Re: heortling clan chiefs an tribal kings

From: Peter Metcalfe <metcalph_at_...>
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2001 00:27:32 +1300


Graham Robinson:

>This does prompt a question from me. To what extent are tribal kings still
>regarded as part of their clan? Obviously they will be identified with it,
>but I'd think the tribal link is regarded as "more important".

They are regarded as part of their clan. The tribal link matters only for outsiders and his authority viz-a-viz other members of the tribe.

Yes it is possible to have a tribal king to belong to a clan that you are feuding with. But there is sufficient protection for the clan in that a tribal king can't tell a chief how to run his own clan and a clan can always leave if it wants to. Only bad kings do any of these things, although they are a bit more common than one would like.

--Peter Metcalfe

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