In early medievalScotland, a mormaer was the Gaelic name for a regional or provincial ruler, theoretically second only to the King of Scots, and the senior of a Taoiseach. Mormaers were equivalent to English earls or Continental counts, and the term is often translated into English as 'earl'.
Etymology
The Gaelic term mormaer may represent a survival of a Pictish compound form. The first element may be mɔ:r meaning "big, great, large", and the second majr meaning "steward".
Earliest mormaers
The office of mormaer is first mentioned in the context of the Battle of Corbridge, in the Annals of Ulster. The first individual named mormaer was Dubacan of Angus, one of the companions of Amlaib, the son of King Causantín II. His death at the Battle of Brunanburh is recorded in the Chronicle of the Kings of Alba. He is mentioned as Mormaer of Angus. Another three mormaers are named, though without provinces, in the Annals of Tigernach, s.a. 976. However, the earliest mormaers of each province are generally only hazily, if at all, known until the 12th century, by which time mormaer is being referred to in Latin documents as comes. Prior to the 12th century, there were four 'ancient' mormaer dynasties: Cataidh/Caithness, Charraig/Carrick, Dunbarra/Dunbar and Moireabh/Moray. After the 12th century, eight other dynasties are known to be hereditary, continuous and no longer fragmentary. Pre-12th century dynasties:
There is an erroneous impression that "Mormaerdoms" were scrapped and replaced by "Earldoms." In fact, Comes is just a Franco-Latin word used on the British Isles to render either Mormaer or Earl into Latin. For instance, several Irish sources call King Robert BruceMormaer in the 14th century. As this is not an Irish word, it is clear that the word is being used by the Scots for the office. Moreover, the term is still recorded as being used for the "Earl" of Lennox a century later. On the other hand, the West Germanic word Earl is not recorded as being in use in Scotland until the mid-14th century, and then only in an English literary text. As a result, scholars now recognise that Mormaer was the vernacular word used by the Gaels. Earlon the other hand is an English or Scots translation, alien to the Gaelic tradition.
Mormaers and other lordships
A mormaerdom was not simply a regional lordship, it was a regional lordship with official comital rank. This is why other lordships, many of them more powerful, such as those of lords of Galloway, Argyll and Innse Gall, are not, and were not, called mormaerdoms or earldoms.
This list does not include Orkney, which was a Norwegian Earldom, and became ruled by Scotland in the 15th century. Sutherland might be included, but it was created only late, and for a possibly foreign family
