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Constantine II of Alba

Constantine II of Scotland (871-952) was King of Scotland from 900 to 943, succeeding Donald II and preceding Malcolm I.

Biography[]

Causantin mac Aeda was born in 871, a son of King Aed mac Cinaeda of Scotland. He succeeded his kinsman Donald II of Scotland on his death in 900, and, in 903, his realm was invaded by the Dublin Norse, who had defeated and slain Donald and plundered Dunkeld and all of Scotland. In 904, the men of Fortriu slew the invading Imar ua Imair at Srath Erenn. However, Constantine faced increasing Viking activity in the Irish Sea from 914 onwards, and, in 918, he and Ealdred I of Bamburgh fought the Viking sea king Ragnall ua Imair to a draw at the Battle of Corbridge. In 921, Constantine and Ragnall were forced to submit to King Edward the Elder of Wessex, but, following Edward's death, King Aethelstan of England united the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms by conquering Northumbria in 927. Constantine allied with Owain ap Dyfnwal and the Welsh kings to check further English expansion, and, in 934, King Aethelstan marched north to deal with these threats. The Welsh kings Hywel Dda, Idwal Foel, and Morgan ab Owain accompanied him north, and Owain was defeated. Aethelstan's army marched as far north as Fortriu, while his fleet raided Caithness. In September 934, at Buckingham, Constantine was forced to offer his submission to Aethelstan. In 937, Constantine broke an oath not to ally with the Vikings and allied with Owain and Olaf Guthfrithson of Dyflin, invading England. In the ensuing Battle of Brunanburh with Aethelstan, uncounted thousands of Northmen fell. Constantine's son Cellach fell in battle, and England was safe from attack until Aethelstan's death a year later led to Amlaib Cuaran reconquering Northumbria. In 943, an elderly Constantine abdicated in favor of his impatient nephew Malcolm, and he died at the monastery of St. Andrews in 952.

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