Editing Edgar, King of Scotland (section)

== Contradictory account of his death ==
There is a contradictory account of his death, recorded by [[Orderic Vitalis]] (12th century). According to this account, Edgar was killed by his uncle Donald III, while Donald III was killed by Alexander I.<ref>Hudson, p. 119.</ref> This account reports: "On the death of [[Malcolm III of Scotland|Malcolm]] [III], [[List of Scottish monarchs|king of the Scots]], great divisions rose among them, in reference to the succession to the crown. Edgar, the king's eldest son, assumed it as his lawful right, but Donald, King Malcolm's brother, having usurped authority, opposed him with great cruelty, and at length, the brave youth [Edgar] was murdered by his uncle. Alexander [I], however, his brother, slew Donald, and ascended the throne; being thus the avenger as well as the successor of his brother..."<ref>Orderic Vitalis, Vol. III, p. 14.</ref>

[[Benjamin Hudson]] dismisses the story as "completely false". But its existence points to the circulation of "incorrect" tales about the monarchs of the late 11th century.<ref>Hudson, p. 119.</ref> Verses of ''[[The Prophecy of Berchán]]'' allude to the murder of another Scottish king: "Alas a king will take sovereignty for four nights and one month; I think it is grievous that the [[Gaels]] will boast, woe to him who celebrates him. ... A son of the woman of the English... I think it is wretched, that his brother will kill him."<ref>Hudson, [https://books.google.com/books?id=uMtuva92HwwC&q=sovereignty p. 92.]</ref> The English woman is obviously [[Saint Margaret of Scotland|Saint Margaret]], the consort of Malcolm III. But none of her children, male or female, are known to have been killed by one of their own siblings. The confusion probably derives from the murder of their half-sibling [[Duncan II of Scotland]], son of Malcolm III and his first wife [[Ingibiorg Finnsdottir]].<ref>Hudson, p. 119.</ref> A note in the [[Annals of Ulster]] claims that Duncan II was murdered by his brothers Donmall [Donald] and Edmund. As Duncan had no brothers by these names, the text probably points to his uncle Donald III and half-brother [[Edmund of Scotland]], though later texts identify a noble by the name of [[Máel Petair of Mearns]] as the actual murderer.<ref>Hudson, p. 92.</ref>