The Highland Clan Structure
Hello Reader, I bring you part two of my blog posts on Scotland’s hierarchy in the High Middle Ages. Like I’ve said before, I am not a historian and much of this is my understanding of a structure I have not grown up with. I have, however, researched as best I can and included some of my sources below. Therefore, I encourage your own research if you wish a deeper understanding.
The introduction of feudalism in the Lowlands had altered their clan structure by this point in history. However, it continued to be structured much the same way as their ancestors had done in the Highlands and Islands.
As you no doubt know, the term ‘clan’ is defined as kin, or family. Yet to call every clan member a relative is, or was, a misnomer. Ultimately, the head of the clan chose who to accept into a clan. If a person lived on clan land, then I suspect it was likely that they would be considered as part of the clan. But if the lands were lost, then as freemen, they may shift allegiance to whoever gained the land. This is demonstrated in the Herschip of Buchan. In 1308, lands ruled by Clan Comyn were harried by order of Robert de Bruce for several months. Anyone still loyal to the clan saw their demesnes, homesteads, and livelihood destroyed. Ground down, the general populace lost their loyalty.
The head of the clan was the Chief (Ciann-Cinnidh). His power, however, was not absolute. It was granted by the clan and usually only after a demonstration of bravery and skill. Therefore, he was considered more like a father figure than like a feudal lord. He oversaw the lands, tended to the welfare of clan members (granting supplies as necessary), upheld the bloodline, ruled on matters of law, and retained men to protect the clan or led them into war (more on this later). He was also a direct descendant of the clan’s founding ancestor and not always wealthy. It was preferable that he had close relatives who had been chiefs themselves (father, grandfather, or great-grandfather). While line of succession usually favoured father to son, if a man was not deemed suitable, he could be overlooked by the clan – his brother, cousin, uncle, or even separate lines from a great grandfather could be chosen over him.
Ideally, a chief would announce his ‘heir’ either at his own inauguration ceremony, or at some point before his death. This no doubt prevented a lot of nasty politics (and bloodshed!). The heir would hold the title of Tanist. He was regarded as the same entity as the chief and often styled as ‘the young chief’. I can imagine there would have been a few instances of ‘I’m not dead yet!’ when an inevitably eager young tanist stepped on his father’s toes.
Should a chief be unable to fulfil his duty as a warrior – old age, injury, etc. – he could choose any clan member to be his war-leader (ceann-cath). This applied only in the context of leading the clan in battle. Likewise, if he struggled with law, he could appoint a dempster (judex) of his choosing. Regulating, and sometimes selecting, the chief was the clan council. A wise chief would consider their guidance on numerous matters. Being the heads of the clan’s houses, they would have a better grasp of clan sentiment. Also, they had the power to restrict a chief if they concluded he was no longer acting in the clan’s best interest. As a group, they were above the rest, alone, they took separate hierarchal positions depending on what’s laid out below.
The chief would always be accompanied by a body of twelve men, his bodyguards (leuchd-crios). They would be the best warriors and often came from the groups listed below. I like to think of them as being akin to a liege lord’s knights.
His ‘true family’ consisted of the fine. The derbhfine were the closest (parents, siblings, children, spouse) while the gilfine consisted of the rest (grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nephews/nieces, cousins). A chief’s wife would not be too dissimilar to a feudal lady with the added authority to form and lead, though not fight with, an army of clansmen in her husband’s stead.
Then came the chieftains (caenn-tighes), who were the family heads of the branches and septs. These heads could be more distant relatives or completely unrelated. Some may be smaller clans who bonded themselves in return for protection through manrent or, prior to 1442, rentinencia. The highest of the chieftains was the eldest chieftain. The sources I found were rather hard to decipher, but I believe this to be the chief’s second son. He is the right-hand man. Again, this is speculation on my part, but from what I read I concluded that he had the authority to rally the clan and such like, if the need arose.
Finally, the remaining gentry (daoin’-uasail) and the subordinates (duthaig-n’daoine) formed the remaining members of the clan. And dependants of the Chief – be they by blood, common name, men broken from other clans or other followers, or an ancestral claim to the land – were known as the sencliathe.
It’s a lot to take in, right? Then there’s the fact that many members would/could/did hold many roles. And this is not including the likes of the sennachie (oral historian/storyteller), chamberlains, seneschals, clerics, and other more generic offices that could be found. Especially if that chief’s seat was a demesne or barony. Even more confusing was that clan members were free to keep their own names or take the clan’s name; many chose the latter out of respect.
I should conclude here, but I really want to include this amazing history titbit. In my last blog post, I called Robert de Bruce King of Scots, and not King of Scotland. This is an important distinction and it all harks back to the clan structure. A clan chief is chief of his people and the same applied to Robert. His chiefs consent to him being their overchief, the king, but if they became unsatisfied, then they have the right to find a new one. This is outlined in The Declaration of Arbroath. I wonder, if Bonnie Prince Charlie had not been so intent on regaining the English throne, could he under a similar clause, have become another King of Scots?
A thought for another time, perhaps.
Sources
The Clans, Septs and Regiments of the Scottish Highlands, by Frank Adam, revised by Innes of Learney, Fourth Edition, 1952.
Collins Scottish Clan and Family Encyclopedia, by George Way of Plean and Romilly Squire, 1994.
School Of The Moon, by Stuart McHardy, Kindle Edition
On Septs and Branches https://clancoutts.ning.com/page/septs
A clan map of Scotland (Source: Gsl, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
