tanistries
/ˈtænɪstriz/
noun
- The system or practice of selecting a tanist (successor) in historical Irish and Scottish Gaelic culture; also refers to the office or position of a tanist.
- Tanistries helped prevent power struggles by clearly naming a successor before the chief's death.
- Under the system of tanistries, the strongest or most qualified relative was chosen as heir.
- The historian explained how tanistries worked differently from primogeniture in medieval Europe.
Synonyms