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The system of succession to kingship amongst the Scots differed from the one we follow today. Now, our monarchs are chosen by a hereditary system known as primogeniture: generally, the eldest son of a deceased king succeeds to the throne. Primogeniture is relatively straightforward, but has the disadvantage of sometimes resulting in minorities, which occur whenever the heir to the throne is too young to fulfil his duties. A regency has to be established until the king comes of age, and this often produces political instability. The Scots, in contrast, followed the Celtic law of tanistry. Tanistry requires that a brother or cousin of the king be nominated by him as his successor. Thus, the throne tends to pass between different branches of the royal family. The advantage of this system is that there is always a mature king on the throne. The disadvantage, as the Scots learned throughout their history, is that it sometimes leads to assassination and to warfare between competing claimants to the throne.
Amongst the kings of Dalriada, the succession alternated between the descendants of Erc, with those of Fergus dominating. In fact, after Loarn, the kingship did not pass to this branch of the family until Ferchar Fota, who died in 697. Two sons, and then two grandsons of Ferchar Fota came to the throne, but after this it remained firmly in the hands of the descendants of Fergus. At the time of Ferchar Fota's reign, Dalriada was a weakened kingdom; the throne was fleetingly held by the various claimants, and the Scots were dominated by the Picts. Only Selbach of the Tribe of Loarn had a long reign of twenty-three years.
The descent of the MacKays through the Tribe of Loarn is as follows: Loarn, a king of Dalriada around 500, had a son Muredaig, who had a son Ethach, who had a son Buadan, who had a son Colman, who had a son Sneachtain, who had a son Fergus, who had a son Feradach, who had a son Ferchar Fota, the king of Dalriada from 696 until his death in 697, who had a son Aircellach, the king of Dalriada from 697 until his death in 698, who had a son Ruadri.3 Ruadri was the brother of Muiredach, the last king of Dalriada to come from the Tribe of Loarn (died around 736). From this Ruadri is descended the Royal House of Moray, and from them came the MacKays. The pedigree of the Tribe of Loarn is given in Table 2. Also in this table is the descent of all the kings of Dalriada from Fergus to Kenneth MacAlpin.
3 from the genealogies in the Books of Leinster, Ballymote and Leccan, as quoted in William F. Skene, Celtic Scotland: A History of Ancient Alban, v. III, (Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1890). p. 476.
Table 2
The Scottish Kings of Dalriada4
Erc
|
--------------=================================
| |
Fergus Loarn
(501) |
| |
Domangart |
(?506) Muredaig
| |
------------------------------------------------ |
| | |
Comgall Gabran Ethach
(?538) (558 or 560) |
| | |
| ----------------------------------| |
Conall | | Buadan
(574) Eoganán Aedán |
| | (?608) |
| | | |
Connad Cerr | Eochaid Buide Colman
(629) Dúncath (629) |
| | | |
| | ----------------| |
| | | | |
Ferchar ? Domnall Brecc | Sneachtain
(?650) | (642) Conall Crandomna |
| | (660) |
Dúnchad | | Fergus
"son of Dubán" | | |
(660) | ------------- |
| Domangart | | |
? (673) Maelduin Domnall Donn Feradach
| | (689) (696) |
| | |
Fiannamail Eochaid Ferchar Fota
nepos Dúnchado (AU) (697) (697)
(700) | |
| =============----
-------------| | |
| | Aircellach Selbach
| | (698) (723)
Eochaid | | |
(?733) Alpin --------======= Dúngal
| (?736) | | (?726)
| Muiredach Ruadri
----------------------- (?736)
| |
Aed Find Fergus
(778) (781) (###) year reign ended
| |-------------- (AU) Annals of Ulster
| | | | ancestry of the
Eochaid Constantine Oengus MacKays
| (820) (834)
| | |
Ailpin Domnall Eoganán
(?842) (?805) (839)
|
Kenneth MacAlpin
(858)
4 Marjorie O. Anderson, Kings and Kingship in Early Scotland. (Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press, 1980). p. 230.
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These pages written and maintained by Michael MacKay.
Last updated: July 26, 1998.