However, the need for proved descent from a common ancestor related to the chiefly house is too restrictive. 1.3 Clans, the law and the legal processĬlan organisation Clan membership Īs noted above, the word clan is derived from the Gaelic word clann.1.2 Authority of the clans (the dùthchas and the oighreachd).Thus, by the eighteenth century the myth had arisen that the whole clan was descended from one ancestor, perhaps relying on Scottish Gaelic clann originally having a primary sense of 'children' or 'offspring'. Contrary to popular belief, the ordinary clansmen rarely had any blood tie of kinship with the clan chiefs, but they sometimes took the chief's surname as their own when surnames came into common use in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Most of the followers of the clan were tenants, who supplied labour to the clan leaders. Many clansmen, although not related to the chief, took the chief's surname as their own to either show solidarity, or to obtain basic protection or for much needed sustenance. It is a common misconception that every person who bears a clan's name is a lineal descendant of the chiefs. The most notable clan event of recent times was The Gathering 2009 in Edinburgh, which attracted at least 47,000 participants from around the world. Clans generally identify with geographical areas originally controlled by their founders, sometimes with an ancestral castle and clan gatherings, which form a regular part of the social scene. Many clans have their own clan chief those that do not are known as armigerous clans. By process of social evolution, it followed that the clans/families prominent in a particular district would wear the tartan of that district, and it was but a short step for that community to become identified by it. Historically, tartan designs were associated with Lowland and Highland districts whose weavers tended to produce cloth patterns favoured in those districts. The modern image of clans, each with their own tartan and specific land, was promulgated by the Scottish author Sir Walter Scott after influence by others. Most clans have their own tartan patterns, usually dating from the 19th century, which members may incorporate into kilts or other clothing. Clans give a sense of shared identity and descent to members, and in modern times have an official structure recognised by the Court of the Lord Lyon, which regulates Scottish heraldry and coats of arms. The Register, established in 1592 and kept in the Court of the Lord Lyon in Edinburgh, is acknowledged as being the most magnificent heraldic manuscript in Scotland.A Scottish clan (from Gaelic clann, literally 'children', more broadly 'kindred' ) is a kinship group among the Scottish people.
Every Clan Chief or family head has a Coat of Arms granted by the Lord Lyon King of Arms, which is listed in the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland.
These superbly detailed clan crest designs are approved by the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs, as authentic representations taken from the arms of the Chief of the Clans.
Only a Clan Chief may wear the crest without the strap and buckle. When not in use the belt was coiled around the crest and this convention is used in the clan crest badges of today. In Scotland's turbulent past it was the custom for Clan Chiefs to give their followers a metal plate of their crest, to be worn as a badge of allegiance which fastened to their clothing with a strap and buckle. Approved by Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs.