Scottish clan chief

Clan chief or clan chief (from Scottish Gaelic "children" clann, and English chief " leader, chief ": clan chief ) is the representative of the founding father and representative of a Scottish clan. In Scotland Clan members believe since early times, that they descended from a common ancestor, the founder and mostly named their clan.

In the Scottish clan system is the amtsinhabende Chief to the Chief of a Chieftain superior. Consequently, a Branch Chief ( head of a clan branch ) the intended successor of Chieftains. Clans without its own chief called armigerous communities.

Tasks of Clan Chiefs

Originally, the main task of the Chiefs was in the leadership of his clan in battles on land and in water. In the Scottish Highlands were the Chief and Chieftain once influential political figures wielded great, but often arbitrary authority. This is no longer the case, the title Chief or Chieftain today have only still has high social significance. Their existence was recognized by Scottish law, but made ​​the disarming of the Highland clans after the Jacobite Rising of 1745 for withdrawal of the Chiefs from the civil and statutory law. The most notable act was the " Heritable Jurisdictions Act 1746 ", which broke down the traditional rights of jurisdiction, the Clan Chiefs tion states by then.