The Highlanders of Scotland - Clan Strachan Society

CHAP. V] O F S C O T L A N D 259
III. ; their origin is lost in obscurity, and if, as we conclude, the
titles given to Crinan by
Fordun are drawn from an authentic
source, it becomes a matter of great interest and importance to
trace the origin and signification
of the title of xAbthane
generally, and of that of Abthane of Dull in particular.
The title of Abthane is peculiar to Scotland, and does not
appear to have existed in any other country. It also appears to
have been of but very rare occurrence even in Scotland, for I
have been able to trace only three Abthainries in Scotland—
viz., those of Dull, Kilmichael, and Madderty ; the two former
in Atholl, and the latter in Stratherne. From this it is plain
that it could not have been always a peculiar and distinctive
title, but must merely be a modification of the title of Thane,
circumstances. The name shews that it
produced by peculiar
must in its nature have been strictly analogous to the Thane,
and for the same reason it must have taken its origin subsequent
to the introduction of Thanes into Scotland. It would be
needless here to controvert the idea formerly so prevalent in
Scotland, that the Thanes were the ancient governors of the
provinces, for it is now universally admitted that the Scottish
Thane was the same title with the Saxon Thegn, or Thane, in
England, and that it was introduced with the Saxon polity into
Scotland ; but it will be necessary to advert to an erroneous
•opinion first started by Chalmers in his Caledonia, and since
adopted by many, that the Thane was merely a land steward or
bailiff, and that the Abthane was just the abbot's steward,
in the same way as the king's thane was the king's steward.
With regard to the Abthane this is impossible, when we
consider that although there were many abbots in Scotland
who must have had their land stewards, yet there are
but three instances of the title of Abthane connected with land
in Scotland. His idea of the nature of ,the Thane is equally
erroneous, for if the Scottish Thane was introduced by the
Saxons, as Chalmers has succeeded in establishing, the characters
of the offices must be the same ; and nothing is clearer
than that the Saxon Thane was not a land steward, but the
actual proprietor of a certain extent of land held directly of
the crown, and that it was the title of a Saxon land proprietor
exactly equivalent to the Norman baron. Of course, judging