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White Rod

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TheWhite Rod,White Wand,Rod of Inauguration,orWand of Sovereignty,in theIrish languagevariously called theslat na ríghe(rod of kingship) andslat tighearnais(rod of lordship), was the primary symbol of aGaelicking or lord's legitimate authority and the principal prop used in his inauguration ceremony.[1]First documented in the 12th centuryLife of Máedóc of Ferns,but assumed to have been used long before then,[2]it is last documented in Ireland in the early 17th century. In Scotland the rod was used into the 13th century for the inauguration of its last Gaelic-speaking kings,[3]and for the Norse-GaelicLords of the Islesinto the 15th.[4]

While the reception of the rod was in origin a Gaelic cultural feature, following the Viking andNorman invasion of Irelandsome foreign families became significantlyGaelicised.A notable example were the greatHiberno-NormanDe Burghmagnates styledMac William Íochtar,who had become completely Gaelicised, ruled over their followers asIrish clan chiefs,and received the White Rod.[5]

Qualities and symbolism[edit]

The rod was required to be both white and straight, with the colour representing purity and the straightness of justice, according to the account given byGeoffrey Keating.[6]

Even after the collapse of all other institutions ofGaelic Ireland,theChief Poetof a district, who presided well into 18th-centuryMunsterover the district'sCúirt,a poetic court similar to the WelshEisteddfod,[7]would receive a Staff of Office (Irish:Bata na Bachaille), which would later be handed down to his successor.[8]

Ceremony[edit]

Although the meaning and purpose were always the same, the particulars of the ceremony appear to have varied across the Gaelic world. Most notably, who presented the new lord or king with the rod depended on the history and traditions of each kingdom.[9]

A note to the pedigree of theO'Mahonysat Lambeth, written bySir George Carew,circa 1600/3:

O'Mahon'scountry doeth follow the ancientTanist lawof Ireland; and unto whomMac Carthy Reaghshall give a white rod, he is O'Mahon, or Lord of the Country; but the giving of the rod avails nothing except he be chosen by the followers, nor yet the election without the rod. The MacCarthy Reagh was inaugurated with the same ceremonial with which he inaugurated the O'Mahon and other dependent chiefs. There was a grievance attached to this, and it did not escape the keen eyes of the Cork juries, who presented: 'That when any Lord or Gentleman of the Irishry within this county, is made Lord or Captain of his name or kindredtie, he taketh of every inhabitant,freeholder,andtenantunder him, acowto be paid for erecting a rod in that name.[10]

While describing howHugh Roe O'Donnellwas inaugurated on 3 May 1592, Timothy T. O'Donnell has written, "The inauguration of the O'Donnell as King of Tyrconnell was both civil and religious in nature. The ceremony took place on the greatRock of Doonwhich is one mile west ofKilmacrenan,from which one is give a breathtaking view of the surrounding country. It began with the religious rites in the church of the nearby monastery andholy wellsingingPsalmsand hymns in honor of Christ and St.Columbafor the success of the Prince's sovereignty. Standing on the Rock surrounded by nobles and his clansmen, the Prince received an oath in which he promised to preserve the Church and the laws of the land. The Prince also vowed to deliver the succession of the realm peacefully to hisTanist(his successor). O'Ferghil, the hereditarywardenand abbot of Kilmacrenan, performed the religious ceremony of the inauguration of The O'Donnell. O'Gallagher was the Prince's Marshal and O'Clery was theOllamh,or scholarly lawyer who presented to him the book containing the laws and customs of the land and the straight white wand symbolizing the moral rectitude demanded of his judgments and rule. "[11]

Parliament of Scotland[edit]

Prior to theUnion with England in 1707,there was aGentleman Usher of the White Rodin theEstates of ParliamentinEdinburgh,who had a similar role to theGentleman Usher of the Black Rodin the Parliaments ofEngland,the Kingdom of Great Britainand thenthe United Kingdom.

TheHeritable Usher of the White Rodis the only example of an office ofthe Crownbecoming incorporated as a company. TheWalker Trust Act, 1877,incorporated the office into theWalker Trustees,entitling the trustees to charge dues from anyone receiving an honour from the Crown. In 1908 theSociety of Knights Bachelorwas formed to contest this right, but aCourt of Sessioncase the following year confirmed the right of the Walker Trustees to charge recipients of honours. However, the Society of Knights Bachelor won anappeal to the House of Lordsin 1911.[12]

TheLord Bishop of Edinburgh,as ex officio chair of the Walker Trustees, is the Heritable Usher of the White Rod. The current holder isThe Rt Rev.Dr John A. Armes,Bishop of Edinburgh,but the role carries no duties.[clarification needed]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^O'Donovan, pp. 425 ff; FitzPatrick 2004, p. 58
  2. ^FitzPatrick 2004, p. 58 andpassim
  3. ^Alexander III of Scotlandwas the last, for whom and which see Bannerman 1989.
  4. ^Domhnall of Islay, Lord of the Islesis recorded being so inaugurated in the Book of Clanranald, ed. & tr. Cameron, pp. 160–1.[1]
  5. ^FitzPatrick 2004, p. 214 andpassim
  6. ^Keating, p. 23
  7. ^Daniel Corkery (1926),The Hidden Ireland: A Study of Gaelic Munster in the Eighteenth Century,pages 95-125.
  8. ^Daniel Corkery (1926),The Hidden Ireland: A Study of Gaelic Munster in the Eighteenth Century,page 270.
  9. ^O'Donovan, pp. 425 ff
  10. ^"Note 62 for Letter Book of Florence Mac Carthy Reagh, Tanist of Carbery, Mac Carthy Mór".celt.ucc.ie.
  11. ^Timothy T. O'Donnell (2001),Swords Around the Cross: Ireland's Defense of Faith and Fatherland 1594-1603,Christendom Press. Pages 48-49.
  12. ^"Origin of the Society of Knights Bachelor".London: Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor.Retrieved28 July2011.

Sources[edit]

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