Eochaid Muinremuir mac Oengus, Rí na Dál Riata {Legendary, Leabhar Bhaile an Mhóta}

Notes for Eochaid Muinremar King Of Dalriada

Weis' "Ancestral Roots. . ." (170:1). King of Dalriada. (But note that it was his son Erc who died in 474).

This is line taken from the Book of Leinster (see CGH p.328-9) and two contemporary pedigrees of William the Lion published in Skene's "Chronicles of the Picts and Scots", considered by Luke Stevens, who has thoroughly compared the various sources, as being probably the most accurate available.

The following is taken from an Internet posting of Michael R. Davidson of Edinburgh. Scotland, on 23 Oct 1995:

II. The Dal Riata and the Pseudo-Historical Section

The Dal Riata, the people from which the Scottish kings are descended, were originally settled on the north east coast of Ireland. Perhaps as early as the third century, and no later than the fifth century, they began to settle on the west coast of what is now Scotland. It is in the late fifth century that the names in the genealogy begin to take on some historical credibility. In any case, the ruling dynasty of the Dal Riata had established itself in the area corresponding to modern Argyll by the late fifth century. The most important information for this period is the text, probably first written in the seventh century, known as the _Senchus Fer nAlban_, or 'History of the Men of Scotland.' Its early material however, seems to have far too neat an appearance. Rather than make a fruitless effort to separate fact from fiction, I will instead quote from the _Senchus_, and let the reader come up with their own conclusions. (The genealogies make Eochaid Munremar a son of Oengus Fir, the last name in the above section.)

Two sons of Eochaid Munremar .i. Erc and Olchu. Erc, moreover, had twelve sons .i. six of them took possession of Scotland .i. two Loarnds

.i. Loarnd Bec and Loarnd Mor, two Mac Nisses .i. Mac Nisse Becc and Mac Nisse Mor, two Ferguses .i. Fergus Bec and Fergus Mor. Six others in Ireland .i. Mac Decill, Oengus, whose seed, however, is in Scotland, Enna, Bresal, Fiachra, Dubthach. Others say that this Erc had another son who was called Muredach.

Olchu, son of Eochaid Munremar, had, moreover, eleven sons who live in Murbolc in Dal Riata, Muredach Bolc, Aed, Dare, Oengus, Tuathal, Anbolmaid, Eochaid, Setna, Brian, Oinu, Cormac. (Translation Bannerman)

http://www.southing.net/BondFam019%20Web%20Cards/PS02/PS02_481.HTM

Father: Angus Fir, King of Dalriada

Eochaidh was called "the Horseman of the Heavens."

Children:

Erc, King of Dalriada, d. 474

Scotland

273

Dark Age Scotland

In the early middle ages, the situation in what is

now Scotland was chaotic. Borders were uncertain

and subject to constant change. However, in general,

Scotland consisted of four separate kingdoms or

tribal areas:

o Dalriada inhabitated by Scots

o Strathclyde inhabited by Britons

o Pictish Territory inhabited by Picts

o Northumbria inhabited by Angles

The early Scottish kings did not rule over the

nation known to-day as Scotland and were referred

to as King of Scots or King of Dalriada; i.e., king of

the Scottish people living in Dalriada.

Scottish and Pictish families began intermarrying

in the 8th century; and their territories were often

ruled by the same king. The monarchy of Scotland

evolved from this union, known as the Kingdom of

Alba with the rulers referred to as King of Alba. By the late 9th century, the Kingdom of Alba

began absorbing the kingdoms of the Britons and Angles. Thus, through intermarriage and

conquest, the Scottish Kings of Dalriada emerged as the overall Kings of Scotland.

The arms of the Kings of Scotland are described as “Or, a lion

rampant gules armed and langued, azure within a double treasure flory

and counterflory of the second” which means “a gold shield with a red

lion, his forepaws in the air and his tongue and claws blue, with a

double red border with fleur-de-lis.”

The Scots of Dalriada claimed a legendary antiquity beginning with

Gaythelos, son of a King of Greece who went to Egypt during the time

of Moses where he married the eponymous Scoti, daughter of the

Pharaoh. Gaythelos, Scoti, and their family emigrated to Spain and

eventually several groups of their descendants emigrated to Ireland; the

final group under Simon Brek, whose grandson led a colony from

Ireland to northern Britain and named it “Scotia”. In the year 330 BC,

these Scots elected as their king Fergus, son of Ferehard; and they remained in Scotland until

360 AD when they were driven back to Ireland by the Picts and Britons. In the 5th century, they

returned to Scotia under the leadership of Fergus, son of Erc. Or so the story goes.

History knows nothing of the Scots earlier than about 500 AD, but at this point, the name of

Fergus MorMacErc (Fergus, son of Erc) emerges from the mists of legend as the King of Scots

in Dalriada.

source: http://www.robertsewell.ca/pdf/040Scotland.pdf

According to tradition: MacBethad was the

• son of Findláech,
• son of Ruadrí,
• son of Domnall,
• son of Morggán,
• son of Cathamal,
• son of Ruadrí,
• son of Ailgelach,
• son of Uraad,
• son of Uurgus,
• son of Nehhtonn,
• son of Colmán,
• son of Báetán,
• son of Eochaid,
• son of Muiredach,
• son of Loarn,
• son of Erb,
• son of Eochaid Muinremuir

MacBeth (1005-1057), Mormaer of Moray, married Gruoch, daughter of Boedhe, who was the son of Kenneth III. So MacBeth, who had ancestral roots in Moray, was the grandson of King Malcolm II, and his wife was the granddaughter of King Kenneth III. Under the ancient law of the Picts, he had as much claim to the throne of Scotland as did King Duncan I. He was commander for Duncan I, whom he defeated and slew, thereby becoming king. MacBeth was proclaimed king, and Scotland prospered during his reign. He was later defeated by Malcolm, the son of Duncan. Malcolm had gone to England to raise funds and an army to bring about MacBeth's downfall. His debt to the English would have disastrous effects on Scotland for years to come. It is a generally held opinion by Scottish historians that if MacBeth had not been killed by the future King Malcolm III, Scotland would probably have remained a separate nation until this day and might have conquered England. Records show that he used his power for the good of his country. His reign verifies that Picts actually ruled Albann after Kenneth MacAlpin. . In Angus, 'MacBeths' received a charter from David II in 1369, but this family was of the ancestral line of the Fife Bethunes, who anciently held lands in the area. The later history of the MacBeths, the Highland Beatons and Bethunes has become hopelessly confused for, in the various lands with which they are associated, both forms were used, often referring to the same family, sometimes even to the same person. Others duly removed to the shires of Inverness, Sutherland & Easter Ross and the name was also found in Moray where they had association with the Macbeans. The name of this clan will always have overtones of Shakespeare's tragic Scottish king. The real MacBeth ruled 1040 to 1057,and had little in common with the villainous figure portrayed in he play. He had a valid claim to the throne and slew his rival on he battlefield, not in the bed chamber. He ruled wisely and generously, finding time to make a pilgrimage to Rome, where he scattered money among the poor like seed. He did in fact die in battle, at Lumphanan - not when Birnam Wood moved to Dunsinane as Shakespeare wrote. The MacBeths of Moray were the principle branch of the clan, while the Bethunes and Beatons were secondary. The king was christened with 'MacBeth' (anglicized) as his Christian name, as surnames were not mandatory at that time. Mac Beatha means son of life in Gaelic, so the official Scottish version at the time would have been MacBeathad mac Findláich. MacBeth was the last Celtic Ruler of Albann/Scotland. After him, a series of anti-Celtic programs were initiated to forcibly transplant Northern Picts to Welsh speaking areas of Scotland.

Upon MacBeth's death, the name of his beloved Albann was changed to 'Scotland' as the title of Monarch was changed from the P-Celtic 'Ri Albainn' to the Latin 'Rex Scotorum'. [http://hal_macgregor.tripod.com/gregor/pictclanns.htm]: