Literary notes about clan (AI summary)
In literature, the word "clan" is employed in a range of contexts that underscore both its literal and symbolic significance. In historical narratives, it often designates a family or group bound by blood and tradition, as seen when the chieftain's plan refers to the father of his clan ([1]) or when a chief’s death rallies his kin into combat ([2]). In anthropological and sociological works, "clan" transcends mere blood relationships to represent a complex social unit defined by totems, rituals, and shared cultural identity ([3], [4], [5]), highlighting how symbols and ceremonies consolidate group solidarity. Moreover, some modern narratives use the term metaphorically to denote distinct social or even ideological groupings, whether to mark loyalty or to contrast group dynamics ([6], [7]). This breadth of usage illustrates that "clan" serves not only as a descriptor of kinship but also as a metaphor for enduring communal and cultural bonds.
- Chieftain's plan Bespeaks the father of his clan.
— from The Lady of the Lake by Walter Scott - The gates gave way, and over the dead body of their chief his clan rushed to the combat!
— from Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, v. 1 of 3 by James Tod - [483] Thus the different things classified in a clan constitute, as it were, so many nuclei around which new totemic cults are able to form.
— from The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life by Émile Durkheim - In fact, it is a very general rule that the members of each clan seek to give themselves the external aspect of their totem.
— from The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life by Émile Durkheim - A clan is essentially a reunion of individuals who bear the same name and rally around the same sign.
— from The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life by Émile Durkheim - "You brought the whole clan, I see," she said.
— from Little Brother by Cory Doctorow - You are part of a clan of daylight vampires.
— from Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
