Suibne mac Cináeda
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Suibne mac Cináeda (died 1034) was an eleventh-century ruler of the ''
Gall Gaidheil Galls (from the Latin , 'oak-apple') or ''cecidia'' (from the Greek , anything gushing out) are a kind of swelling growth on the external tissues of plants, fungi, or animals. Plant galls are abnormal outgrowths of plant tissues, similar to be ...
'', a population of mixed Scandinavian and
Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...
ethnicity. There is little known of Suibne as he is only attested in three sources that record the year of his death. He seems to have ruled in a region where ''Gall Gaidheil'' are known to have dwelt: either the Hebrides, the Firth of Clyde region, or somewhere along the south-western coast of Scotland from the Firth of Clyde southwards into Galloway. Suibne's
patronym A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor. Patronymics are still in use, including mandatory use, in many countries worldwide, alt ...
, meaning "son of ''Cináed''", may indicate that he was a member of the royal
Alpínid dynasty The House of Alpin, also known as the Alpínid dynasty, Clann Chináeda, and Clann Chinaeda meic Ailpín, was the kin-group which ruled in Pictland, possibly Dál Riata, and then the kingdom of Alba from the advent of Kenneth MacAlpin (Cináed ...
. For instance, the patronym could be evidence that he was a brother of the reigning
Máel Coluim mac Cináeda, King of Alba Máel Coluim mac Cináeda ( gd, Maol Chaluim mac Choinnich, label=Modern Scottish Gaelic; anglicized Malcolm II; c. 954 – 25 November 1034) was King of Scots from 1005 until his death. He was a son of King Kenneth II; but the name of his moth ...
, or else a son of
Cináed mac Duib, King of Alba Cináed mac Duib ( Modern Gaelic: ''Coinneach mac Dhuibh''; c. 966 – c. 25 March 1005), anglicised as Kenneth III, and nicknamed ''An Donn'' ("the Chief" or "the Brown"), was King of Scots from 997 to 1005. He was the son of Dub (Dub mac Maíl ...
. Suibne's career appears to have coincided with an expansion of the ''Gall Gaidheil'' along the south-west coast of what is today Scotland. This extension of power may have partially contributed to the destruction of the Kingdom of Strathclyde, an embattled realm which then faced aggressions from Dublin Vikings,
Northumbrians la, Regnum Northanhymbrorum , conventional_long_name = Kingdom of Northumbria , common_name = Northumbria , status = State , status_text = Unified Anglian kingdom (before 876)North: Anglian kingdom (af ...
, and Scots. The circumstances of Suibne's death are unknown, although one possibility could be that he was caught up in the vicious dynastic-strife endured by the Alpínids.


Attestation

Suibne's death is recorded in 1034 by the fifteenth- to sixteenth-century ''
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, ...
'', the fourteenth-century '' Annals of Tigernach'', and the sixteenth-century ''
Annals of Loch Cé The ''Annals of Loch Cé'' (also ''Annals of Lough Cé'') cover events, mainly in Connacht and its neighbouring regions, from 1014 to 1590. It takes its name from Lough Cé in the kingdom of Moylurg - now north County Roscommon - which was the c ...
''. These three sources accord him the title "''ri Gall-Gaidhel''", "''rí Gall-Gáedel''", and "''rí Gall Goeidil''". This style which could be evidence that Suibne ruled in either the
Isles Isles may refer to: Places *British Isles, often referred to as "the Isles" *Kingdom of the Isles, a medieval realm comprising the Hebrides, the islands of the Firth of Clyde, and the Isle of Man People * Carlin Isles (born 1989), American rugby ...
, Galloway, or somewhere along the south-western coast of Scotland north of the Solway Firth. In fact, little is certain of Suibne, as he is not attested by any other historical source. The Gaelic ''
Gaidheal The Gaels ( ; ga, Na Gaeil ; gd, Na Gàidheil ; gv, Ny Gaeil ) are an ethnolinguistic group native to Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man in the British Isles. They are associated with the Gaelic languages: a branch of the Celtic languag ...
'' (plural ''Gaidheil'') is primarily a linguistic term referring to speakers of
Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...
. The Gaelic term ''
Gall Gaidheil Galls (from the Latin , 'oak-apple') or ''cecidia'' (from the Greek , anything gushing out) are a kind of swelling growth on the external tissues of plants, fungi, or animals. Plant galls are abnormal outgrowths of plant tissues, similar to be ...
'', literally meaning "Stranger-''
Gaidheil The Gaels ( ; ga, Na Gaeil ; gd, Na Gàidheil ; gv, Ny Gaeil ) are an ethnolinguistic group native to Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man in the British Isles. They are associated with the Gaelic languages: a branch of the Celtic languag ...
''", first appears on record in the mid-ninth century. At this period in time, the term ''Gall'' Jennings, A (2015); Jennings; Kruse (2009) pp. 123–124, 144; Jennings, AP (2001); Jennings, A (1998) p. 46; Jennings, A (1996) p. 66; Jennings, A (1994) pp. 78–79. (plural ''Gaill'') referred to Scandinavians, which indicates that ''Gall Gaidheil'' should be taken to mean "Scandinavian-''Gaidheil''". The term appears to have been applied to a population of mixed Scandinavian and Gaelic ethnicity in the Hebrides and part of the former kingdom of Dál Riata. The leader of the ''Gall Gaidheil'' in the mid part of the century appears to have been a certain
Caittil Find Caittil Find () was the leader of a contingent of '' Norse-Gaels'', recorded as being defeated in battle in 857 CE. Some historians have considered him to be identical to Ketill Flatnose, a prominent Norse sea-king who had strong associations with ...
—possibly identical to
Ketill Flatnefr Ketill Björnsson, nicknamed Flatnose (Old Norse: ''Flatnefr''), was a Norse King of the Isles of the 9th century. Primary sources The story of Ketill and his daughter Auðr (or Aud) was probably first recorded by the Icelander Ari Þorgilsson ...
of
Scandinavian saga is a series of science fantasy role-playing video games by Square Enix. The series originated on the Game Boy in 1989 as the creation of Akitoshi Kawazu at Square. It has since continued across multiple platforms, from the Super NES to the Play ...
tradition—who may have been seated in the Hebrides. If the little that is known of Caittil and his connection with the ''Gall Gaidheil'' is correct, it could be evidence that Suibne was a Hebridean chieftain as well. The Scottish place name ''Galloway''—rendered in modern Gaelic ''Gall-Ghaidhealaibh''—is derived from the Gaelic ''i nGall Gaidhealaib'' ("amongst the ''Gall Gaidheil''"). The thirteenth-century '' Orkneyinga saga'' refers to Galloway in Old Norse as ''Gaddgeðlar'', a name clearly derived from ''Gall Gaidheil''. The region was certainly associated with the ''Gall Gaidheil'' earlier in the previous century. Specifically, two members of the region's ruling family—
Roland fitz Uhtred Lochlann of Galloway (died December 12, 1200), also known as Lochlan mac Uchtred and by his French name Roland fitz Uhtred, was the son and successor of Uchtred, Lord of Galloway as the "Lord" or "sub-king" of eastern Galloway. Family Lochlann w ...
and
Alan fitz Roland Alan of Galloway (before 1199 – 1234), also known as Alan fitz Roland, was a leading thirteenth-century Scottish magnate. As the hereditary Lord of Galloway and Constable of Scotland, he was one of the most influential men in the Kingdom of ...
—are styled by the ''Annals of Ulster'' as "''rí Gall Gaidhel''" ("King of the ''Gall Gaidheil''") like Suibne himself. Although this title could suggest some sort of connection between Suibne and Galloway, there is no evidence of any familial link between him and the later Gallovidian rulers. In fact, it is only by the twelfth century, during the '' floruits'' of that earliest members of the Gallovidian ruling family, that the ''Gall Gaidheil'' terminology came to be territorially confined within the boundaries of Galloway.


Context

If Suibne nevertheless ruled in Galloway, the notices of his death could be the first known instances of the term ''Gall Gaidheil'' in associated with the region. It would also mean that he was a precursor to the similarly styled Gallovidian rulers. A more-contemporary figure,
Echmarcach mac Ragnaill, King of Dublin and the Isles Echmarcach mac Ragnaill (died 1064/1065) was a dominant figure in the eleventh-century Irish Sea region. At his height, he reigned as king over Dublin, the Isles, and perhaps the Rhinns of Galloway. The precise identity of Echmarcach's father, R ...
, may well have ruled in Galloway as well, if the style "''rex Innarenn''", accorded to him by Marianus Scottus, means " King of the Rhinns", as opposed to the possible "
King of the Isles The Kingdom of the Isles consisted of the Isle of Man, the Hebrides and the islands of the Firth of Clyde from the 9th to the 13th centuries AD. The islands were known to the Norse as the , or "Southern Isles" as distinct from the or Nort ...
". In about 1031, Echmarcach was one of several northern kings who convened with, and possibly submitted to, Knútr Sveinnsson, ruler of the Anglo-Scandinavian Empire comprising the kingdoms of Denmark, England, and Norway. If Suibne and Echmarcach were indeed associated with Galloway, Echmarcach's dealings with the English king—only a few years before the Suibne's death—could suggest that Echmarcach and Suibne were rivals within the region. The original mainland territory of the ''Gall Gaidheil'' appears to have been much more expansive than Galloway. The ninth-century ''Félire Óengusso Céli Dé'' and the ninth-century ''
Martyrology of Tallaght The ''Martyrology of Tallaght'', which is closely related to the '' Félire Óengusso'' or ''Martyrology of Óengus the Culdee'', is an eighth- or ninth-century martyrology, a list of saints and their feast days assembled by Máel Ruain and/o ...
'' reveal that
Bute Bute or BUTE may refer to: People * Marquess of Bute, a title in the Peerage of Great Britain; includes lists of baronets, earls and marquesses of Bute * Lord of Bute, a title in medieval Scotland, including a list of lords * Lucian Bute (born ...
, an island of the Firth of Clyde, was encompassed within the territory of the ''Gall Gaidheil''. This evidence could indicate that the original territory of the ''Gall Gaidheil'' lay within the Firth of Clyde region and nearby Cowal. In the mediaeval period, the Rhinns appears have also included what is today known as
the Machars , photo = File:West Coast of the Machars - geograph.org.uk - 3085411.jpg , photo_width = , photo_alt = , photo_caption = Luce Bay coastline of The Machars, south of Auchenmalg , map = UK Scotla ...
. The entire region would have thus stretched from the North Channel to Wigtown Bay, and would have likely encompassed an area similar to the modern boundaries of Wigtownshire. The evidence of Echmarcach's authority in the Rhinns may reveal that much of what came to be known as Galloway was originally separate from the ''Gall Gaidheil'' territory. This could mean that the Rhinns was not part of the ''Gall Gaidheil'' territory during Suibne's ''floruit'', and only came to be incorporated into these lands at a later date, perhaps the twelfth century. Another figure who may have held power in Galloway at about the time of Suibne's ''floruit'' was a particular son of
Sitriuc mac Amlaíb, King of Dublin Sigtrygg II Silkbeard Olafsson (also Sihtric, SitricÓ Corráin, p. 123 and Sitrick in Irish texts; or SigtrygWinn, p. 46 and SigtryggrMac Manus, p. 278 in Scandinavian texts) was a Hiberno-Norse king of Dublin (possibly AD 989–994; restored ...
. According to the thirteenth-century '' Historia Gruffud vab Kenan'', a son of Sitriuc named Amlaíb was the grandfather of Gruffudd ap Cynan, King of Gwynedd. If this source is to be believed, Amlaíb held royal power in the Rhinns and the territory of the ''Gall Gaidheil'' (amongst other places). The text makes a clear distinction between the Rhinns and the lands of the ''Gall Gaidheil'', treating them as separate territories. This suggests that the region encompassed within present-day Wigtownshire was regarded as distinct from the territory of the ''Gall Gaidheil'' in the eleventh century. The account may also be evidence that Amlaíb was a contemporary of Echmarcach and Suibne, and could indicate that he held power in Galloway and the Isles at some point between 1028 (the year his father set out upon a pilgrimage) and 1034 (a possible year of his death). The
patronym A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor. Patronymics are still in use, including mandatory use, in many countries worldwide, alt ...
borne by Suibne is the same as that of the reigning
Máel Coluim mac Cináeda, King of Alba Máel Coluim mac Cináeda ( gd, Maol Chaluim mac Choinnich, label=Modern Scottish Gaelic; anglicized Malcolm II; c. 954 – 25 November 1034) was King of Scots from 1005 until his death. He was a son of King Kenneth II; but the name of his moth ...
. This patronym could be evidence that he and Máel Coluim were related. One possibility is that Suibne's patronym shows that he and Máel Coluim were brothers, and that Suibne had been placed upon the throne in a region occupied by the ''Gall Gaidheil''. In support of such an act is the fact that the twelfth-century ''
Prophecy of Berchán In religion, a prophecy is a message that has been communicated to a person (typically called a ''prophet'') by a supernatural entity. Prophecies are a feature of many cultures and belief systems and usually contain divine will or law, or prete ...
'' associates Máel Coluim with
Islay Islay ( ; gd, Ìle, sco, Ila) is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Known as "The Queen of the Hebrides", it lies in Argyll just south west of Jura, Scotland, Jura and around north of the Northern Irish coast. The isl ...
and Arran, and the claim by Ailred, Abbot of Rievaulx that Gallovidians were vassals of Máel Coluim's eventual successor Máel Coluim mac Donnchada, King of Alba. Máel Coluim certainly extended Scottish royal authority southwards into
Lothian Lothian (; sco, Lowden, Loudan, -en, -o(u)n; gd, Lodainn ) is a region of the Scottish Lowlands, lying between the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and the Lammermuir Hills and the Moorfoot Hills. The principal settlement is the Sco ...
, and Strathclyde. If he had indeed managed to insert a brother into Galloway it could suggest that he possessed overlordship there as well, perhaps after his annexation of the former kingdom of Strathclyde. The notices of Suibne's demise, therefore, could be the first record of Scottish control of regions south-west of the
River Clyde The River Clyde ( gd, Abhainn Chluaidh, , sco, Clyde Watter, or ) is a river that flows into the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. It is the ninth-longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third-longest in Scotland. It runs through the major cit ...
. If Suibne and Máel Coluim were not brothers, Suibne's patronym could instead be evidence that he was a son of
Cináed mac Duib, King of Alba Cináed mac Duib ( Modern Gaelic: ''Coinneach mac Dhuibh''; c. 966 – c. 25 March 1005), anglicised as Kenneth III, and nicknamed ''An Donn'' ("the Chief" or "the Brown"), was King of Scots from 997 to 1005. He was the son of Dub (Dub mac Maíl ...
. This could mean that Máel Coluim allowed Suibne to reign over the ''Gall Gaidheil'' as a way of restraining him from claiming the
kingship of Alba 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 ...
. Walker (2013) ch. 5. There is reason to suspect that the eleventh-century decline and demise of the Cumbrian realm of Strathclyde could have been connected with the expansion of the ''Gall Gaidheil''. One of the last recorded members of this kingdom's royal family was
Owain Foel, King of Strathclyde Owain () is a name of Welsh origin, variously written in Old Welsh as Ougein, Eugein, Euguen, Iguein, Ou(u)ein, Eug(u)ein, Yuein, and in Middle Welsh as Ewein, Owein, and Ywein. Other variants of the name Owain include Ewein, Iguein, Owein, Ouein, ...
, a man who lent military assistance to Máel Coluim against the Northumbrians in 1018. It is conceivable that ''Gall Gaidheil'' encroachment into Cumbrian territory was initiated upon Owain Foel's own demise. Máel Coluim could have also seized upon this man's death, claiming the Cumbrian kingship for himself. One possibility is that Suibne, as King of the ''Gall Gaidheil'', was personally responsible for the conquest of western maritime region of the Cumbrians. In fact, the ''Annals of Tigernach'' record a ravaging inflicted upon Britons in 1030 by both the ''Gaill'' of Dublin and the English. Since this violent episode receives no corroboration from English and Welsh sources, such as the ninth- to twelfth-century ''
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle The ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' is a collection of annals in Old English, chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the ''Chronicle'' was created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of Alf ...
'' and the eleventh- to thirteenth-century '' Annales Cambriæ'', it is possible that the recorded attack relates to the Cumbrians rather than the
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
. The claim by ''Historia Gruffud vab Kenan''—that Sitriuc's son held power in the Rhinns amongst other regions—could be further evidence that the Cumbrians suffered from attacks by the Dubliners. Such incursions could well have been coordinated with the ''Gall Gaidheil''. Alternately, if Suibne and Máel Coluim were indeed brothers, another possibility is that Suibne's title is evidence that Máel Coluim mac Cináeda seized upon the vacated Cumbrian kingship and installed Suibne as king over the Cumbrians. Such a move may explain the Scots' failure to immediately exploit their victory over the Northumbrians, and could indicate that Máel Coluim's resources were instead projected against the vulnerable Cumbrian realm. Echmarcach's meeting with Knútr included two other kings: Máel Coluim and the Moravian ruler, Mac Bethad mac Findlaích. Although Máel Coluim and Mac Bethad appear to have been related, the nature of the relationship between Máel Coluim and Echmarcach is uncertain. If Suibne was indeed a brother of the Scottish king, and ruled in Galloway at his behest, it could be evidence that Echmarcach was another client-king of Máel Coluim. In fact, the agreement with Knútr could indicate that Máel Coluim enjoyed overlordship over Mac Bethad and Echmarcach. If so, and if Máel Coluim indeed held power in the southern Hebrides as the ''Prophecy of Berchán'' seems to suggest, Echmarcach's realm may have encompassed Mann, the Rhinns, and only the Hebridean islands north of the
Ardnamurchan peninsula Ardnamurchan (, gd, Àird nam Murchan: headland of the great seas) is a peninsula in the ward management area of Lochaber, Highland (council area), Highland, Scotland, noted for being very unspoiled and undisturbed. Its remoteness is accentu ...
. If Suibne and Máel Coluim were indeed brothers, and the former owed his authority amongst the ''Gall Gaidheil'' to the power of the Scottish Crown, it is even possible that the Scots expelled Echmarcach from the Isles at some point between the concord with Knútr and Suibne's death as king. Another possibility dependent upon kinship between Máel Coluim and Suibne concerns the fact that both men died within the same year. Kapelle (1979) p. 41. The former was the final member of the
Alpínid dynasty The House of Alpin, also known as the Alpínid dynasty, Clann Chináeda, and Clann Chinaeda meic Ailpín, was the kin-group which ruled in Pictland, possibly Dál Riata, and then the kingdom of Alba from the advent of Kenneth MacAlpin (Cináed ...
to rule the Kingdom of Scotland, and was succeeded by his maternal-grandson,
Donnchad ua Maíl Choluim Donnchad mac Crinain ( gd, Donnchadh mac Crìonain; anglicised as Duncan I, and nicknamed An t-Ilgarach, "the Diseased" or "the Sick"; c. 1001 – 14 August 1040)Broun, "Duncan I (d. 1040)". was king of Scotland (''Alba'') from 1034 to 1040. H ...
. In the later stages of his career, Máel Coluim seems to have taken steps to remove potential threats to the royal succession, and in this context appears to have orchestrated the assassination of the son or grandson of a certain
Boite mac Cináeda Boite mac Cináeda ("Boite son of Kenneth"; also, ''Bodhe'', ''Boedhe'', etc.; d. 1058) was a Scottish prince, son of either King Kenneth II of Scotland (Cináed mac Maíl Coluim) or King Kenneth III of Scotland (Cináed mac Duib).According to ...
in 1033. Not only is the exact identity of this man uncertain—as he could have been either a brother or cousin of Máel Coluim—but Máel Coluim himself died under obscure circumstances. If Máel Coluim and Suibne were indeed brothers, the deaths of both men within the same year could well be connected, and could be evidence of conflict between the kings, with Suibne himself dying in battle against Máel Coluim. If Suibne was instead a son of Cináed mac Duib, Máel Coluim's move to eliminate a rival line to the succession could further evince an accommodation between Máel Coluim and Suibne in regard to the kingship. In any event, if Suibne had no familial connection with the later rulers of Galloway, it is possible that his kingdom or sub-kingdom died with him. Woolf (2007) p. 253.


Notes


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References


Primary sources

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Secondary sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Suibne Mac Cinaeda 1034 deaths 11th-century Scottish monarchs History of Galloway House of Alpin Norse-Gaelic monarchs People of the Kingdom of the Isles Year of birth unknown Lords of Galloway