Nechtan, son of Erip, was the king of the

Picts The Picts were a group of peoples who lived in what is now northern and eastern Scotland (north of the Firth of Forth) during Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. Where they lived and what their culture was like can be inferred from e ...

from 456 to 480. The king lists supply a number of epithets for Nechtan: Morbet and Celchamoth and the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

Magnus (the Great). He is said to have reigned for twenty-four years. In a rare change from a bald statement of names and years, the king lists provide a tradition linking Nechtan to the foundation of

Abernethy Abernethy may refer to: Places Scotland * Abernethy, Perth and Kinross, a village ** Abernethy (NBR) railway station, a former railway station in this village * Nethy Bridge, Highland, a village formerly known as Abernethy * Abernethy Forest, ...

"So Nectonius the Great, Wirp's son, the king of all the provinces of the Picts, offered to
Saint Brigid Saint Brigid of Kildare or Brigid of Ireland ( ga, Naomh Bríd; la, Brigida; 525) is the patroness saint (or 'mother saint') of Ireland, and one of its three national saints along with Patrick and Columba. According to medieval Irish hagiogra ...
, to the day of judgement, Abernethy, with its territories ... Now the cause of the offering was this. Nectonius, living in a life of exile, when his brother Drest expelled him to
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
, begged Saint Brigid to beseech God for him. And she prayed for him, and said: "If thou reach thy country, the Lord will have pity on thee. Thou shalt possess in peace the kingdom of the Picts."

A life of Saint Boite, after whom

Monasterboice The Monasterboice ( ga, Mainistir Bhuithe) ruins are the remains of an early Christian monastic settlement in County Louth in Ireland, north of Drogheda. The ruins are a National monument of Ireland and also give their name to the local villag ...

is named, claims that Boite raised Nechtan from the dead, and associated him with

Kirkbuddo Kirkbuddo (; gd, Cair Bhuite) is a village in the county of Angus, Scotland, between the towns of Forfar and Carnoustie. Nearby lie the remains of a temporary Roman marching camp dating to the third century AD. A worn type II Pictish stone was f ...

in Strathmore. It has been suggested that these traditions should be associated with a later Pictish king, with the very similar name of Nechtan son of Irb.Smyth, p. 82. Nothing else can be said of Nechtan with any certainty.

Notes

References

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External links

Pictish Chronicle
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nechtan Morbet 5th-century births 480 deaths Pictish monarchs 5th-century Scottish monarchs