More on Septs

[CMcG]

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Ultimately I think the whole "sept" business could be a bit of harmless fun, (as many in Scotland view the whole business of kilt wearing/Clan membership, to be honest), but I meet many who take the whole thing as if it is gospel truth and it does kind of sadden me on two levels:
1. People are being taken advantage of.
2. People are happy to be taken advantage of just so long as it gives them a sense of belonging to something that they want to be part of, for whatever personal reasons they may have.

But that's just human nature, I guess. We are all still tribal somewhere deep within ourselves. We demonstrate this in many different ways, including joining forums like this where the thing that unites is is a bittie of coloured cloth we buckle round our waists.

How do you suppose people are being taken advantage of? It does seem more like the harmless fun that you suggest, especially in regards to choosing a tartan. I hope no one is discovering their alleged sept/clan and then making life altering, financially crippling decisions based on it A very general sense of belonging and a story to tell about one's choice of tartan should be OK though.

Your use of the words "gospel truth" is actually quite apt; many people enjoy sept/clan connections with more belief or faith than historical evidence. I commend you on the effort you have put into your genealogy! Have you come to a conclusion about what your main clan or sept really is?

This whole discussion is just making me think that the most bulletproof clan/sept affiliation is still an active one, rather than a passive one based on their ancestors; officially joining the clan and/or their association/society.