Clan Davidson, the Paternal Surname

Ahhh! The clang of swords precedes a desperate lunge into the icy waters below. The diver, scarred and exhausted, is in free fall, but he knows that if he survives the flight, then he might make it to the distant shore. How did this confrontation happen? No time to answer now, but once ashore, he can seek cover among the terrain, mend his wounds, use his tartan colors to stay warm, regain his strength, and cling to life. Most importantly, this lone survivor can preserve the legacy of Clan Davidson, its fallen members, and fight another day.

A vivid interpretation of this period appears in the heroic depiction of thirteenth-century Scottish commoner William Wallace, as portrayed by actor Mel Gibson in the 1995 Academy Award–winning film Braveheart. For this discussion, the timeline of 1066–1485 denotes the European Middle Ages. During this period, barbaric clashes between royalty and clans, among clans for power and among countries for control of the landscape of Europe and its Old World traditions, were common. For example, the battle of the North Inch at Perth took place in 1396. At the battle, Scottish lore recounted that a number of young warriors, members to the Clan Chattan Confederation, lost their lives over an internal dispute of who should take precedence in order of battle against the common enemy. Although the battle was fought centuries ago, the cause and effect of the historic encounter still provides kindle for a longstanding clan feud between members of the Davidson Clan and the McPherson Clan, as told by Scottish lore.

The structure of the Old World class system sought to maintain the line or stability of power between the order of nobility and serfdom in Scotland, instituted since the country's birth in the ninth century. European historical records indicate that Scotland first fell under English rule in the twelfth century. The Scottish resistance was led by men like William Wallace, who lost his life following years of Scottish insurrection. Later, in the fourteenth century, Robert the Bruce defeated the English on the battlefield and won back Scottish independence.

The young warrior of Clan Davidson in the opening tale has survived the ordeal of battle and subsequently escaped his adversary with seemingly superficial scratches, scrapes, and exhaustion. Hypothetically, there were two questions that he could have pondered during the period called the European Middle Ages: What new challenges await me when I return home to my dwelling place? What do I have to look forward to in the villages and towns about the kingdom of Scotland?

The magic of modern cinema, romantic literature, and traditional history books in the mainstream may focus on the lighter view of early cultural periods in more wittiness and glamour than address the darker realities of the time period. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a vivid illustration of how the periods of the European Middle Ages, the colonization of the New World, and the period of antebellum may have impacted the germination of the ancestral seed of Adam.

Life in the European Middle Ages

For a young male warrior, life in the European Middle Ages was challenging. Information technology of the new millennium allows access to the vast repository of historians used as reference sources in providing interpretations of the conditions that the young male warrior faced during his lifetime. The conditions were often created by the chaos of birthright and social position of another. Male domination in the positions of kings and feudal lords from the houses of Plantagenet and Lancaster ruled Western Europe, led by royal lineage of the Norman king who constructed the Tower of London: William the Conqueror. This lineage included King Richard the Lionheart; King John, under whom the Magna Carta was signed; King Edward I, against whom William Wallace and Robert the Bruce resisted; King Edward III, who sat on the throne when the bubonic plague ("the Black Death") killed thousands of people; and King Henry VI, who ruled when the Gutenberg printing press printed the first Bibles. Notwithstanding, the kings and feudal lords were under the enormous influence of the Catholic Church in Rome.

Under the principle of feudalism, the countryside was owned by the favored ruling classes and filled with castles, and the cities fabricated behind protective walls by order of the monarch. As a result, the serfs (lower-class peasants) were dependent on the ruling class for their livelihood and protection. They owned little or no property or the yield of the harvest, yet the church and the king heavily taxed them. The practice of torture was used liberally to maintain order and the social structure.

This class social structure was the reason for continuous barbaric clashes with adversaries, which were mandatory activities for the young warrior. Under adverse environmental conditions, medieval villages and towns faced overpopulation. The population also faced numerous social challenges in their daily lives: the fear of famine, poor diets (or subsistence), ignorance and illiteracy, poor hygiene, woolen garments and clothing, lack of adequate housing as protection against the harsh weather conditions, disease, and ample medical treatment.

Fear of Famine

The seasonal climate in Europe was ever changing. As a result, the crops suffered and failed because the land was showered with adverse weather conditions contrary to planting and harvesting seasons. Over time, the long-term crop failure led to human consumption of the seed grain, livestock needed for farming, and even dogs and cats. Without these basic critical resources, cultivating and fertilizing the land for future crops would be extremely difficult. In addition, the population of the European Middle Ages was susceptible to inherent superstition and rumors. The rumor of famine always fueled panic in social behavior and enhanced chaos in the marketplace.

Subsistence and Poor Diet

Concerning subsistence, the daily diet between the ruling class and other social classes was significantly different. For instance, if the young warrior lived in a manor, he generally had access to a broad array of meat, fish, fruits, dairy products, and other food staples. On the other hand, if the young warrior lived outside the manor, he was more likely confined to a simpler diet of soup and pottage. Although the diet was bland and simple, it was supplemented by daily consumption of local ales brewed from food staples that were difficult to obtain on a regular basis.

As mentioned, the population was susceptible to rumor. Typically, the rumor of famine increased the practice of hoarding in the marketplace. For example, rumors of famine induced the baker to use less grain and more filler materials in making bread loaves for sale. On occasion, bakers also exhibited unscrupulous behavior. Notably, during the Great Famine of the fourteenth century, Parisian bakers were found guilty of mixing flour with animal droppings. In the peasant home, rumors of famine caused the elderly to stop eating their portion of the family sustenance altogether so that younger family members could eat. Lastly, there were the rumors of cannibalism. Such rumors heightened the chaos already running rampant in towns and villages.

Education, Shelter, and Poor Hygiene

A poor diet did little to help the learning abilities of an already poorly educated population. In a class system, there were few formal schools for a young warrior from the lower class to attend. As a result, ignorance and illiteracy were widespread, as were a multitude of significant health issues. The lack of understanding was life threatening. One issue in particular included the many cases of mental defects occurring during childbirth when delivered by unskilled midwives. Another issue was the community ignorance to the fact that close proximity of people and unsanitary conditions were the root causes of disease and plague. The availability of dwellings in the community was also an issue. Therefore, few housing units were not cold and drafty; typically, the lower-class dwellings were small, dark, damp, and generally overpopulated.

These conditions were of sharp contrast to the spacious and comfortable dwellings of the wealthy class of young warriors. With limited clothing options available, the most disastrous issue may have been the lack of public understanding regarding personal habits that kept both the body and garments clean. Disease was easily airborne and spread in the community under these horrific conditions.

Disease

The most horrific event was the Black Death, which spread and struck down almost one-third of the populace in the fourteenth century in Europe. It is believed that the plague traveled eastward on the trade route from China, touching many trading partners along the way. Thus contact with travelers struck fear in the local community.

Medical Practices

There was little or no medical means to combat social disease or disaster. When disease or famine struck in the land, there were few adequate hospitals or qualified doctors to serve a needy public. In addition, there were fewer proven medicine cures or procedures available for doctors and hospitals to follow. Throughout the European Middle Ages, the constant blessings dispensed by the local church to provide solace to the afflicted were the only consolation. By the 1500s, advancing technology and stricter professional qualifications and standards emerged.

Still, in the European Middle Ages, many peasants relied on home remedies as cures for illness. However, there could be dire consequences in concocting home remedies. The provider bore the risk of being labeled a witch and being sentenced to death at the stake by a superstitious public. For the most part, fire was a multipurpose tool. Fire served to get rid of the clothing of the dead so that the disease could not spread, and fire served to burn an accused sorcerer or witch at the stake. In a system based on social class, only the wealthy class of young warriors could escape these horrid conditions and circumstances. The privileged class could easily escape to higher ground by traveling on horseback or carriage to safety, for they had both ready resources and the means to do so.

Religion in the European Middle Ages

During the European Middle Ages, the Catholic Church was the only game in town. Christianity was the recognized religious belief system as governed by the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church served as a powerful institution on the continent. The church administration owned its own lands, collected its own taxes and enacted its own laws. The church administration also accepted gifts and granted special promises to those who gave to the church. The amassed wealth enabled the Catholic Church to have real influence over kings and ruling classes of Europe. The church imparted its authority through a distinct papal document called a "papal bull."

During the European Middle Ages, no matter the class or position in life—be they peasant, serf, royalty, or monarch—the lives of the populous were dominated by the church from conception to birth to death. If there was opposition to the church power, then excommunication from the church could easily happen. Excommunicated people could not attend or participate in any church services or practices. The perception was that they were doomed to go straight to hell when they died.

Life in the Clan System

Clans have always existed in Scottish lands. Subsequently, this type of family structure gained prominence in the turbulent twelfth and thirteenth centuries. In the Scottish Highland clan system, the heritage traditions of Celtic, Norse, and Norman feudal society provided the foundational development and recognition of hereditary roles and positions in which young warriors grew. This family organizational system was male dominated and focused on the skill set of the individual. It was the basis of the patriarchal organizational system and was symbolized by the male appendage as the symbol of strength.

For the young warrior, the Scottish clan instituted distinct family influences. First, the family membership was believed to be descended from one male progenitor, and all belonging to the clan owed allegiance to the patriarchal clan chief. The term "clan" denotes children, and clans are geographically identified with the chief of an ancestral castle or manor. The Scottish Highlands clan system operated using both heritage and election proceedings to appoint leadership.

Additionally, related families called "Septs" looked to the clan chief as the leader and protector. In turn, the clan chief could adopt families or individuals as clan members if he was so inclined. Also available to the clan chief was the practice of man-rent, employed as a bond contract between the heads of families looking to the chief for territorial protection for members not living on the estate of the clan elite.

The Role of the Male

Since the role of the male was one of dominance in the European Middle Ages, it is appropriate to define further the growth process of young warriors. The research indicates that there were four categories of man during the period: (1) those who ruled over the land, the king; (2) those who defended the land, the feudal lords; (3) those who prayed for the land, the church; and (4) those who worked the land, the peasants. In the European Middle Ages, a select few were recognized as being of noble birth, but as far as occupation, every man was expected to be skillful in the use of weapons. The ability to wield a sword could boost the status of a young warrior in the eyes of the king or the pope. On the other hand, the inability of a male to protect his king or his inheritance meant that the male could end up as a captive destined for slavery or death at the hand of an adversary.

Regarding inheritance, the law of primogeniture, or the right of the firstborn son to inherit the father's estate, has been a powerful economic factor in patriarchal societies. As a basis, the law of primogeniture recognized legal and rightful succession of positions and property for avoiding disputes. Nonetheless, this law is only as powerful as its possessor. The Highland clans were considered more radical by the English crown, and they began to lose their power because of economic and political defeat at the hands of the English. The dwindling status led to emigration to other lands in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

The Role of the Female

Depending on the bloodline, the primary role of the female in the Middle Age was to produce heirs and to obey the male members of their family, especially their fathers. If women were not obedient, they were then subject to severe punishment and arraigned with the religious crime of disobedience. In the domicile, women were responsible for numerous household duties such as cooking and baking, mending and sewing.

In the European Middle Ages, a woman could not be faint of heart. The women had to learn to use lethal weapons with the skill of a young warrior so they could hunt for food, fight in battle, and defend their homes when required. A woman in the European Middle Ages had to possess physical and mental strength because there were many additional duties, including heavy agricultural labor, performing the duties of a merchant, and often performing the duties of a midwife.

Children

In the European Middle Ages, the children were cherished clan members. Children provided the lifeblood of the clan and ensured perpetual life, except in the case when the Scottish crown ordered public execution of an infant girl in the MacWilliams Clan as a measure of deterrent. The story goes that the newborn's head was smashed against the column of a market cross and her brains bashed out. As a result, this infant's brutal death marked both an end to her life and the life of the MacWilliams Clan in the year 1230 as punishment for deeds unknown.

From a social perspective, the practice of fosterage was an important form of social bonding in the clans. During the European Middle Ages, children born to noble families saw very little of their reigning parents. Nurses generally took care of the children when they were very young. Then, at age seven, the children were sent to live with another noble household. Typically, the children of the chief were raised by favored members of the leading clan gentry, most likely the mother's brother in another clan. In turn, another favored member of another clan raised the children of the mother's brother. The aforementioned is a description of fosterage in general application. The purpose of this round-robin relationship was to reinforce group relationships and dynamics.