General Notes

REFN: 1594AN
REFN: P1594
King of Alba and Strathcllyde. Conquered Lothian in 1018, Said to have
married an Irish woman from Ossory.  Killed by kinsman.
Reigned from 10 05-1034.
Malcolm II of Scotland (Máel Coluim mac Cináeda) c. 954-1034 was King of
Scotland (Alba) from 1005 to 1034. He was the son of King Kenneth II and
first cousin of his predecessor, King Kenneth III (Cináed mac Duib), who
wa s murdered by Malcolm at the Battle of Monzievaird in 1005. He was the
last k ing of the House of Alpin.
His rule was contested for ten years during the rei gn of Kenneth III but
Malcolm finally gained the throne after Kenneth's death . It appears that
he only ruled part of Scotland during his reign, in opposit ion to leaders
from Moray such as Findláech mac Ruadrí (d. 1020, probably fat her of
Macbeth), and Máel Coluim mac Máel Brigte (d. 1029), both of whom were
also called kings of Alba (and therefore Scotland) in the Irish annals,
th ough neither are called kings of Scotland in modern texts. In 1006,
Malcolm w as defeated by Northumbrian forces at Durham. The English then
became preoccu pied with the Danish allowing Malcolm to march south,
avenging the loss at Du rham by winning the Battle of Carham against the
Anglo-Saxons in 1018 and, th ereby, regaining Lothian. Thirteen years
later, however, Canute, king of Engl and, Denmark, and Norway, invaded
Scotland, and forced the Scottish king to s ubmit to him (submission was a
traditional expression of personal homage). Ho wever, Canute seems to have
recognised Malcolm's possession of Lothian.
In t he west, Malcolm made an alliance with King Owen the Bald of
StrathclyDe and together they defeated King Canute at the Battle of
Carham in 1018. At the sa me time, the marriage of his daughter to Sigurd
the Stout, Norse Earl of Orkn ey, extended Malcolm's influence to the far
north. He battled to expand his k ingdom, gaining land down to the River
Tweed and in Strathclyde. When King Ow en died without an heir, Malcolm
claimed StrathclyDe for his grandson, Duncan . This caused dissent
throughout the kingdom of StrathclyDe which resulted in Malcolm's murder
at Glamis in 1034. He was buried on the Isle of Iona shortl y after.
As the last of the House of Alpin, he did not have any sons to succee d
him. He, therefore, arranged good marriages for his daughters. One
daught er married Earl Sigurd of Orkney and their son Thorfinn brought the
lands of Caithness and Sutherland under the control of the King of Alba.
His elder dau ghter, Bethoc, married the Abbot of Dunkeld and their son
became Duncan I(c.1 010-1040), who succeeded Malcolm upon his death in
1034.
After Malcolm II's reign, Scottish succession changed to be based on the
principle of direct des cent. (Previously, succession was determined by
tanistry - during a king's li fetime an heir was chosen and known as
tanaiste rig - 'second to the king'.)
Malcolm II of Scotland (Máel Coluim mac Cináeda, nicknamed "Forranach" mea
ning "Destroyer" in Gaelic) (died November 25, 1034) was King of Scots (Al
ba) from 1005 to 1034. He was the son of King Kenneth II of Scotland and f
irst cousin of his predecessor, King Kenneth III of Scotland (Cináed mac D
uib), who was murdered by Malcolm II at the Battle of Monzievaird in 1005.
His rule was contested for ten years during the reign of Kenneth III but M
alcolm II finally gained the throne after Kenneth III's death. It appea
rs that he only ruled part of Scotland during his reign, in oppositi
on to leaders from Moray such as Findláech mac Ruaidrí (d. 1020, probab
ly father of Macbeth), and Máel Coluim mac Máil Brigti (d. 1029), bo
th of whom were also called Kings of Alba (and therefore Scotland) in t
he Irish annals, though neither are called Kings of Scotland in modern tex
ts. In 1006, Malcolm II was defeated by Northumbrian forces under Uhtred t
he Bold while besieging Durham. The English then became preoccupied with t
he Danish allowing Malcolm