Sept facts for kids

A sept is a special group within a family, especially in Scottish or Irish families. It's like a branch of a bigger family tree. The word "sept" can mean "progeny" or "seed," showing that its members are all descendants of one person. For example, Sliocht Bhriain Mhic Dhiarmada means "the descendants of Brian MacDermott." The word might come from the Latin word saeptum, which means "enclosure" or "fold."

Family Groups and Names

The Gaelic word Síol also means "progeny" or "seed." It's used to describe a family or clan whose members share the same last name and live in the same area. This helps tell one group apart from another. For example, a family named Mac an Bháird (which became "Ward" in English) might have different septs like Síol Sheáin Mhic Bhriain or Síol Chonchobhair Óig.

Each of these smaller septs can even split into more septs. Sometimes, this leads to new last names being created. It can also cause a family to grow so much that it becomes a clan on its own. These kinds of septs were very common in Scotland, where the clan system was well-developed.

Scottish Septs and Clans

In Scottish clans, septs are families that followed the chief of another, larger family. They were often part of the chief's extended family, even if they had a different last name. These smaller septs then became part of the chief's bigger clan. A sept might follow another chief if two families were connected by marriage. Or, if a family lived on the land of a powerful laird (landowner), they would follow him, whether they were related or not.

Sometimes, agreements called Bonds of manrent were used. These agreements tied smaller chiefs and their followers to more powerful chiefs. For example, the MacMartins of Letterfinlay were a sept of the Clan Cameron. They saw themselves as distinct in their own area, but also as Camerons when they were in other places. These bonds helped different family groups work together for military, political, and resource sharing reasons.

Sept Lists Today

Today, sept lists are used by clan societies to find new members. These lists started in the 1800s. At that time, clan societies and tartan makers wanted to make money from the public's interest in Scottish culture. They created lists that linked as many last names as possible to a specific clan. This was done even if there wasn't a real historical connection. This way, people without a "clan name" could feel connected to a Scottish clan and feel like they could wear its tartan.

Also, many common surnames found across the British Isles were linked to specific clans. For instance, the name Miller or Millar was made a sept of Clan MacFarlane. The name Taylor was linked to Clan Cameron. This has sometimes given the wrong idea that many last names have only one origin and are all related to one specific clan.

Irish Septs and History

Historically, the word "sept" was not used in Ireland until the 1800s. This was long after the old clan system had mostly disappeared. The English word "sept" is best used to describe a smaller group within a large clan. This is especially true when that group moved to live outside their clan's original territory. Examples include branches of the O'Neills, MacSweeneys, and O'Connors.

Many related Irish clans often belonged to even larger groups called dynasties. Some of these include the Dál gCais, Uí Néill, Uí Fiachrach, and Uí Maine.

More recently, a historian named Edward MacLysaght suggested using the English word "sept" instead of "clan" when talking about Ireland's historical social structure. He wanted to show how it was different from the more organized Scottish clan system. However, this doesn't mean Ireland had no formal clan system. Brehon Law, Ireland's ancient legal system, clearly defined the clan system before the Normans arrived. This system had an election process limited to members of the senior sept. The system ended after the Tudor Conquest in the 1500s. The Irish themselves used their own word "clann," which means "children" in the Irish language.

See also

• Dit name
• Irish genealogy
• Mac Amhlaoibh and Mac Amhalghaidh (Irish septs)
• Sippe