Series 1 > Loyall dissuasive

INTRODUCTION
Ixxxi
his men were drowned with him.’ It was natural that the
holy things of saints should be committed to the care of such
as Gilbert, and if he founded a family, it was to be expected
that the ecclesiastical links would be maintained in it. His
descendant was Gillie Chattan Mor, the distinguished head of
Clan Chattan, and himself either Maormore of Moray, or in the
line of succession. Ordinarily he is spoken of as belonging to
Malcolm Ceannmore’s time, but his grandson, Heth, who mar¬
ried Lulach’s daughter, was contemporary of that monarch.
This would take Gillie Chattan Mor some years further
back. Lulach’s father was Gillacomgan, Maormore of Moray,
and his mother was Gruoch, who afterwards married Macbeth.
Gillacomgan died in 1032, and apparently was succeeded
at once by Macbeth. Lulach was born shortly before his
father’s death. I should be inclined to say that Gillie
Chattan Mor was born not after 960. According to Mr.
W. F. Skene this great chief of Clan Chattan had two sons,
Neachtan and Neill. From Neachtan, according to the same
authority, are descended the Macphersons, and from Neill
come the Mackintoshes. The times were critical as to lineal
claims. The old Pictish right of inheritance was through the
mother, the father being little regarded. The Scottish rule
was through the father by the law of tanistry, that is, that
the sons of a particular father should all inherit, one after the
other, before the sons of the eldest son could come in. This
system had given place in the Lowlands and among the
southern Piets to direct inheritance from father to son. Here
was one element of trouble for the Moravians. The Danish
domination in the north and west was another. There was in
the midst of things a Macbeth, with Gruoch for a wife, sowers
•of strife. Duncan i., the Gracious, was too gracious for the
situation. It took long to bring the national confusion into
order, and longer still to adjust the quarrel originating between
the children of Neachtan’and Neill; indeed we are still in search
of a common ground where peace with honour may be achieved.
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