So I was looking into Scottish history when I came across this interesting character, King Dubh or Kenneth the Niger, who seems to have a disputed ethnic origin, with some claiming that he was black or moorish. This doesn't sound right to me but I haven't been able to find solid information about him online, the only discussions I've found on the topic were from communities that ranged from afrocentric revisionists on one side to... stormfront, on the other. Not very reliable.
Can anyone here shed some light on this? Does "the black" (or "the brown" in his son's case) have a similar meaning to "black irish", ie hair colour? Is it based on a more obscure reading of the word 'dubh', like how it translates to 'hidden' in 'sgian-dubh' for example? Or was there really such a black presence in Scotland during this time period?
Sgian dubh is better translated the "dark knife" in the sense of its being hidden for evil purposes. One of the reasons the sgian dubh is worn in the hose is to have it in the open, declaring its bearer to have no evil intentions. It ceases at the point of be a concealed weapon, held in secret for dark purposes. Because of its small size, it was easily hidden, to be pulled out at the right moment for assassination.
A person called dubh (the "bh" turns into a "v" or soften "f' sound) because he has dark hair, is of dark complexion, or because he is of a dark character, meaning he is capable of evil deeds. We cannot credit someone with this sort of nickname as indicating an African origin. That would be a stretch.
edit to provide source for sgian dubh.