Donald II
Donald II. ( Domnall mac Causantín ; † 900 ) was the Scottish king from 889 to 900. He was the son of Constantine I and the cousin of his predecessor Eochaid and his successor Constantine II.
Donald ascended to the Scottish throne after a successful campaign of revenge. King Giric , who ruled with Eochaid, had murdered Donald's uncle Aedh in 878 . After Giric's death, Eochaid was banished and Donald took power himself.
Under Donald's rule, the Kingdom of Strathclyde came under direct Scottish control. In the Ulster annals , Donald was referred to as "ri Alban" (King of Alba), in contrast to his predecessors, who were referred to as "rex Pixtorum" (King of the Picts). The Danes conquered the northernmost part of Scotland, at the same time Donald was involved in battles with hordes of robbers from the Highlands .
The circumstances surrounding Donald's death are not clear. A source reports that he was killed near Dunnottar while fighting off a Danish invasion. Another source claims he was poisoned. Yet another source claims that he died of old age during a campaign against the Highlanders; a natural death that was very unusual in this era.
He was buried on the sacred island of Iona , the burial place of all the kings of Dalriada and the early Scottish kings. His cousin Constantine followed him to the throne. His son Malcolm became King of Scotland in 943.
See also
literature
- Ross, Stewart: Monarchs of Scotland. Lochar Publishing, 1990. ISBN 0-948403-38-1 , pp. 24 to 25
Web links
- Donald II, King of Alba on thepeerage.com , accessed July 26, 2015.
- Biography on www.fmg.ac (English)
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Eochaid and Giric |
King of Scotland 889-900 |
Constantine II |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Donald II |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Domnall mac Causantín |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | King of Scotland |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 9th century |
| DATE OF DEATH | 900 |