The following is a list of

Scottish clan A Scottish clan (from Goidelic languages, Gaelic , literally 'children', more broadly 'kindred') is a kinship group among the Scottish people. Clans give a sense of shared identity and descent to members, and in modern times have an official ...

s with and without chiefs. The crest badges used by members of Scottish clans are based upon armorial bearings recorded by the

Lord Lyon King of Arms The Right Honourable the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new grant ...

in the

Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland The Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland, established in 1672, is an official register of Scottish coats of arms maintained by the Lyon Clerk and Keeper of the Records. As a public register, it can be seen by anyone on application, ...

. The

blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The vis ...

of the

heraldic crest A crest is a component of a heraldic display, consisting of the device borne on top of the helm. Originating in the decorative sculptures worn by knights in tournaments and, to a lesser extent, battles, crests became solely pictorial after th ...

is given, and the

heraldic motto A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. Mot ...

with its translation into English. While all the crest badges of the clan names listed are recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms, only about one half of these (about 140) have a clan chief who is acknowledged by the Lord Lyon King of Arms as the rightful claimant of the undifferenced arms upon which the crest badges are based. Scottish crest badges are

heraldic badge A heraldic badge, emblem, impresa, device, or personal device worn as a badge indicates allegiance to, or the property of, an individual, family or corporate body. Medieval forms are usually called a livery badge, and also a cognizance. They are ...

s used by members of

s to show their allegiance to a specific clan or

clan chief The Scottish Gaelic word means children. In early times, and possibly even today, Scottish clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the clan, after whom the clan is named. The clan chief (''ceannard c ...

. Even though they are commonly used by clan members, the heraldic crest and motto within the crest badge belong only to the clan chief – never the clan member. A Scottish clan member's crest badge is made up of a heraldic crest, encircled by a strap and buckle which contains a heraldic motto. In most cases, both crest and motto are derived from the crest and motto of the chief's

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...

. Crest badges intended for wear as cap badges are commonly made of silver or some other metal such as pewter. In the case of armigers they wear their own crest within a plain circlet showing their own motto or slogan, not a belt and buckle showing the chief's. Women may wear a crest badge as a brooch to pin a sash of their clan tartan at the right shoulder of their gown or blouse. Female clan chiefs, chieftains, or the wives of clan chiefs normally wear a tartan sash pinned at their left shoulder. Today, Scottish crest badges are commonly used by members of Scottish clans. However, much like clan tartans, Scottish crest badges do not have a long history, and owe much to

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...

romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...

, and the dress of the Highland Regiments.Adam, Frank; Innes of Learney (1970), p. 136. Scottish crest badges have only been worn by clan members on the

bonnet A Bonnet is a variety of headgear, hat or cap Specific types of headgear referred to as "bonnets" may include Scottish * Blue bonnet, a distinctive woollen cap worn by men in Scotland from the 15th-18th centuries And its derivations: ** Fea ...

since the 19th century.Campbell of Airds (2000), pp. 289–290.

References

Bibliography

* *Sir Thomas Innes of Learney, Lord Lyon, ''Scots Heraldry'' (second edition), Oliver and Boyd, London,1956 * * * Moncreiffe of that Ilk, Iain. ''The Highland Clans''. London: Barrie & Rockliff, 1967. * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Scottish Clans List Scottish

See also

References

Bibliography