De Situ Albanie - De Situ Albanie & The Seven Kingdoms

De Situ Albanie & The Seven Kingdoms

The piece proceeds to carry out the purpose highlighted in the introduction. It recounts that Albanectus, son of Brutus, had seven sons; and that, on his death, the kingdom was split into 7 parts, each one corresponding to a son. The writer lists the seven ancient kingdoms/sons of Albania/Albanectus.

LIST ONE (or DSa)

• Angus with the Mearns (Enegus cum Moerne)
• Atholl and Gowrie (Adtheodle et Gouerin)
• Strathearn with Menteith (Sradeern cum Meneted)
• Fife with Fothriff (Fif cum Fothreue)
• Mar with Buchan (Marr cum Buchen)
• Moray and Ross (Muref et Ross)
• Caithness this side of the mountains and over the mountains (Cathanesia citra montem et ultra montem)

The author then tells us that Andrew, Bishop of Caithness, related another list. This list contradicts the first, as when, for instance, the seventh kingdom in Andreas' list is Argyll rather than Caithness.

LIST TWO (or DSb)

• Forth to Tay
• Forth to Hilef
• Hilef to Dee
• Dee to Spey
• Spey to Druimm nAlban
• Moray and Ross
• Argyll (Arregaithel)

The author shows no awareness that the two lists contradict each other. Since the author was probably a Scotto-Norman, this should not surprise us. There have been suggestions that the first list corresponds to a list of Bishoprics, leaving the second as more authentic. What is certain is that the medieval Scots did have legends of seven ancient kingdoms.