Clan Davidson, the Paternal Surname

Ahhh! The clang of swords precedes a desperate lunge into the icy waters below. The diver, scarred and exhausted, is in free fall, but he knows that if he survives the flight, then he might make it to the distant shore. How did this confrontation happen? No time to answer now, but once ashore, he can seek cover among the terrain, mend his wounds, use his tartan colors to stay warm, regain his strength, and cling to life. Most importantly, this lone survivor can preserve the legacy of Clan Davidson, its fallen members, and fight another day.

A vivid interpretation of this period appears in the heroic depiction of thirteenth-century Scottish commoner William Wallace, as portrayed by actor Mel Gibson in the 1995 Academy Award–winning film Braveheart. For this discussion, the timeline of 1066–1485 denotes the European Middle Ages. During this period, barbaric clashes between royalty and clans, among clans for power and among countries for control of the landscape of Europe and its Old World traditions, were common. For example, the battle of the North Inch at Perth took place in 1396. At the battle, Scottish lore recounted that a number of young warriors, members to the Clan Chattan Confederation, lost their lives over an internal dispute of who should take precedence in order of battle against the common enemy. Although the battle was fought centuries ago, the cause and effect of the historic encounter still provides kindle for a longstanding clan feud between members of the Davidson Clan and the McPherson Clan, as told by Scottish lore.

The structure of the Old World class system sought to maintain the line or stability of power between the order of nobility and serfdom in Scotland, instituted since the country's birth in the ninth century. European historical records indicate that Scotland first fell under English rule in the twelfth century. The Scottish resistance was led by men like William Wallace, who lost his life following years of Scottish insurrection. Later, in the fourteenth century, Robert the Bruce defeated the English on the battlefield and won back Scottish independence.

The young warrior of Clan Davidson in the opening tale has survived the ordeal of battle and subsequently escaped his adversary with seemingly superficial scratches, scrapes, and exhaustion. Hypothetically, there were two questions that he could have pondered during the period called the European Middle Ages: What new challenges await me when I return home to my dwelling place? What do I have to look forward to in the villages and towns about the kingdom of Scotland?

The magic of modern cinema, romantic literature, and traditional history books in the mainstream may focus on the lighter view of early cultural periods in more wittiness and glamour than address the darker realities of the time period. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a vivid illustration of how the periods of the European Middle Ages, the colonization of the New World, and the period of antebellum may have impacted the germination of the ancestral seed of Adam.

Life in the European Middle Ages

For a young male warrior, life in the European Middle Ages was challenging. Information technology of the new millennium allows access to the vast repository of historians used as reference sources in providing interpretations of the conditions that the young male warrior faced during his lifetime. The conditions were often created by the chaos of birthright and social position of another. Male domination in the positions of kings and feudal lords from the houses of Plantagenet and Lancaster ruled Western Europe, led by royal lineage of the Norman king who constructed the Tower of London: William the Conqueror. This lineage included King Richard the Lionheart; King John, under whom the Magna Carta was signed; King Edward I, against whom William Wallace and Robert the Bruce resisted; King Edward III, who sat on the throne when the bubonic plague ("the Black Death") killed thousands of people; and King Henry VI, who ruled when the Gutenberg printing press printed the first Bibles. Notwithstanding, the kings and feudal lords were under the enormous influence of the Catholic Church in Rome.

Under the principle of feudalism, the countryside was owned by the favored ruling classes and filled with castles, and the cities fabricated behind protective walls by order of the monarch. As a result, the serfs (lower-class peasants) were dependent on the ruling class for their livelihood and protection. They owned little or no property or the yield of the harvest, yet the church and the king heavily taxed them. The practice of torture was used liberally to maintain order and the social structure.

This class social structure was the reason for continuous barbaric clashes with adversaries, which were mandatory activities for the young warrior. Under adverse environmental conditions, medieval villages and towns faced overpopulation. The population also faced numerous social challenges in their daily lives: the fear of famine, poor diets (or subsistence), ignorance and illiteracy, poor hygiene, woolen garments and clothing, lack of adequate housing as protection against the harsh weather conditions, disease, and ample medical treatment.

Fear of Famine

The seasonal climate in Europe was ever changing. As a result, the crops suffered and failed because the land was showered with adverse weather conditions contrary to planting and harvesting seasons. Over time, the long-term crop failure led to human consumption of the seed grain, livestock needed for farming, and even dogs and cats. Without these basic critical resources, cultivating and fertilizing the land for future crops would be extremely difficult. In addition, the population of the European Middle Ages was susceptible to inherent superstition and rumors. The rumor of famine always fueled panic in social behavior and enhanced chaos in the marketplace.

Subsistence and Poor Diet

Concerning subsistence, the daily diet between the ruling class and other social classes was significantly different. For instance, if the young warrior lived in a manor, he generally had access to a broad array of meat, fish, fruits, dairy products, and other food staples. On the other hand, if the young warrior lived outside the manor, he was more likely confined to a simpler diet of soup and pottage. Although the diet was bland and simple, it was supplemented by daily consumption of local ales brewed from food staples that were difficult to obtain on a regular basis.

As mentioned, the population was susceptible to rumor. Typically, the rumor of famine increased the practice of hoarding in the marketplace. For example, rumors of famine induced the baker to use...