"In the early middle ages, Scotland consisted of four separate kingdoms: Dalriada inhabitated by Scots, Strathclyde inhabited by Britons, The Kingdom of the Picts, Northumbria inhabited by Angles.
"Scottish and Pictish families began intermarrying in the 8th century, and their kingdoms were often ruled by the same king. The monarchy of Scotland evolved from this union, known as the Kingdom of Alba. By the late 9th century, the Kingdom of Alba began absorbing the kingdoms of the Britons and Angles. Thus, through intermarriage and conquest, the Scottish Kings of Dalriada emerged as the overall Kings of Scotland.
"The Scots of Dalriada claimed a legendary antiquity beginning with Gaythelos, son of a King of Greece who went to Egypt during the time of Moses where he married the eponymous Scoti, daughter of the Pharaoh. Gaythelos, Scoti, and their family emigrated to Spain and eventually several groups of their descendants emigrated to Ireland; the final group under Simon Brek, whose grandson led a colony from Ireland to northern Britain and named it 'Scotia'. In the year 330 BC, these Scots elected as their king Fergus, son of Ferehard; and they remained in Scotland until 360 AD when they were driven back to Ireland by the Picts and Britons. In the 5th century, they returned to Scotia under the leadership of Fergus, son of Erc. Or so the story goes.
"History knows nothing of the Scots earlier than about 500 AD, but at this point, the name of Fergus MorMacErc (Fergus, son of Erc) emerges from the mists of legend as the King of Scots in Dalriada."153
Fergus acceded to the throne ca 490.153 |