Óengus of Moray (''Oenghus mac inghine Lulaich, ri Moréb'') was the last king of Moray of the native line, ruling

Moray Moray ( ; or ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with a coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland. Its council is based in Elgin, the area' ...

in what is now northeastern Scotland from an unknown date until his death in 1130. Óengus is known to have been the son of the daughter of King Lulach of Scotland. This was perhaps how he attained the kingship of the ''Men of Moray''. Óengus' last known predecessor was Máel Snechtai (d. 1085). If Óengus ruled during this whole period, then he would have been the one who incurred the wrath of King

Alexander I Alexander I may refer to: * Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon from 495 to 454 BC * Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus * Alexander I Theopator Euergetes, surnamed Balas, ruler of the Seleucid Empire 150-145 BC * Pope Alex ...

when the Moravians (people of Moray) murdered Ladhmunn, his nephew and son of Domnall, the son of King

Malcolm III Malcolm III (; ; –13 November 1093) was List of Scottish monarchs, King of Alba from 1058 to 1093. He was later nicknamed "Canmore" (, , understood as "great chief"). Malcolm's long reign of 35 years preceded the beginning of the Scoto-Norma ...

by Ingibjorg.

Orderic Vitalis Orderic Vitalis (; 16 February 1075 – ) was an English chronicler and Benedictine monk who wrote one of the great contemporary chronicles of 11th- and 12th-century Normandy and Anglo-Norman England.Hollister ''Henry I'' p. 6 Working out of ...

wrote that in the year 1130, Óengus with Máel Coluim mac Alaxandair invaded

Gaelic Gaelic (pronounced for Irish Gaelic and for Scots Gaelic) is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". It may refer to: Languages * Gaelic languages or Goidelic languages, a linguistic group that is one of the two branches of the Insul ...

Scotia Scotia is a Latin placename derived from ''Scoti'', a Latin name for the Gaels, first attested in the late 3rd century.Duffy, Seán. ''Medieval Ireland: An Encyclopedia''. Routledge, 2005. p. 698. The Romans referred to Ireland as "Scotia" aro ...

with 5000 warriors. The Moravians were met by King

David David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...

's general, an old

Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons, in some contexts simply called Saxons or the English, were a Cultural identity, cultural group who spoke Old English and inhabited much of what is now England and south-eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. They traced t ...

noble named Edward Siwardsson, causing the Battle of Stracathro. The ''

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 ninth century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of ...

'' reported "a great slaughter" . The ''

Annals of Ulster The ''Annals of Ulster'' () are annals of History of Ireland, 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 Luin� ...

'' tells that 4000 Moravians were killed, and only 1000

Gaels The Gaels ( ; ; ; ) are an Insular Celts, Insular Celtic ethnolinguistic group native to Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. They are associated with the Goidelic languages, Gaelic languages: a branch of the Celtic languages comprising ...

. The ''

Annals of Innisfallen The ''Annals of Inisfallen'' () are a chronicle of the medieval history of Ireland. Overview There are more than 2,500 entries spanning the years between 433 and 1450. The manuscript is thought to have been compiled in 1092, as the chronic ...

'' makes clear that what Orderic Vitalis wrote regarding the battle having taken place in

indicates that it was an invasion. Edward defeated the Moravians and Óengus was killed. The Scoti then invaded Moray, which, as Orderic Vitalis put it, "lacked a defender and lord."Anderson, ''Scottish Annals'', pp. 166-7 After Óengus' defeat, Moray was probably granted to

William fitz Duncan William fitz Duncan (a modern anglicisation of the Old French Guillaume fils de Duncan and the Middle Irish language">Middle Irish Uilleam mac Donnchada) was a Scottish prince, the son of King Duncan II of Scotland by his wife Ethelreda, daughte ...

. After his death in 1147, it was to some extent colonized by King David's French, Flemish and English followers, although in the longer term, most of these became Gaelicized.

References

Bibliography

* Anderson, Alan Orr, ''Early Sources of Scottish History: AD 500-1286'', 2 Vols, (Edinburgh, 1922) * Anderson, Alan Orr, ''Scottish Annals from English Chroniclers: AD 500-1286'', (London, 1908), republished, Marjorie Anderson (ed.) (Stamford, 1991) * Roberts, John L., ''Lost Kingdoms: Celtic Scotland in the Middle Ages'', (Edinburgh, 1997)

External links

''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moray, Oengus of 1130 deaths Oengus 12th-century mormaers Year of birth unknown Mormaers of Moray