Drest was

king King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen regnant, queen, which title is also given to the queen consort, consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contempora ...

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 ea ...

from 724 until 726. He succeeded

Nechtan mac Der-Ilei Nechtan mac Der-Ilei or Nechtan mac Dargarto (Old Irish ''Nechtan mac Der-Ilei'' or ''Nechtan mac Dargarto'') (before 686–732) was king of the Picts 706–724 and 728–729. He succeeded his brother Bridei in 706. He is associated with signific ...

when the latter abdicated and entered a

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whic ...

in 724. Neither the

Annals of Ulster The ''Annals of Ulster'' ( ga, Annála Uladh) are annals of medieval Ireland. The entries span the years from 431 AD to 1540 AD. The entries up to 1489 AD were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrí Ó Luinín, ...

, nor the

Annals of Tigernach The ''Annals of Tigernach'' (abbr. AT, ga, Annála Tiarnaigh) are chronicles probably originating in Clonmacnoise, Ireland. The language is a mixture of Latin and Old and Middle Irish. Many of the pre-historic entries come from the 12th-centur ...

, name Drest's father. The earlier versions of the

Pictish Chronicle The Pictish Chronicle is a name used to refer to a pseudo-historical account of the kings of the Picts beginning many thousand years before history was recorded in Pictavia and ending after Pictavia had been enveloped by Scotland. Version A Ther ...

king lists simply name "Drest and Elpin" as kings after Nechtan. However, a late version, which includes Nechtan's second reign in 728–729, makes Drest's father one Talorgan. This version includes the otherwise unknown Carnach son of Ferach and Óengus son of Bridei, and is generally not such as would inspire great confidence. Since Nechtan abdicated in favour of Drest, some kinship between them seems probable. A number of Nechtan's sons are reported to have died, so that Drest, whether a nephew, a son-in-law or cousin may have been Nechtan's nearest male kin. It may be that Drest was the son of the Talorg son of Drostan, "brother of Nechtan" — a half-brother or, perhaps a foster-brother — who had been imprisoned in 713. Whatever his descent, Drest's rule appears to have been quickly challenged. In 725, Simul son of Drest was imprisoned, but by whom is unknown. In 726 Nechtan was imprisoned by Drest, following which Alpín, the Elpin of the king lists, deposed Drest. By 728 it appears that Drest, Nechtan, Alpín and Óengus mac Fergusa were engaged in a war for the Pictish throne. Drest was killed in battle against Óengus at ''Dromo Dergg Blathuug'' (possibly Drumderg, near Blairgowrie) in 729. Whether there is any relationship between this Drest and the Talorgan son of Drest, king of

Atholl Atholl or Athole ( gd, Athall; Old Gaelic ''Athfhotla'') is a large historical division in the Scottish Highlands, bordering (in anti-clockwise order, from Northeast) Marr, Badenoch, Lochaber, Breadalbane, Strathearn, Perth, and Gowrie. H ...

, who was killed by drowning in 739, can only be speculation. Drest, Talorgan and their variants are common Pictish names, too common for any argument on the basis of

anthroponymy Anthroponymy (also anthroponymics or anthroponomastics, from Ancient Greek ἄνθρωπος ''anthrōpos'' / 'human', and ὄνομα ''onoma'' / 'name') is the study of ''anthroponyms'', the proper names of human beings, both individual and ...

to be entirely convincing.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Drest 07 Of The Picts Pictish monarchs 729 deaths 8th-century Scottish monarchs Year of birth unknown Monarchs killed in action