White Wand
Encyclopedia
The White Rod, White Wand, Rod of Inauguration
, or Wand of Sovereignty
, in the Irish language
variously called the slat na ríghe (rod of kingship) and slat tighearnais (rod of lordship), was the primary symbol of a Gaelic
king or lord's legitimate authority and the principal prop used in his inauguration ceremony. First documented in the 12th century Life of Máedóc of Ferns, but assumed to have been used long before then, it is last documented in Ireland in the early 17th century. In Scotland the rod was used into the 13th century for the inauguration of its last Gaelic kings, and for the Norse-Gaelic Lords of the Isles into the 15th.
While the reception of the rod was in origin a Gaelic cultural feature, following the Norman invasion of Ireland
some foreign families became significantly Gaelicised. A notable Anglo-Norman
example were the great De Burgh magnates styled Mac William Íochtar
, who had become completely Gaelicised and received the White Rod.
.
, who had a similar role to the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod in the English
, British
and then UK Parliaments. This office still continues in honorary form, as Heritable Usher of the White Rod, the current holder being the Rt. Rev. Brian Arthur Smith
, Lord Bishop of Edinburgh, but the role carries no duties.
The Heritable Usher of the White Rod' is the only example of an office of the Crown
becoming incorporated as a company. The Walker Trust Act, 1877, incorporated the office into the Walker Trustees, entitling the trustees to charge dues from anyone receiving an honour from the Crown. In 1908 the Society of Knights Bachelor was formed to contest this right, but a Court of Session
case the following year confirmed the right of the Walker Trustees to charge recipients of honours. However, the Society of Knights Bachelor won an appeal to the House of Lords in 1911.
Inauguration
An inauguration is a formal ceremony to mark the beginning of a leader's term of office. An example is the ceremony in which the President of the United States officially takes the oath of office....
, or Wand of Sovereignty
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
, in the Irish language
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
variously called the slat na ríghe (rod of kingship) and slat tighearnais (rod of lordship), was the primary symbol of a Gaelic
Gaels
The Gaels or Goidels are speakers of one of the Goidelic Celtic languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx. Goidelic speech originated in Ireland and subsequently spread to western and northern Scotland and the Isle of Man....
king or lord's legitimate authority and the principal prop used in his inauguration ceremony. First documented in the 12th century Life of Máedóc of Ferns, but assumed to have been used long before then, it is last documented in Ireland in the early 17th century. In Scotland the rod was used into the 13th century for the inauguration of its last Gaelic kings, and for the Norse-Gaelic Lords of the Isles into the 15th.
While the reception of the rod was in origin a Gaelic cultural feature, following the Norman invasion of Ireland
Norman Invasion of Ireland
The Norman invasion of Ireland was a two-stage process, which began on 1 May 1169 when a force of loosely associated Norman knights landed near Bannow, County Wexford...
some foreign families became significantly Gaelicised. A notable Anglo-Norman
Anglo-Norman
The Anglo-Normans were mainly the descendants of the Normans who ruled England following the Norman conquest by William the Conqueror in 1066. A small number of Normans were already settled in England prior to the conquest...
example were the great De Burgh magnates styled Mac William Íochtar
Mac William Íochtar
Mac William Íochtar was a term meaning both a territory and a title in Ireland. The territory covered much of the northern part of the province of Connacht. The Mac William Íochtar functioned as a regional king and received the White Rod...
, who had become completely Gaelicised and received the White Rod.
Qualities and symbolism
The rod was required to be both white and straight, with the colour representing purity and the straightness justice, according to the account given by Geoffrey KeatingGeoffrey Keating
Seathrún Céitinn, known in English as Geoffrey Keating, was a 17th century Irish Roman Catholic priest, poet and historian. He was born in County Tipperary c. 1569, and died c. 1644...
.
Ceremony
Although the meaning and purpose were always the same, the particulars of the ceremony appear to have varied across the Gaelic world. Most notably who presented the new lord or king with the rod depended on the history and traditions of each kingdom.Scottish Parliament
Prior to the Union with England in 1707, there was a Gentleman Usher of the White Rod in the Parliament of ScotlandParliament of Scotland
The Parliament of Scotland, officially the Estates of Parliament, was the legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland. The unicameral parliament of Scotland is first found on record during the early 13th century, with the first meeting for which a primary source survives at...
, who had a similar role to the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod in the English
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
, British
Parliament of Great Britain
The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and Parliament of Scotland...
and then UK Parliaments. This office still continues in honorary form, as Heritable Usher of the White Rod, the current holder being the Rt. Rev. Brian Arthur Smith
Brian Arthur Smith
Brian Arthur Smith was the most recent Bishop of Edinburgh in the Scottish Episcopal Church.Smith was born in Edinburgh on 15 August 1943 and educated at George Heriot's School, Edinburgh and the University of Edinburgh, Ordained in 1973, he began his ordained ministry with a Curacy at Ripon...
, Lord Bishop of Edinburgh, but the role carries no duties.
The Heritable Usher of the White Rod' is the only example of an office of the Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
becoming incorporated as a company. The Walker Trust Act, 1877, incorporated the office into the Walker Trustees, entitling the trustees to charge dues from anyone receiving an honour from the Crown. In 1908 the Society of Knights Bachelor was formed to contest this right, but a Court of Session
Court of Session
The Court of Session is the supreme civil court of Scotland, and constitutes part of the College of Justice. It sits in Parliament House in Edinburgh and is both a court of first instance and a court of appeal....
case the following year confirmed the right of the Walker Trustees to charge recipients of honours. However, the Society of Knights Bachelor won an appeal to the House of Lords in 1911.
See also
- Gaelic nobility of Ireland
- Tullyhogue FortTullyhogue FortTullyhogue Fort, also spelt Tullaghoge or Tullahoge , is large mound on the outskirts of Tullyhogue village near Cookstown, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It has a depressed centre and is surrounded by trees...
- Royal sites of IrelandRoyal sites of IrelandThe royal sites of Ireland served as the seats for the Gaelic kings of Ireland. Historical sources associate these sites with various medieval Irish kingdoms while archaeological investigations show that many royal sites were culturally significant thousands of years before recorded history...
- Lord High Steward of IrelandLord High Steward of IrelandThe Lord High Steward of Ireland is a hereditary Great Officer of State in Ireland, sometimes known as the Hereditary Great Seneschal. The Earls of Shrewsbury have held the office since the 15th century....
- PeeragePeerageThe Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...