Everything about Clan totally explained
A
clan is a group of people united by
kinship and descent, which is defined by perceived descent from a common ancestor. Even if actual lineage patterns are unknown, clan members may nonetheless recognize a founding member or
apical ancestor. As kinship based bonds merely symbolical in nature some clans share a "stipulated" common ancestor, which is a symbol of the clan's unity. When this ancestor isn't human, this is referred to as animallian
totem. Generally speaking, kinship differs from biological relation, as it also involves adoption, marriage, and fictive genealogical ties. Clans can be most easily described as sub-groups of tribes and usually constitute groups of 7,000 to 10,000 people.
Organization of clans
Some clans are
patrilineal, meaning its members are related through the male line; for example, the clans of Armenia. Others are
matrilineal; its members are related through the female line. Still other clans are
bilateral, consisting of all the descendants of the apical ancestor through both the male and female lines; the
clans of Scotland are one example. Whether a clan is patrilineal, matrilineal, or bilateral depends on the kinship rules and norms of their society.
In different cultures and situations a clan may mean the same thing as other kin-based groups such as
tribes and
bands. Often, the distinguishing factor is that a clan is a smaller part of a larger
society such as a tribe, a
chiefdom, or a
state. Examples include
Irish,
Scottish,
Chinese,
Japanese clans and
Rajput clans in India and Pakistan, which exist as kin groups within their respective nations. Note, however, that tribes and bands can also be components of larger societies.
Arab tribes are small groups within Arab society, and
Ojibwa bands are smaller parts of the Ojibwa tribe. In some cases multiple tribes recognized the same clans, such as the bear and fox clans of the
Chickasaw and
Choctaw tribes.
Apart from these different traditions of kinship, further conceptual confusion arises from colloquial usages of the term. In post-Soviet countries for example it's quite common to speak of clans referring to informal networks within the economic and political sphere. This usage reflects the assumption that their members act towards each other in a particularly close and mutually supportive way approximating the solidarity among kinsmen. However, the
Norse clans, the
ätter, can not be translated with
tribe or
band, and consequently they're often translated with
house or
line.
Polish clans differ from most others in being a collection of
families bearing the same
coat of arms, as opposed to actually claiming a common descent. This is discussed under the topic of
Polish Heraldry.
Clans in indigenous societies are likely to be
exogamous, meaning that their members can't marry one another. In some societies, clans may have an official leader such as a
chieftain or
patriarch; on others, leadership positions may have to be achieved, or people may merely say 'elders' make decisions.
Clans by country
Further Information
Get more info on 'Clan'.
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