Everything about Mormaer Of Moray totally explained
The
Mormaerdom or
Kingdom of Moray (
Middle Irish: Muireb or
Moreb;
Medieval Latin: Muref or
Moravia;
Modern Gaelic:Moireabh) was a lordship in
High Medieval Scotland that was destroyed by King
David I of Scotland in
1130. It didn't have the same territory as the modern local government council area of
Moray, which is a much smaller area, around
Elgin. The medieval lordship was in fact centered on both the lower
Spey valley and around
Inverness and the northern parts of the
Great Glen, and probably originally included
Buchan and
Mar, as well as
Ross.
History of Moray
Before 1130: Dynasty of Findláech to Óengus
In the century or two before
1130 the name
Moray described a
polity, far larger than the later county or district of the same name, which at its largest extended from
Drumochter in the south to the
Scandanavian held lands of
Caithness and
Sutherland in the north. Moray would also eventually cover from
Buchan in the east to the
Atlantic Ocean in the west.
Njal's Saga, a
Saga of the Icenlanders mentions Mormaers and Kings in northern Scotland from the later 10th century, namely
Jarl Melsnatr (Máel Snechtai) and King
Melkofr (Máel Coluim) of "Scotland." Both date from the period
976 to
995. However no king named Máel Coluim reigned in Scotland in this period.
Njal's Saga was written as a historical guide for details outside
Iceland or
Scandinavia and the text is notoriously unreliable.
The
Mormaer of Moray or
Kingdom of Moray was a former lordship of High Medieval Scotland. Moray was ruled by a
Gaelic speaking dynasty. The most notable being King
Macbeth of Scotland from 1040 to 1057. These rulers were sometimes styled
Ri meaning
king or
mormaer meaning
great steward. The death of Mael Coluim, son of Mael Brigte, is recorded in 1029 and, in 1032 that of his brother Gilla Comgain, killed along with 50 of his men.
Gilla Comgain's successor and probably also his killer, was his cousin Macbeth (Mac Bethad mac Findlaig). Macbeth married Gilla Comgain's widow Grouch, a princess of the mac Alpin dynasty, and became king of Scots in 1040, after defeating and killing
Duncan I of Scotland (Donnchad ua Mail Choluim) in battle. Later sources suggest that MacBeth had a claim to the Scottish throne through his mother, but his Gaelic pedigree, on record only two generations after his death, traces his descent through his father Findlaech, and grandfather Ruaidri, from the house of Loarn, Kings of
Dál Riata.
The pedigree of Macbeth from the Loarn kings of Dál Riata offers a clue to the origins of his dynasty in Moray. Moray may have been a separate kingdom for a time, independent of the dynasty of Kenneth mac Alpin. However it seems likely that rulers of Moray were subject loosely to the
Kings of Alba. Moray acted as a buffer against further Scandinavian penetration from the north, and its rulers were remembered with respect in Scandinavian sources such as
Orkneyinga Saga.
Mabeth himself was in turn killed and defeated in 1057. After which, his stepson Lulach, son of Gilla Comgain, and presumably also of Grouch, claimed the Scottish throne briefly before being himself killed in 1058. Lulach's son, Mael Snechtai, died in 1085 as 'king of Moray'. Later, an Earl named Aed or 'Heth' who witnesses royal charters early in the next century may also have been based in Moray. The last ruling member of the dynasty, styled 'king' or 'earl' of Moray, was
Óengus (Angus) son of the daughter of Lulach. Óengus (Angus) challenged
David I of Scotland in battle, but was defeated and killed at
Stracathro in Angus, in 1130 and thus the Kingdom of Moray was destroyed by David I of Scotland.
With the death of Angus brought the rapid feudalization of Moray under
Flemming Freskin, who was of
Flemish and
Norman descent and his descendants who adopted the significant designation 'de Moravia', which means 'of Moray'. (The de Moravia family would later become
Earls of Sutherland in the 13th century). Claims that
William fitz Duncan became the last Mormaer of Moray can't be substantiated and his claim for the Scottish throne proved unsuccessful.
Malcolm MacHeth, who rebelled against David I, but was later made
Earl of Ross may have been related to the old rulers of Moray, as may also have been the mysterious
Wimund. Later MacHeth claimants to Moray were unsuccessful.
After 1130: Suppression of Moray
David I of Scotland's suppression of the Kingdom of Moray in 1130 didn't mark the end of the province's significance or of the problems its management caused to the kings of
Scotland. Despite the expulsion of its line of rulers, Moray continued to be referred to in the early 13th century as a land separate to Scotia. Even when the realm of Scotland was recognised as stretching as far north as
Caithness, Moray was still recognized as one of the chief northern provinces. The Gaelic notes in the
Book of Deer dating from the mid 12th century offer a glimpse of the holding of land and the ordering of society in Moray.
The actions of the crown's royal government during the century after 1130 seemed to create differences between the upland regions of the province and the coastal districts of the Laich of Moray, between the
River Spey and
Inverness. The crown's existing estates were concentrated in these coastal regions and between 1130 and 1230 the kings established sheriffdoms centered on Inverness,
Nairn,
Forres and
Eglin, providing a framework for royal authority in the province.
The extension of royal government was accompanied by the settlement of immigrants in the Laich of Moray. Lands were given to the crown's supporters, the most important of whom was
Flemming Freskin, who was of Flemmish - Norman descent. Freskin founded the 'de Moravia' or 'Moray family'. The senior line of de Moravias would later become
Earls of Sutherland, chiefs of
Clan Sutherland and another branch of the same family who took the name Murray became chiefs of
Clan Murray and later
Earls of Atholl.
The final area of change in the province of Moray after 1130 was religion. There was a
Bishop of Moray before 1130, however a
Diocese of Moray with an established centre at Eglin Cathedral with a parochial structure was achieved only during the 13th century. Reformed religious houses were founded at
Beauly,
Pluscarden and
Kinloss.
While the changes that took place in the centuries following the 1130 defeat of the kings of Moray secured the Laich of Moray under the authority of the crown, the interior of the province from
Lochalsh to
Strathbogie remained a source of difficulty and threat. Attempts to revive the old earldom of Moray and challenge the king of Scotland found support in these areas. Leaders such as
Wimund, the son of the
Earl of Angus and the MacWilliam family were able to raise allies from the Gaelic uplands of Moray which led to warfare in the region from the 1140's to the 1220's. The kings normally left the defeat of these enemies to their aristocratic vassals. The interior of the province from the
Great Glen to Strathbogie was divided between six or more famlies, the greatest of which, at this time was the
Clan Comyn lords of Badenoch and Lochaber.
1296 to 1346: Wars of Independence and Creation of the Earldom of Moray
Moray's importance as part of the kingdom of Scotland was demonstrated during the years of major warfare between 1296 and 1340. The province was relatively untouched by direct fighting and Royal-led English armies penetrated Moray on only three occasions in 1296, 1303 and 1335, and significant English occupation occured only in 1296- 97. This security meant that it was a vital refuge and recruitment ground for the Scottish guardians between 1297 and 1303, and provided
Robert I of Scotland with a base and allies during his northern campaign against the Comyns and their allies in 1307 - 08. The province was forced to submit to
Edward I of England in 1303 and Robert I of Scotland therefore clearly recognized the significance of Moray for the security of his realm. In 1312 Robert I re-established the
earldom of Moray for his nephew,
Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray. The new earldom included all of the old province and the crown lands of the Laich.
Thomas's son John Randolph was killed in 1346, leaving no heir and the other noble families including the Comyns, Strathbogies and Morays had all dissapeared from or left the province by between 1300 and 1350. With the absence of noble leaders, power fell to lesser figures who fuctioned in kin-based groups such as the
Clan Donnachaidh of Atholl and the
Chattan Confederation which centred on Badenoch. This drew in lords and men from outside of the province, from further south such as the
Dunbars and Stewarts who staked claims rule the province of Moray. In 1372 the
earldom of Moray was divided between them with John Dunbar receiving the coastal districts and Alexander Stewart, favorite son of
Robert II of Scotland being made lord of Badenoch in the uplands
Comparative Moravian and Scottish Genealogies
This table is a comparison of the genealogies apparently used by the Kings of
Muireb and of (southern)
Alba. Both trace their descent to Ercc. All three, incidentally, are called
King of Alba in the
manuscript.
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