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apparently an almost servile dependence； on the religious houses
to which they were attached。 But the relation of the various
ecclesiastical bodies to one another was undoubtedly of the
nature of tribal relation。 The Brehon law seems to me fully to
confirm the account of the matter given； from the purely
ecclesiastical literature； by Dr Todd； in the Introduction to his
Life of St Patrick。 One of the great Irish or Scotic
Missionaries； who afterwards nearly invariably reappears as a
Saint； obtains a grant of lands from some chieftain or tribe in
Ireland or Celtic Britain； and founds a monastery there； or it
may be that the founder of the religious house is already himself
the chieftain of a tribe。 The House becomes the parent of others；
which again may in their turn throw out minor religious
establishments； at once monastic and missionary。 The words
signifying 'family' or 'tribe' and 'kinship' are applied to all
the religious bodies created by this process。 Each monastic
house； with its monks and bishops； constitutes a 'family' or
'tribe；' and its secular or servile dependants appear to be
sometimes included under the name。 The same appellation is given
to the collective assemblage of religious houses formed by the
parent monastery and the various churches or monastic bodies
sprung from it。 These make up together the 'tribe of the saint；'
but this last expression is not exclusively employed with this
particular meaning。 The abbot of the parent house and all the
abbots of the minor houses are the 'comharbas' or co…heirs of the
saint； and in yet another sense the 'family' or 'tribe' of the
saint means his actual tribesmen or blood…relatives。 Iona； or Hy；
was； as you know； the famous religious house founded by St
Columba near the coast of the newer Scotia。 'The Abbot of Hy'；
says Dr Todd； 'or Co…arb of Columba； was the common head of
Durrow； Kells； Swords； Drumcliff； and other houses in Ireland
founded by Columba； as well as of the parent monastery of Hy； and
the 〃family of Colum…kille〃 was composed of the congregations or
inmates and dependants of all those monasteries。 The families；
therefore； of such monasteries as Clomacnois or Durrow might
muster a very respectable body of fighting men。' Let me add； that
there is very good evidence that these 'families of the saints'
were occasionally engaged in sanguinary little wars。 But； 'in
general' （I now quote again from Dr Todd）； 'the 〃family〃 meant
only the monks or religious of the house。'
It will be obvious to you that this application of the same
name to all these complicated sets of relations is every now and
then extremely perplexing； but the key to the difficulty is the
conception of the kindred branching off in successive generations
from the common stock； planting themselves occasionally at a
distance； but never altogether breaking the bond which connected
them with their original family and chief。 Nothing； let me
observe； can be more curious than the way in which； throughout
these artificial structures； the original natural principle upon
which they were modelled struggles to assert itself at the
expense of the imitative system。 In all the more modern guilds；
membership always tended to become hereditary； and here we have
the Brehon law striving to secure a preference； in elections to
the Abbacy； to the actual blood…relatives of the sainted founder。
The ecclesiastical rule； we know； required election by the monks；
but the Corus Bescna declares that； on a vacancy； the 'family of
the saint' （which here means the founder's sept）； if there be a
qualified monk among them； ought to be preferred in elections to
the Abbacy 'though there be but a psalm…singer of them； if he
be fit； he shall have it。' And it proceeds to say that； if no
relative or tribesman of the saint be qualified； the Abbacy shall
go to some member of the tribe which originally granted the land。
A very modern example of this plasticity of the notion of
kinship has recently been brought to my notice。 The co…villagers
of an Indian village call themselves brothers； although； as I
have frequently observed； the composition of the community is
often artificial and its origin very miscellaneous。 The
appellation； at the same time； is distinctly more than a mere
word。 Now； some of the Christian missionaries have recently tried
an experiment which promises to have much success； and have
planted in villages converts collected from all sorts of
different regions。 Yet these persons； as I am informed； fall into
a 'brotherhood' quite as easily and talk the language and assume
the habits appropriate to it quite as naturally as if they and
their forefathers had been members from time immemorial of this
peculiarly Indian association； the village…community。
There is； however； another set of phenomena which belong to
the same class； but which seem to me to have been much
misunderstood。 When men； under the influence of the cast of
thought we are discussing； are placed in circumstances which
naturally breed affection and sympathy； or when they are placed
in a relation which they are taught to consider especially
sacred； not only their words and ideas but their feelings；
emotions； and prejudices mould themselves on the pattern of those
which naturally result from consanguinity。 We have； I believe； a
striking example of the process in the history of the Christian
Church。 You know； I dare say； that Spiritual Relationship or the
tie between a sponsor and a baptized person； or between Sponsors；
or even between the sponsors and the family of the baptized；
became by degrees the source of a great number of prohibitions
against intermarriage； which stood on the same level with those
based on affinity； and almost with those founded on
consanguinity。 The earliest evidence we have that this order of
ideas was stirring the Christian community is； I believe； a
Constitution of Justinian in the Code （v。 4。 26）； which forbids
the marriage of the sponsor with the baptized； but the
prohibitions were rapidly extended by the various authorities
which contributed to the Canon law； and were finally regulated
and somewhat narrowed by the Council of Trent。 Nowadays； I am
told that they merely survive formally in the Roman Catholic
Church； and that dispensations relaxing them are obtainable as of
course。 The explanation of the system by technical theologians is
that it is based on the wish to give a peculiar sacredness to the
bond created by sponsorship； and this I believe to be a true
account of its origin。 But I do not believe that Spiritual
Relationship； a structure based on contract； would in every stage
of thought have assimilated itself to natural relationship。 The
system developed itself just when Christianity was being diffused
among races whose social organisation was founded on kinship； and
I cannot but think that their ideas reacted on the Church。 With
such races a very sacred tie was necessarily of the nature of a
family tie； and carried with it the same associations and the
same order of feeling。 I do not； therefore； consider that such
terms as Gossipred； Godfather； Godson to which there are
counterparts in several languages were created by the theory
of Spiritual Relationship； but rather that they mark the process
by which that theory was formed。
It seems to me accordingly in the highest degree natural that
Spiritual Relationship； when introduced into a tribal society
like that of the ancient Irish； should closely assimilate itself
to blood…relationship。 We know in fact that it did so； and that
the stringency of the relation and the warmth of the affections
which it produced moved the scorn； the wrath； and the
astonishment of sever