Lulach mac Gille Coemgáin ( Modern Gaelic: ''Lughlagh mac Gille Chomghain'', known in English simply as Lulach, and nicknamed Tairbith, "the Unfortunate" and Fatuus, "the Simple-minded" or "the Foolish"; before 1033 – 17 March 1058) was

King of Scots The monarch of Scotland was the head of state of the Kingdom of Scotland. According to tradition, the first King of Scots was Kenneth I MacAlpin (), who founded the state in 843. Historically, the Kingdom of Scotland is thought to have grown ...

between 15 August 1057 and 17 March 1058. Lulach was the son of

Gruoch of Scotland Gruoch ingen Boite () was a Scottish queen, the daughter of Boite mac Cináeda, son of Cináed II. She is most famous for being the wife and queen of MacBethad mac Findlaích (Macbeth). The dates of her life are uncertain. Life Gruoch is bel ...

, from her first marriage to Gille Coemgáin,

Mormaer of Moray The title Earl of Moray, Mormaer of Moray or King of Moray was originally held by the rulers of the Province of Moray, which existed from the 10th century with varying degrees of independence from the Kingdom of Alba to the south. Until 1130 th ...

, and thus the stepson of Macbeth (Mac Bethad mac Findlaích). Following the death of Macbeth at the

Battle of Lumphanan The Battle of Lumphanan was fought on 15 August 1057, between Macbeth, King of Scots, and the future King Malcolm III. Macbeth would die from wounds sustained in the battle, which came after his defeat at the battle of Dunsinane in 1054. Accord ...

on 15 August 1057, the king's followers placed Lulach on the throne. He has the distinction of being the first king of

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

of whom there are coronation details available: he was crowned, probably on 8 September 1057 at

Scone A scone is a baked good, usually made of either wheat or oatmeal with baking powder as a leavening agent, and baked on sheet pans. A scone is often slightly sweetened and occasionally glazed with egg wash. The scone is a basic component ...

. Lulach appears to have been a weak king, as his nicknames suggest, and ruled only for a few months before being assassinated and usurped by

Malcolm III Malcolm III ( mga, Máel Coluim mac Donnchada, label=Medieval Gaelic; gd, Maol Chaluim mac Dhonnchaidh; died 13 November 1093) was King of Scotland from 1058 to 1093. He was later nicknamed "Canmore" ("ceann mòr", Gaelic, literally "big hea ...

. However, it is also plausible his nicknames are the results of negative propaganda, and were established as part of a smear campaign by Malcom III. Lulach's son Máel Snechtai was

, while

Óengus of Moray Óengus of Moray (''Oenghus mac inghine Lulaich, ri Moréb'') was the last king of Moray of the native line, ruling Moray in what is now northeastern Scotland from an unknown date until his death in 1130. Óengus is known to have been the son of ...

was the son of Lulach's daughter. He is believed to be buried on Saint Columba's Holy Island of Iona in or around the monastery. The exact position of his grave is unknown.

Depictions in fiction

Lulach is an important secondary character in

Dorothy Dunnett Dorothy, Lady Dunnett (née Halliday, 25 August 1923 – 9 November 2001) was a Scottish novelist best known for her historical fiction. Dunnett is most famous for her six novel series set during the 16th century, which concern the fictiti ...

's historical novel '' King Hereafter'', where he is portrayed as a seer. In the novel, Dunnett used Lulach as a mouthpiece for researched information about the real Macbeth. Lulach is also one of the protagonists in Jackie French's children's novel ''Macbeth and Son'' and in

Susan Fraser King Susan King, née Longhi (born 1951 in New York City, United States) is a writer of historical romance novels as Susan King, Sarah Gabriel and Susan Fraser King. King's work has been translated into five languages, and she has received awards f ...

's novel ''Lady MacBeth''. Lulach is also a character in David Greig's play ''Dunsinane'' where he is hunted by the English soldiers as a threat to peace in Malcolm's Scotland.

References

, - {{Authority control 1058 deaths 11th-century Scottish monarchs Assassinated heads of state Burials in Iona House of Moray 11th-century murdered monarchs Year of birth unknown Mormaers of Moray Gaelic monarchs in Scotland 11th-century mormaers