Causantín, Mormaer of Fife

Causantín or Constantine of Fife is the first man known for certain to have been mormaer (earl) of Fife, having this authority no later than 1107.

Ancestry

Very little is known about Causantín's life and reign as mormaer of Fife. His father, for instance, is not known by name. He may have been the son or grandson of the Mac Duib who gave rise to William Shakespeare's character Macduff; the latter being the son of Giric, son of Cináed mac Duib or Kenneth III, king of Alba. His role as a senior lawman makes it likely that he spent some time in his early life at a native Scottish law school, but this is simply reasoned conjecture.

Historical significance

Causantín's first appearance in history is a charter dated to 1095 when he appears as Constantinus filius Magduffe. The historian John Bannerman has suggested that this represents a translation of Causantín mac meic Duib. Here, mac meic means 'grandson of' or more loosely 'descendant of', in the same way that the Irish used Uí or Ua. The mac meic formula has also been shown in Ireland. The Annals of Ulster, for instance, used this formula where they would later use Ua. If Bannerman's suggestion is correct, the charter is calling Causantín the "descendant of Dub" rather than a son of a man with the name MacDuib. Similar examples can, again, be seen for the more extensive evidence offered by contemporary Ireland. For example, the Annals of Ulster style Tadg, son of Muiredach, as Mac Carthaig, but it was Tadg's grandfather who was named Carthach. By comparison, the Annals of Innisfallen call the same man mac meic Carthaig. Staying in Ireland, the kings of Cenél nEógain call themselves Meic Lochlainn. One is named Conchobar mac Meic Lochlainn; This very same kindred were also known in Annals of Ulster as the Uí Lochlainn.

Offices held