Malcolm II of Scotland has been depicted in historical fiction.

The historical novel Pride of Lions (1996) by Morgan Llywelyn, depicts Malcolm II married to Blanaid. Blanaid herself depicted as a daughter of Brian Boru.^[1] The novel used as fact a theory mentioned in a non-fiction book, Brian Boru, King of Ireland (1982) by Roger Chatterton-Newman. That Malcolm II was a son-in-law and ally to Brian Boru. However, Chatterton-Newman failed to note his own sources on the subject, and genealogist Stewart Baldwin has doubted the plausibility of the connection.^[2] The main plot of the novel features a conflict between Donnchad mac Briain and his half-brother Tadc mac Briain over the throne of Munster. Donnchad and his mother Gormflaith ingen Murchada travel by sea to Scotland, seeking the aid of Donnchad's brother-in-law Malcolm II. The old woman manages to settle the alliance.^[3]
The historical novel Macbeth: An Historical Novel of the Last Celtic King (2011) by Robert Harrison, opens with the victory of Malcolm II over his predecessor Kenneth III of Scotland. "Malcolm stood above the wounded King, sword upraised. No words were spoken, for they both knew the penalty of defeat. The blade whistled in its swiftness, and the bloody head of Kenneth rolled in the mud."^[4]

References

Sources

Harrison, Robert (2011), Macbeth: An Historical Novel of the Last Celtic King, iUniverse, ISBN 978-1462016129

v t e Cultural depictions of English and British monarchs
Kingdom of the English 886–1066	Alfred the Great Edward the Elder Æthelflæd Ælfweard Athelstan the Glorious¹ Edmund the Magnificent¹ Eadred¹ Eadwig the Fair¹ Edgar the Peaceable¹ Edward the Martyr Æthelred the Unready Sweyn Forkbeard Edmund Ironside Cnut¹ Harold Harefoot Harthacnut Edward the Confessor Harold Godwinson Edgar the Ætheling
Kingdom of England 1066–1649	William I William II Henry I Stephen Matilda Henry II² Henry the Young King Richard I John² Henry III² Edward I² Edward II² Edward III² Richard II² Henry IV² Henry V² Henry VI² Edward IV² Edward V² Richard III² Henry VII² Henry VIII² Edward VI² Jane² Mary I² with Philip² Elizabeth I ² James I³ Charles I³
Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland 1653–1659	Oliver Cromwell⁴ Richard Cromwell⁴
Kingdom of England 1660–1707	Charles II³ James II³ William III and Mary II³ Anne³
Kingdom of Scotland 843–1707 (traditional)	Kenneth I MacAlpin Donald I Constantine I (II) Áed Giric Eochaid Donald II Constantine II (III) Malcolm I Indulf Dub Cuilén Amlaíb Kenneth II Constantine III (IV) Kenneth III Malcolm II Duncan I Macbeth Lulach Malcolm III Canmore Donald III Duncan II Donald III Edgar Alexander I David I Malcolm IV William I the Lion Alexander II Alexander III Margaret John Robert I David II Robert II Robert III James I James II James III James IV James V Mary I James VI ⁵ Charles I⁵ Charles II⁵ James VII⁵ Mary II⁵ William III⁵ Anne⁵
British monarchs after the Acts of Union 1707	Anne George I George II George III George IV William IV Victoria Edward VII George V Edward VIII George VI Elizabeth II Charles III
¹Overlord of Britain. ²Also ruler of Ireland. ³Also ruler of Scotland and Ireland. ⁴Lord Protector. ⁵Also ruler of England and Ireland. Debatable or disputed rulers are in italics.