Taran Mac Ainften was a

King of the Picts The list of kings of the Picts is based on the Pictish Chronicle king lists. These are late documents and do not record the dates when the kings reigned. The various surviving lists disagree in places as to the names of kings, and the lengths ...

from 693 until 697, according to the Pictish king-lists. His name is the same as that of the Celtic thunder-god,

Taranis Taranis (sometimes Taranus or Tanarus) is a Celtic thunder god attested in literary and epigraphic sources. The Roman poet Lucan's epic ''Pharsalia'' mentions Taranis, Esus, and Teutates as gods to whom the Gauls sacrificed humans. This rare ...

. His father is just a name, which occurs in various forms, e.g., ''Entifidich'' in the '' Poppleton Manuscript'', ''Enfidaig'', ''Amfredech'', ''Anfudeg'', and as ''Amfodech'' in the French king-list embedded in the ''

Scalacronica The ''Scalacronica'' (1066–1363) is a chronicle written in Anglo-Norman French by Sir Thomas Grey of Heaton near Norham in Northumberland. It was started whilst he was imprisoned by the Scots in Edinburgh Castle, after being captured in an ...

''. The list in

National Library of Scotland The National Library of Scotland (NLS; ; ) is one of Scotland's National Collections. It is one of the largest libraries in the United Kingdom. As well as a public programme of exhibitions, events, workshops, and tours, the National Library of ...

MS, Advocates' 34.7.3, seems to say that Taran was the brother of King

Nechtan mac Der-Ilei Naiton son of Der-Ilei (; died 732), also called Naiton son of Dargart (), was king of the Picts between 706–724 and between 728–729. He succeeded his brother Bridei IV in 706. He is associated with significant religious reforms in Pictlan ...

, which could mean that Taran's mother was the Pictish princess Der-Ilei. However, the latter list is problematic and places the reign of King Bridei IV, Nechtan's brother, after Nechtan; on the other hand, the list is one of those that is aware that Bridei was the son of Dargart mac Finguine, indicating access to material not available to some of the other lists. Some of the king lists say he reigned for fourteen years; however, the '' Poppleton manuscript'' and ''

Lebor Bretnach ''Lebor Bretnach'', formerly spelled ''Leabhar Breathnach'' and sometimes known as the Irish Nennius, is an 11th-century historical work in Gaelic, largely consisting of a translation of the ''Historia Brittonum''. It may have originated in Scot ...

'' lists, along with the ''Scalacronica'' list, give four years only, so the ''x'' may be a mistake. He was almost certainly succeeded by Bruide, the son of Dargart and Der-Ilei, although in what circumstances, it is hard to say. Entries from the

Irish annals A number of Irish annals, of which the earliest was the Chronicle of Ireland, were compiled up to and shortly after the end of the 17th century. Annals were originally a means by which monks determined the yearly chronology of feast days. Over ti ...

, which

Alan Orr Anderson Alan Orr Anderson (1879–1958) was a Scottish historian and compiler. The son of Rev. John Anderson and Ann Masson, he was born in 1879. He was educated at Royal High School, Edinburgh, and the University of Edinburgh. In 1908, after fiv ...

suggested may be related to this Taran, are a report in the ''

Annals of Ulster The ''Annals of Ulster'' () are annals of History of Ireland, medieval Ireland. The entries span the years from 431 AD to 1540 AD. The entries up to 1489 AD were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrí Ó Luin� ...

'' reporting "the killing of Ainfthech and Nia Néill and the sons of Boendo", where Ainfthech may be Taran's father, and then Taran's deposition in 696, and finally the report in the ''Annals of Ulster'' that "Tarachin went to Ireland" in 698.the ''Annals of Tigernach'' used the ''Tarachin'' form in reporting Taran's deposition.

References

Sources

* * * 7th-century births 697 deaths Pictish monarchs 7th-century Scottish monarchs {{Scotland-royal-stub