Amlaíb, King of Scotland

[note 1] He was one of three sons of Illulb mac Custantín, King of Alba, and a member of Clann Áeda meic Cináeda, a branch of the Alpínid dynasty.

Following Illulb's death in 962, the kingship of Alba was taken up by Dub mac Maíl Coluim, a member of Clann Custantín meic Cináeda, a rival branch of the Alpínid dynasty.

[12] Amlaíb's paternal grandfather was Custantín mac Áeda, King of Alba (died 952), a man who possessed strong connections with the Scandinavian dynasty of Dublin.

[16] Evidence of Scandinavian influence on the Scottish court may be a possible epithet accorded to Amlaíb's brother, Cuilén (died 971), by the ninth–twelfth century Chronicle of the Kings of Alba.

[31] Amlaíb and his immediate family were members of the ruling Alpínid dynasty, the patrilineal descendants of Cináed mac Ailpín, King of the Picts (died 858).

[35] For example, Illulb's father – a member of the Clann Áeda meic Cináeda branch of the dynasty – succeeded Domnall mac Causantín (died 900) – a member of the Clann Custantín meic Cináeda branch – and following a remarkable reign of forty years resigned the kingship to this man's son, Máel Coluim mac Domnaill (died 954).

[39] The record of Illulb's fall at the hands of an invading Scandinavian host is the last time Irish and Scottish sources note Viking encroachment into the kingdom.

Unlike English monarchs who had to endure Viking depredations from the 980s to the 1010s, the kings of Alba were left in relative peace from about the time of Illulb's fall.

[43] On the other hand, there is reason to suspect that the kingship was temporarily shared by Dub and Cuilén and that neither man had been strong enough to displace the other in the immediate aftermath of Illulb's passing.

[69] Maccus and Gofraid are recorded to have devastated Anglesey at the beginning of the decade,[74] which could indicate that Edgar's assembly was undertaken as a means to counter the menace posed by these energetic siblings.

[75] In fact, there is evidence to suggest that, as a consequence of the assembly at Chester, the brothers may have turned their attention from the British mainland westwards towards Ireland,[76] and that Gofraid ceased his operations in Wales until the next decade.

[77] According to the twelfth-century De primo Saxonum adventu, at some point Edgar granted Lothian to Cináed in return for his recognition of English overlordship.

[86] Although this campaign may well have been a retaliatory response to Cuilén's killing,[87] it may be more likely that Cináed carried out this enterprise in the context of crushing a British affront to Scottish authority rather than as a means of avenging the death of his kinsman.

[51] In any event, Cináed's invasion ended in defeat,[88] a fact which coupled with Cuilén's killing reveals that the Kingdom of Strathclyde was indeed a power to be reckoned with.

The name of Illulb mac Custantín as it appears on 29v of Paris Bibliothèque Nationale MS Latin 4126 (the Poppleton manuscript ): " Indolf filius Constantini ". [ 11 ]
Photograph of a hogback grave slab on display in Glasgow . Such stones may be indicative of Scandinavian settlement in Perthshire and Fife . The evidence of Scandinavian influence upon Amlaíb's immediate family could indicate that his kindred was involved with such immigration. [ 17 ]
Amlaíb's name as it appears on 15r of Oxford Bodleian Library MS Rawlinson B 488 (the Annals of Tigernach ): " Amlaim mac Illuilb ". [ 23 ]
The name of Cuilén's rival kinsman, Dub mac Maíl Choluim , as it appears on folio 32v of Oxford Bodleian Library MS Rawlinson B 489. [ 34 ]
The name of Cuilén mac Illuilb as it appears on folio 33r of Oxford Bodleian Library MS Rawlinson B 489. [ 42 ]
The name of Cuilén's apparent successor, Cináed mac Maíl Choluim , as it appears on folio 15r of Oxford Bodleian Library MS Rawlinson B 488: " Cinaeth mac Mail Cholaim ". [ 23 ]
An illustration of early twentieth century depiction of Edgar, King of the English being rowed down the River Dee by eight kings. [ 62 ] According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , Edgar met six kings at Chester. By the twelfth century, chroniclers alleged that eight kings rowed Edgar down the river in an act of submission. [ 63 ] The assembly itself took place in 975, when Amlaíb may have reigned as king.
Amlaíb's title as it appears on folio 33v of Oxford Bodleian Library MS Rawlinson B 489. [ 80 ] [ note 5 ]