of
Leinster_ (facsimile, pp. 348, 349) and _Leabhar Breac_ (facsimile, p.
16), the Bodleian MS. Rawlinson B 506, p. 154 _d_, and in the MS. in
Marsh's Library containing LA, at the foot of the column where LA
begins; with an added note stating that Ciaran was "of the true
Ultonains of Emain": its authenticity is adopted by Keating (I.T.S.
edition, vol. iii, p. 48). Correcting one copy with another this
genealogy runs as follows--

Ciaran son of Coscrach son of Aislithe son of
Beodan " Mesinsuad " Modruad "
Bolcan " Mesinsulad " Follomain "
Linned " Erce " Deoda "
Corc " Erc (or Oscar) " Eochaid "
Daig " Mechon " Corc "
Cunneda " Nechtan " Fergus "
Cass " Aed Corb " Ros "
Froech " Aed Gnoe " Rudraige

Thus both genealogies claim a royal descent for the saint. This is an
instance of a widespread policy, of which many traces are to be found
in the old Irish Genealogies. The whole country was divided into
territories of different clans, under which were subordinate and
tributary septs. The latter bore the chief burden of taxation;
and they were for the greater part composed of descendants of the
aboriginal pre-Celtic tribes, who had been reduced to vassalage on
the coming of the Celtic-speaking invaders (about the third or fourth
century B.C.). When a tributary sept became strong enough to resist
the pressure of these imposts, exemption was claimed by a sort of
legal fiction, by which they were genealogically affiliated to the
ruling sept. This practice led to the fabrication of spurious links,
and even of whole pedigrees.

In point of fact several indications show that Ciaran belonged to a
tributary sept, and was of pre-Celtic blood. These tributary
septs were distinguished from their Celtic conquerors by social
organisation, racial character, and probably still to some extent
by religion and language. They had much the same position as the
_perioeci_ in ancient Sparta. The following are the evidences of his
pre-Celtic nationality--

(_a_) The tribal names of his parents (Latharna, Glasraige). There are
two forms of tribal names in ancient Ireland; those consisting of two
words, and those consisting of one. The first are in such formulae as