E X T E N S I O N HISTORY AND FICTION IN MACBETH How historically accurate is Shakespeare s story? Early History When the Romans reached Caledonia (now Scotland) in 79 AD, they found a country divided into clans fighting each other and raided1 by the Vikings from Norway. The local populations were very aggressive so the Romans built a fortified wall (Hadrian s Wall) to defend their territory. When they left the country (c. 412) four peoples inhabited Scotland: the Picts, a Celtic speaking people in the extreme North and North East; the Scots, a Gaelic-speaking people in the North West; the Britons, survivors of the Romano-Celtic world in the Lowlands and the Anglo-Saxons, also in the Lowlands. Picts, Scots and Britons had Celtic culture, language and background in common. They raised2 animals and were organized into tribes or clans; in contrast, the Anglo-Saxons were farmers with a non-tribal system of social organization. Christianity, brought to Scotland by Columba in 563, helped to unite the peoples of Scotland. The making of one Kingdom In 793 AD, the Vikings raided the county, destroyed the monasteries and frightened the people in the Scottish kingdoms. In 849 AD, after a long civil war, Kenneth MacAlpine, King of the Scots, claimed3 the Pictish throne and became King of the Picts. His successor, Constantine Mac Aed (900) married his daughters to Viking warriors and created diplomatic alliances4. 1. raided: invaded and robbed. 2. raised: cared for. 3. claimed: asked for. 4. alliance: union. 18