On this day in 1057: Scottish king Macbeth dies in battle

Michael Fassbender in Macbeth, directed by Justin Kurzel.

On this day in 1057, Macbeth, or Mac Bethad mac Findlaích as he was known, died in battle after an English invasion of Scotland.

It is hard to think of any historic king with a worse reputation than the much-maligned anti-hero of the Scottish Play. Shakespeare’s Macbeth was a no-good murderer who killed the good and fair King Duncan, only to receive his comeuppance in the end.

Shakespeare probably sourced his play from the 16th century chronicler Raphael Holinshed, and the story is loosely based on truth. But, to put it mildly, Shakespeare took liberties.

For a king to be murdered was not uncommon at the time of Macbeth. Ascension to the throne was complex, as leaders were chosen according to the ancient practice of tanistry. Instead of a simple hereditary line to decide succession, tanistry encouraged many claimants to the throne who had a right by blood or marriage. This invariably led to a jockeying for position, and it was not unusual for kings or other claimants to die young.

Circa 1040, Macbeth, King of Scots (1040 - 1057). (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Macbeth was Thane of Ross by birth and Thane of Moray through his marriage to Lady Gruoch, which under the system, gave him as much claim to the throne of Scotland as Duncan.

The Duncan of Shakespeare’s play was an elderly wise king, but this too is misleading. Duncan was young, had only ruled for six years and was considered a weak, arrogant monarch. When Macbeth defeated him in battle and assumed the throne, it was generally regarded as a good thing.

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