Erc mac Echach, Rí na Dál Riata {Legendary, Annals of the Four Masters}

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erc_of_Dalriada

Founder of the Scottish monarchy.

From http://www.rpi.edu/~holmes/Hobbies/Genealogy/ps05/ps05_463.htm

There is a legendary ancestry of his son back to Old King Cole, to the first Christian King of Ireland in the third century, to Milesius of Spain and his wife Scota (daughter of Pharaoh Nectanebus of Egypt, and to Noah's son Japhet {"Royal Ancestors of Magna Charta Barons," Carr P. Collins, Jr., Dallas, 1959, pp. 145-47, 150-55.} We know that of Erc's sons Loarn, Fergus and Angus settled Dalriada (Argyle) in Scotland in 496 {"Royal Ancestors of Sixty New England Colonists," Frederick L. Weis, Lancaster, Mass., 1950, p. 132}.

The system of succession to kingship amongst the Scots differed from the one we follow today. Now, our monarchs are chosen by a hereditary system known as primogeniture: generally, the eldest son of a deceased king succeeds to the throne. Primogeniture is relatively straightforward, but has the disadvantage of sometimes resulting in minorities, which occur whenever the heir to the throne is too young to fulfil his duties. A regency has to be established until the king comes of age, and this often produces political instability. The Scots, in contrast, followed the Celtic law of tanistry. Tanistry requires that a brother or cousin of the king be nominated by him as his successor. Thus, the throne tends to pass between different branches of the royal family. The advantage of this system is that there is always a mature king on the throne. The disadvantage, as the Scots learned throughout their history, is that it sometimes leads to assassination and to warfare between competing claimants to the throne.

Amongst the kings of Dalriada, the succession alternated between the descendants of Erc, with those of Fergus dominating. In fact, after Loarn, the kingship did not pass to this branch of the family until Ferchar Fota, who died in 697. Two sons, and then two grandsons of Ferchar Fota came to the throne, but after this it remained firmly in the hands of the descendants of Fergus. At the time of Ferchar Fota's reign, Dalriada was a weakened kingdom; the throne was fleetingly held by the various claimants, and the Scots were dominated by the Picts. Only Selbach of the Tribe of Loarn had a long reign of twenty-three years.

According to later genealogies, Áed was the great-grandfather of Kenneth MacAlpin (Cináed mac Ailpín) who is traditionally counted as the first king of Scots. This descent ran through Áed's son Eochaid mac Áeda Find and Eochaid's son Alpín mac Echdach. The evidence for the existence of Eochaid and Alpín is late and uncompelling, and shows signs of fabrication in the High Middle Ages.

The Annals of Ulster in 768 report "Bellum i Fortrinn iter Aedh & Cinaedh": a battle in Fortriu between Áed and Cináed. This is usually read as meaning Áed Find and the Pictish king Ciniod, who is called "Cinadhon" in the notice of his death in 775. The Annals of the Four Masters, a less reliable source, give a different version, placing this battle in Leinster and naming the victor as Cináed mac Flainn of the Uí Failgi and his defeated enemy as one Áed.

Áed's death in 778 is noted by the Annals of Ulster. He appears to have been followed as king by his brother Fergus mac Echdach.

The "Laws of Áed Eochaid's son" are mentioned by the Chronicle of the Kings of Alba in the reign of Áed's supposed great-grandson Donald MacAlpin (Domnall mac Ailpín): "In his time the Gaels with their king made the rights and laws of the kingdom [that are called the laws] of Áed Eochaid's son, in Forteviot." What these laws concerned is not known.

Father: Eochaidh Muinreamhar, King of Dalriada

It is during his reign that Scottish Dalriada began to split from the Irish side. Up until that time Dalriada consisted of two halves: the area that is now County Antrim in Ireland, and what was called Scotia Minor, now Argyll, in Scotland. The name "Argyll" means "coastline of the Gaels".

Children:

Angus

Muircheartach

Lorn (Loarn)

Fergus Mor, King of Dalriada, b. ca. 434, d. 501

Notes for Erc King Of Dalriada

Weis' "Ancestral Roots. . ." (170:1). king in Dalriada, in northern Ireland.

The Annals of the Four Masters, a very late source whose chronology is very unreliable for this period, say he died in 474.

sbald@@auburn.campus.mci.net (Stewart Baldwin) posted to GEN-MEDIEVAL-L-request@@rootsweb.com on 26 Nov 1998 Subject: Llywelyn AT: "Although the later genealogies make Loarn a son of Erc, and brother of Fergus, ancestor of the later kings of Scotland, there is no good reason to believe that the supposed sibling relationship is historical"

http://www.southing.net/BondFam019%20Web%20Cards/PS02/PS02_480.HTM

Eogan (Eugene) 'the Lion', King of Ailech Converted by St. Patrick. He married Indorb Finn "the White". Eogan (Eugene) 'the Lion', King of Ailech died in 465.

In the early middle ages, Scotland consisted of four separate kingdoms, Dalriada, inhabited by Scots, Strathclyde, inhabited by Britons, The Kingdom of the Picts and Northumbria, inhabited by Angles. Scottish and Pictish families began intermarrying in the eighth 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 ninth century, the Kingdom of Alba began absorbing the kingdoms of the Britons and the 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 the King of Greece who went to Egypt during the time of Moses where he married the eponymous Scoti, daughter of the Pharaoh. Gaytholos, Scoti and their family emigrated to Spain and eventually several groups of their decendents emigrated to Ireland; the final group under Simon Brek, whose grandson led a colony from Ireland to Northern Briton and named it Scotia. In the year 330 BC, these Scots elected as their King , Fergus, son of Fererd; they remained in Scotland until 360AD when they were driven back to Ireland by the Pics and Britons. In the 5th century, they returned to Scotia under the leadership of Fergus, son of Erc. According to The Senchus Fer N' Alban( i.e. The Census/ History of the Men of Alba), a 7th century document transcribed by a Christian Monastic Scribe, Erc had twelve sons. Six took possesion of Scotland; Loarnd Bee, Loarnd Mor, Mac Niesse Becc, Mac Niesse Mor, Fergus Bee, and Fergus Mor. Six others were in Ireland: Mac Decill, Oengus, Enna, Bresal, Fiachra, Dubhthach. He may have had one more son, Muredoch.

Ercc, King of Dal Riata in North Western Ireland. Died in 474. Ercc is said to be a son of Eochaid Muinremur, King of Dal Riata; and is said to have had several

sons including Loarn and Fergus

According to tradition: MacBethad was the

• son of Findláech,
• son of Ruadrí,
• son of Domnall,
• son of Morggán,
• son of Cathamal,
• son of Ruadrí,
• son of Ailgelach,
• son of Uraad,
• son of Uurgus,
• son of Nehhtonn,
• son of Colmán,
• son of Báetán,
• son of Eochaid,
• son of Muiredach,
• son of Loarn,
• son of Erb,
• son of Eochaid Muinremuir.