Clans and Septs

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Traditionally Scotland was a matriarchal society, this being the practice of the Picts. One took the father's name but traced bloodlines through the mother. I can only assume this was somewhat unwieldy, but that's the way it was, at least in pre-Christian times.

I hear this claim made frequently, but I wonder what the evidence is. For example, in the above statement, it is said that in pre-Christian times one took the father's name but traced bloodlines through the mother. But there are some series problems with this statement. For instance, the use of inherited surnames (the same last name being passed on from one generation to the next) didn't really come to Scotland until the twelfth century, and the practice was not seen in Gaelic Scotland until centuries after that. So to talk of taking your father's name in pre-Christian times is very anachronistic.

Another problem I have with this is that all of the by-names we see being used in Gaelic society prior to the use of actual surnames all relate to the father's line, not the mother's. MacDonald = Son of Donald. MacLaren = Son of Lawrence. MacKenzie = Son of Kenneth. (All these are Anglicized equivalents just given for example). The only time someone would style themselves as "son of [mother's name]" would be when their mother was an unusually important figure. And the only example that springs to mind of this is Connor MacNessa (Irish). This example stands out so much because it is so extremely rare.

So I just wonder, really, what the evidence is for Scotland ever being a matrilinial society?

~M