|
The Battle of Dun Nechtain or Battle of Nechtansmere (Scottish Gaelic: ''Blàr Dhùn Neachdain'', Old Irish: ''Dún Nechtain'', Old Welsh: ''Linn Garan'', Old English: ''Nechtansmere'') was fought between the Picts, led by King Bridei Mac Bili, and the Northumbrians, led by King Ecgfrith on 20 May 685. The Northumbrian hegemony over Northern Britain, won by Ecgfrith's predecessors, had begun to disintegrate. Several of Northumbria's subject nations had rebelled in recent years, leading to a number of large-scale battles against the Picts, Mercians, and Irish, with varied success. Following sieges on neighbouring territories carried out by the Picts, Ecgfrith led his forces against them, despite advice to the contrary, in an effort to reassert his suzerainty over the Pictish nations. A feigned retreat by the Picts drew the Northumbrians into an ambush at Dun Nechtain near the lake of Linn Garan. The battle site has long been thought to have been near the present-day village of Dunnichen in Angus. Recent research, however, has suggested a more northerly location near Dunachton, on the shores of Loch Insh in Badenoch and Strathspey. The battle ended with a decisive Pictish victory which severely weakened Northumbria's power in northern Britain. Ecgfrith was killed in battle, along with the greater part of his army. The Pictish victory marked their independence from Northumbria, who never regained their dominance in the north. ==Background== During the seventh century, the Northumbrians gradually extended their territory to the north. The Annals of Tigernach record a siege of "Etain" in 638,〔Annals of Tigernach T640.1〕 which has been interpreted as Northumbria's conquest of Din Eidyn (Edinburgh) during the reign of Oswald, marking the annexation of Gododdin territories to the south of the River Forth.〔Jackson (1959)〕 To the north of the Forth, the Pictish nations consisted at this time of the kingdom of Fortriu to the north of the Mounth, and a "Southern Pictish Zone" between there and the Forth.〔Woolf (2006), Fraser (2009) p184〕 Evidence from the eighth century Anglo-Saxon historian, Bede points to the Picts also being subjugated by the Northumbrians during Oswald's reign,〔Bede, Ecclesiastical History, III: VI (Oswald "brought under his dominion all the nations and provinces of Britain, which are divided into four languages, viz. the Britons, the Picts, the Scots, and the English.")〕 and that this subjugation continued into the reign of his successor, Oswiu.〔Bede, Ecclesiastical History, III: XXIV Oswiu "subdued the greater part of the Picts to the dominion of the English" in 658.〕 Ecgfrith succeeded Oswiu as king of Northumbria in 670. Soon after, the Picts rose in rebellion against Northumbrian subjugation at the Battle of Two Rivers, recorded in the 8th century by Stephen of Ripon, hagiographer of Wilfrid.〔Colgrave (1927) pp41–43〕 Ecgfrith was aided by a sub-king, Beornhæth, who may have been a leader of the Southern Picts,〔Fraser (2009) p201〕 and the rebellion ended in disaster for the Northern Picts of Fortriu. Their king, Drest mac Donuel, was deposed and was replaced by Bridei mac Bili.〔Cummins (2009) p106; Fraser (2009) pp201–202〕 By 679, the Northumbrian hegemony was beginning to fall apart. The Irish annals record a Mercian victory over Ecgfrith at which Ecgfrith's brother, Ælfwine of Deira was killed.〔Annals of Ulster U680.4〕 Sieges were recorded at Dunnottar, in the northern-most region of the "Southern Pictish Zone" near Stonehaven in 680 and at Dundurn in Strathearn in 682.〔Annals of Ulster U681.5; Fraser (2009) p214 Annals of Ulster U.683.3〕 The antagonists in these sieges are not recorded, but the most reasonable interpretation is thought to be that Bridei's forces were the assailants.〔Fraser (2009) p207〕 Bridei is also recorded as having "destroyed" the Orkney Islands in 681,〔Annals of Ulster 682.4; Annals of Tigernach 682.5〕 at a time when the Northumbrian church was undergoing major religious reform. It had followed the traditions of the Columban church of Iona until the Synod of Whitby in 664 at which it pledged loyalty to the Roman Church. The Northumbrian diocese was divided and a number of new episcopal sees created. One of these was founded at Abercorn on the south coast of the Firth of Forth, and Trumwine was consecrated as Bishop of the Picts. Bridei, who was enthusiastiacally involved with the church of Iona,〔Fraser (2009) p237〕 is unlikely to have viewed an encroachment of the Northumbrian-sponsored Roman church favourably.〔Veitch (1997)〕 The attacks on the Southern Pictish Zone at Dunnottar and Dundurn represented a major threat to Ecgfrith's suzerainty.〔Fraser (2009) p215〕 Ecgfrith was contending with other challenges to his overlordship. In June 684, countering a Gaelic-Briton alliance, he sent his armies, led by Berhtred, son of Beornhæth, to Brega in Ireland. Ecgfrith's force decimated the local population and destroyed many churches, actions which are treated with scorn by Bede.〔Annals of Ulster U685.2; Annals of Tigernach T685.2; Bede, Ecclesiastical History IV: XXIV; Annals of Clonmacnoise p109〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Battle of Dun Nechtain」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|