Causantín mac Áeda (anglicised Constantine II) (before 879–952) was king of Alba from 900 to 943. He was the son of Áed mac Cináeda and first cousin of the previous ruler, Domnall mac Causantín. Causantín mac Áeda's reign is the second longest before the Union of the Crowns in 1603, exceeded only by William the Lion. Named after Saint Andrew the Apostle, the Royal Burgh of St Andrews (Scottish Gaelic: ) is a town on the east coast of Fife, Scotland, and the home of golf. ... Iona village viewed from a short distance offshore. ... Donald II of Scotland (Domnall mac Causantín) was king of Scotland from 889 to 900. ... Malcolm I of Scotland Máel Coluim mac Domnaill (anglicised Malcolm I) (before 900–954) was king of Scots, becoming king when his cousin Causantín mac Áeda abdicated to become a monk. ... Indulf (Scottish: Idulb mac Causantín) was king of Scotland from 954 until 962, although there is no record of his coronation, if there ever was one. ... Áed (Áed mac Cináeda) (died 878) was a son of Cináed mac Ailpín. ... Anglicized refers to foreign words, often surnames, that are changed from a foreign language into English. ... Events Hugh Capet marries Adelaide of Aquitaine Deaths Emperor Suzaku of Japan Hugh, Duke of Burgundy Categories: 952 ... The Kingdom of Alba (Gaelic : Rìoghachd na h-Alba) for the purposes of this article pertains to the Kingdom of Scotland between the death of Domnall II in 900, and the death of Alexander III in 1286 which then led indirectly to the Scottish Wars of Independence. ... Persian sfuckentist, Rhazes, distinguished smallpox from measles in the course of his writings. ... Events King Constantin II of Scotland retires and becomes a monk, succeeded by his cousin Malcolm I of Scotland Births Deaths Harald I of Norway Categories: 943 ... Áed (Áed mac Cináeda) (died 878) was a son of Cináed mac Ailpín. ... Donald II of Scotland (Domnall mac Causantín) was king of Scotland from 889 to 900. ... The Union of Crowns refers to the accession to the thrones of England and Ireland of King James VI of Scotland in March 1603, following the death of his unmarried and childless cousin, Elizabeth I, the last monarch of the Tudor dynasty. ... William I the Lion ( known in Gaelic as Uilliam Garm1 or William the Rough), (1142/1143 - December 4, 1214) reigned as King of Scots from 1165 to 1214. ...

Early Period: the Viking threat

Northern Britain circa 900.

Prior to his reign, Scotland had been dominated by, and perhaps tributary to, the Viking kings of the Irish Sea province in the later 9th century. During his reign, Causantín faced Viking raids from the north and west, and expanding Anglo-Saxon kings of Wessex, while establishing the kingdom of Alba in its definitive Gaelicised form. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 385 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (385 × 600 pixel, file size: 172 KB, MIME type: image/png) Work derived from Image:Scotland Land Use by height. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 385 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (385 × 600 pixel, file size: 172 KB, MIME type: image/png) Work derived from Image:Scotland Land Use by height. ... The term Viking commonly denotes the ship-borne explorers, traders, and warriors of the Norsemen (literally, men from the north) who originated in Scandinavia and raided the coasts of the British Isles, France and other parts of Europe as far east as the Volga River in Russia from the late... The term Viking commonly denotes the ship-borne explorers, traders, and warriors of the Norsemen (literally, men from the north) who originated in Scandinavia and raided the coasts of the British Isles, France and other parts of Europe as far east as the Volga River in Russia from the late... The foremost of the kings of Anglo-Saxon England was Ælle of Sussex in 477, who was much later followed by Alfred the Great (who took the place of Ethelred) in 871. ... Map of the British Isles circa 802 Wessex was one of the seven major Anglo-Saxon kingdoms (the Heptarchy) that preceded the Kingdom of England. ... The Gaels are an ethno-linguistic group which spread from Ireland to Scotland and the Isle of Man. ...

The Chronicle of the Kings of Alba records an attack by the Vikings, and the plundering of Dunkeld, in the third year of Causantín's reign. The following year, the invaders were defeated in Strathearn.^[1]

The Chronicle of the Kings of Alba records that Causantín and bishop Cellach Cellach I is the first alleged Bishop of Cennrígmonaid (fl. ...

met at the Hill of Belief near the royal city of Scone [and] pledged themselves that the laws and disciplines of the faith, and the laws of churches and gospels, should be kept in conformity with the Scotti. Scone is a large village, a mile north of Perth, Scotland. ...

It is supposed that if any single event may be taken to mark the birth of the kingdom of Alba, then it should be this.^[2] The Kingdom of Alba (Gaelic : Rìoghachd na h-Alba) for the purposes of this article pertains to the Kingdom of Scotland between the death of Domnall II in 900, and the death of Alexander III in 1286 which then led indirectly to the Scottish Wars of Independence. ...

In 914, the Annals of Ulster report the defeat of Barid son of Oitir by Ragnall grandson of Ivar in the Irish Sea. It in is the period of dominance of northern Britain by Ragnall and his cousin Sihtric that Causantín is found as an ally of Ealdred of Bernicia and, perhaps, of "Queen" Ethelfleda of Mercia.^[3] Armies led by Ragnall and his brother Sihtric raided throughout northern Britain and Ireland.^[4] They attacked Chester, Dumbarton and Northumbria. The Uí Ímair - the grandsons of Ivar - were the greatest threat to Alba, hence the alliance with the Anglo-Saxons of Bernicia and Mercia. The Annals of Ulster are a chronicle of medieval Ireland. ... Relief map of the Irish Sea. ... Ealdred I (d. ... Bernicia (Brythonic, Brynaich or Bryneich) was a kingdom of the Angles in northern England during the 6th and 7th centuries AD. It later merged with the kingdom of Deira to form the kingdom of Northumbria. ... Ethelfleda (alternative spelling Aethelfled, Æthelfleda or Æthelflæd) (872/879?-918) was the eldest daughter of King Alfred the Great of Wessex and his wife Ealhswith. ... The Kingdom of Mercia at its greatest extent (7th to 9th centuries) is shown in green, with the original core area (6th century) given a darker tint. ... For the larger local government district, see City of Chester. ... Dumbarton (Dùn Breatainn in Scottish Gaelic) is a burgh in Scotland, lying on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. ... Section from Shepherds map of the British Isles about 802 AD showing the kingdom of Northumbria Northumbria is primarily the name of a petty kingdom of Angles which was formed in Great Britain at the beginning of the 7th century, from two smaller kingdoms of Bernicia and Diera, and... The Uí Ímair or Uí Ímhair were a Norse-Gaelic dynasty who ruled the Irish sea region and western coast of Scotland from the late 9th century into the 10th century. ... The famous parade helmet found at Sutton Hoo, probably belonging to King Raedwald of East Anglia circa 625. ...

While two battles of Corbridge are claimed, in 915 and 918, only the second is mentioned by the Chronicle of the Kings of Alba and, at some length, by the Annals of Ulster and the Fragmentary Annals of Ireland.^[5] The first battle rests on Symeon of Durham's Historia de Sancto Cuthberto. ^[6] The location in Gaelic sources is vague, Corbridge again coming from Symeon.^[7] The Battles of Corbridge both took place at the same Corbridge, between the same contestants in 915 and 918. ... The Fragmentary Annals of Ireland are a Middle Irish combination of chronicle from various Irish annals and narrative history. ... Symeon (or Simeon) of Durham (d. ... Corbridge Corbridge is a town in Northumberland, England, situated 25 km (16 miles) west of Newcastle and 6 km (4 miles) east of Hexham. ...

Later period: the English threat

After Carham, Ragnall seized control of York. However, in 920, after taking direct control of Mercia soon after Ethelfleda's death, Edward the Elder forced Ragnall to acknowledge his rule. While neither of the kings may have been happy with the compromise of 920, neither did they live long enough to break the treaty. Ragnall died in 921, succeeded by his cousin Sihtric Cáech. Edward died in 924, followed by Ælfweard, who reigned for a very short time, succeeded by his half-brother Athelstan. Sihtric may have rebelled in 924, but by 926 he had evidently acknowledged Athelstan as over-king, adopting Christianity and marrying a sister of Athelstan at Tamworth. Within the year Sihtric abandoned his new faith and repudiated his unwanted wife. Before Athelstan and he could fight, Sihtric died suddenly in 927.^[8] York is a city in North Yorkshire, England, at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss. ... Edward the Elder or Eadweard I (c. ... Sigtrygg Caech (or Sihtric) (died 927) was a Norse-Gael King of Dublin who later reigned as king of York. ... Ælfweard (died 2 August 924) was the second known son of Edward the Elder. ... For the East Anglian king christened Æthelstan, see Guthrum the Old. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... Tamworth town centre Tamworth is a historic town and local government district in Staffordshire, UK, located 27 km (17 miles) northeast of Birmingham and 198 km (123 miles) northwest of London. ...

Athelstan moved quickly, seizing much of Northumbria, and securing the submission of Sihtric's brother Gofraid (or Guthfrith), of Ealdred of Bernicia, of Causantín, and of Owain of Strathclyde. Sihtric's young son Amlaíb Cuaran (Olaf Sihtricsson) fled to Ireland. In less than a decade, the kingdom of Wessex had become by far the greatest power in Britain and Ireland, and whatever threat the Vikings, or the early Uí Ímair, had posed, clearly the main threat to Alba was now to the south.^[9] As if to prove the point, Athelstan imposed his authority on the kings of Wales, Hywel Dda and Idwal Foel among them.^[10] Section from Shepherds map of the British Isles about 802 AD showing the kingdom of Northumbria Northumbria is primarily the name of a petty kingdom of Angles which was formed in Great Britain at the beginning of the 7th century, from two smaller kingdoms of Bernicia and Diera, and... Eógan I of Strathclyde or Owen I of Strathclyde, (Latin: Eugenius; Modern Gaelic Eòghann; Mod. ... Olaf Cuaran (d. ... Map of the British Isles circa 802 Wessex was one of the seven major Anglo-Saxon kingdoms (the Heptarchy) that preceded the Kingdom of England. ... The Uí Ímair or Uí Ímhair were a Norse-Gaelic dynasty who ruled the Irish sea region and western coast of Scotland from the late 9th century into the 10th century. ... This article is about the country. ... Howell the Good (880?–950; Welsh: Hywel Dda or Hywel ap Cadell) is listed amongst the kings of Gwynedd. ... Idwal Foel ab Anarawd (Idwal the Bald) (died 942) was a Prince of Gwynedd. ...

Brunanburh and after

By the 930s, Causantín, his son-in-law Amlaíb mac Gofraidh (Olaf Guthfrithsson), the Uí Ímair king of Dublin, perhaps together with Owain of Strathclyde, are found in alliance, an alliance undoubtedly directed against Athelstan. In 933 or 934, Athelstan led "a great army and fleet" into Scotland and laid waste to the country. If this was intended to bring about Causantín's submission, it appears to have failed.^[11] Olaf III Guthfrithson (died 941) ruled as Norse king of Dublin from 934 to 941. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ...

In 937, the battle of Brunanburh was a notable victory for Athelstan and his brother Edmund over Causantín, Amlaíb and Owain. It is commemorated in an Old English poem.^[12] Owain of Strathclyde is supposed to have died in the battle, as did Cellach son of Causantín.^[13] The report of the deaths of Dubucán son of Indrechtach, Mormaer of Angus, Eochaid son of Alpín and of Athelstan follow that for Brunanburh, and may be related to the period 937–939.^[14] The Battle of Brunanburh was a West Saxon victory in 937 by the army of king Athelstan and his brother Edmund over the combined armies of Olaf III Guthfrithson, Viking king of Dublin, Constantine, king of Scotland and King Owain of Strathclyde. ... Edmund I, or Edmund the Deed-Doer (Eadmund) (921–May 26, 946) was King of England from 939 until his death. ... Old English poetry is based upon one system of verse construction which was used for all poems. ... The Mormaer or Mormaerdom of Angus was the third Mormaerdom in the High Medieval Kingdom of the Scots to pass into the hands of a foreign famlily. ...

For all that Brunanburh was a great victory, it does not appear to have been sufficient to make rule by the West Saxon kings popular in the Danelaw and Northumbria. On 27 October 939, at Malmesbury, as the Annals of Ulster report: "Athelstan, king of the Saxons, pillar of the dignity of the western world, died an untroubled death."^[15] Before the end of 939, Amlaíb mac Gofraid had seized York without resistance. In 940, he gained control of the Danelaw with little fighting, a treaty being signed with the new West Saxon king, Athelstan's brother Edmund, at the prompting of the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, near Leicester. The following year, Amlaíb turned north, on Bernicia, campaigning as far as Tyninghame in East Lothian, but he died that year, being succeeded by his cousin Amlaíb Cuaran.^[16] Green: Danelaw The Danelaw (from the Old English Dena lagu, Danish: Danelagen ) is an 11th century name for an area of northern and eastern England under the administrative control of the Vikings (or Danes, or Norsemen) from the late 9th century. ... Section from Shepherds map of the British Isles about 802 AD showing the kingdom of Northumbria Northumbria is primarily the name of a petty kingdom of Angles which was formed in Great Britain at the beginning of the 7th century, from two smaller kingdoms of Bernicia and Diera, and... The Market Cross, the Abbey and the main shopping street. ... Leicester city centre, looking towards the Clock Tower Leicester (pronounced ) is the largest city and unitary authority in the English East Midlands region of the UK. The city is the traditional county town of Leicestershire. ... Whitekirk and Tyninghame are two small settlements in East Lothian, Scotland. ...

Abdication and posterity

The Chronicle of the Kings of Alba states:

And in his old age, being decrepit, [Causantín] took the staff [i.e. entered a monastery], and served the Lord; and he gave up the kingdom to Máel [Coluim] son of Domnall. Malcolm I of Scotland Máel Coluim mac Domnaill (anglicised Malcolm I) (before 900–954) was king of Scots, becoming king when his cousin Causantín mac Áeda abdicated to become a monk. ...

The monastery is assumed to have been that of the Celí Dé at St Andrews, probably founded in its Céli Dé form during the reign of Causantín.^[17] A small natural cave above the shore at Fife Ness, south-east of St Andrews, is known as Constantine's Cave, and may mark a place of retreat used by the penitent king. It's walls are incised with crosses and animals of probable early medieval date. It is remarkable that in an era marked by constant violence Constantine, even in old age, retained the authority to be able to peacefully nominate his successor and retire into religious life. The Chronicle is not done with Causantín however. It states that in the seventh year of Maél Coluim's reign: The Culdees formed an ancient monastic order with settlements in Ireland and Scotland. ... Named after Saint Andrew the Apostle, the Royal Burgh of St Andrews (Scottish Gaelic: ) is a town on the east coast of Fife, Scotland, and the home of golf. ... Malcolm I of Scotland Máel Coluim mac Domnaill (anglicised Malcolm I) (before 900–954) was king of Scots, becoming king when his cousin Causantín mac Áeda abdicated to become a monk. ...

[H]e plundered the English as far as the river Tees, and he seized a multitude of people and many herds of cattle: and the Scots called this the raid of Albidosorum, that is, Nainndisi. But others say that Causantín made this raid, asking of the king, Máel Coluim, that the kingship should be given to him for a week's time, so that he could visit the English. In fact, it was Máel Coluim who made the raid, but Causantín incited him, as I have said.

Causantín's death is recorded by the Chronicle in 952:

And Causantín died in [Maél Coluim's] 10th year [952], under the crown of penitence in good old age.^[18]

Causantín's son Cellach died at Brunanburh and a daughter married Amlaíb mac Gofraidh. Causantín himself may have had a Norse or Hiberno-Norse wife as his son Idulb had a gaelicised Norse name.^[19] The line of kings descended from Causantín appears to have ended with the deaths of his great-grandson Causantín mac Culéin in 997. None the less, the kingdom which he had created existed in much the same form until the Scotto-Norman reforming kings David I, and his grandsons Máel Coluim IV and William the Lion, brought about a new form of Scottish kingship in the 12th century. The Hiberno-Norse were a mix of Irish and Norwegians who inhabited certain settlements in Ireland in the 900s. ... Indulf (Scottish: Idulb mac Causantín) was king of Scotland from 954 until 962, although there is no record of his coronation, if there ever was one. ... Constantine III (Causantín mac Cuilén) was king of Scotland from 995 to 997. ... The term Scoto-Norman (also Scotto-Norman, Franco-Scottish or Franco-Gaelic) is used to described people, families, institutions and archaeological artifacts that were of Norman, Anglo-Norman, French or even Flemish origin, but came to be associated with Scotland in the Middle Ages. ... King David I (or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim; also known as Saint David I or David I the Saint) (1084 – May 24, 1153), was King of Scotland from 1124 until his death, and the youngest son of Malcolm Canmore and of Saint Margaret (sister of Edgar Ætheling). ... Image of the young Máel Coluim IV, called Cenn Mór in the Gaelic annals of Ireland. ... William I the Lion ( known in Gaelic as Uilliam Garm1 or William the Rough), (1142/1143 - December 4, 1214) reigned as King of Scots from 1165 to 1214. ...

Notes

Loch Earn, looking west. ... Elgin is a town in Moray the North of Scotland. ... Fortriu or the the Kingdom of Fortriu is the name given by historians for an ancient Pictish kingdom, and often used synonymously with Pictland in general. ... East Lothian (Lodainn an Ear in Gaelic) is one of 32 unitary council areas in Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. ... The Tyne looking west and upstream from the Newcastle bank towards the Gateshead Millennium Bridge The Tyne Bridge across the River Tyne between Newcastle and Gateshead. ... The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of annals narrating the history of the Anglo-Saxons and their settlement in Great Britain. ...

References

Secondary sources

Dauvit Broun (David Brown) is a Scottish historian based at the University of Glasgow, and one of the most prominent and influential scholars in the field of medieval Scottish or Celtic studies. ... Sir Frank Merry Stenton (1880–September 15, 1967) was a noted 20th century historian of Anglo-Saxon England. ... Alex Woolf is a British medievalist based at the University of St Andrews, and one of the most pioneering scholars in British medieval studies. ...

External links and primary sources

• (AU) Annals of Ulster, part 1, at CELT (translated)
• (AI) Annals of Innisfallen, at CELT (translated)
• (AT) Annals of Tigernach, at CELT (no translation presently available)
• (FA) Fragmentary Annals of Ireland, at CELT (translated)
• (CKA) The Chronicle of the Kings of Alba
• The Battle of Brunanburh in Old English and translation
• The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle XML Edition by Tony Jebson and translated at the OMACL

See also

• Origins of the Kingdom of Alba
• Scotland in the High Middle Ages

v • d • e

Monarchs of Scotland (Alba)

	Traditional List of Monarchs of the Picts Legendary Monarchs: Drest I • Talorc I • Nechtan I • Drest II • Galan • Drest III • Drest IV • Gartnait I • Cailtram • Talorc II • Drest V • Galam • Bridei I • Gartnait II • Nechtan II • Cinioch • Gartnait III • Bridei II • Talorc III • Talorgan I • Gartnait IV • Drest VI • Bridei III • Taran • Bridei IV • Nechtan IV • Drest VII • Alpín I • Óengus I • Bridei V • Cináed I • Alpín II • Talorgan II • Drest VIII • Conall • Caustantín • Óengus II • Drust IX • Uen • Uurad • Bridei VI • Ciniod II • Bridei VII • Drest X
something	Traditional List of Monarchs of the Scots Kenneth I • Donald I • Constantine I • Áed • Giric • Donald II • Constantine II • Malcolm I • Indulf • Dub • Cuilén • Kenneth II • Constantine III • Kenneth III • Malcolm II • Duncan I • Macbeth • Lulach • Malcolm III • Donald III • Duncan II • Donald III • Edgar • Alexander I • David I • Malcolm IV • William I • Alexander II • Alexander III • First Interregnum • John • Second Interregnum • Robert I • David II • Robert II • Robert III • James I • James II • James III • James IV • James V • Mary I • James VI* • Charles I* • Charles II • The Covenanters • The Protectorate • Charles II* • James VII* • Mary II* • William II* • Anne* * also monarch of Ireland and England