Nechtan of Aberdeen facts for kids
Nechtan of Aberdeen was an important religious leader in early Scotland. He was the first Bishop of Aberdeen after the main church and the bishop's office, known as a bishopric, moved to Aberdeen from a place called Mortlach.
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Who Was Bishop Nechtan?
Nechtan was a bishop, which is a high-ranking leader in the Christian church. His job was to oversee the churches and religious life in a specific area. Before Nechtan, the main church for this area was in Mortlach. During his time, it moved to Aberdeen.
What Do We Know About Nechtan?
Most of what we know about Bishop Nechtan comes from old official papers called charters. These charters are like ancient legal documents. They show that Nechtan was active as a bishop.
Nechtan in Old Charters
One important charter mentions Nechtan. It is found in a famous old book called the Book of Deer. This charter calls him "Nectan escob Abberdeon," which means "Nechtan, Bishop of Aberdeen." This document also clearly states it was written in "the eighth year of the reign of David." This means the year 1131, during the time of King David I of Scotland.
Another charter was given directly to Nechtan by King David I himself. Experts today believe this charter was written around the year 1137. These documents are the most reliable sources we have about Nechtan.
Conflicting Stories About Dates
Later writers tried to guess more about Nechtan's life. However, their stories don't always agree.
Stories from Later Historians
For example, a writer named Hector Boece wrote that Nechtan became bishop in 1122. Boece also claimed that Nechtan was bishop in Mortlach for 14 years. Then, he said Nechtan was bishop in Aberdeen for another 17 years.
Another important person, Gavin Dunbar, who was an Archbishop in the 1500s, wrote something different. In his book, he said that the bishop's main church moved from Mortlach to Aberdeen in the year 1125. This partly disagrees with what Boece wrote. Because these later stories don't match up, historians don't fully trust them. The charters are much more accurate.
