Page "Macbeth, King of Scotland" Paragraph 16

The Orkneyinga Saga says that a dispute between Thorfinn Sigurdsson, Earl of Orkney, and Karl Hundason began when Karl Hundason became " King of Scots " and claimed Caithness.

The identity of Karl Hundason, unknown to Scots and Irish sources, has long been a matter of dispute, and it is far from clear that the matter is settled.

The most common assumption is that Karl Hundason was an insulting byname ( Old Norse for " Churl, son of a Dog ") given to Macbeth by his enemies.

William Forbes Skene's suggestion that he was Duncan I of Scotland has been revived in recent years.

Lastly, the idea that the whole affair is a poetic invention has been raised.