Family Card - Person Sheet
Family Card - Person Sheet
NameMadach , 1st Earl of Atholl
Birthabt 1130
Deathabt 1155
Misc. Notes
Matad of Atholl was Mormaer of Atholl, 1130s-1153/9.

It is possible that he was granted the Mormaerdom by a King of Scotland, as suggested by Roberts,1 rather than merely inheriting it. However, this is unlikely. If he did inherit it, he inherited it from his father, Máel Muire. According to the Orkneyinga Saga, Matad was the son of Máel Muire, who was son of king Donnchad I and younger brother of King Máel Coluim III Cenn Mór. It is highly unlikely that the kings of Scotland, with little more claim to the kingship than Matad himself, would have been in a position to "grant" the Mormaerdom. It is much more likely that Matad inherited part of a deal made with Máel Muire by the king in order to alienate Máel Muire and his descendents from the kingship.

Mormaer Matad is most famous for being the father of Harald Maddadson, or Arailt mac Matada. He married Margaret, the daughter of Jarl Haakon Paulsson (the grandson of Thorfinn the Mighty). Through this marriage, their son Harald would succeed to the Earldom of Orkney (c. 1139).

He is called Maddadr in the Orkneyinga Saga, and some historians follow on from this and call him Maddad. He also features as a witness to charters of the reign of King David I, where he is called Madeth Comes and Maddoc Comes (=Mormaer Matad). 2 . Other names originating from the obvious difficulties encountered by his name are Madach and Maddad.

According to Anderson, he died sometime between 1151 and 1161. He was succeeded by another of his sons, Máel Coluim (Malcolm).
Last Modified 7 Mar 2006Created 12 Oct 2023 using Reunion for Macintosh
Created Thursday, October 12, 2023 by Mike Perry

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