Máel Coluim mac Cinaeda (Modern Scottish Gaelic: Maol Chaluim mac Choinnich; anglicised Malcolm II; (c.958 – 25 November 1034) was King of Alba (Scotland) from 1005 until his death in 1034. He was one of the longest-reigning Scottish Kings of that period.
He was a son of Cinaed mac Maíl Choluim or King Kenneth II, and The Prophecy of Berchán (which referred to him as Forranach, "the Destroyer") says his mother was "a woman of Leinster". His mother may have been a daughter of a Uí Dúnlainge King of Leinster.
To the Irish annals, which recorded his death, Malcolm was ard rí Alban, High King of Scotland, but his fellow Kings of the geographical area of modern Scotland included the King of Strathclyde, who ruled much of the south-west, various Norse–Gaels Kings on the western coast and the Hebrides and his nearest and most dangerous rivals, the kings or "mormaers" of Moray.
Since he did not have any surviving sons, Malcolm pursued a strategy of marrying his daughters into these regional dynasties, which helped create stability in his reign, and ensured that he became the grandfather of his successor Duncan I of Scotland, through his daughter Bethóc, and according to some sources, of Macbeth, King of Scotland, (about whom William Shakespeare later wrote the play Macbeth), through his daughter Donada. Later Scandinavian saga tradition claims that the mother of Earl Thorfinn the Mighty was a daughter of Malcolm, though the Malcolm in question may have been Máel Coluim of Moray.
Early years and path to the throne
Malcolm II was the son of Kenneth II and grandson of Malcolm I. Fourteenth century Scottish chronicler John of Fordun writes that Malcolm defeated a Norwegian army "in almost the first days after his coronation", but this is not reported elsewhere. Fordun says that the Bishopric of Mortlach (later moved to Aberdeen) was founded in thanks for this victory over the Norwegians.
Succession of Scottish kings at the time often involved murder, even patricide. The killer of Scottish King Constantine III in 997 is credited as being "Kenneth, son of Malcolm". Since Kenneth II died in 995, this is considered an error, for either Kenneth III, (grandson of Malcolm I), who succeeded Constantine and stood to benefit, but by John of Fordham, for Malcolm II himself.
Whether Malcolm killed Constantine or not, he certainly killed Constantine's successor Kenneth III in 1005, during a battle at Monzievaird in Strathearn.
The first reliable report of Malcolm II's reign is an attack in 1006 of territory under the Northumbrian rulers of Bamburgh (the lands between the River Forth and the River Tees, roughly ancient Bernicia), perhaps the customary crech ríg (literally royal prey, a raid by a new King made to demonstrate prowess in war), which involved a siege of Durham. This resulted in a heavy defeat to the Northumbrians, led by Uhtred of Bamburgh, ruler of Bamburgh and ealdorman of Northumbria, which is reported by the Annals of Ulster.
A second war against the Northumbrian English, probably in 1018, was more successful. The Battle of Carham, by the River Tweed, was a victory for the Scots led by Malcolm II and the men of Strathclyde led by their king, Owain Foel (Owen the Bald). By this time Eiríkr Hákonarson had been appointed ealdorman in Northumbria by his brother-in-law Cnut the Great, with limited in practice to the south around York, the former kingdom of Deira.
The twelfth-century tract known as De obsessione Dunelmi (The siege of Durham, associated with Symeon of Durham) claims that Uhtred's brother Eadwulf Cudel surrendered Lothian to Malcolm II, possibly in the aftermath of the defeat at Carham. Some other lands between Dunbar and the Tweed as other parts of Lothian may have been under Scots control before this time.
Relationships with neighbouring states
Malcolm demonstrated a rare ability to survive among early Scottish Kings by reigning for 29 years. Brehon tradition provided that the successor to Malcolm was to be selected by him from among the descendants of King Aedh (Áed mac Cináeda), King of the Picts, with the consent of Malcolm's ministers and of the Church. Perhaps in an attempt to end the devastating feuds in the north of Scotland, and influenced by the Norman model, Malcolm ignored tradition and was determined to retain succession within his own line. Since Malcolm had no son of his own, he negotiated a series of dynastic marriages of his daughters to men who might otherwise be his rivals, while securing the loyalty of their relatives, the principal chiefs. The throne passed to his grandson through his eldest daughter.
Dynastic marriages of his daughters
Although the identity of Malcolm's wives and queens are unknown, he did have at least one and probably three daughters. Malcolm married his eldest daughter Bethóc to Crínán of Dunkeld, head of what became the house of Atholl or Dunkeld dynasty and later Abbot of Dunkeld. Malcolm may have had another daughter, possibly named Donada, who married Finlay, ruler of Moray, father of Macbeth, later King of Scotland. Later Scandinavian saga tradition claims that the mother of Earl Thorfinn the Mighty was a daughter of Malcolm, though the Malcolm in question may have been Máel Coluim of Moray.
Sources of the Macbeth connection
Fourteenth century Scottish chronicler and poet Andrew of Wyntoun suggests that "a third daughter" of Malcolm married Findláech of Moray, (Findláech mac Ruaidrí), father of Macbeth, King of Scotland, (Macbethad mac Findláech), which would make Malcolm to be Macbeth's grandfather.
The only other early reference to Malcolm as Macbeth's grandfather is Raphael Holinshed's 1577 Chronicle of Scotland, an inspiration to William Shakespeare, which names "Doada" as a daughter of Malcolm II King of Scotland, and adds that she married "Sinell the thane of Glammis, by whom she had issue one Makbeth".