Gaelic Kingdoms

Kings of Pictland (Caledonia)

According to Pictish (or rather Gaelic) legend, there was a Pict king named Cruithne (the Gaelic word for Pict), son of Cing. Cruithne reigned for a hundred years. He had seven sons (the number seven being very important to the Picts), who were named Fib, Fidach, Foclaid (or Fotla), Fortrenn (Fortriu), Caitt (or Cat), Ce and Circenn (Circind). The names of Cruithne's seven sons were also equated to the seven provinces of Pictland detailed in an ancient account of Scotland called De Situ Albanie (possibly written in the fourteenth century according to F T Wainwright). Argyll, which by the fifth century had been invaded by Gaelic Scotti, is not listed as a Pictish province.

It may be possible that the term Picti was the Latinised version of their own collective name. Professor Watson states that in old Norse the name is 'Pettr', in Old English 'Peohta' and in Old Scots 'Pecht'. Today in Fife or Aberdeenshire they are still referred to as 'Pechs' or 'Pechties', suggesting Pect instead of Pict. Edward Dawson suggests that the list of twenty-eight kings named 'Brude' found in the Pictish Chronicle suggests it is a title of some sort. Each Brude is followed by a real name which is probably the individual's true name, for example, 'Brude Cinid' (modern Kenneth). Then the name is followed by another Brude with the same name but with 'ur-' at the beginning of it, as in: 'Brude Urcnid'. 'Ur' could come from 'ard' ('high' - 'ardwo' in proto-Celtic, 'ardos' in Gaulish), and if this is the case then the name should read: Brude Gart (King Gart), or Brude Ar Gart (High King Gart). 'Brude' probably means a judge, equivalent to a magistrate, as in the Gaulish [verb] bratu- (to judge).

(Additional information by Edward Dawson, Brian Gibb, The Oxford History of England: Roman Britain, Peter Salway, and from the Pictish Chronicle.)

EXTERNAL LINK:
Book of Deer

Cing

Reigned 100 yrs

Cruithne

Ruled all Pictland. 'Cruithne' is Gaelic for Pict.

Reigned 12 yrs

Cat / Got

Cat is the senior kingdom. Cat himself rules Caithness, Sutherland, the West Highlands, and the Northern and Western Isles. The name means 'Cat People'.

Reigned 40 yrs

Fidach

Fidach rules Moray, Nairn and Ross. The name means 'Woodsman'.

Reigned 15 yrs

Ce

Ce rules Banff, Buchan and parts of Aberdeenshire. The name Ce may survive in the town of Keith.

Reigned 30 yrs

Fotla / Fotlaig / Floclaid

Fotla rules Athol and Gowrie. Fotla is also goddess of Ireland.

Reigned 60 yrs

Circinn / Cirech / Circin

Circinn rules Angus and the Mearns. The name means 'crest headed'. There was also Crus (son of Cirech) who was a warrior of the Picts. A battle was fought on the plain of Circinn against the Scots.

Reigned 70 yrs

Fortriu / Fortrann / Fortrenn

Fortriu rules Strathearn and Menteith. The name may mean 'people of the slow winding river'.

Reigned 24 yrs

Fib / Fibaid

Fib rules Fife and Kinross. In the Book of Deer the people of Fife are called the 'cu-sidhe' or fairy hounds. In the Pictish Chronicle there follows a list of Pictish kings who are purported to have existed but for whom no corroboration can be found. All those below who are without dates of rule fall into this grouping, and have been positioned in the list according to a rough approximation of when they might have lived rather than any firm data to pinpoint their lifetimes. Those with dates are sourced from elsewhere. Where there are two versions of the name, the first is the English translation, and the second is the original from the Pictish Chronicle. All these names are backed in lilac to highlight their lack of foundation in recorded history.

Gede olgudach

Reigned 80 years.

Denbecan (or Oenbecan)

Reigned 100 years.

Olfinecta

Reigned 60 years.

Guidid gaed brechach

Reigned 50 years.

Gest gurcich

Reigned 40 years.

Wurgest

Reigned 30 years.

Brude bont

Reigned 48 years.

Brude bont is the ancestor of thirty Brudes who rule Ireland and Albany for the space of 150 years, although the Pictish Chronicle fails to note which of them ruled which areas. They are: Brude pant, Brude urpant, Brude leo, Brude uleo, Brude gant, Brude urgant, Brude gnith, Brude urgnith, Brude fecir, Brude urfecir, Brude cal, Brude urcal, Brude cint, Brude urcint, Brude fet, Brude urfet, Brude ru, Brude eru, Brude gart et urgart, Brude cinid, Brude urcnid, Brude uip, Brude uruip, Brude grid, Brude urgrid, Brude mund, and Brude urmund.

Gilgidi

Reigned 150 years.

Tharain

Reigned 100 years.

Morleo

Reigned 15 years.

Deocilunon

Reigned 40 years.

Cimoiod son of Arcois

Reigned 7 years.

Deoord

Reigned 50 years.

Bliesbltituth

Reigned 5 years.

Dectotric brother of Diu

Reigned 40 years.

Usconbuts

Reigned 30 years.

AD 76 - after 86

Corbredus / Calgucus / Galdus

Fought Agricola.

80 - 82

The Roman governor of Britannia leads two invading columns into Lowland Scotland, with (probably) the Twentieth and Ninth Legions meeting up at Inveresk (near Edinburgh) in the territory of the Votadini Britons. The force sets up permanent garrisons in its wake.

The following year, the Forth-Clyde line is secured, perhaps slightly south of the later Antonine Wall. In 82, the Romans secure the western coast up to the Clyde to contain the tribesmen there (the Damnonii, Selgovae, and Novantae) and perhaps prevent Irish landings.

83 - 84

Within the Pictish heartland, firstly north of the Firth of Forth (83) and then at Mons Graupius (84), the Romans under Agricola win victories over what they call the 'Caledonides' led by Calgucus (using the diminutive form of the name, perhaps to suggest that this is viewed as a minor group, perhaps without a recognised leadership). The idea is to pre-empt an intended attack by the Caledonians, but it almost proves disastrous in the first year as the Ninth Legion is surprised by a night assault.

The following year, the Roman fleet goes ahead along the coast to spread terror, and is accompanied by British allies. The location of the decisive battle has been strongly identified with the mountain now known as Bennachie in Aberdeenshire.

85 - 88

A large number of Caledonians escaped after the battle, leaving the Romans with a very difficult security job. Agricola and his replacement, probably Sallustius Lucullus, continue the job of securing the exits to the Highland glens along the east coast. But by 86-88 many forts are dismantled, possibly due to troop shortages while Rome is fighting the Dacian War. Apart from some possible watchtowers, the main Roman forces retire to the Tyne-Solway line.

90 - 556

Pictland is obscured from history for most of the period of Roman rule in Britannia by the very fact of its exclusion from the Roman empire and an absence of internal writings. But it eventually re-emerges as two distinct kingdoms, North & South, the latter of which is formed of about five occasionally feuding sub-kingdoms.

Carvorst

Reigned 40 years.

120

Hadrian's Wall is built along the Tyne-Solway line.

Deo Ardivois

Reigned 20 years.

140 - 143

The Romans move north to the Forth-Clyde line, roughly the southern Pictish boundary, reoccupying British Lowland Scotland and beginning construction of the more basic Antonine Wall.

Vist

Reigned 50 years.

Ru

Reigned 100 years.

197

According to Dio, the tribes north of the Forth-Clyde line have by now coalesced into two main bodies, the Caledonii and the Maeatae. The latter live close to the Antonine Wall, north of the Forth-Clyde isthmus. By 206, the Roman governor of Britannia, L Alfenus Senecio, seems to have had some military success in the region.

fl 208 - 211

Argentocoxos

King of Fib, and possible king of all Picts.

209 - 211

The Roman emperor, Severus, leads a campaign in person against the Caledonii and Maeatae. A scorched earth policy is pursued to try and bring the ephemeral tribesmen either to a pitched battle or to surrender, neither of which actually occurs. Following Severus' death, either immediately or shortly afterwards, Rome permanently abandons Scotland.

Gartnaith loc

Reigned 9 years.

Breth mac Buthut

Reigned 7 years.

305 - 306

The Roman emperor, Constantius, does much the same as Severus before him.

Vipoig

Reigned 30 years.

Canutulachama / Canutulachama

Reigned 4 years.

Vuradech / Wradech

Reigned 2 years.

Gartnait diuberr / Gartnaich diuberr

Reigned 40 years.

364

According to Ammianus Marcellinus, the Picts, Scotti, Saxons, and Attacotti attack Roman Britain in what seems to be a serious incursion.

367

The Picts, now divided into two main peoples; the Dicalydonae and the Verturiones, are part of the Barbarian Conspiracy that sees Britannia attacked from several sides at once.

382

The Picts invade Britannia but are defeated by the Roman commander, Magnus Maximus.

c.384 - 390

Warfare flares up between the Picts and Britannia again, and according to Gildas it lasts 'for many years', although the situation is probably contained.

? - 388

Keother?

Did Keother lead the attacks on Britannia?

388 - 413

Talorg mac Keother

Son.

398

The Romans again lead a campaign from Britannia to defeat Pictish forces in the north, along with Saxon and Irish Scots.

413 - 453

Drust mac Erp / Yrb / Wirp

King of North and South Picts.

453 - 456

Talorg mac Aniel

Son.

456 - 480

Nectan Morbet mac Erp (the Great)

Younger brother of Drust MacErp.

The clan-lands of Nectan Morbet are in the region of Tay, embracing parts of Forfarshire, Perthshire, and Fife, while the king himself is traditionally held to be a Christian.

480 - 510

Drust Guorthinmoc

c.485

The Scotti of Irish Dal Riada begin to colonise Argyll at Cantyre. Apparently, Drust does nothing to stop them, and may not even have known about them. He has to deal with pagan rebellions in the north, reason enough to be distracted from the west.

510 - 522

Galan Arilith / Galanan Erilich

522

This period probably marks the beginning of the division of Pictland into North and South. Drust mac Udrost and Drust mac Gyrom ruled jointly. Each would keep his seat in the capital of his clan, but in affairs that concerned all the clans they would lead together. It is not known who rules which division of Pictland.

522 - 527

Drust mac Udrost

Co-ruled with Drust mac Gyrom (with a north/south divide?).

522 - 532

Drust mac Gyrom

Ruled a united Pictland (527-532).

532 - 539

Gartnaidh mac Gyrom

Brother.

539 - 540

Celtran mac Gyrom

Brother.

540 - 551

Talorg mac Murtholic

At this time Yellow Plague ravished the country.

551 - 552

Drust mac Munaith

Possible Yellow Plague victim.

North Pictland

The northern Picts were combined in one kingdom, that of Cat (Caithness), under the powerful Brudei. St Columba needed interpreters to be able to speak to the king, clear evidence that the Picts did not speak the Celtic language of the Irish and Scots (or at the very least not the Gael version of the Celtic tongue).

(Additional information by Edward Dawson.)

553 - 584

Brudei mac Maelcon

Pagan son of Maelgwyn Gwynedd, High King. Met St Columba.

573

Brudei hands the invading Dal Riadan Scotti a heavy defeat at Lora (or Delgu/Telocho), and lays waste to their territory in the west.

584 - 599

Gartnait mac Aedan (IV)

Son of Aedan mac Gabrán of Dal Riada. Son-in-law of Brudei.

584

Gartnait is the 37th Pictish king in The Pictish Chronicle, the only historical writing to have been left by the Picts.

599 - 621

Nectan mac Connon mocu Erp (II)

Powerbase in the Tay and Forfar regions to the east.

621 - 631

Ciniath mac Luthrenn

631 - 635

Gartnaidh or Nectan mac Wid/Uid (III)

635 - 641

Bridei / Brude mac Wid (II)

Brother.

641 - 653

Talorg mac Wid (IV)

Brother.

653 - 657

Talorcan mac Eanfrith

Son of Eanfrith, former king of Bernicia (632-633).

657 - 663

Gartnaidh mac Donnel

663 - 672

Drust / Drest mac Donnel

Brother. Deposed after defeat in battle.

672

Drust (or Drest) tries to expel the Northumbrian invaders from Pictland, but is defeated by Ecgfrith and removed from the throne.

672 - 693

Brudei mac Billi (III)

Pictish Chronicle confirms reign. Killed Ecgfrith of Northumbria.

685

Brudei faces a huge Northumbrian host on the plains of Dunnichen, in Angus. The Battle of Nechtansmere (the English name which may originate from the same root word as the Caledonian one) is a turning point in which Brudei makes his name. The Northumbrians had defeated every force they had faced, and had occupied southern Pictland for thirty years. Brudei defeats them and massacres the entire enemy host including its king, and proceeds to clear Pictland of the remaining Northumbrians who had settled there, killing or enslaving them.

693 - 697

Taran mac Entifidich

A weak king. Deposed.

697

Taran is deposed after ruling for only four years. Two of these years are nominal, the real power during that time being in the hands of Brude, chief of the powerful house of Derelei, who becomes sovereign. It seems to be this takeover that cements Pictland as a single nation.

South Pictland

Scone was the capital of the strongest of the southern sub-kingdoms, Fortriu (Roman Verturiones, modern Forteviot). The sub-kingdom of Fib, to the east, lives on as Fife. The remaining four were Fotla, Fidach, Circind, and Ce. It may be that South Pictland was only independent of the North for short periods, which would explain the lack of any details of kings for this region.

556 - 565

The south is commanded over by the North.

552 - 580

Galam Cennelath

580 - ?

Is the south commanded over by the North again?

? - 668

Talorn?

Killed by the Northumbrians.

668

Areas of the south are conquered by the Northumbrian Angles under Oswiu.

697?

The North had long held pre-eminence over the South and by this time a single kingdom is forged in Pictland.

United Pictland

South Pictland may have experience periods of semi-independence from the more powerful North Pictland at times over the past century and a half, but by the reign of Brude Derelei the Picts were firmly reunited, mainly in the face of the threat post by the powerful Northumbrians on their southern border.

Again, the name Brude, or Brede, appears regularly in this list, as it does in the list of North Pictland and early Pictish kings, and Edward Dawson's suggestion that 'Brude' may be a title of some sort holds just as true.

(Additional information by Edward Dawson.)

697 - 706

Brude Derelei (IV)

706 - 724

Naiton / Nechtan mac Derile

Abandoned Celtic Church in favour of Rome.

711

Nechtan tries to befriend the Northumbrian Angles. They send a war party under the leadership of Bertfrid (Beorhtfrith of Dunbar, King Osred's chief ealdorman) and a battle is fought on the Moor of Mannand / Manaw. The battle results in heavy losses on both sides, and no recorded victory.

Nechtan enters a monastery for a few years in 724 and the succession becomes muddled by in-fighting and rapid successions (thanks to matrilinearity and a large number of eligible would-be kings). Nechtan is defeated in his retirement by Angus in 728-9, and Drust is killed in battle.

724 - 726

Drest / Drostan mac Talorc

Removed by Alpin. Killed 729.

726 - 728

Alpin

Of Dal Riada.

728 - 761

Angus / Oengus mac Fergus

King of Dal Riada & Pictland. (Annales Cambriae).

744

After defeating the Dal Riada Scotti in their Caledonian territories and ruling over them, and also in Ireland, Angus turns his attention south to Alt Clut, and may have defeated them in open battle in this year.

736? - 750

Talorgan mac Fergus

Brother. Killed at Mocetauc by Britons (Annales Cambriae).

750

Angus' attention remains fixed on taking territory from Alt Clut. His brother, Talorcan, leads a Pictish army at the battle of Mocetauc (he was either commanding with Angus' blessing or may have been in contention for the Pictish throne). Talorcan is killed, as is Tewdur, king of Alt Clut, but the Britons hold the battlefield.

756

One last attempt is made to conquer Alt Clut, this time with help from Northumbria. The combined armies nearly succeed in capturing Dunbarton, but a reversal sees them almost destroyed, and Angus retreats back into Pictland.

761 - 763

Brude mac Fergus (V)

Brother of Angus.

763 - 776

Cinead / Cineod mac Wredech

Also known as Kenneth MacFeredach. (Annales Cambriae).

768

The Dal Riadans re-establish their independence.

776? - 781

Fergus (or Alpin / Elpin mac Wroid (II))

King of Dal Riada & Pictland.

781? - 782

Dubh Tolarg / Talorc (II)

(Annals of Ulster).

783

Drest / Drust mac Talorgen (VII)

No details known.

783? - 785

Talorgan / Talorc mac Angus (III)

No details known.

785 - 789

Conall mac Tadc / Taidg

Went to Dal Riada, relinquishing Pictish throne.

789 - 820

Constantine mac Fergus

Opponent of Conall. Also ruled Dal Riada (811-820).

Constantine mac Fergus is often counted in Scottish lists as Constantine I.

820 - 834

Angus / Oengus mac Fergus (II)

Brother. Also ruled Dal Riada (820-834).

834 - 837

Drest mac Constantine (VIII)

Son of Constantine.

837

Talorc / Talorgan mac Wthoil

May have ruled jointly from 834.

837- 839

Eoganan / Uven mac Angus

King of Pictland & Dal Riada.

839

The line of descent of Pictish kings is broken when the Pictish army is destroyed and Eoganan is killed while leading his men against the Vikings in what seems to have been a huge battle. This shattering defeat also sees the death of his brother (and successor) along with 'others almost without number'.

This decimation of the Pictish warrior class by the Vikings is perhaps the most decisive point which swings the pendulum of control to the Scots. Pictland eventually merges with Scotian Dal Riada through intermarriage to become Scotland. The Annals of Ulster record no more Pictish kings, but some extra rulers are named in other lists, and may have ruled only in the North for a time.

839 - 842

Uurad / Wrad mac Bargoit

Reigned jointly with Brede for his final year.

842 - 843

Brede mac Degart

Last Pictish sovereign mention in Pictish Chronicle.

843

Kenneth mac Ferath

Northern Picts only.

843 - 845

Brede mac Fethal

Brother of Brede. Northern Picts only.

845 - 848

Drest mac Fethal (IX)

Northern Picts only. Killed by Kenneth mac Alpin.

850

Drest, the 69th king on the amalgamated lists of Pictish kings, is also the last, being killed by the shadowy figure of Kenneth MacAlpin. Kenneth's Pictland absorbs the remaining northern province and unites most of the country, a feat which is extended to cover all Scotland by subsequent kings.