The Values of the Clans
By Hugh Allison
The Spirit of the Highlands is embodied by the values nurtured by the culture of the clan system and they still provide a compass for Highlanders today.
'Clan' is the Gaelic word for children, yet anthropologists often borrow the word to describe other societies recognised by four prime characteristics - kinship, territory, honour and tradition.
Kinship is not necessarily that of blood, and can just as easily be an innate sense of belonging.
Territory was recognised by the clan battle cries - often calls from the heart to beautiful and memorable places in the Highlands.
Honour (a trident having the three points of duty, honour and obligation) is the only virtue we bring with us into the world at birth and our lifelong task is to nurture it.
We learn from the past by respecting tradition, keeping what is good, dispensing with what is not, and so growing as a result.
Two further values stand out. A lighted window, a peat fire and a warm welcome is what made travel through our rugged land possible, and is the origin of the highland hospitality so famed today. The number three has always been loved by Highlanders. The ancient laws were stated in groupings of three because, as a standpoint it avoids the destructive duality of thought - the simplistic two-sided good/bad or black/white worldview that cripples spiritual growth and learning. Famous threes include earth, sea and sky; maiden, mother and wise-woman, and most importantly for the Spirit of the Highlands - yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
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Share your stories of clans and your ancestral links to the Highlands and Islands
Stories are at the heart of what we do as a project and we are always looking to learn more about what the Highlands and Islands means to people who live, work, and visit here.
Inspired by this story we would love to know, how does the 'Spirit of the Highlands and Islands' manifest itself in your heritage? Are there any people from your family history, an distant relative or another figure, that you feel represent the 'Spirit of the Highlands and Islands' for you? Tell us below, we can't wait to hear from you!
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