Keith Coleman, Áedán of the Gaels (Pen & Sword, 2022)
The term ‘Dark Ages’ is no longer fashionable. Post-Roman Britain is now the pre-medieval era, which seems a bit dry and academic for a period full of mystery and legend. Take, for example, Áedán mac Gabráin, who was crowned king of Dál Riata, ‘the uniquely divided kingdom’ split between northern Ireland and Scotland’s west coast in the 6th Century CE. Áedán fought campaigns from Orkney to the Isle of Man and into the heartlands of the Picts. His name is inextricably connected to St. Columba of Iona, and he was the first king of Scotland. In this fascinating book, Keith Coleman separates the history of Áedán from myth and legend.
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Coleman begins by stressing the paucity of evidence we have for the life of Áedán. But we know quite a lot about where he came from: Dál Riata, a kingdom with lands in Scotland and Ulster. Áedán rose to power in 574, aged 40, but little is known about him before then. Coleman – as he does throughout his biography – pulls together what threads we do have and combines them with our contextual knowledge to create a coherent and convincing picture of a warrior and diplomat emerging from often chaotic times. Coleman also highlights Áedán’s mutually beneficial connections to St Columba although the relationship had not started well. The author reaches into his imagination along with the historical context to discuss Áedán’s inauguration, stretching the clues to produce a plausible scenario while presenting credible alternatives. Coleman turns to Áedán’s military record, spending some time on his campaigns on the Isle of Man and his diplomatic operations in Ireland, including the Convention of Druim Cett. Áedán and his sons also fought notable campaigns against the Picts and the Britons. Áedán’s last battle came at Degsastan in 603, to which Coleman devotes a chapter. Defeat there, Coleman speculates, may have led to Áedán’s retirement and retreat into a religious life as old age took its toll. Coleman concludes by examining Áedán’s sons, his legacy, and his legend.
It is clear from the beginning of Coleman’s investigation that we know very little about Áedán with any certainty. The King of Dál Riata is an elusive figure, reigning in the shadows of the Dark Ages. To his credit, Coleman avoids presenting certainties, choosing to weigh the available evidence while guiding the reader through what we know, and more importantly, what we do not. What emerges is a warrior-king, as we might expect, but also a skilled diplomat. Coleman also successfully places Áedán in historical context, painting a more complete picture of post-Roman Britain than the evidence probably warrants. Anyone interested in the Dark Ages and the formation of Scotland will find Coleman’s book informative and entertaining.
