Then there is light thrown upon the civil arrangements of the Celtic
state. We read nothing of chiefs and clans, but we have Mormaors
(great officers), and Toiseachs (leaders), the next officer in point
of rank, understood to be connected with the military arrangements
of the country, the one being the head of the civil and the other of
the military organisation. At this time there was a Celtic kingdom
in Scotland, with a well established and well organised government,
entirely different from what appears afterwards under the feudal
system of the Anglo-Saxons, when the people became divided into
clans, each under their separate chiefs, waging perpetual war with
each other. Of all this the Book of Deer cannot and does not speak
authoritatively, but it indicates the belief of the twelfth century
with regard to the state of the sixth.
The farther Gaelic contents of the Book of Deer are notices of grants
of land conferred by the friends of the institution. None of these
are real charters, but the age of charters had come, and it was
important that persons holding lands should have some formal title
to them. Hence the notices of grants inscribed on the margin of this
book, all without date, save that there is a copy of a Latin charter
of David I., who began his reign in the year 1124.
The _memoranda_ of grants to the monastery are in one case headed
with the following blessing--_Acus bennact inchomded arcecmormar
acusarcectosech chomallfas acusdansil daneis_. “And the blessing
of the one God on every governor and every leader who keeps this,
and to their seed afterwards.” The first grant recorded follows
immediately after the legend given above. It narrates that Comgeall
mac eda gave from Orti to Furene to Columba and to Drostan; that
Moridach M’Morcunn gave Pit mac Garnait and Achad toche temni, the
former being Mormaor and the latter Toiseach. Matain M’Caerill gave
a Mormaor’s share in Altin (not Altere, as in the Spalding Club’s
edition), and Culn (not Culii) M’Batin gave the share of a Toiseach.
Domnall M’Giric and Maelbrigte M’Cathail gave Pett in muilenn to
Drostan. Cathal M’Morcunt gave Achad naglerech to Drostan. Domnall
M’Ruadri and Malcolum M’Culeon gave Bidbin to God and to Drostan.
Malcolum M’Cinatha (Malcolm the Second) gave a king’s share in Bidbin
and in Pett M’Gobroig, and two davachs above Rosabard. Malcolum
M’Mailbrigte gave the Delerc. Malsnecte M’Luloig gave Pett Malduib
to Drostan. Domnall M’Meic Dubhacin sacrificed every offering to
Drostan. Cathal sacrificed in the same manner his Toiseach’s share,
and gave the food of a hundred every Christmas, and every Pasch to
God and to Drostan. Kenneth Mac meic Dobarcon and Cathal gave Alterin
alla from Te (Tigh) na Camon as far as the birch tree between the
two Alterins. Domnall and Cathal gave Etdanin to God and to Drostan.
Cainneach and Domnall and Cathal sacrificed all these offerings to
God and to Drostan from beginning to end free, from Mormaors and from
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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