| Lulach | |
|---|---|
 | |
| King of Alba (Scotland) | |
| Reign | 15 August 1057 – 17 March 1058 |
| Coronation | 8 September 1057,Scone |
| Predecessor | Macbeth |
| Successor | Malcolm III |
| Born | c. 1032 Moray, Scotland |
| Died | (1058-03-17)17 March 1058 (aged 25/26) Essie, in Strathbogie |
| Burial | |
| Issue | Máel Snechtai Unnamed daughter |
| House | Moray |
| Father | Gille Coemgáin of Moray |
| Mother | Gruoch of Scotland |
Lulach mac Gille Coemgáin (Modern Gaelic:Lughlagh mac Gille Chomghain,[1] known inEnglish simply asLulach, and nicknamedTairbith, "the Unfortunate"[2] andFatuus, "the Simple-minded" or "the Foolish";[3] c. 1032 – 17 March 1058) wasKing of Alba (Scotland) between 15 August 1057 and 17 March 1058.
Lulach was the son ofGruoch of Scotland, from her first marriage toGille Coemgáin,Mormaer of Moray, and thus the stepson ofMacbeth (Mac Bethad mac Findlaích). Through his mother, he was also the great-grandson of eitherKenneth II orKenneth III. Following the death of Macbeth at theBattle of Lumphanan on 15 August 1057, the king's followers placed Lulach on the throne. He has the distinction of being the first king ofScotland of whom there are coronation details available: he was crowned, probably on 8 September 1057 atScone. Lulach appears to have been a weak king, as his nicknames suggest, and ruled only for a few months before being assassinated and usurped byMalcolm III. However, it is also plausible his nicknames are the results of negative propaganda, and were established as part of a smear campaign by Malcolm III.[citation needed]
Lulach's sonMáel Snechtai wasMormaer of Moray, whileÓengus of Moray was the son of Lulach's daughter.
He is believed to be buried on Saint Columba's Holy Island ofIona in or around themonastery. The exact position of his grave is unknown.
Lulach is an important secondary character inDorothy Dunnett's historical novelKing Hereafter, where he is portrayed as a seer. In the novel, Dunnett used Lulach as a mouthpiece for researched information about the real Macbeth.[4]
Lulach is also one of the protagonists inJackie French's children's novelMacbeth and Son[5] and inSusan Fraser King's novelLady MacBeth.
Lulach is also a character inDavid Greig's playDunsinane where he is hunted by the English soldiers as a threat to peace in Malcolm's Scotland.
Lulach McPritchett inModern Family, a Comedy series, is a Scottish warrior and ancestor of Jay Pritchett.
Lulach - misnamed Luach - appears in the animated seriesGargoyles (TV series) as Macbeth and Gruoch's son, and, briefly, King of Scotland.
Lulach appears in a 2024 adaptation of Shakespeare's play calledGruoch and Macbeth: A Screenplay by Graham J. Howard.
Lulach appears in Val McDermid'sQueen Macbeth.
He is apparently referenced byLady Macbeth (his mother's counterpart in the playMacbeth), in Act I Scene VII, where she says she has "given suck, and know / How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me",[6] in what would be a historical reference to Lulach.
Lulach Born: c. 1032 Died: 17 March 1058 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | King of Alba 1057–1058 | Succeeded by |
| Mormaer of Moray 1057–1058 | Succeeded by | |
