Macbeth Falls: Scottish King Killed at Lumphanan
King Macbeth of Scotland was killed at the Battle of Lumphanan on August 15, 1057, by forces loyal to Malcolm Canmore (Malcolm III), the son of the king Macbeth had killed to seize the throne seventeen years earlier. The real Macbeth was nothing like Shakespeare's tormented murderer: he ruled Scotland for seventeen relatively stable years, made a pilgrimage to Rome in 1050, and was considered a legitimate king by most of his contemporaries. His reign blended Scottish and Norse traditions, reflecting Scotland's position at the crossroads of Gaelic and Scandinavian cultures. Malcolm III, who succeeded him, married the English princess Margaret and reoriented Scotland toward English culture and the Roman Church.
August 15, 1057
969 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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