Order of succession: Difference between revisions

Historically 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 (social)|sept]]'', and elected by them in full assembly. The eligibility was based on descent from a king, which meant the electing body and the eligibles were [[agnate]]s with each other. Usually descent from the male lines of a king was allowed, however descent through the female lines of a king was also accepted, an example is King [[Eochaid ab Rhun|Eochaid]] who claimed the Scottish throne as the son of the daughter of [[Kenneth MacAlpin|Kenneth I]]. The composition and the governance of the clan were built upon descent from a similar ancestor. The office was noted from the beginning of recorded history in Ireland, and probably pre-dates it.

 

 

==Elective succession==