Tanistry was a system for passing on titles and lands. In this system the Tanist (Irish Tánaiste; Scottish Gaelic Tànaiste; Manx Tanishtagh) was the office of heir-apparent, or second-in-command, among the (royal) Gaelic patrilineal dynasties of Ireland, Scotland and Man, to succeed to the chieftainship or to the kingship. The Tánaiste (IPA: ; plural Tánaistí ), or, more formally, An Tánaiste[1], is the deputy prime minister of the Republic of Ireland. ... // Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. ... The Gaels are an ethno-linguistic group which spread from Ireland to many parts of Britain, specifically Scotland, the Isle of Man, Wales and Cornwall. ... Patrilineality is a system in which one belongs to ones fathers lineage; it generally involves the inheritance of property, names or titles through the male line as well. ... Motto (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity Cha togar mfhearg gun dioladh (Scottish Gaelic) Wha daur meddle wi me?(Scots)1 Anthem (Multiple unofficial anthems) Scotlands location in Europe Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic and Scots1 Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Monarch Queen Elizabeth II... Motto (Latin) Whithersoever you throw it, it will stand Anthem Isle of Man National Anthem Capital (and largest city) Douglas Official languages Manx, English Government    -  Lord of Mann Elizabeth II  -  Lieutenant Governor Sir Paul Haddacks  -  First Deemster Michael Kerruish  -  President of Tynwald Noel Cringle  -  Chief Minister Tony Brown Status Crown... The Chief of the Name is the recognized head of a family or clan. ... Look up monarch in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Origins

The Tanist was chosen from among the heads of the roydammna or "righdamhna" (literally, those of kingly material) or alternatively among all males of the sept in question, and elected by them in full assembly. The eligibility was based on patrilineal relationship, which meant the electing body and the eligibles were agnates with each other; actually the composition and the governance of the clan were built upon male-line descent from a common ancestor. The office existed since the dawn of recorded history in Ireland, and probably greatly pre-dates it. For example, a story concerning Cormac mac Airt lists his eldest son as his Tanist. Following his death at the hands of a member of the Deisi (and the blemishing of Cormac during the same incident), another roydammna, Cairbre Lifechair, succeeded as King. A sept is a division of a family, especially a division of a clan. ... Patrilineality (a. ... Cormac Mac Airt is probably the most famous of the ancient kings of Ireland, and is now thought to have been an authentic historical king. ... Decies was an ancient principality in southern Ireland. ... Cairbre Lifechair (lover of the Liffey), son of Cormac mac Airt, was a legendary High King of Ireland of the 3rd century. ...

In Ireland, it remained fully in force among the main dynasties, as well as lesser lords and cheiftains, until the early 17th century, and lingered, albeit in much reduced form, until as late as the 1840s. It was revived in the 20th century for the purposes of Clan gatherings, especially by fully organised clans with membership deeply aware and appreciative of their history. The Gaelic exported their customs, this included, to those parts of Scotland they came to control.

Contrary to some beliefs, apparently the Pictish (the other foundational ethnicity of today's Scotland), did not share the succession principles of their distant celtic relatives of Ireland and Scottish Gaels. There is basically no female succession or even allowing for through female links in the Irish and Gaelic succession model, i.e ideal form of this tanistry, whereas Pictish succession more than regularly used links through females (maternal grandson apparently was preferred heir to grandfather; and/or maternal nephew to uncle in Pictish custom). Tanist also is a foreign term to the Pictish. The Picts inhabited Caledonia (Scotland), north of the River Forth. ... Motto (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity Cha togar mfhearg gun dioladh (Scottish Gaelic) Wha daur meddle wi me?(Scots)1 Anthem (Multiple unofficial anthems) Scotlands location in Europe Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic and Scots1 Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Monarch Queen Elizabeth II...

Candidates and functions

The Tanist held office for life and was required by custom to be of full age, in possession of all his faculties and without any remarkable blemish of mind or body. At the same time, and subject to the same conditions, a tanist or next heir to the Monarchy was elected, who if the king died or became disqualified, at once became king. Most usually a former king's son became tanist (sometimes the son of the king simultaneously elected, however perhaps more often a son of a rival branch of the dynasty), but not because the system of primogeniture was in any way recognized; indeed, the only principle adopted was that the dignity of chieftainship should descend to the eldest and most worthy of the same male-line blood of the clan. “Kingdom” redirects here. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ...

The flag of Ulster with the Red Hand.

The usual rules for qualification as a roydammna was that a candidate had to be a member of the "Derbfhine", a kindred all descended in the male line from a common ancestor (usually a great grandfather or great-great grandfather). This is recalled in the coats of arms of representatives of the many clans and septs descended from the Uí Néill royal dynasty, many of which feature the Red Hand. The joints in the fingers, the fingernails, and the hand itself, represented the four/five generations that qualified for inclusion within the Derbfhine. This meant that the group itself became highly exclusive, keeping the kingship within the dynasty and not the wider clan, many of whom were reduced to mere gentry or even peasant status (though they might too share the surname). (These features make tanistry as a clearly agnatic succession mode, and a succession by appointment, being obviously an elective monarchy. The basic requirement of the nature of hereditary monarchy, i.e the outcome of the succession being predictable up to the identity of successor and next heirs by genealogy, is not fulfilled in tanistry.) Image File history File links Flag_of_Ulster. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ulster. ... The Flag of Ulster The Flag of Ulster, one of the four provinces of Ireland, consists of a red cross on a golden field (from the arms of Norman coloniser, John de Courcy), charged with a white shield and the red hand. ... Red Hand redirects here. ... Heraldry is the science and art of describing of coats-of-arms, also referred to as achievements or armorial bearings. ... The Uí Néill (Irish for descendants of Niall Uí pronounced Ee: ) were an Irish dynasty who claimed descent from Niall Noigiallach (Niall of the Nine Hostages), a semi-historical High King of Ireland who died about 405. ... Salic law ... Elective used as a adjective means that it is optional and chosen, for example, by election. ... A hereditary monarchy is the most common style of monarchy and is the form that is used by almost all of the worlds existing monarchies. ... Genealogy is the study and tracing of family pedigrees. ...

The downside of this large and equal group of eligibles was that proliferation of roydammna in each generation might lead to internecine dynastic civil war. Such was the case among the descendants of King and High King Tairrdelbach mac Ruaidri Ua Conchobair (1088-1156). His dynasty, the Sil Muirdeag (who took the surname hUa Conchobhair/O'Connor), had successfully ruled as Kings of Connacht since at least the mid-5th century. Their increasing consolidation of their position - via the annexation of the Kingdoms of Mide and Dublin, plus suborning neighbouring states and lordships to vassalage - paved the way for Tairrdelbach to become the first of his dynasty to become High King. Tairrdelbach mac Ruaidri Ua Conchobair (1088-1156), whose name is often anglicised to Turlough O Connor, was King of Connacht and became the first High King of Ireland from west of the Shannon in centuries. ... Events Succession of Pope Urban II (1088-1099) Work begins on the third and largest church at Cluny Rebellion of 1088 against William II of England lead by Odo of Bayeux. ... Events Prince Yuriy Dolgorukiy fortifies Moscow, regarded as the date of the founding of the city Establishment of the Carmelite Order Hogen Rebellion in Japan January 20 - According to legend, freeholder Lalli slays English crusader Bishop Henry with an axe on the ice of the lake Köyliönjärvi... The Kings of Connacht were rulers of the cóiced (variously translated as portion, fifth, province) of Connacht, which lies west of the River Shannon, Ireland. ... In medieval Ireland, the Kings of Mide were of the Clann Cholmain, a branch of the Uí Néill. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Leinster County: Dáil Éireann: Dublin Central, Dublin North Central, Dublin North East, Dublin North West, Dublin South Central, Dublin South East European Parliament: Dublin Dialling Code: 01, +353 1 Postal District(s): D1-24, D6W Area: 114. ...

However competition between Tairrdelbach's many sons induced corrosive warfare between at least four competing main lines, in addition to allied lordships and kingdoms striving for the main chance. This, coupled with the incursions of the Normans from 1169 onwards (especially the machinations of the de Burgh lords of Clanricarde - fragmented O Conchobhar rule till by the early 1500s they were reduced to ruling a fraction of their former patrimony. Norman conquests in red. ... Events Nur ad-Din invades Egypt, and his nephew Saladin becomes the sultan over the territory conquered by Nur ad-Din. ... Clanricarde was both a territory and a title - The Clanricarde used to describe the Burkes of what is now Co. ...

Another example of Derbfhine or Roydammna proliferation comes from the Annals of Connacht. It states that at the Second Battle of Athenry in August 1316, in addition to King Tadc O Cellaig of Hy-Many, "there fell with him ... twenty-eight men who were entitled to succeed to the kingship of Ui Maine." Second Battle of Athenry Conflict Bruce Wars Date August 10, 1316 Place Athenry near Galway, Ireland Result Irish are decimated leading to the height of Norman rule in the area. ... Events Pope John XXII elected to the papacy. ... Hy-Many, or Ui Maine, was one of the oldest and largest kingdoms located in Connacht, Ireland. ...

Further points

This system often lead to rotation between most prominent branches of the clan or the reigning house, particularly in the Middle Ages when an average lifespan was usually shorter than required for one's children grow up into adults. Tanistry, though not intended basically to be such, was perceived to be synonymous with balance between branches of family. A quite usual pattern was that the chief (king, lord) was succeeded by his Tanist, elected earlier and from another branch than that which the incumbent chief belonged to, and perhaps simultaneously upon that succession, a Tanist was elected, to fill the position vacated by the one now risen to chieftainship, from another branch, quite often from that to which the deceased belonged to - perhaps, the deceased's son. And so on in the next vacancy. It came to be regarded a sort of outrage if a chieftain attempted to have his own son (or brother) chosen over a representative of another branch, the electors fearing centralization and subjugation to one branch. The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ...

A most publicized case was when the Bruce candidate to inherit the crown of Scotland in 1296 pleaded, among other grounds, the traditional tanistry in his favor. He was primogeniturally seen from a cadet branch of the old royal descent, and thus primogeniture would not have favored him, but idea of rotation and balance (and his seniority in physical age and experience) made him a credible competitor. A presumably Pictish ingredient to the situation was that both Balliol and Bruce descended through female lines from the royal house, a relationship not dependable on any Irish principle of succession lines, and were allowed to present candidacy, Bruce also claiming tanistry through a female line. This may be an indication that in Scotland, Pictish and Irish succession rules were intermingled. (Although the judicial resolution of that quarrel, dictated by the feudally-leaning English king, went in favor of the Balliols on basis of primogeniture, the subsequent political events reverted that result to an incidentally more "clannish-tradition" direction, and Robert the Bruce, the grandson of the candidate who pleaded tanistry, ascended the throne despite of the fact of representing a rather junior cadet line of the original Royal House - all future monarchs of Scotland then were succeeding on basis of rights of the Bruce.) This does not cite its references or sources. ... In noble families, the title of nobility is usually passed to the first-born son, although more recently it has often passed to the eldest offspring regardless of gender, e. ...

Tanistry as the system of succession left the headship open to the ambitious, and was a frequent source of strife both in families and between the clans, but was conversely quasi-democratic. Tanistry was abolished by a legal decision in the reign of James VI of Scotland, who later became James I of England and Ireland, and the English land system substituted. [1] James Stuart (19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scots as James VI, and King of England and King of Ireland as James I. He ruled in Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567, when he was only one year old. ...

The rules of succession of the dynasty of Alpin of kings of Scotland, a dynasty legendarily of mixed Pictish and Gaelic origin and their successors, abided by tanistry rules until at least 1034, used them in certain successions in 1090s, and were pleaded as a part of succession litigation as late as in 1290s. A similar system operated in Wales, where under Welsh law any of the sons or brothers of the king could be chosen as the edling or heir to the kingdom. The House of Alpin is a dynasty of Scottish kings that ruled Scotland from 843 to 1058. ... This is a list of British monarchs, that is, the monarchs on the thrones of some of the various kingdoms that have existed on, or incorporated, the island of Great Britain, namely: England (united with Wales from 1536) up to 1707; Scotland up to 1707; The Kingdom of Great Britain... Events April 11 - Empress Zoe of Byzantium marries her chamberlain and elevates him to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael IV. Franche-Comté becomes subject to the Holy Roman Empire. ... This article is about the country. ... Codified by Hywel Dda (Hywell the Good) in the early 10th century, the laws of the Welsh Princes were significantly more complex than would be found in other ares of Western Europe for centuries. ...

Current political uses

The word is preserved in the government of the Republic of Ireland, where the prime minister is the Taoiseach while the deputy prime minister is the Tánaiste. The Taoiseach (IPA: or ) — plural: Taoisigh ( or ), also referred to as An Taoiseach[1], is the head of government of Ireland or prime minister. ... The Tánaiste (IPA: ; plural Tánaistí ), or, more formally, An Tánaiste[1], is the deputy prime minister of the Republic of Ireland. ...

Uses in Literature and Neo-Paganism

The concept of the tanist or substitute for the sacred king was taken by Sir James Frazer and incorporated as a central element in his study of European mythologies, The Golden Bough. Through Frazer the figure of the tanist has appeared in modernist poetry, such as T. S. Eliot's The Waste Land and has influenced Robert Graves' interpretation of The Greek Myths (1955) and The White Goddess. Tanist figures appear in much popular neo-paganism. A sacred king, according to the systematic interpretation of mythology developed by Sir James George Frazer in his influential book The Golden Bough, was a king who represented a solar deity in a periodically re-enacted fertility rite. ... Sir James George Frazer (January 1, 1854, Glasgow, Scotland – May 7, 1941), was a Scottish social anthropologist influential in the early stages of the modern studies of mythology and comparative religion. ... The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion is a wide-ranging comparative study of mythology and religion, written by Scottish anthropologist Sir James George Frazer (1854–1941). ... Thomas Stearns Eliot, OM (September 26, 1888 – January 4, 1965), was a poet, dramatist and literary critic. ... The Waste Land (1922), sometimes mistakenly written as The Wasteland, is a highly influential 434-line modernist poem by T. S. Eliot. ... Robert von Ranke Graves (24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985) was an English poet, scholar, and novelist. ... The Greek Myths (1955) is a comprehensive anthology of Greek mythology, published in two volumes. ... The author and poet Robert Graves study of the nature of poetic myth-making, The White Goddess, first published in 1948, and revised, amended and enlarged in 1966, represents a tangential approach to the study of mythology from a decidedly idiosyncratic perspective. ... Neopaganism (sometimes Neo-Paganism, meaning New Paganism) is a heterogeneous group of religions which attempt to revive ancient, mainly European pre-Christian religions. ...

In the "Proteus" episode of Joyce's Ulysses the term is used in an ironic context. Stephen Dedalus recalls his meeting in Paris with the exiled Fenian Kevin Egan, who had "prowled with colonel Richard Burke, tanist of his sept, under the walls of Clerkenwell" as they planned an explosion to free an imprisoned Fenian. James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (Irish Séamus Seoighe; 2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish expatriate writer, widely considered to be one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. ... Ulysses is a novel by James Joyce, first serialized in parts in the American journal The Little Review from March 1918 to December 1920, and then published in its entirety by Sylvia Beach on February 2, 1922, in Paris. ... Irony is a literary or rhetorical device, in which there is a gap or incongruity between what a speaker or a writer says and what is generally understood (either at the time, or in the later context of history). ... Stephen Dedalus was James Joyces early pen name and the name of the main character of his early novel Stephen Hero. ... Fenian is a term used since the 1850s for Irish nationalists (who oppose British rule in Ireland). ... Clerkenwell Green and St James church Clerkenwell is an area of central London in the London Borough of Islington. ...

Blood tanistry

Blood tanistry is the principle that “the most talented male member of the royal dynasty should inherit the throne, commonly by murder and war” (Fletcher, Joseph. 1979. “Turco-Mongolian Monarchic Traditions in the Ottoman Empire”. Harvard Ukrainian Studies 3: 236-251). It is used to describe the practical ramifications of the Turco-Mongol as well as other Central Asian steppe nomad principles of inheritance and succession, in which, because all male members of the royal clan are considered to have equally legitimate claims on power in theory, the ruler is the individual who is most able to eliminate competitors and re-subjugate the rest of the state formation, the structure of which is determined by bonds of personal loyalty to the ruler which are considered to be dissolved on the ruler's death. Motto دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1680, see: list of territories Capital Söğüt (1299–1326) Bursa (1326–65) Edirne (1365–1453) Constantinople (Ä°stanbul, 1453–1922) Language(s) Ottoman Turkish Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 Osman I  - 1918–22 Mehmed VI... Central Asia is a region of Asia. ... Kazakh nomads in the steppes of the Russian Empire, ca. ...

See also

• Chiefs of the Name
• High King of Ireland
• Kingdoms of ancient Ireland
• Primogeniture
• Agnatic seniority
• Elective monarchy
• Order of succession
• Dynasty
• Clan
• Patrilineal
• Partible inheritance

The Chief of the Name is the recognized head of a family or clan. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... The earliest known kingdoms or tribes in Ireland are referred to in Ptolemys Geography, written in the 2nd century. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... In hereditary monarchies, particularly in more ancient or in more underdeveloped times, seniority was a much-used principle of order of succession. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... An order of succession is a formula or algorithm that determines who inherits an office upon the death, resignation, or removal of its current occupant. ... // For other uses, see Dynasty (disambiguation). ... A clan is a group of people united by kinship and descent, which is defined by perceived descent from a common ancestor. ... Patrilineality is a system in which one belongs to ones fathers lineage; it generally involves the inheritance of property, names or titles through the male line as well. ... Partible inheritance is a general term applied to systems of inheritance in which property may be divided between heirs. ...

Reference

• "Irish Kings and High Kings", Francis John Bryne, Dublin, 1973.

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. Encyclopædia Britannica, the 11th edition The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911) is perhaps the most famous edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...