Fortriu
Encyclopedia
Fortriu or the Kingdom of Fortriu is the name given by historians for an ancient Pictish
kingdom, and often used synonymously with Pictland in general. It was almost certainly located in around Moray
and Easter Ross
in northern Scotland
, but has traditionally been located in and around Strathearn
in central Scotland
.
The word itself is a modern reconstruction; it is the hypothetical Old Irish
nominative form
for a word that occurs only in the genitive
or dative
cases, as Fortrenn and Fortrinn respectively. The reconstructed Pictish form would be *Uerturio, and indeed one of the two main Pictish tribes recorded by Roman writers is the Uerturiones. The change occurred because Goidelic
speakers almost always render what in Brythonic
is either U/V, W or Gw with an F; compare for instance the Scottish Gaelic
Fionn with Welsh
Gwyn, both meaning white
.
Traditionally the kingdom
has been seen as centered on central Scotland, equivalent to the Kingdom of the Southern Picts, with a heartland perhaps in Strathearn
. Over the last century or so this has become a scholarly consensus. However, new research by Alex Woolf seems to have destroyed this consensus, if not the idea itself. As Woolf has pointed out, the only basis for it had been that a battle had taken place in Strathearn in which the Men of Fortriu had taken part. This is an unconvincing reason on its own, because there are two Strathearns - one in the south, and one in the north - and, moreover, every battle has to be fought outside the territory of one of the combatants. By contrast, a northern recension of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
makes it clear that Fortriu was north of the Mounth (i.e. the eastern Grampians), in the area visited by Columba
. The Prophecy of Berchán says that King Dub
was killed in the Plain of Fortriu. Another source, the Chronicle of the Kings of Alba
, indicates that King Dub was killed at Forres
, a location in Moray
. Moreover, additions to the Chronicle of Melrose
confirm that Dub was killed by the men of Moray at Forres.
The long poem known as The Prophecy of Berchán, written perhaps in the 12th century, but purporting to be a prophecy made in the Early Middle Ages
, states that "Mac Bethad, the glorious king of Fortriu, will take [Scotland]." As Mac Bethad
(Macbeth) was Mormaer of Moray
before he became King of Scots, there can be no doubt that Moray was how Fortriu was still understood in High Middle Ages
. Fortriu is also mentioned as one of the seven ancient Pictish kingdoms in the 13th-century source known as De Situ Albanie
.
There can be little or no doubt then that Fortriu centered on northern Scotland. Indeed, other Pictish scholars, such as James E. Fraser are now taking it for granted that Fortriu was in the north of Scotland, centered on Moray and Easter Ross
, where most early Pictish monuments are located. Hence, it is in these areas that the united kingdom of the Picts originated, perhaps acquiring southern Pictland after the expulsion of the Northumbrians by King Bridei III
at the Battle of Dun Nechtain.
Relocating Fortriu north of the Mounth
increases the importance of the Vikings. After all, the Viking impact on the north was greater than in the south, and in the north, the Vikings actually conquered and made permanent territorial gains. So the creation of Alba
or Scotland from Pictland, traditionally associated with a conquest by Cináed mac Ailpín in 843, can perhaps be better understood in this context.
Picts
The Picts were a group of Late Iron Age and Early Mediaeval people living in what is now eastern and northern Scotland. There is an association with the distribution of brochs, place names beginning 'Pit-', for instance Pitlochry, and Pictish stones. They are recorded from before the Roman conquest...
kingdom, and often used synonymously with Pictland in general. It was almost certainly located in around Moray
Moray
Moray is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland.- History :...
and Easter Ross
Easter Ross
Easter Ross is a loosely defined area in the east of Ross, Highland, Scotland.The name is used in the constituency name Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, which is the name of both a British House of Commons constituency and a Scottish Parliament constituency...
in northern Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, but has traditionally been located in and around Strathearn
Strathearn
Strathearn or Strath Earn is the strath of the River Earn, in Scotland. It extends from Loch Earn in Perth and Kinross to the River Tay....
in central Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
The word itself is a modern reconstruction; it is the hypothetical Old Irish
Old Irish language
Old Irish is the name given to the oldest form of the Goidelic languages for which extensive written texts are extant. It was used from the 6th to the 10th centuries, by which time it had developed into Middle Irish....
nominative form
Nominative case
The nominative case is one of the grammatical cases of a noun or other part of speech, which generally marks the subject of a verb or the predicate noun or predicate adjective, as opposed to its object or other verb arguments...
for a word that occurs only in the genitive
Genitive case
In grammar, genitive is the grammatical case that marks a noun as modifying another noun...
or dative
Dative case
The dative case is a grammatical case generally used to indicate the noun to whom something is given, as in "George gave Jamie a drink"....
cases, as Fortrenn and Fortrinn respectively. The reconstructed Pictish form would be *Uerturio, and indeed one of the two main Pictish tribes recorded by Roman writers is the Uerturiones. The change occurred because Goidelic
Goidelic languages
The Goidelic languages or Gaelic languages are one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic languages, the other consisting of the Brythonic languages. Goidelic languages historically formed a dialect continuum stretching from the south of Ireland through the Isle of Man to the north of Scotland...
speakers almost always render what in Brythonic
Brythonic languages
The Brythonic or Brittonic languages form one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic language family, the other being Goidelic. The name Brythonic was derived by Welsh Celticist John Rhys from the Welsh word Brython, meaning an indigenous Briton as opposed to an Anglo-Saxon or Gael...
is either U/V, W or Gw with an F; compare for instance the Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic language
Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....
Fionn with Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
Gwyn, both meaning white
White
White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
.
Traditionally the kingdom
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
has been seen as centered on central Scotland, equivalent to the Kingdom of the Southern Picts, with a heartland perhaps in Strathearn
Strathearn
Strathearn or Strath Earn is the strath of the River Earn, in Scotland. It extends from Loch Earn in Perth and Kinross to the River Tay....
. Over the last century or so this has become a scholarly consensus. However, new research by Alex Woolf seems to have destroyed this consensus, if not the idea itself. As Woolf has pointed out, the only basis for it had been that a battle had taken place in Strathearn in which the Men of Fortriu had taken part. This is an unconvincing reason on its own, because there are two Strathearns - one in the south, and one in the north - and, moreover, every battle has to be fought outside the territory of one of the combatants. By contrast, a northern recension of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of annals in Old English chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the Chronicle was created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of Alfred the Great...
makes it clear that Fortriu was north of the Mounth (i.e. the eastern Grampians), in the area visited by Columba
Columba
Saint Columba —also known as Colum Cille , Colm Cille , Calum Cille and Kolban or Kolbjørn —was a Gaelic Irish missionary monk who propagated Christianity among the Picts during the Early Medieval Period...
. The Prophecy of Berchán says that King Dub
Dub of Scotland
Dub mac Maíl Coluim , sometimes anglicised as Duff MacMalcolm, called Dén, "the Vehement" and Niger, "the Black" was king of Alba...
was killed in the Plain of Fortriu. Another source, the Chronicle of the Kings of Alba
Chronicle of the Kings of Alba
The Chronicle of the Kings of Alba, or Scottish Chronicle, is a short written chronicle of the Kings of Alba, covering the period from the time of Kenneth MacAlpin until the reign of Kenneth II . W.F...
, indicates that King Dub was killed at Forres
Forres
Forres , is a town and former royal burgh situated in the north of Scotland on the Moray coast, approximately 30 miles east of Inverness. Forres has been a winner of the Scotland in Bloom award on several occasions...
, a location in Moray
Moray
Moray is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland.- History :...
. Moreover, additions to the Chronicle of Melrose
Chronicle of Melrose
The Chronicle of Melrose is a medieval chronicle from the Cottonian Manuscript, Faustina B. ix within the British Museum. It was written by unknown authors, though evidence in the writing shows that it most likely was written by the monks at Melrose Abbey. The chronicle begins on the year 735 and...
confirm that Dub was killed by the men of Moray at Forres.
Early Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages was the period of European history lasting from the 5th century to approximately 1000. The Early Middle Ages followed the decline of the Western Roman Empire and preceded the High Middle Ages...
, states that "Mac Bethad, the glorious king of Fortriu, will take [Scotland]." As Mac Bethad
Macbeth of Scotland
Mac Bethad mac Findlaích was King of the Scots from 1040 until his death...
(Macbeth) was Mormaer of Moray
Mormaer of Moray
The Mormaerdom or Kingdom of Moray was a lordship in High Medieval Scotland that was destroyed by King David I of Scotland in 1130. It did not have the same territory as the modern local government council area of Moray, which is a much smaller area, around Elgin...
before he became King of Scots, there can be no doubt that Moray was how Fortriu was still understood in High Middle Ages
High Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages was the period of European history around the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries . The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and followed by the Late Middle Ages, which by convention end around 1500....
. Fortriu is also mentioned as one of the seven ancient Pictish kingdoms in the 13th-century source known as De Situ Albanie
De Situ Albanie
De Situ Albanie is the name given to the first of seven Scottish documents found in the so-called Poppleton Manuscript, now in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris...
.
There can be little or no doubt then that Fortriu centered on northern Scotland. Indeed, other Pictish scholars, such as James E. Fraser are now taking it for granted that Fortriu was in the north of Scotland, centered on Moray and Easter Ross
Easter Ross
Easter Ross is a loosely defined area in the east of Ross, Highland, Scotland.The name is used in the constituency name Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, which is the name of both a British House of Commons constituency and a Scottish Parliament constituency...
, where most early Pictish monuments are located. Hence, it is in these areas that the united kingdom of the Picts originated, perhaps acquiring southern Pictland after the expulsion of the Northumbrians by King Bridei III
Bridei III of the Picts
King Bridei III was king of Fortriu and overking of the Picts between 671 and his death in 693....
at the Battle of Dun Nechtain.
Relocating Fortriu north of the Mounth
Mounth
The Mounth is the range of hills on the southern edge of Strathdee in northeast Scotland. It was usually referred to with the article, i.e. "the Mounth". The name is a corruption of the Scottish Gaelic monadh which in turn is akin to the Welsh mynydd, and may be of Pictish origin...
increases the importance of the Vikings. After all, the Viking impact on the north was greater than in the south, and in the north, the Vikings actually conquered and made permanent territorial gains. So the creation of Alba
Alba
Alba is the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland. It is cognate to Alba in Irish and Nalbin in Manx, the two other Goidelic Insular Celtic languages, as well as similar words in the Brythonic Insular Celtic languages of Cornish and Welsh also meaning Scotland.- Etymology :The term first appears in...
or Scotland from Pictland, traditionally associated with a conquest by Cináed mac Ailpín in 843, can perhaps be better understood in this context.