What is an arminger?
Medieval Heraldry holds to a complex set of rules and regulations… Read More
What do Landed Property, Clare Constat, and Sasine have to do with the title of Chief?
Who is the projenitor of Clan MacTavish?
The founder of Clan MacTavish was Tamhais Mhór — Tavis the Great — born around 1145 AD. According to Patrick L. Thompson’s research in History of Clan MacTavish, Tamhais Mhór took lands in Cowal during the 12th century, earning him the appellation “the Great,” and is considered the eponymous first chief of the clan in Knapdale. You may encounter older sources, including some early Campbell genealogies, that name a “Taus Coir” or “Tavis Coir” as the clan’s progenitor — describing him as a son of Colin Maol Maith and a daughter of Suibhne Ruadh (Sween the Red), builder of Castle Sween, with Colin Maol Maith said to have died at Dunstaffnage Castle fighting for King Alexander I. This account comes entirely from Campbell-derived traditional genealogies — among them the Craignish Manuscript and the writings of Buchanan of Auchmar — which describe Tavis Coir as an illegitimate Campbell descendant. Patrick L. Thompson’s research treats this tradition with considerable caution: the Dunstaffnage episode cannot be independently verified, and Argyll and the Isles were under Norse rather than Scottish royal authority at the time it is said to have occurred. Thompson’s own analysis suggests Tavis Coir may in fact be a later figure — possibly a son of Tamhais Mhór himself — rather than the founder, though the surviving records do not allow this to be established with certainty. Our position, based on the earliest independently verifiable evidence, is that Clan MacTavish’s documented identity as an independent patronymic predates any proposed Campbell connection by decades: the Glenmasan Manuscript of 1238 AD, held in the National Library of Scotland, names “Eoin M’Tavis” — John MacTavish — as an established name in its own right, well before the first dateable Campbell ancestor appears in any record. – Learn more about Clan MacTavish’s ancient history.
What is the proper way to address the Chief, either verbally or in writing?
The old style of address was that when a Chief had charter lands, he was known by his lands’ name: Dundardry (pronounced: Duh-nar-dree). Alternatively, he would formally be called by his name: Steven MacTavish of Dunardry. Many times, we simply call him “Chief.” Respect is shown in this manner and in celebration of our Scottish Heritage.
What is the significance of the eagle feathers? & What do the numbers mean?
wears two eagle feathers to denote his position. An Arminger, one who has petitioned for and been granted a coat of arms by Lord Lyon, wears a single eagle feather, as do individuals appointed a position of honor in the Clan by the Chief.