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Tavis, Tavis or Taus is considered, and accepted in multiple sources,
as the progenitor, epytom and founder of Clan MacTavish. However, this is probably incorrect. The MacTavish consider
themselves much older than the traditional stories of Argyllshire, promulgated by the old seannachies of the Clan Campbell,
and newer writers still insist upon the old stories, when none have looked beyond those traditional stories for any possible
alternate origin. Such an alternate beginning is found in the old Irish annals and the old writ, Ceart UiNeill, out
of Donegal, Ireland. The MacTavishes appear to come from the Cenel nDuach a branch of the Cenel Conaill, connected to Ros
Guill and Irguill, now part of Donegal, and also from Dal-araidhe, now part of Antrim and Down.
A Traditional
Royal Genealogic Table
of the
Cenél nDuach (or Windukatii Picts)
(Given in the various Irish annals and Ceart Ui Neill)
(Supposed Son of King Niall Noígiallach)
↓
2. Duí, alias Fergus Cennfoda - married
Erca Loarn, Dau. of Loarn Mor,
she was Princess of Dalriada.
He founded the branch Cenél nDuach of Cenel Conaill,
a Prince of the Cenél Conaill,
King of Goll and Irgoll,
and Prince of Dal-araidhe.
↓
3. Ninnid(h), King of Goll and IrGoll. His offspring are called ‘Siol Ninnidh’.
(flourished 561-563)
↓
4. Báetán (Baedan), King of Teimar [sic Tara], High King of Ireland
(d. 584-586)|
↓
5. Conall, Prince of the Cenel nDuach & Tory Island, of Siol Ninnidh
↓
6. Sechnusach, Prince of the Cenel nDuach of Siol Ninnidh
↓
7. Duí (2nd ?), Prince of the
Cenel nDuach of Siol Ninnidh
(has but brief mention)
↓
8. Corcc (alias Orc Doith) of Cenel nDuach & of Siol Ninnidh
King of Gull and Irogull, flourished 658
↓
9. Duinechaid, Prince of the Cenel nDuach & Siol Ninnidh, killed 691
↓
10. Nuada (alias Anmchadh), King of Guill and Irguill (d. 718-722)
↓
The descendants are: The MacGilletsamhais (Siol Ninnidh) over Gull and
Irgull
The name of Tavis, Taviss or Taus, appears to be an Anglocized variant of the
Pictish TAVIS, written in Gaelic as Tamhus, later as, Thamais, Thamhais, or Thamhais, just as MacTavish is the Englished,
and modernly accepted surname of the Chief and Clan of the same name. Another version appears as, Tammas.
Consult: Surnames
of Scotland, Black, New York Public Library, 1946.
We have been lead to believe
in some writings that the name Thamhais is derived from Thomas the Twin, Disciple of Jesus, and comes from the Bibilcal text
of John 11:16. But therein we find that the word Twin is NOT taken from Thomas at all. The GREEK word for Twin is Didymus
used as the Surname of Thomas. Thomas is the ARAMAIC given name, which has no connection to Twin [Didymus]
at all.
(References: Nave's Topical Bible
page 298, Moody Publishing, Chicago, and Nave's Concise Topical Bible online, Page 481
http://remnantprophecy.sdaglobal.org/Librarypdf/Bible%20Reference/Naves-Topical.PDF)
Text of John 11:16
-English:
Thomas therefore, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples: Let us also
go, that we may die with him.
-Orignal
Greek: Dixit ergo Thomas qui dicitur Didymus ad condiscipulos
eamus et nos ut moriamur cum eo
(New American BIble,
Catholic Book Publishing)
JOHN
11:16 dixit ergo Thomas qui dicitur
11:16. Then
said Thomas, which is called
Didymus ad condiscipulos
eamus et nos Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples,
Let
ut moriamur cum eo us also go,
that we may die with him.
(Above Side-by-Side original Greek to Englsih translation of John 11:16 from Abiliene Christian
University
http://faculty.acu.edu/~goebeld/vulgata/newtest/john/vjo11.htm)
The Gaelic
word for twin is leth-aon [leth-uan], which does not look or sound anything like Thomas or Thamhais.
(Sources:
An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language, MacBain, Alexander Gairm Publications, 1982, and Webster's On-line Dictionary
http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definition/leth-aon)
We have shown that
the name Thomas does not derive from the word twin, and can conclude that Professor George F. Black in his, The
Surnames of Scotland, is nearly correct when he says: "MACTAVISH. G. Mac Ta¢mhais, a form of MacThamhais, "son of Tammas', the lowland
form of Thomas." It would thus hold true that Thamhais in Gaelic would derive from the Biblical Saint Thomas surnamed
Didymus. Consequently, Thamhais, Tavish, or Thomas does not literally mean Twin. Such surnames as are derived from
the Biblical Thomas the Twin, logically take their meaning from the Aramaic forename (given name) of Thomas.
Name books,
like baby name books, describe names like Tavish, Tom, Thomas, etc. with the meaning of Twin, which is wholly
incorrect. Thomas, has been confused with Didymus, and construed to mean twin, when nothing of the sort is shown historically.
Taviss is often referred to with the by name of Coor or Coir, a name
likely influenced by Latin, English Breul, Erse or other early Britannic dialects, and perhaps Braid Scots. It
may also be a contrived addition to his name. He is described as the son of Colin Maol Maith and a daughter
of Sween the Red, Thane of Argyll, who was born either in the 12th or 13th century, depending on the text referenced.
His byname Coor, alternately seen as Coir has multiple meanings:
[còir] a. decent, honest, just, civil
[còir] for : comhair, nf. vicinity,
contiguity
[còir] nf. g. còrach; pl. còraichean, right, justice, claim, title : is còir dhuit, bu chòir dhuit, you ought
or
[corr] nf. g.+a; pl.+an, heron, crane
[còrr] nf.ind. overplus, excess,
odds : a' chòrr, the rest, remainder
[còrr] a. odd, eminent, extraordinary; corra, when prefixed : corra h-aon, an odd
one : còrr uair, at odd times
or perhaps
[cor] nm. g. coir, condition, state, situation : air chor 'sam bith, on any condition.
Note: I have read in Craignish that ' cor ' might
be derived from ' car ' with the meaning ' a relative '.
Taviss' byname could describe him as, Taviss the just, or Taviss the eminent,
or perhaps any of the other defintions above. We may never know the meaning of this byname as it was meant in early times.
All references found in historic texts, so far, are well meaning probablities, but provide no authentication of the meaning.
Definitions for Coir or Coor obtained from MacFarlane's (Scottish) Gaelic-English
Dictionary, 1912, Malcolm MacFarlane, Eneas MacKay, Bookseller 43 Murray Place, Stirling.
--Now out of Print--
Other sources consulted:
The Manuscript History of Craignish, ca 1720, Alexander
Campbell, edited by Herbert Campbell for the Scottish History Society
Highland Papers - a genealogy of the Campbells, Scottish
History Society
The House of Argyll and the Collateral Branches of the Clan Campbell,
from the Year 420 to the Present Time, 1871, John Tweed, Glasgow
The Highland Clans of Scotland : their history and traditions,
1923, George Eyre Todd, London: Heath, Cranton
Various Ancient Annals of Ireland
Ceart Ui Neill
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