Clan history still matters in modern Scotland
Jackie Mulheron
Sat 27 Nov 2004
Ewan, of the clan McGregor: Along with others of the same surname, the actor
is descended from Celtic royalty.
Picture: Jon Savage
Clan history still matters in modern Scotland
GILLIAN BOWDITCH
WHAT'S in a name? If the name happens to be affiliated to a Scottish clan,
the answer is an unparalleled connection to history, geography, literature
and romance.
The origins of the clan system may be lost in the mists of the political
turmoil and social opportunism of medieval Scotland. They may have been
fictionalised in the 19th century and exploited in the 20th. But the clans -
with their individual characteristics, traditions and legends - have
survived the Jacobite rebellion, the Act of Union, two world wars,
membership of the European Union, the breakdown of the nuclear family and
the increasing homogeneity of a global society.
Are they still relevant in 21st-century Scotland? Absolutely. They may have
been appropriated by the souvenir shops of the Royal Mile and used to hawk
no end of tartan memorabilia, but those lucky enough to be linked with a
clan have access to a rich and ready-made history and an instant kinship
which stretches around the globe.
It is this sense of family, of shared affiliations underpinned by Scots law,
which has given the clan system such a solid and enduring base, and it is
this that distinguishes the clans from other tribal groups.
In other countries, tribes and traditions have disappeared or are under
threat; ties of kinship and custom have been diluted. The clan system, by
contrast, has adapted and survived. It remains uniquely Scottish and has
given Scotland a distinct identity and the ability to punch above its weight
overseas.
As Scots travelled the world in the 18th and 19th centuries, they could have
been expected to abandon their clan loyalties. Instead, the diaspora
maintained a strong pride in their clan identities and passed this on to
their children. Today, some of the most thriving clan associations are to be
found overseas and the number of Scottish gatherings outside of Scotland
grows every year.
There is a great deal of snobbery in Scotland about overseas enthusiasm for
the clan, but one of the most appealing aspects of clanship is the way in
which the clans have managed to retain distinct and separate identities
without succumbing to exclusivity or elitism.
Membership is usually defined through surname, and most Scots can lay claim,
however tenuous, to some sept or branch.
In the modern world, where affiliations and affinities - be they to company,
educational establishment or birthplace - are often short-lived, clans
represent a sense of belonging and of continuity with the past. It doesn't
matter how transient you are, your association with clan lasts from cradle
to grave.
A MacGregor can feel a frisson of kinship with Ewan, the actor, or even
Jimmy, the folk singer. He may share the cussedness of Rob Roy, whose
tombstone at Balquhidder Church reads "MacGregor Despite Them".
He can't help but thrill to the knowledge that he is descended from the
ancient Celtic royal family through the hereditary Abbots of Glendochart and
that his family motto is "my race is royal".
And therein lies one of the keys to the enduring appeal of Scottish clans.
Whatever wrongs were done in the past in the name of kinship and feudalism -
and they are legion - the clans give every member a link to nobility. The
distinctive quality of the clan is that its members share a common descent,
however remote.
Perhaps this is where the Scots' egalitarianism, so eloquently praised by
Burns, comes from. We may not all be lairds or chiefs but we all have clan
blood coursing through our veins. For generations, the peasantry and the
aristocracy have been united by clan and neither has forgotten it.
Today, the clans provide a very personal link to almost a thousand years of
Scottish history. I am a Crawford on my mother's side and through my
marriage. My ancestors were impoverished miners, but the Crawfords can trace
their name back to the Normans. They settled in Lanarkshire and they feature
in the legendary incident which led to the foundation of the Abbey of
Holyrood, when Gregan Crawford, with a bit of divine intervention, was
instrumental in saving the king's life from a stag in 1127.
The stag appears on the Crawford coat of arms. Margaret Crawford was the
mother of Sir William Wallace. Sadly, it all went wrong in the 19th century
when Hugh Crawfurd, the 21st laird of Auchinames, hot-footed it to Canada
having flogged off the family lands.
The fortunes of clans may rise and fall - lands may be mortgaged, lost
through supporting the wrong side in war or gambled away - but clanship
gives every Scot a stake in their geography. We still refer to "Macdonald
country" or "Gunn territory". This strong association with place remains an
important feature of the Scottish psyche but perhaps more than anything
else, it is the clan sense of extended kinship that is the defining Scottish
characteristic.
Scots are travellers and adventurers. We tend not to be isolationist but are
well-connected with the wider world. Ask visitors to Scotland for their
impression of its people and they will nearly always cite friendliness as an
attractive trait. Scots are good at kinship. We are good at reaching out to
strangers without overwhelming them. We are adept at making people feel
welcome without making them feel smothered.
This easy ability to accommodate strangers has its roots in the clan system.
The tartan, the crests and castles are all very well but it is this sense of
kinship which is the most appealing element of the clanship. With more
people than ever taking an interest in family history, this is a real asset.
If you go searching for your roots in any other country, you will find
pieces of your past. If you search for your roots in Scotland, you will find
an extended family, rich in history, tradition and myth. Whether you choose
to embrace them or ignore them is up to you, but they will always be there.
. If for any reason your copy of The Scotsman today does not contain the
free Clan Map, call customer services on 0131-620 8400 and we will ensure
that you get one.
Michilín
<JackieM...@aol.com> wrote:
>http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/opinion.cfm?id=1361752004
>
>Sat 27 Nov 2004
>
>Ewan, of the clan McGregor: Along with others of the same surname, the actor
>is descended from Celtic royalty.
>Picture: Jon Savage
>
>Clan history still matters in modern Scotland
>
Fascinating article based on reality as may still be seen if
travelling in clan territirory and begins to notice the repetition of
the local clan name, like Mackay in Sutherland, or Matheson and
Urquhart in Easter Ross and MacLeod in Skye and Lewis.
Michilín
The Phantom Piper
<JackieM...@aol.com> wrote:
>http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/opinion.cfm?id=1361752004
With the exception of a very few (and very minor)
mistakes, which any journalist might make on such
an assignment, a most factual and well-written piece.
The further North one goes (i.e.: the further away
from Northern Einglischshire), the more one sees
of exactly what she is writing about. (Maugre the
demurrers of the resident Britclone-gallery here...)
Historically,
---The Phantom Piper
The Phantom Piper
(Michilín) wrote:
>Fascinating article based on reality as may still be seen if
>travelling in clan territirory and begins to notice the repetition of
>the local clan name, like Mackay in Sutherland, or Matheson and
>Urquhart in Easter Ross and MacLeod in Skye and Lewis.
Or Macpherson (or Mackintosh) in the Cairngorms. I see
that you have anticipated me. Yes, Britclones: it's all True.
Deal With It,
---The Phantom Piper