergus, Loern, Tenegus" were also buried at Iona[40].
m ---. The name of Kenneth's wife is not known.
Kenneth I & his wife had [four] children:

1. CONSTANTINE [Causantin] (-killed in battle Inverdorat, the Black Cove, Angus [876], bur [Isle of Iona]). The 10th century Pictish Chronicle Cronica de Origine Antiquorum Pictorum records that "Constantinus filius Cinadi" ruled for 16 years[41]. He succeeded his uncle as CONSTANTINE I King of Scotland. The 11th century Synchronisms of Flann Mainistreach name (in order) "Cinaet mac Ailpin…Domnall mac Ailpin, Custantin mac Cinaeta, (Aedh mac Cinaedha), Girg mac Dungaile, Domnall Dasachtach (mac Custantin)" as Scottish kings, dated to the 9th and 10th centuries[42]. The 12th century Cronica Regum Scottorum lists "…Constantinus filius Kinet xx…" as king, dated to the 9th century[43]. The Chronicle of John of Fordun records that "his nephew Constantine, son of his brother Kenneth the Great" succeeded in 858 on the death of Donald, and reigned for sixteen years[44]. The 10th century Pictish Chronicle Cronica de Origine Antiquorum Pictorum records that, in the second year of Constantine’s reign, "Amlaib cum gentibus suis" [Olaf King of Dublin] wasted "Pictaviam" which they occupied from 1 Jan to 17 Mar, and that in the third year "Amlaib" was killed by King Constantine[45]. The Annals of Ulster record that in 872 "Artgal king of the Britons of Strathclyde was killed at the instigation of Constantine son of Cinaed"[46]. The 10th century Pictish Chronicle Cronica de Origine Antiquorum Pictorum records that, in the fourteenth year of Constantine’s reign, a battle was fought at "Dolair" between "Danarios et Scottos", after which "Normanni" spent a whole year "in Pictavia"[47]. The Annals of Ulster record the death in 876 of "Constantine son of Cinaed king of the Picts"[48]. The Chronicle of the Scots and Picts dated 1177 records that "Constantinus mac Kynat" reigned for 15 years, was killed "a Noruagiensibus in bello de Merdo fatha" and was buried "in Iona insula"[49]. The Chronicle of the Picts and Scots dated 1251 records that "Constantinus mac Kinet" reigned for 16 years, was killed "a Norvagensibus in bello Inuerdofacta" and was buried at Iona[50]. The Chronicle of John of Fordun records that King Constantine was killed in battle "at a spot named the Black Den" by the Danes[51]. m ---. The name of Constantine's wife is not known. Constantine I & his wife had one child:
2. [AEDH (-killed in battle Strathallan [878], bur [Isle of Iona] or [Maiden Stone, Aberdeenshire]). The 10th century Pictish Chronicle Cronica de Origine Antiquorum Pictorum records that "Edus" succeeded King Constantine I and for 1 year and was killed "in civitate Nrurim", but does not state the family relationship between the two kings[64]. As noted in the Introduction to this document, the relationship between Aedh and his predecessors is only mentioned from the 11th century Synchronisms of Flann Mainistreach which name (in order) "Cinaet mac Ailpin…Domnall mac Ailpin, Custantin mac Cinaeta, (Aedh mac Cinaedha), Girg mac Dungaile, Domnall Dasachtach (mac Custantin)" as Scottish kings, dated to the 9th and 10th centuries[65]. The suspicion is that his family relationship may have been fabricated by later Scottish chroniclers who were concerned with reinforcing the continuity in the male line of the Scottish succession. He succeeded as AEDH King of Scotland.]
3. daughter . Her parentage and marriage are confirmed by the 10th century Pictish Chronicle Cronica de Origine Antiquorum Pictorum which records that "Eochodius…filius Run regis Britannorum, nepos Cinadei ex filia" succeeded King Aedh and ruled for 11 years[66]. m RUN Macarthagail King of Strathclyde, son of --- ([878]). Run & his wife had one child:
4. MAEL MUIRE (-913). The mid-12th century Banshenchas records that "Mael Muire daughter of Cinaed son of Alpin" married "Aed Finnliath and then later…Flann Sinna"[69]. The reliability of this information is unknown, although the inclusion of a record of Mael Muire’s death in the Annals of Ulster (see below) indicates that she had some connection with Ireland. If the information is correct, the chronology dictates that Aedh Finnliath must have divorced his known wife Land of Osraige before marrying Mael Muire. The Annals of Ulster record the death in 913 of "Mael Muire daughter of Cinaed son of Ailpin”[70]. [m firstly as his [third] wife, AEDH Finnliath King of Ireland, son of NIALL & his wife --- (-Druimm Inasclainn 20 Nov 879). m secondly [as his --- wife,] FLANN King of Ireland, son of MAELSECHLAINN King of Ireland & his [second] wife Land of Osraige ([847/48]-Tailltin 25 May 916).] [Possible child by her first husband:]

http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/SCOTLAND.htm#_Toc209085735

Kenneth I (a.k.a.Cináed mac Ailpín, Kenneth Mac Alpin, and Kenneth the Hardy) lived from 810 to 859 and was arguably the first King of the Kingdom of Scotland, which he ruled from 843 to 859. At the time he was referred to as King of the Picts. The wider picture in Scotland at the time is set out in our Historical Timeline

He was son of King Alpin II of Dalriada and succeeded his father to the crown of Dalriada in 839. This effectively made him King of the Scots, whose territory roughly covered modern-day Argyll. Meanwhile, also in 839, the Picts, who until then had controlled all of Scotland north of the Forth and Clyde except for Argyll, suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of the Vikings. Most of the Pictish nobility was wiped out in the defeat, including King Bridei VI.

Kenneth Mac Alpin had a claim to the Pictish crown through his mother. But his claim was disputed by surviving members of the seven royal houses of the Picts, and Drust X succeeded to the Pictish Crown. Kenneth defeated the Picts in battle in 841: and squeezed between the Scots on one side and the rampaging Vikings on the other, the Picts agreed to a meeting with Mac Alpin at Scone, attended by all claimants to the Pictish Crown.

The alcohol flowed freely at the meeting. Then, in what has since been referred to as Mac Alpin's treason, Drust and the Pictish nobles were all killed by the Scots: allegedly (and improbably) by having their booby-trapped benches collapsed so Kenneth's rivals plunged into pits in the floor and impaled themselves on spikes set there for the purpose.

Suddenly there was only one claimant for the Pictish Crown, and Kenneth was crowned King of the Picts and the Scots in 843. He was the first King of the House of Alpin, the dynasty named after his father. Kenneth made his capital at Forteviot, a small village 5 miles south west of today's Perth. He also moved the religious focus of his kingdom from Iona to Dunkeld, and had St Columba's remains moved there in 849, perhaps for safe keeping from the continuing Vikings raids.

Mac Alpin continued to fight against Picts who challenged his right to hold their crown, but by 855 his grip on those parts of modern Scotland north of the Clyde and Forth not under the control of the Vikings was relatively secure. He had also created some sort of stability in his relations with the Britons and the Angles who held the lands to the south.

Over time his combined Kingdom of the Picts and Scots came to be referred to as Alba: later know by medieval scholars (rather confusingly) as Albania.

Kenneth I died at Forteviot in 858. apparently of natural causes. He was then buried on the Isle of Iona. He was succeeded by his brother, Donald I.

SOURCE. UNDISCOVERED SCOTLAND http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/usbiography/monarchs/kennethi....

SEARCHING FOR THE PICTISH PALACE: https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/humanities/research/archaeologyresear...

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WIKIPEDIA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_MacAlpin

Widely viewed as the first King of the majority of the people in Scotland, rather than king of just one of a few tribes

Without Kenneth MacAlpine, a united Scotland probably would not have happened. Before his intervention, Scotland was divided into Dalriada, which was controlled by the Scots who had originally come from Ireland, and the Picts, who were the native occupants of the land.

Kenneth MacAlpine was the son of Alpin, the King of Kintyre. MacAlpine, it is believed, was married to the Queen of the Picts. It may have been through this marriage that he ascended the throne and received the crown of Alba and became Rex Pictorum. There is another theory that MacAlpine’s mother was a Pictish princess. Which ever way he claimed the throne, his succession was challenged by Pictish nobles.

Cinead mac Ailpin (generally anglicized as Kenneth MacAlpin and rendered in modern Gaelic as Coinneach mac Ailpein) is generally thought to have been born in 810, though some sources are content to date his birth "about 800." [1] He is generally believed to have born on Iona Island in the west of present-day Scotland. He was the son of Alpin mac Echdach, king of Kintyre ad Dalriada. The identity of his mother is unknown. [2] A few modern sources, though, have advanced the idea that his mother was a Pictish noble and that he inherited the throne of Pictland from his mother, infra. Cinaed died on February 13, 858, in Cinnbelachoir in modern-day Scotland. He was buried on Iona Island. He was crowned King of the Picts in either 841 or 843 and served as King until his death. As with many figures of this period, it is difficult to separate myth from reality and the sources are often confusing, occasionally, for example, associating events during the reign of the later Cinaed II with Cinaed I, infra.

Most modern regnal lists, however, generally refer to Cinaed as Kenneth I and, according to national myth, was the first king of the Scots, earning him the posthumous nickname of "An Ferbasach" (the Conqueror"). His undisputed legacy was to produce a dynasty of rulers who claimed descent from him and was the founder of the dynasty that ruled Scotland for much of the medieval period.

[1] Magnusson, Magnus. Scotland -- The Story of a Nation. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2000.

[2] Guido, Michael Anne. "Nes Fitz William and the Earls of Fife: The Origin of the House of Fife, 962-1129." Foundations, vol. 2., no. 2 (July 2006)

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Please see Dr. J White-Phillips: Rhun ap Arthgal and His Family; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id274.html. (Steven Ferry, June 26, 2021.)

Please see Dr. J White-Phillips: Who Was 'Greg, King of the Picts'? ; http://www.ancientwalesstudies.org/id275.html. (Steven Ferry, June 27, 2021.)

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