The Highlanders of Scotland - Clan Strachan Society

i68 THE HIGHLANDERS [parti
We shall now examine what effect the formation of the
Scoto-Saxon monarchy under Edgar, produced upon this constitutional
bod}'. We have seen that, down to the introduction
of the Saxon laws into the country, the tribes of Scotland
existed under the rule of their hereditary Maormors or chiefs
and that, wherever the old population remained, these Maormors
adopted the Saxon title of Earl. As this was the highest title
of honour among the Saxons, it is plain that there would now
be no distinction in title between the chiefs of the superior
and those of the subordinate tribes ; and the whole of these
earls indiscriminately, along with the other earls created by the
Scoto-Saxon kings, and the crown vassals or thanes, would now
form the " communitas regni," which constituted the parliament
of all Teutonic nations. Notwithstanding this, however, as the
seven great chiefs by whom the seven provinces of Scotland
were represented, still existed, although they merely enjoyed
the title of Earl in common with the other chiefs, it is not
unlikely that we should find them retaining the shadow of this
ancient national council co-existent with, and independent of,
the great parliament of the nation, and claiming the privileges
of the constitutional body of which their ancestors formed the
members ;
that, besides the parliament or communitas regni,
which included the whole of the earls, with the other crown
vassals, we should find seveti of the Earls claiming and exercising
the privileges of the body which they represented ; and
that they would yield with reluctance their position as a
representation of the seven provinces of Scotland.
Of the exercise of this right, however, an instance appears
to have occurred even as late as the reign of Malcolm IV. On
the death of David I., whose right to the throne had not been
disputed by any of the factions into which Scotland was divided,
the claims of his grandson Malcolm were disputed by William,
commonly called the Boy of Egremont, the great-grandson of
Malcolm Canmore, king of Scotland, b}' his eldest son Duncan,
likewise king of Scotland, and he was supported by the Gaelic
part of the population.
The Orkneyinga Saga states that "
Ingibiorg larlsmoder
(earl's mother) married Malcolm, king of Scotland, who was
called Langhals (Canmore) ;
their son was Duncan, king of