Gartnait, Earl of Buchan
Encyclopedia
Gartnait of Buchan is the first Mormaer
of Buchan
to be known by name as Mormaer. He was married to a woman named Ete (or Ite), the daughter of a Gille Míchéil, whom he appears alongside in a grant to Deer
recorded in the Gaelic
Notes on the Book of Deer
. This is surely Gille Míchéil
, Mormaer of Fife. The same source tells us that Gartnait was the son of Cainnech, although does not tell us if this Cainnech had previously been Mormaer.
He had a daughter Éva, whom he married to Colbán
, his successor.
Mormaer
The title of Mormaer designates a regional or provincial ruler in the medieval Kingdom of the Scots. In theory, although not always in practice, a Mormaer was second only to the King of Scots, and the senior of a toisech.-Origin:...
of Buchan
Buchan
Buchan is one of the six committee areas and administrative areas of Aberdeenshire Council, Scotland. These areas were created by the council in 1996, when the Aberdeenshire unitary council area was created under the Local Government etc Act 1994...
to be known by name as Mormaer. He was married to a woman named Ete (or Ite), the daughter of a Gille Míchéil, whom he appears alongside in a grant to Deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
recorded in the Gaelic
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...
Notes on the Book of Deer
Book of Deer
The Book of Deer is a 10th-century Latin Gospel Book from Old Deer, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, with early 12th-century additions in Latin, Old Irish and Scottish Gaelic. It is most famous for containing the earliest surviving Gaelic literature from Scotland...
. This is surely Gille Míchéil
Gille Míchéil, Earl of Fife
Mormaer Gille Míchéil, is the second man we know for certain to have been Mormaer of Fife from 1130 to 1133, although it is unlikely he actually was the second. He had at least one son, called Aed...
, Mormaer of Fife. The same source tells us that Gartnait was the son of Cainnech, although does not tell us if this Cainnech had previously been Mormaer.
He had a daughter Éva, whom he married to Colbán
Colbán, Earl of Buchan
Colbán of Buchan is the second Mormaer of Buchan to be known by name as Mormaer.Colbán was not the son of his predecessor Gartnait. It is possible that Colbán came from another Buchan family, or even, as some have suggested, Fife. He perhaps obtained Buchan by marrying the daughter of Gartnait,...
, his successor.