Uen of the Picts
Encyclopedia
Uuen [Wen] or Eogán in Gaelic (commonly referred to by the hypocoristic
Eóganán) was king of the Picts
, or of Fortriu
(as it was known in Ireland at the time), in what is now Scotland
.
Uuen was a son of Onuist II [son of] Uurguist [Wrguist] (in Gaelic: Óengus II mac Fergusa
, died 834) and succeeded his cousin Drest mac Caustantín
as king in 836 or 837. The sole notice of Uuen in the Irish annals
is the report of his death, together with his brother Bran and "Áed mac Boanta, and others almost innumerable" in a battle fought by the men of Fortriu against Vikings in 839. This defeat appears to have ended the century-long domination of Pictland by the descendants of Onuist I [son of] Wrguist (in Gaelic: Óengus I mac Fergusa
.
If the annalistic record is short, there are other traditions relating to Uuenn. He is named by the St Andrews
foundation tale as one of the sons of Onuist who met with Saint Regulus
at Forteviot
when the Saint supposedly brought the relics of Saint Andrew
to Scotland. Along with his uncle Caustantín
, Uuen appears to have been a patron of the Northumbria
n monasteries as he is named in the Liber Vitae Dunelmensis, which contains a list of those for whom prayers were said, dating from around 840.
Uuen, his father, his uncle and his cousin Domnall
appear in the Duan Albanach
, a praise poem from the reign of Máel Coluim (III) mac Donnchada
listing Máel Coluim's predecessors as kings of Scots, of Alba and of Dál Riata
from Fergus Mór
and his brothers onwards. Their inclusion in this source and its like is thought to be due to their importance to the foundation traditions of Dunkeld
and St Andrews.
On Uuen's death the Pictish Chronicle
king lists have him followed by the short reigns of Uurad (Ferat) and Uurad's sons Bridei
, Cináed
and Drest
, by Bridei son of Fochel
(Uuthoil) and, the eventual victor and founder of a new ruling clan, by Cináed mac Ailpín
(Ciniod [son of] Elphin).
Hypocoristic
A hypocorism is a shorter form of a word or given name, for example, when used in more intimate situations as a nickname or term of endearment.- Derivation :Hypocorisms are often generated as:...
Eóganán) was king of the Picts
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...
, or of Fortriu
Fortriu
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...
(as it was known in Ireland at the time), in what is now 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...
.
Uuen was a son of Onuist II [son of] Uurguist [Wrguist] (in Gaelic: Óengus II mac Fergusa
Óengus II of the Picts
Óengus mac Fergusa was king of the Picts , in modern Scotland, from about 820 until 834. Tradition associates him with the cult of Saint Andrew and the Flag of Scotland....
, died 834) and succeeded his cousin Drest mac Caustantín
Drust IX of the Picts
Drest mac Caustantín was king of the Picts, in modern Scotland, from about 834 until 836 or 837. He was the son of King Caustantín and succeeded his uncle, Óengus, to the throne....
as king in 836 or 837. The sole notice of Uuen in the Irish annals
Irish annals
A number of Irish annals were compiled up to and shortly after the end of Gaelic Ireland in the 17th century.Annals were originally a means by which monks determined the yearly chronology of feast days...
is the report of his death, together with his brother Bran and "Áed mac Boanta, and others almost innumerable" in a battle fought by the men of Fortriu against Vikings in 839. This defeat appears to have ended the century-long domination of Pictland by the descendants of Onuist I [son of] Wrguist (in Gaelic: Óengus I mac Fergusa
Óengus I of the Picts
Óengus son of Fergus , was king of the Picts from 732 until his death in 761. His reign can be reconstructed in some detail from a variety of sources.Óengus became the chief king in Pictland following a period of civil war in the late 720s...
.
If the annalistic record is short, there are other traditions relating to Uuenn. He is named by the St Andrews
St Andrews
St Andrews is a university town and former royal burgh on the east coast of Fife in Scotland. The town is named after Saint Andrew the Apostle.St Andrews has a population of 16,680, making this the fifth largest settlement in Fife....
foundation tale as one of the sons of Onuist who met with Saint Regulus
Saint Regulus
Saint Regulus or Saint Rule was a monk of Patras who, in the fourth century, according to a Scottish legend that became current during the twelfth century , fled to Scotland with the bones of Saint Andrew, and deposited them at St Andrews...
at Forteviot
Forteviot
Forteviot is a village in Strathearn, Scotland on the south bank of the River Earn between Dunning and Perth. It lies in the council area of Perth and Kinross...
when the Saint supposedly brought the relics of Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew , called in the Orthodox tradition Prōtoklētos, or the First-called, is a Christian Apostle and the brother of Saint Peter. The name "Andrew" , like other Greek names, appears to have been common among the Jews from the 3rd or 2nd century BC. No Hebrew or Aramaic name is recorded for him...
to Scotland. Along with his uncle Caustantín
Caustantín of the Picts
Causantín or Constantín mac Fergusa was king of the Picts , in modern Scotland, from 789 until 820. He was until the Victorian era sometimes counted as Constantine I of Scotland; the title is now generally given to Causantín mac Cináeda...
, Uuen appears to have been a patron of the Northumbria
Northumbria
Northumbria was a medieval kingdom of the Angles, in what is now Northern England and South-East Scotland, becoming subsequently an earldom in a united Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England. The name reflects the approximate southern limit to the kingdom's territory, the Humber Estuary.Northumbria was...
n monasteries as he is named in the Liber Vitae Dunelmensis, which contains a list of those for whom prayers were said, dating from around 840.
Uuen, his father, his uncle and his cousin Domnall
Domnall mac Caustantín
Domnall mac Caustantín is thought to have been king of Dál Riata in the early ninth century.Domnall's existence is uncertain, and is based on attempts to reconcile eleventh century works such as the poem Duan Albanach and the Synchronisms of Flann Mainistrech with the evidence of the Irish...
appear in the Duan Albanach
Duan Albanach
The Duan Albanach is a Middle Gaelic poem found with the Lebor Bretnach, a Gaelic version of the Historia Brittonum of Nennius, with extensive additional material ....
, a praise poem from the reign of Máel Coluim (III) mac Donnchada
Malcolm III of Scotland
Máel Coluim mac Donnchada , was King of Scots...
listing Máel Coluim's predecessors as kings of Scots, of Alba and of Dál Riata
Dál Riata
Dál Riata was a Gaelic overkingdom on the western coast of Scotland with some territory on the northeast coast of Ireland...
from Fergus Mór
Fergus Mór
Fergus Mór mac Eirc was a legendary king of Dál Riata. He was the son of Erc.While his historicity may be debatable, his posthumous importance as the founder of Scotland in the national myth of Medieval and Renaissance Scotland is not in doubt...
and his brothers onwards. Their inclusion in this source and its like is thought to be due to their importance to the foundation traditions of Dunkeld
Dunkeld
Dunkeld is a small town in Strathtay, Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It is about 15 miles north of Perth on the eastern side of the A9 road into the Scottish Highlands and on the opposite side of the Tay from the Victorian village of Birnam. Dunkeld and Birnam share a railway station, on the...
and St Andrews.
On Uuen's death the Pictish Chronicle
Pictish Chronicle
The Pictish Chronicle is a name often given by historians to a list of the kings of the Picts beginning many thousand years before history was recorded in Pictavia and ending after Pictavia had been enveloped by Scotland...
king lists have him followed by the short reigns of Uurad (Ferat) and Uurad's sons Bridei
Bridei VI of the Picts
Bridei son of Uurad was king of the Picts, in modern Scotland, circa 842. Two of his brothers, Ciniod and Drest, are also said, in the king lists of the Pictish Chronicle, to have reigned for a short time....
, Cináed
Ciniod II of the Picts
Ciniod was king of the Picts, in modern Scotland, ruling circa 842. His name is given as Kineth in the king lists of the Pictish Chronicle. His family's claim may not have been uncontested, and it did not endure. According to the Pictish Chronicle, he was the son of Uurad and brother of king Drest....
and Drest
Drest X of the Picts
Drest was king of the Picts from before 845 until 848, a rival of Kenneth MacAlpin . According to the Pictish Chronicle, he was the son of Uurad....
, by Bridei son of Fochel
Bridei VII of the Picts
Bridei was king of the Picts, in modern Scotland, from ca. 842 until 845, contesting with Kenneth MacAlpin . According to the Pictish Chronicle, he was the son of Uuthoil ....
(Uuthoil) and, the eventual victor and founder of a new ruling clan, by Cináed mac Ailpín
Kenneth I of Scotland
Cináed mac Ailpín , commonly Anglicised as Kenneth MacAlpin and known in most modern regnal lists as Kenneth I was king of the Picts and, according to national myth, first king of Scots, earning him the posthumous nickname of An Ferbasach, "The Conqueror"...
(Ciniod [son of] Elphin).