Celtic Democracy
D. Blair Gibson
Department of Anthropology
El Camino College
Torrance, California USA
“….to put the eldest of a kin in the headship
of that kin, and to put the person who
possesses most clients and power, if he is
as noble as his elder, in the sovereignty or
lordship.” (Dubhaltach mac Firbhisigh, in
Simms 1987:48-49)
Inspired by Heider 1991
Alliance (braithirse)
Chiefdom
Confederacy
Composite Chiefdom
(e.g. (mór túath e.g. Corcu
MoDruad)
Simple
Chiefdom
(túath)
Chiefdom
Confederacy
(e.g. Dál Cais)
Composite Chiefdom
Simple
chiefdom
Composite Chiefdom (16th cent.)
Simple Chiefdom,
8th/9th century
Éoganachta chiefdom
confederacy
Potential Iron Age chiefdom confederacies of Northern Munster
“Cennedíg left the assembly, for he did not
consider it an honorable or proper thing
that the kingship should be assigned away
from himself to another man. And
moreover, he did not consider it an
honorable thing that his brotherhood
(bhrathairsi) should be broken.” (Brugge
1905: 60).
• “The Gael then,,,,desired by election of
one high king (to whom they should all
submit) to be freed from this iniquity of the
English…(O’Grady 1929: 2)
• Assembly of the men of Clann Chuiléin.
Having thus disastrously suffered loss of
their good lord and noble chief, promptly
and judiciously they gather to elect a head.
(O’Grady 1929:12)
“Cúmheadha Mór Mac Conmara being thus
dead, and at his chief’s side buried in
Clonroad, the oirechta assembled to give
their adhesion to Donnchad, his good son:
a course to which they were already
resolved before Cúmheadha’s last breath
was drawn…What wonder then, I say,
though in that judicious conclave a
member of such noble parts were chosen
by acclaim? And the author celebrating his
election…” (O’Grady 1929:34-35)
“A non-kinsman does not take possession to
the detriment of a kinsman. For to every
mighty person belongs the reward of his
worth. One sits around the ‘cauldron of
worth’ and one only sits around the hearth
of a bóaire for the three nights that the
túath and the cenal together with their
lawful attendance deem proper. The chief
of every kin is he who sustains them by
virtue of worth/wealth and morality.
(Simms 1998:35-36)
“Whom the túatha elected for his personal
endowments: his own kin,for his brotherly
affection; his poets, for his qualifications in
liberality; his mercenaries, for his marital
enterprise;….” (O’Grady 1929:43)
Succession to Leadership in Non-Industrial
Societies
• Monarchical – succession is limited to the core members
of a royal family and narrowly follows prescribed rules of
succession, e.g. primogeniture.
• Aristocratic – successor is chosen by a conclave of
powerful aristocrats, usually selected from a “royal”
lineage, but not limited to the immediate descendants of
deceased leader. Example: Aztecs, Early Medieval Irish.
• Democratic – both aristocrats and non-aristocrats
participate in the choice of a leader. Leader is typically
an aristocrat. Example – 5th century BC Athens,
republican Rome, modern Samoa.
A Marquesan warrior
(toa) with trophy skull
Methods of removing underperforming
chieftains
- from the Annals of Ulster 605-825 AD
• “The slaying of Brandub…by his own kindred in
treachery. 5
• “Tarachin was expelled from the kingship” 5
• “Cernach…is treacherously killed by his own
criminal adherents…”
• “Eochaid…..was killed by his associates.” 2
• Fergus….died from the venomous spittles of
wicked people.
• The strangling of Conaing….
The killing of Motecuzoma II
Four Hypothetical correlates with more
democratic forms of succession
Feudal Political Economy
High Levels of Political
Violence
Historical Tradition of
Democracy
Degree of
Involvement of
Commoners in
Military Actions